6 in 10 teens say they text, drive

Teenagers know all about the dangers of texting and driving, but most of them do it anyway.

Those who don’t probably have frequent talks with their parents about safety.

That’s the takeaway from a phone survey of 652 teens taken by Harris Interactive.

Almost six in 10 teenagers with driver’s licenses surveyed admitted to texting & driving.

The idea that texting behind the wheel is the new drunken driving didn’t find much support with the kids.

Of the 14- to 17-year-olds who have a license or plan to get one (almost all of the teens), 63 percent strongly agree they will get into an accident if they regularly text and drive. But they’re far more fearful of drinking and driving, with 83 percent agreeing that they’re likely to get into a crash if they regularly drink and drive.

35 percent of the teens said they probably would be killed if they persisted in texting and driving, compared with 57 percent who felt that way about drunken driving.

State Farm insurance, which backed the survey, said the numbers hadn’t changed much since its similar study in 2010. Media attention and education efforts regarding distracted driving have increased significantly in that two-year period.

More than 8 in 10 of the teens who said they didn’t text and drive reported that they talk with their parents about safe driving. Of the teens who said they do drive and text, more than 6 in 10 said they had those talks.

The study found that parent-teen interaction about safety declined significantly once the teens received their driver’s licenses, however. Teens with learners permits were twice as likely as those with full licenses to report safety talks with their parents.

The phone survey was conducted in early February. Of the 652 teens, 280 had some kind of license and 362 were about to do so.

Meanwhile, a Pew study of texting behaviors found that three-quarters of 12- to 17-year-olds text on cell phones, with the median number of messages put at 60 a day.

For older girls, the number was 100 messages a day. Use by older boys is on the way up, researchers said.

The study addressed overall text messaging behaviors, not distracted driving.

Only a third of the teens said they used land lines (traditional phones). 39 percent said they engaged in voice calling daily, compared with the 63 percent who text.

Related research:

• Teens, texting at night a deadly combo
• Adults match teenagers in texting and driving
• Distracted, dangerous and doing it anyway

‘She took her eyes off of the road to see a text’

To the Tatum (Texas) High School student body:

“Leah Propes has phoned me this morning and asked that I share with you what she has now confirmed.

“Lillian (16) was driving home from work and was texting while driving. There was no other car involved, Lillian was not under the influence of anything in her system but the crash happened simply because she took her eyes off of the road to see a text and answer a text. Lillian was texting someone she had just recently met.

“The Propes family asked that each of you, the Tatum High School family of students, faculty and staff take this tragedy of their precious daughter’s death as a screaming message from those who love you “Don’t text while you drive”; don’t text others when you know they are driving.

“We will remember Lillian as a member of the National Honor Society, a student athletic trainer, a yearbook staffer and a member of the One Act Play cast. She is a member of the Class of 2012 and was the only child of Tim and Leah Propes.

“Lillian has been a Tatum Eagle since kindergarten.

“Her body will be cremated and the family is having a private service.

“A memorial service will be held at Tatum High School Thursday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m.”

– Principal Debbie Maxey

Car-crash scene no thriller

There’s a new release in the genre of scary PSAs about teens who text message while driving.

Students from Treorchy Comprehensive School in Wales worked on the half-hour film “Cow,” which tracks the character Cassie Cowan and her friends as they temp fate in various ways while behind the wheel — speeding, drunken driving.

The final flirtation with death comes as the kids send and read text messages on a handheld phone. The results are horrific; the message is clear.

A Florida foundation recently produced a similar text messaging video, with an almost identical ending. Fade to eternal black.

(Update: A city councilman in Boston cited this video as inspiration for his legislation that would ban text messaging in that city.)

Nightmare on texting street

Florida’s Dori Slosberg Foundation is running this text messaging safety PSA in South Florida movie theaters. Pretty hokey, until it’s chilling.

Indiana: Cell phone laws, legislation

Cell phone, texting update: Only one bill addressing cell phone use by drivers was been filed for the 2012 session: SB 342, which would have outlawed use of handheld wireless communications devices in work zones. It did not advance.

Indiana was the 32nd state to ban texting while behind the wheel. The law became effective July 1, 2011, with fines up to $500.

Few tickets have been written under the texting law, police say, because it is hard to tell if a driver is texting or entering a phone number.

On May 11, 2011, Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the texting legislation sent to him by the House and Senate. The Senate had expanded the original House bill to include a ban on use of handheld cell phones while driving, but that element was removed by a conference committee. The new law — which gets primary enforcement — is restricted to the reading, writing and sending of text messages while a vehicle is in motion. Hands-free (voice activated) texting OK.

Current prohibitions:

• Text messaging prohibited for all drivers while vehicle is in motion. Fines up to $500.
• Drivers under the age of 18 may not use cell phones, text messaging devices or other wireless telecommunications devices.

Distracted driving legislation (2012, dead):
Senate Bill 342: Would create offense of “recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally” using a handheld electronic communications device in work zones. Hands free and voice activated OK. Class A misdemeanor. (Broden)

SB 196: Would bar police from downloading information from a cell phone in relation to a violation of the state law against text messaging and driving. State law already prohibits seizure or confiscation of cell phones in texting & driving cases. (Waltz)

2011 distracted driving legislation:
House Bill 1129: Seeks to ban phone calling and text messaging by drivers using handheld electronic devices. Hands-free texting OK. Bars police from confiscating texting devices (for this offense). Class C infraction, fines up to $500. Approved Jan. 20 by the House Public Policy Committee in a 10-2 vote. Approved by the House in an 85-11 vote on Jan. 25 and sent to the Senate. Approved by the Senate corrections committee in a 7-2 vote on March 1. Amended by the Senate (March 14 ) to include a ban on handheld cell phone use. Approved by the full Senate in a 29-20 vote on March 15; returned to the House. Rewritten April 26 by conference committee to remove Senate’s addition of cell phone ban. Bill returned to both houses. Approved by the House in an 83-10 vote taken April 28. Approved by the Senate in a 26-24 vote taken April 29. Latest action: Signed into law by Gov. Mitch Daniels on May 10. Read House Enrolled Act 1129. Law took effect July 1, 2011. (Koch)

Indiana Senate Bill 18: Would outlaw text messaging while driving and restrict use of cell phones to hands-free operation. Offenses would be Class C infractions, similar to traffic tickets. Approved by the Senate Public Policy Committee on Feb. 11, in a 5-2 vote. Latest action: Approved by the full Senate in a 29-21 vote on Feb. 17 and sent to the House. Dead. (Holdman)

HB 1158: In cases of vehicular “reckless homicide,” a Class C felony, courts allowed to consider whether accused was using a handheld cell phone at the time of a crash (“among other factors”). Heavily amended in Roads and Transportation Committee on Feb. 17. “Call withdrawn” during second reading in House on March 28. Dead. (Yarde)

Distracted driving notes (2011):
There was no warning period for the state texting and driving ban: “Drivers have had plenty of notice about the law,” a spokesman for the State Police said.

State Senator Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, said (correctly) of the Senate’s addition of a handheld cell phone to HB 1129: “It’s going to cause a lot of people to oppose it. The chances of it passing in this manner is pretty slim.”

Diveeta Thompson, who lost her 18-year-old son when he crashed while texting, testified in favor of House Bill 1129 the day of its approval by a House panel. “I can’t go fast enough and I can’t speak loud enough,” she tearfully said Jan. 20 of her efforts to combat distracted driving by teens. The bill was approved by the full House five days later. Thompson also told her story to the Senate panel that approved the bill on March 1.

Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, has filed legislation (SB 18) for the 2011 session that would ban texting while driving and the use of handheld cell phones. His SB 18 of 2010 (same number) failed to advance last session (below). He also authored the graduated license law that prevents teen drivers under 18 from using cell phones and texting devices.

Indiana’s attorney general and AT&T Indiana’s president joined Sen. Holdman at a December 2010 rally for the new SB 18 legislation

Key committee member Sen. Brent Steele says he’ll drop his opposition to a full Senate vote on legislation that seeks to ban texting while driving. Steele, R-District 44, protested 2010 efforts to halt the distracted driving practice, saying enforcement would not be possible. He says a 2011 plan that would ban both text messaging and the use of handheld cell phones while driving satisfies his enforcement concerns and should get a full hearing. Steele still doesn’t support a ban, however.

Rep. David Yarde, R-Garrett, filed legislation for 2011 that would bring felony punishments for drivers who cause injuries and/or deaths while using a cell phone. HB 1158 does not seek a ban on cell phone use or texting, however. Cell-phoning drivers who injure someone would be subject to up to three years in prison. For a death, the penalty would be up to eight years in prison.

The Indiana Legislature has a “full session” planned for 2011, which increases chances that distracted driving bills will become law. The 2010 session was short.

Indiana Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) rallied at the Statehouse in November 2010 in hopes of inspiring legislators to take further action on distracted driving. AAA Hoosier Motor Club and State Farm Insurance joined the students in rolling out a public awareness campaign.

State Police linked cell phone use to more than 1,100 crashes last year, resulting in four fatalities.

2010 legislation (session over)
Indiana House Bill 1279: Would ban text messaging for all drivers on Indiana roads and highways. Texting via hands-free devices exempted. Fines up to $500. Cleared the Committee on Public Policy on Jan. 28, 2010, and was sent to the Senate, where several sponsors have signed on. (Pearson)

HB 1057: Would ban text messaging while driving in Indiana. (Moses)

HB 1060: Would prohibit text messaging and cell phone use by drivers over the age of 18, unless a hands-free accessory is employed. Fines $25 (first)/$50/$100. (Summers)

Indiana Senate Bill 18: Would ban all forms of text messaging while driving on state roads and highways. (Holdman)

SB 111: Would make most texting while driving offenses a misdemeanor in Indiana. First offenders will be cited for a Class C misdemeanor, while a Class A misdemeanor applies if the violator has an unrelated offense within five years. If however, bodily harm or death results, texting while driving would be a felony. Provides that text messaging may constitute as a qualifying event for a habitual traffic violator determination, also bringing felonies into play. In Committee on Corrections, Criminal, and Civil Matters. (Lanane)

2010 cell phone, texting legislation notes
Only three tickets have been written under the teenage distracted driving law of 2009, according to the Courier-Journal. The newspaper calls for a broad ban on handheld cell phone use while driving, which would end the complication of police having to determine a driver’s age before pulling him or her over.

Rep. Joe Pearson, D-Hartford City, saw his HB 1279 approved unanimously (11-0) by the Committee on Public Policy on Jan. 28.

State Sen. Travis Holdman has filed SB 18, which would prohibit all Indiana drivers from text messaging while behind the wheel. Holdman, whose distracted driving limits on teens went into effect July 1, said constituents and traffic safety experts urged him to prohibit state motorists from texting while driving. “As texting-type tasks continue to grow in popularity we have to use what resources are available to help reduce the amount of crashes and fatalities on our roads,” Holdman said in a statement announcing the Indiana text messaging legislation on Oct. 29.

Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, seeks strict penalties for texting while driving with his SB 111. “My bill likens it to drunk driving or something like it,” Lanane said. “If there is a harsher penalty, then maybe drivers will take the law more seriously.”

A New Albany plan to ban text messaging and handheld cell phone use is losing steam. City Councilman Steve Price is pushing for the distracted driving ordinance, but says he’ll go along with just a ban on texting. The city’s safety committee will meet on the issue at some point.

2009 legislation (dead):
SB 16 prohibits a driver under 18 from using a telecommunications device. Approved by the Senate and House, and returned to the Senate on April 15 for approval of House amendments. Signed into law May 7 and became effective July 1. (Holdman)

SB 80 would prohibit cell phone use for drivers under 18 unless a hands-free accessory is employed. (Kruse)

HB 1242 would prohibit motorists from using hand-held phones. Drivers with probationary licenses also prohibited from also using hands-free cell phone set-ups. (Summers)

HB 1699 would prohibit drivers under the age of 18 from using hand-held mobile phone. (Robertson)

Previous Indiana legislation notes:

The teenage driving limits legislation (SB 16) was approved by the House Roads and Transportation committee in a unanimous vote on April 1, 2009. Senate approval came Feb. 5. The House OK’d the cell phone-texting bill with amendments on April 15.

Rep. Vanessa Summers, D-Indianapolis, has filed cell phone-related bills such as 2009′s HB 1242 repeatedly, without success. She voted against SB 16 on April 15, telling fellow legislators: “Shame on you all for not doing something for yourself that you’re asking your children not to do” (banning cell phones for all drivers).

The debate over teen texting and driving understandably has been intensified after the March 21 death of Indiana college student Brittiany R. Phillips, 21, of Muncie. She had been sending and received text messages in the moments before she crashed into a tree.

Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, hopes that once his teen driver legislation SB 80 has a hearing, it would be modified to include more rules and drivers. Kruse was inspired to author the bill after he lost control of his vehicle while on a cell phone, and ended up in a ditch. “Studies aren’t overly convincing that cell phone use is more distracting than drivers who put on makeup in the car or have dogs in the front seat with them or lean over to get something off the floor,” Kruse said. “But, there is definitely a distraction.” Kruse’s bill seeks primary enforcement status for the cell phone driving law.

Rep. Summers noted in the 2008 session: “In the seconds it takes you to dial a 10-digit number you can look up and be in the back of someone. Every year it amazes me you guys don’t get it.” “Several committee members expressed concern that there are no data to show this is a problem,” the Journal Gazette reported of the cell phone legislation.

South Bend has banned the use of cell phones in school districts. First offenses bring $75 fines, second, $125, and subsequent violations $250.

The South Bend Tribune said the city didn’t go far enough with the ban on cell phoning and driving in school zones: “In the end, will it really be safer with drivers strategizing how to get in the last word before they hit a school zone? Or making that follow-up call 30 seconds later?” It called for a citywide ban and, better, a statewide ban.

Monroe County has banned the sending of email and text messages while behind the wheel. The ordinance went into effect Jan. 1, 2009. A sheriff’s deputy died in a texting related accident in October 2008. Enforcement does not extend to Bloomington.

Background: A legislative study committee on Oct. 14 approved draft legislation that seeks more limits on teenage drivers, including a ban on cell phone use without a hands-free device. Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, the bill’s sponsor and chairman of the Interim Study Committee on Learner’s Permits and Graduated Driver’s Licenses, will introduce the teen-driving legislation for the 2009 session. Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, will push for that new legislation. Wyss proposed a similar bill in the 2008 session, but it was stripped of meaningful provisions before fizzling out. The study group also OK’d a separate plan to ban the use of cell phones and texting devices by bus drivers and others with public chauffeur licenses, the Indiana Star reported.