By: Stephanie Turaj
Posted In: News
Photo credit: CNN.com
If u r guilty of txting while drving, u mite want 2 think twice b4 u take ur eyes off the road. You may think that typing in this type of text shorthand will only cost you a few seconds, but those few seconds can cost you your life, or a fine for breaking the law.
Texting and driving is now illegal in the State of Rhode Island, due to a recently passed law. The law includes texting while idle at a stop sign. Violators will receive an $85 fine on the first offense, a $100 fine on the second offense and a $125 fine on the third offense. The law took effect immediately upon its passage. Salve Regina University was asked by the office of the Governor and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to make community members aware of the recently passed law, said an e-mail press release sent out by SalveToday. “Whenever you’re driving, you need to give your one hundred percent attention,” said John Mixter, Director of Safety and Security at Salve. “Texting and to some extent talking can distract you.” Distraction caused by text messaging while driving increases the risk of an accident by 23.2 times in comparison to normal driving conditions, said findings by the Virginia Tech Driving Institute on July 29, 2009. A 2006 study by the University of Utah psychologists reports that distraction from cell phone use while driving is equal to that of having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. “Driver inattention is a leading cause of motor vehicle crashes and texting has been one of the most egregious forms of it,” said Rhode Island Department of Transportation director Michael P. Lewis in a statement made after Governor Carcieri signed the law. “A few months ago a young lady rolled her car over after she struck the curb while texting,” said Newport Traffic Sergeant John Barker. Out of 17 of Salve Regina students interviewed, nine students have been in an accident or known someone in an accident because of texting or talking on the phone. “My sister was texting in a snowstorm just this last weekend actually,” said Nicole Warren, a senior. “She hit someone in the front and was hit from the behind.” Two texting related accidents also included drug or alcohol abuse. Two students knew people who were killed in a cell-phone related car accident. Most other accidents were fender benders. Caroline Norton, a sophomore, said her friend rear ended her own sister while texting. “I don’t like to text while driving because I’m bad at it,” said Katherine Siclari, a junior. “Texting while driving is so distracting. I mean you’re concentrating more on texting than what’s in front of you.” She still admits to texting occasionally, however. All students interviewed think that texting is distracting and dangerous. However, out of 17 students interviewed, 15 students have been guilty of texting while driving before. One student even admitted to using his laptop while driving in a rush to work. “Talking or texting on the phone is stupid,” said Kyle Bruno, a senior. “You’re operating a vehicle. If you think about it, ten years ago none of that would have happened.” Bruno also texts while driving and does not think the law will affect his habits. Twelve students out of 15 think the recently passed texting law will not affect their texting habits. None of the students have yet to be pulled over due to the texting law. Most students feel that as long as they do not see a police officer around, they will still text and say the law just makes them more aware of the police. Sarah Schofield, a junior, said she only texts at stop signs, and was unaware that the law also applies to stop signs. Hope Stephens, a junior, thinks it would be more effective if there was a fine tacked on after a cell phone related accident instead of having police stopping violators. Newport Traffic Sergeant John Barker agrees with this, and says that this is actually part of the law. If an accident is found to be due to texting, the officer will issue a summons. Barker thinks the texting law will make people reconsider texting while driving. However, because the law is still new, there has not been anyone pulled over yet. “It’s sad that there needs to be a law for this,” said Kelly Mustone, a senior. “If it’s a law people will pay more attention because you could get pulled over for that, but when it’s just safety it doesn’t matter.” As of December 2009, 19 states have banned text messaging while driving. Six states have a handheld cell phone bans for drivers: California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington. These laws are primary enforcement in all of these states except Washington. This means that an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cell phone while driving even if no other traffic offense took place, says the Governors’ Highway Safety Association Website. Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicle website stresses that it is important for everyone’s safety to pay attention to the road. “Although we are a small state, our streets and highways can be challenging,” said Governor L. Carcieri in a message on the DMV’s website. “Many of today’s roads evolved from colonial days and meander rather than follow straight lines. Whether we are traveling on narrow suburban streets or interstate highways we all share the road with fellow drivers and we are all responsible for our safety and the safety of others.” So whn u rcv a msg tht looks like this while you are operating a vehicle, wait until you have pulled over until you let your thumbs respond.
