With all talk about dangerous driving situations you may be wondering what your state is doing to prevent people from engaging in distracted driving.
Many have compared the recent push to make texting while driving illegal to Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s [MADD] push to stigmatize drunk driving. Advocates for making texting while driving illegal say that they are facing similar difficulties as MADD faced in their early stages. According to NPR, the problem is that Americans don’t take distractions seriously. Because driving distractions have become so prevalent, many people don’t even realize they are distracted until it’s too late.
While legislators like Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have recognized the dangers of texting on the road and other driving distractions, many Americans are still resistant to laws regulating behavior within the confines of their car. Some, like the National Motorists Association argue that such laws are pervasive and unnecessary.
Currently, 19 states have laws banning texting while driving. These laws range in their reach. Some states, like Colorado, ban texting but do not ban the use of hand-held devices while driving. Other states, like California, ban both talking and texting on the road. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, lawmakers in 26 states have proposed 62 bills limiting cell phone use while driving
But what about other distractions? In addition to electronic devices, there are many other factors that can distract you on the road. Some of these distractions include: talking to other passengers, thinking about work and driving while sleepy.
So do you drive distracted? If so, you may want to think twice before you decide to take your eyes and mind off the road. In addition to cell phone bans, many states have laws in place to punish people who drive distracted.
Here are 4 distracted driving laws that you should pay attention to:
1. New Hampshire drivers face fines up to $1,000 for accidents related to any driving distraction.
2. 38 states prohibit drivers from watching TV while driving
3. Utah has a law against careless drivers that punishes a driver if they commit a moving violation, other than speeding, while using a hand-held device or other distracting activity
4. In Maine, drivers who commit moving violations or driving infractions can also be fined for distracted driving.
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With all the talk about distracted drivers, texting and cell phone bans it’s no wonder 80% of all rear end collisions (the most frequent vehicle accident) are caused by driver inattention. And now there’s a recent survey that says 72% of the people said that they will keep using their mobile phones while driving despite the upcoming laws which will ban this activity. I doubt if we’ll ever stop the madness so I got one of these sparebumper.com
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