Iowa became the 21st state to ban text messaging while driving as Gov. Chet Culver signed the plan into law. The state's public safety commissioner then presented the governor with a coffee mug that said: "Don't Drive Intexticated." "We want to be the very best state in America when it comes to safe roads," Culver said -- although the Iowa texting ban was watered down to secondary-enforcement status as it made its way through the Legislature. (The measure was a compromise by the House and Senate.) The law's additional ban on use of all handheld electronic devices by teen drivers with … [Read more...]
Wyoming to round up texting drivers
March 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Wyoming became the 20th state to ban text messaging while driving, as its governor signed legislation that will go into effect on July 1. The anti-texting legislation (Senate File 20), was sponsored by Sen. Floyd Esquibel, D-Cheyenne, who has authored multiple distracted driving bills in the past. The law calls for primary enforcement (police can stop and cite violators when spotted) with fines of $75. Esquibel noted that his newly minted law does apply to all drivers, it is mostly aimed at the young generation that's hooked on texting. It's “primarily for an age group that is already at … [Read more...]
Fed workers banned from texting, driving
October 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment
President Obama has ordered federal employees to stop text messaging while driving on the job. The news was announced Thursday by Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, left, as he spoke on the final day of the DOT's distracted driving summit. "Text messaging causes drivers to take their eyes off the road and at least one hand off the steering wheel, endangering both themselves and others," the president said as he signed the three-page executive order. The ban did not include limits on drivers talking on handheld cell phones, echoing the year's trend in state legislatures. The … [Read more...]
Distracted driving summit starts Wednesday
September 27, 2009 by 2 Comments
The U.S. Department of Transportation's summit on distracted driving begins Wednesday, bringing more than 200 experts to Washington to address the problems of texting and using cell phones while on the road. The summit was inspired by the growing national alarm over the problems of inattentive driving, primarily the potentially deadly practice of text messaging while driving, a practice seen as common among young adults. The public is invited to view the summit online and to submit questions for the panelists. View the page for the distracted driving webcast. The DOT will issue a series of … [Read more...]
Text messaging video sobering, stunning
September 6, 2009 by 1 Comment
The Utah texting tragedy that saw two scientists lose their lives has inspired a remarkable 15-minute documentary that should be seen by everyone who uses handheld portable electronic devices. The New York Times recently profiled the case of Reggie Shaw, a college student who was text messaging as he lost control of his SUV and killed the rocket scientists, who were on their way to work. Shaw received a month in jail and 100 hours of community service, an incredibly light sentence that inspired new Utah laws that could add up to 15 years in prison for a texting-related vehicular … [Read more...]
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