The introduction of text messaging has cultivated a whole lot of response from a whole lot of people.
Some find it to be annoying and confusing, some use it as their main method of communication and some find it to be an extremely dangerous practice that can and will lead to fatalities when combined with other routine activities such as driving.
Texting while driving is something most tech-savvy persons are guilty of, but this action that some participate in daily with no deathly repercussions yet, has been officially banned in 14 different U.S. states.
Other states are developing partial bans for novice drivers and many state bans are still in the works, but 36 others, including Florida, have yet to sign such a law into effect.
The skepticism from the non-participating states has to do with the enforceability of the proposed ban and weakness in the present research, according to a news release.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., exposed the legislation over the summer along with others including Sen. Carey Baker, (R-Fla.) stressing that texting while driving can lead to deadly consequences, according to the Associated Press.
The legislation HR 3535 IH, which reached the House Sept. 8, said states that do not pass a law banning texting while operating a vehicle will risk losing 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding.
The bill is currently making its way through legislation but still has a long way to go, according to another news release.
“My roommate ran her Scion right into a guard rail on I-95 going 75 mph recently, due to her text messaging her sister plans for the evening. Her car was totaled; it’s just not worth it,” a UNF senior political science major Michelle Gandee said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 80 percent of all accidents are caused by driver inattention.
Using cell phones in any capacity while driving causes 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries each year, according to a study published by Human Factors.
All these statistics stimulated the Department of Transportation to hold a summit this month to discuss the dangers of cell phone use and specifically text messaging while driving, although the outcome of Florida bans remains unclear.
“It’s just not safe, and you can get away with it time after time until one day you don’t, and you die. Period,” Gandee said.
