In the annals of distracted driving history, texting while motoring down the road isn’t even the latest chapter.
Ever-advancing technology already lets drivers surf the Internet from their car dashboard. Before that, drivers have diverted — and are still diverting — their attention from the road while turning the radio dial, putting on makeup during the morning commute, chowing on a rushed lunch or reaching for a dropped pen.
You get the point.
Now, the Georgia Legislature is considering outlawing texting while driving.
Call it TWD.
Two bills (HB 944 and HB 938) aim to curb it. However, questions linger about how the ban would work. How can law enforcement know if a driver is texting or using a cell phone for something else, such as making a call? Will reading a text message be disallowed? How about checking a sports score on the Web?
Roger Williams is one of the people who will decide. He’s a Republican state representative from Dalton. Williams supports a texting while driving ban. Asked about the bigger issue of distracted driving and how to legislate it, Williams said, “Of course, there are a lot of distractions in a vehicle. People eat hamburgers, they read books and all that, but texting takes so much attention away from the road.”
As far as enforcing the proposed ban, he believes legislation may be tweaked to apply to wrecks that are caused by a driver who was texting.
“I don’t think the state patrol or law enforcement is going to be pulling people over and looking to see if they’ve got their cell phone out,” Williams said.
While driving into work at the state Capitol, he said he often sees people oblivious to their surroundings while typing away on their cellular devices.
“I shy away from them,” said Williams, who has spent about 20 years off and on as a representative. “Especially at traffic signals. They’ll be texting on that thing and traffic gets backed up. Or they’ll swerve out of their lane and almost run into you. You’ve got to be very careful.”
The problem of texting while driving is worsening as adults become more technologically-savvy and as teenagers ignore the possible pitfalls, said Dave Colmans, director of the Atlanta-based Georgia Insurance Information Service (www.giis.org). The organization supports legislation to discourage texting while driving.
“What we’re trying to get people to realize (is that) when you do have to look away from the road to see what you’re texting and to read what has been sent to you, it’s just a formula for disaster,” Colmans said.
Banning texting while driving has gained traction in state legislative chambers throughout the nation. So far, 28 states have a complete or partial ban on texting while driving. Drivers in Tennessee busted for the offense can be fined $50 plus $10 in court costs. Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina are the other Southern states with no ban on typing text messages while behind the wheel. Georgia has no limits on cell phone use while driving, except for prohibiting bus drivers from using them.
The U.S. Department of Transportation made headlines last week with an announcement that truck and bus drivers caught while driving commercial vehicles and texting could face fines up to $2,750. Last year, President Barack Obama signed an executive order directing federal employees not to text message while driving government-owned vehicles or operating government-owned equipment.
The federal government has tried to tackle what is viewed as a growing problem of distracted driving. The Web site www.distraction.gov lists several statistics about the dangers of not paying attention while driving.
• Research by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found drivers who text take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every six seconds. At 55 miles per hour, the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road. That’s 120 yards.
• Drivers who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to get in a wreck than non-distracted drivers.
• In 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in crashes that involved distracted driving.
It’s also become a hot button issue in the media. Earlier this month, a 19-year-old Lilburn resident was hospitalized after crashing his car into a telephone pole. He was text messaging a friend moments before the wreck. An Alabama woman was killed Thursday after a driver ran a red light at an intersection. State troopers believe texting while driving played a role in the accident.
But do cell phone bans really work?
A study released Friday by the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found no decrease in crashes after hand-held phone bans were enacted in three states and Washington, D.C. Comparing insurance claims for crash damage there before and after the bans, researchers found steady claim rates compared with nearby areas lacking bans.
“Whatever the reason, the key finding is that crashes aren’t going down where hand-held phone use has been banned,” said Adrian Lund, president of both organizations. “This finding doesn’t auger well for any safety payoff from all the new laws that ban phone use and texting while driving.”
Colmans and the not-for-profit industry association he represents push for educating drivers about distracted driving. But he realizes that laws don’t stop people from breaking them.
“How many laws do we have against drunk driving?” Colmans said. “How many laws do we have against following too closely? The fact that you have a law certainly does help from an enforcement standpoint because it’s something you can add on to the impact of being involved in an accident or getting stopped. It’s not going to stop because there is a law, but it will help from the standpoint of, ‘If I get caught doing this and I’m in an accident, I’m in more trouble than I would have been before.’”
Education
Related Photos
Discussion
‘A formula for disaster’
States crack down on texting while driving
- Education
-
-
Northwest students place high, take tech to next level
Several Northwest Whitfield High School students placed high in the Sequoyah Regional Georgia Educational Technology Fair. Pictured from left are Josh Rountree, Audrey Edds, Bryan Cooper and Eli McMahon.
Several Northwest Whitfield High School students placed high in the Sequoyah Regional Georgia Educational Technology Fair.
Continued ... -
Dalton student on GPS May Court
Christian Bryant of Dalton has been elected to the May Court at Girls Preparatory School and will serve as crown bearer to the May Queen during the May Day festivities in April.
Continued ... -
Northwest Whitfield High School Sweetheart Court
Northwest Whitfield High School's Tip Off Club hosted the 2012 Sweetheart Dance at the school recently.
Continued ... -
Art student’s work on exhibition
Gary Sanchez Soto will represent Murray County High School in “An Artistic Discovery: The Congressional Art Competition” at the Derrell C. Roberts Library on the campus of Dalton State College.
Continued ... -
Professor to speak on the Oscars during 'Lunch & Learn' program
Jonathan Lampley, assistant professor of English at Dalton State, will present “The Oscars: Winners, Losers, and Weird Moments” in the College’s James E. Brown Center, room 105, on Feb. 15 from noon to 1 p.m.
Continued ... -
Local high schools recognized for AP classes, exams
State School Superintendent John Barge named several local high schools as Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools.
Continued ... -
The Perfect Polish
Cosmetology and Skills U.S.A. at North Murray High School recently sponsored a community service project in which Donna Blankenship’s students gave manicures to the residents of the Murray County Senior Center.
Continued ... -
MCHS accepts letterman's jacket
James “William” Butler’s family presented his letterman’s jacket to Murray County High School Principal Gina Linder during halftime of a varsity boys’ basketball game recently. The jacket, which has a “1962 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP” patch on it, will be displayed in the school’s trophy case. Presenting the jacket to Linder were Butler’s nieces, Chloe Brown and Ashley Strong; his wife, Patsy Butler; his daughter, Robin Baggett; and his grandchildren, Jaden and Janna Baggett.
Continued ... -
Mountain Creek Academy honors December teacher of the month
English teacher Jennifer Weninger (center) was selected by her peers as December’s Teacher of the Month at Mountain Creek Academy. Principal Paula Martin (right) and Curriculum Instructor Facilitator/Counselor Jennifer Lents presented her with the award.
Continued ... -
Mountain Creek Academy honors December staff of the month
Mountain Creek Academy Lisa Sanford, center, accepts a certificate from Principal Paula Martin and Counselor Jennifer Lents (left) as she is recognized with a December Staff of the Month award. Sanford has worked at Mountain Creek for 12 years.
Continued ... -
Med students visit Murray High
In December, students from Murray County High School and North Murray High School were invited to meet with fourth-year medical students Allen Ligon of Augusta and Heath Petty, an MCHS graduate.
Continued ... -
Gladden honors December student of the month
Joey Ecklebarger is the December 2011 Gladden Middle School Student of the Month. Joey is motivated and puts forth great effort in all classes. His behavior and attitude towards school, other students and teachers is also outstanding. Sean Hammond, Joey’s social studies teacher says of Joey, “He is great to have on our team.”
Continued ... -
Coker honors students for Week 14 good behavior
As part of Coker Elementary School’s PBIS or Positive Behavioral and Interventions Support system, students that follow the school expectations are recognized each week for their Great Behavior.
Continued ... -
Gladden students use Facebook in lessons
Gladden Middle School eighth-grader Shaley Stafford shows her Facebook page model on the book “Alice in Wonderland.” Eighth grade reading teacher Keith Rollins had his students choose a book from the library to do a book report on. However, this was not an ordinary book report. After the students read their book, they were to do their report by making a Facebook page about their book.
Continued ... -
Gladden assigns January Dreamcatcher award
Every month, one of the faculty members at Gladden Middle School is recognized for having the most clean and organized room. The award given is called the Dream Catcher Award. Seventh grade social studies teacher Jennifer Bennett was awarded the Dream Catcher Classroom of the Month for January and will hang the Dream Catcher model in her room until the next month.
Continued ...
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
