Texas governor vetoed bill banning texting
On Friday, June 17, 2011, Texas Governor Rick Perry vetoed legislation that would have penalized texting while driving. In vetoing the legislation, Perry reportedly described the proposed legislation as a “government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults.”
Bill to Ban Texting Introduced in Congress
A bill that would create a single national standard regarding texting and talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving was introduced in Congress by New York congresswoman, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy.
The Safe Drivers Act of 2011 directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish minimum regulations banning use of hand-held cellphones by people operating a vehicle on a public road, except in an emergency.
Teen Safe Driver Program Has Proven Results
American Family Insurance’s Teen Safe Driver Program helps turn risky driving behaviors into safe on-road practices.
The program involves the following six-step process:
1. A small device placed behind the rear view mirror captures both an interior and exterior view of your teen’s vehicle. When the auto experiences an erratic movement, for example extreme braking, sharp cornering, sudden acceleration or a collision, the recorder captures the ten seconds before and after the incident.
2. The 20 seconds of video that make up the incident are transferred wirelessly to DriveCam’s Event Analysis Center.
3. The video is analyzed and scored by trained professionals who add valuable tips for preventing similar incidents.
4. Parents and teens then log in to a secure website to view this data. Parents also receive a weekly driver report card showing their teen’s performance compared to their peers.
5. The reports enable parents to praise safe driving practices and coach their teens on specific problem areas.
6. Teens participating in the program have demonstrated remarkable improvement in their driving habits.
Under a research grant funded by American Family Insurance, the University of Iowa studied the effect of DriveCam video feedback on a group of 25 rural Iowa teens. After just over a month, the riskiest drivers in the study reduced their unsafe habits by 88 percent.
To learn more about the Teen Safe Driver Program, visit American Family Insurance.
AT&T Don’t Text While Driving Documentary
AT&T launched the “It Can Wait” campaign in the spring of 2010. As part of the campaign they commissioned a documentary called “The Last Text,” which focuses on how the lives of several young people were changed forever by reading or sending a text message while driving.
Click below to watch the “The Last Text”
Columbia, SC bans texting
The Columbia, South Carolina City Council approved a ban on sending text messages while driving. The law went into effect March 30, 2011; however, police will wait approximately 30 days before they begin writing tickets. Drivers cannot compose, send, or read a text-based communication while driving in Columbia.
Guam – Laws Regarding Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving
The following is the current law in Guam regarding cell phone use and texting while driving: Ban on texting for all drivers
Man charged under Michigan’s texting while driving law
Prosecutors in Lapeer County, Michigan have charged a 41-year-old man with causing death while texting and driving, a misdemeanor punishable by one year in prison and a $1,000 fine, following the November 30, 2010 crash which caused the death of 78-year-old woman.
Dublin, Ohio bans texting
The Dublin, Ohio city council passed a texting ban on February 14, 2011. The ban takes effect on March 16 and prohibits “sending, reading or writing a text message or manually accessing the Internet while driving.” The ban makes texting a priority offense, a fourth degree misdemeanor.
Fredericksburg, Texas bans texting while driving
In a city council meeting on Monday, February 23rd, Frederickburg, Texas council members voted to ban texting while driving. Beginning March 5, 2011, any driver caught texting while driving will face a $200 fine.
Texting Bans and Teen Driver Safety Top AAA’s State Legislative Priorities for 2011
Laws that ban texting while driving and that improve safety for teen drivers top AAA’s agenda nationwide as state legislatures convene across the country for their 2011 sessions. AAA looks to build on a relatively successful campaign of traffic safety law improvements last year.
“Last year showed states’ strong commitment to traffic safety as nearly a dozen states enacted laws banning texting while driving, but there were also real safety improvements on core needs like teen driver safety, primary seat belt laws, and child passenger safety,” said AAA Vice President of Public Affairs Kathleen Marvaso. “AAA is working with legislators and other safety advocates in statehouses across the country to draft and pass legislation in 2011 that will make roads safer.
“As state legislatures grapple with another year of severe budget challenges, safety improvements are a low or no cost way that legislators can make their states better places to live. Laws that reduce crashes, injuries and deaths can help reduce governments’ medical and emergency response costs. In fact, some states could receive millions of dollars in financial incentives for passing some of these laws.”
AAA’s main traffic safety priorities in the states include:
Texting while driving bans: AAA in 2009 launched a national campaign to pass laws banning text messaging while driving in all 50 states. With 11 states having enacted these laws in 2010, there are now 30 states with laws prohibiting drivers of all ages from texting. AAA expects nearly every one of the 20 remaining states to consider this legislation in 2011.
Teen driver safety: Although every state has some form of graduated driver licensing for new teen drivers, nearly every state still has opportunities to improve these lifesaving laws, according to AAA. States such as Alabama, Louisiana, Michigan, and Oklahoma made significant improvements in 2010, such as increasing the age and requirements for getting a license, banning the use of wireless communications devices for novice drivers, and adding or improving limits on teen passengers and nighttime driving for newly licensed teens. Just five states (Delaware, Indiana, New York, Oklahoma and West Virginia) have graduated driver licensing systems that meet AAA’s guidelines for nighttime limits, passenger limits, and practice requirements.