Eyes off the road: Texting while driving leads to possible legislation in Kentucky

By Anna Hawthorne

A recent Public Service Announcement showed two girls driving, texting, and giggling. Then, within the blink of an eye, they were victims of gruesome car accident.

Forget drunk driving, the newest traffic safety issue is DWT — Driving While Texting.

Texting while driving might soon be illegal in Kentucky.  Nineteen states have already banned drivers from texting, and according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, Kentucky has filed two bills in the state legislature that would discuss banning driving and texting in 2010.

“Driving while texting has almost become equivalent to driving drunk,” UK Police Captain of Support Services Kevin Franklin said.  “We know it has a big impact on how many accidents have occurred.”

The Kentucky State Police’s annual report for traffic collision stated there were a total of 962 reported accidents caused by cell phones in 2008. Franklin said the number is actually much higher, but a lot of people will not admit to using their phone at the time of an accident.

A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institution concluded that a driver who is texting is 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident. But even if the bill is passed, it could be difficult for police to enforce.

“It would be very hard to monitor,” UK Interim Police Chief Maj. Joe Monroe said.  “It’ll present some challenges for the law enforcement in the state, but it would definitely reduce accidents by making people more attentive.”

Franklin agreed enforcement could be tough to get people to follow the law, but said it will just take some getting used to, like the seatbelt law.

“Minimal impact at first, then people would comply if they knew they would be fined,” Franklin said.

Although students are skeptical about enforcement.

“They’d have to pull every single person over to enforce it,” Morgan Wade, an agricultural communications junior, said.

Wade said even though she has been involved in a texting-related crash, it has not curbed her texting habits.

“I do it every time I’m in the car,” Wade said.  “I can look at the road, I don’t have to look at my phone.”
Several other students also believe texting while driving is acceptable if done properly.

“I just do it at stop lights,” Lindsey Vowells, a nursing junior, said.  “It’s not that difficult.  I know the keys well enough.”

John Taylor, a spokesman for Sprint Nextel, said passing a bill may not be enough.

“I think the larger issue that everyone agrees on is that we’ve got to figure out a way to change drivers’ behaviors,” Taylor said.  “We have to ask ourselves what’s the best way to change that behavior.”

Taylor said Sprint worked with public schools in Orlando, Fla., in 2003 to offer a curriculum they created called “Focus on Driving.”  The program emphasized the importance of attentive driving, Taylor said.

Julie Collins, music graduate student, admits to texting while driving and said it does interfere.

“I think people should stop doing it because it is dangerous, not because the government tells us to,” Collins said.