.“TWD” Texting While Driving
The next cause of Fatal Crashes
Texting while driving could soon be against the law in Ohio. Sixteen states have already banned it after fatal crashes.
Teen Driver #1 says, "I'm fessing up. I text, email, Facebook while driving. I am trying to do it more so when I'm at a stop light. I have been doing this ever since texting has become the 'in' thing and have never been in an accident."
Teen Driver # 2 says, "I almost got sideswiped today by a guy who was texting. It is very frustrating as I do not talk or text while driving."
So just how bad is it? Teen Driver #1, 15, texts hundreds of times a day. Since she's a texting pro and taking driving lessons, we asked her to help us with our TWD test.
Toledo driving school instructor, has set up a course in a safe area and they get going. Teen driver #1 full attention is on driving until she gets a text. She has a hard time holding onto the wheel and her eyes are off the road. She doesn't stop. She says, "It was really hard, like I could not text while driving. I would kill some people."
Teen Driver # 2 says, "She thought she was doing fine, but in a fraction of a second, your atmosphere can change, and it's at that point you're hitting the car in front of you or you miss hitting a pedestrian." The Driving Instructor supports passing a law prohibiting anyone from texting while driving. That message can be hard to drive home these days. The Instructor said "They can't remember a time when there wasn't a cell phone, but I do. I try to instill in them that it's not just about them. That moment that they're taking to do that can jeopardize themselves, people in the streets, what if their parents have to come in and identify them in the worst place possible."
Nationwide Insurance recently conducted a study of more than 1500 drivers, 18 percent admitted to TWD. That number skyrockets to 39 percent for drivers under 30. But it's not only young drivers. Authorities say it's hard to tell how many accidents are caused by texting because drivers rarely admit it. Sgt. Eric Gonzalez of the Ohio Highway Patrol says, "Some people feel, with all due respect, stupid. It makes them feel inexperienced, maybe embarrassed."
Our teen says texting will have to wait until she's out of the car. "Everyone's at risk of getting in a car accident, especially when you have your phone in your hand."
In a real scenario with other cars and passengers, instructors say texting while driving could be deadly and should be against the law. But they fear making it illegal may not be enough.
The driving school's instructor says, "No, I don't think it's going to completely stop this. Unfortunately we're a society that learns from the punishment, not the act. So I think things are going to happen and when they see a friend in an accident or they themselves are in an accident, then that lesson will be learned."
There are several bills working through the Ohio legislature. Some prohibiting teens from TWD, some geared toward all drivers. There's also a federal proposal called the Alert Act. Basically, states would have to pass texting bans or risk losing 25 percent of their yearly highway funding.
WTVG-TV Toledo, OH August, 2009
