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Could Anti-Texting Laws Make Roads More Dangerous?

Posted by samzenpus on from the be-careful-what-you-wish-for dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A new study has found that various state laws that ban texting while driving might actually make the roads more dangerous. If that seems counterintuitive, it's the laws of unintended consequences at work. The theory is that the laws don't do much to stop people from texting while driving — but instead, leads them to try to hide the activity more. That is, they end up trying to text with the phone held lower down to avoid it being detected. But, of course, that also takes their eyes even further off the road. The study itself looked at texting-related accidents both before and after 4 different states implemented such laws, and also compared them to neighboring states with no such laws. The results suggest the laws certainly don't help and in some cases appeared to make the situation worse. So if the laws don't work, what is a better solution to preventing texting while driving accidents?"

5 of 709 comments (clear)

  1. Dont hate, educate by thechemic · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It is better to change people thru inspiration and education rather than by force and control. Always has been, always will be. However, if the states launched an education campaign about texting & driving dangers, that would be an expensive, not an income from citations. Also, our precious insurance companies wouldnt be able to jack your rates up nearly as high.

    --
    Let's make like a bird... and get the flock outta here.
    1. Re:Dont hate, educate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I think I'm exaggerating. But I can't really be sure.

      Okay, then I'll not exaggerate. I had a friend who tailgated horribly. She drove less than half a car length behind the car in front of her no matter what. Any lane, any speed, any condition. Eventually she totaled her car, in the rain. Why? "Because the car in front of her stopped too fast." In her mind, it wasn't her fault. Last time I rode with her, she was still tailgating everyone. Twice the car in front of her drove off in the shoulder when there were puddles, splashing her car with mud. The second time she said, "I think he did that intentionally." I said, "Probably because you're tailgating." She said, "That couldn't be it." Idiot. Dangerous idiot.

  2. Punish results, not behavior by captaindomon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Write people an extremely hefty fine if they are involved in an accident while texting. Make it easier to convict them on involuntary manslaughter charges if they were texting at the time they hit a pedestrian. If people can safely text, great. If not, punish them when they cause problems. This is the same as any other distraction while driving - you can think about other things than the road while driving legally (work problems, family problems, etc). If you can still safely drive, great. If not, you pay the piper when you hurt someone else.

    --
    Just because I can hook a shark from a boat, I do no offer to wrestle it in the water.
  3. And in other news by HereIAmJH · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Studies have found that laws prohibiting bank robberies have failed to reduce the number of thefts while making them more dangerous for innocent bystanders. Police officer's attempts to enforce those laws have only encouraged criminals to carry weapons.

    While I think it is ridiculous to write a law to make prosecuting every little driving distraction easier, the fact is the law is there. If people are attempting to be more discreet while still violating the law, the problem isn't that this makes them more dangerous. The problem is that the penalties are not severe enough to stop the behavior.

    Example: I'll drive 5 over on the interstate because I know the chance of getting a ticket is slim. I won't drive 5 over in a school zone. The risks are higher and the penalties are nasty.

    --
    Another day, another update to a Google android app.
  4. Re:because it's a distraction and dangerous? by FatRichie · · Score: 3, Interesting

    **The solution is to allow texting, but increase severity of penalties when the driver is texting while **committing another offense.

    EXACTLY THIS!

    There will always be those that cannot handle the responsibility of multitasking, and they should be punished when they are proven incompetent. If they can't handle the car, they get it taken away: at first the license, if again, then the vehicle, if again, then jail.

    This is why drunk driving laws are ineffective... first is a fine, then maybe another, then maybe a license suspension, then maybe another fine, then maybe a few days in jail.

    Get SERIOUS with these offenders, and people will start to consider the consequences more seriously.

    My fear is that if texting is outlawed, next comes cell phone usage (already in some locations) then eating while driving, then talking passengers, etc. Driving the long, open, boring roads of the Midwest, I depend on talking with others and snacking just to stay awake. But I'm smart enough to know that driving comes first... I set things aside when I'm in town, or if road conditions are tough... but by virtue of REALLY needing to concentrate on the road, I don't need those other things to keep me alert. And if I can't get my priorities straight when I'm driving and cause an accident because of it... I expect to get in REAL trouble.