On July 1, 2012, Idaho’s texting while driving law came into effect making “the review of, or manual preparation and transmission of, written communications via handheld wireless devices” a primary offense and carrying a penalty of more than $80. This law came about due to statistics from Idaho’s Department of Transportation, which included reporting more than 1,200 serious crashes involving distracted drivers, resulting in 160 deaths and 1,375 serious injuries.
As more people rush to meet deadlines and make their lives as streamlined and efficient as possible, the temptation to text, email, or access the Internet in the car using a convenient mobile device is almost irresistible. This is especially true for young people who have grown up around mobile technology and never known life without it.
An annual survey from State Farm Insurance noted that nearly seven in ten young drivers still text while driving – despite ever-increasing legislation against the practice. While all but six states currently have laws against texting while driving, more people use mobile devices while driving than ever before. 34% of all drivers reported texting while driving, up from 32% the year before. And among young drivers, 68% reported texting while driving, up from 64% the previous year.
Thirty percent of young drivers update their social networks while driving, 48% access the Internet, and 74% talk on a handheld device while driving.
Despite the rampant use of phones and tablets while driving, the laws against this form of distracted driving are difficult to enforce as a way to prevent collisions.
Idaho’s Office of Highway Safety said that between July 1 and September 30, 2012, only 130 texting while driving citations had been issued, and of those there were 86 guilty findings. At that time, there had only been two violations of the texting law in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department had not issued any citations for texting while driving at that time. Ben Wolfinger, now Kootenai County’s Sheriff said, “This law, as it is written, is nearly impossible to enforce because we cannot tell if someone is texting or dialing. A law must be enforceable to be effective.”
There is an inherent danger for everyone on the road when someone is using a mobile device while driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation compares sending a single text to driving the length of a football field while blindfolded. A lot can happen on the road in that time.
As an ever-increasing percentage of drivers use their cellphones while driving, it is important to remain alert and practice defensive driving in order to arrive at your destination safely. At Silverlake Automotive, we encourage you to refrain from using your cell phone or tablet while you’re driving. If you must, simply pull into a parking lot, take care of what you need to, then set the phone down and drive fully alert and aware. It’s the safest thing for all of us!
Here’s a great video that depicts just what we’re discussing. While the video was made for teens in South Africa, the same message is completely applicable here in the US. Check it out:
Don’t Text and Drive from Mogamad Fuad Casker on Vimeo.