Repeat offenders should eventually be charged with felony charges just as repeat DUI offenders face. Texting while driving offenders who fail to carry liability insurance should be charged with a felony as DUI offenders face.
I believe privacy issues may complicate my idea, as phone records are considered very private. Bringing phone records in to the public domain – court – will be challenged vigorously. However, it is not my job to work out the kinks. I am merely suggesting an idea that must be strongly considered. I would like to hear better ideas. Please write in your idea of how a revised TWD law should work in Illinois.
I realize that another issue would be drivers that are incorrectly cited – the ones that prove to be innocent via phone records. Several arguments will be raised on this issue alone. Again, I would like to hear your thoughts. If the lawmakers are not going to do the difficult thinking, I suggest we the people come up with a plan to present to the people sleeping on the job. Voting the sleepers out of office is an additional option.
Drastic measures must be taken to reduce the high number of reckless drivers that overlook the many dangers associated with texting while driving. We know well that a driver can seriously compromise many lives because of texting while driving. Legislature needs to crack down on it right now – the right way! A driver can kill you today while texting after you stop for a red light. As a society, we must seriously address this growing danger. Illinois’ new law ‘No Texting While Driving’ as it stands does not adequately address the problem.
8 Comments
I hate the culture of social technology that has emerged in the United States. I think it’s the beginning of the end. Good article, José.
I would suggest making TWD penalty similar to a speeding violation in a construction zone. Screwing around with a cell phone whether texting or looking for phone while driving is extremely dangerous as I have cracked up a car that way.
Dear Rover,
Good idea – less complicated than my suggestion. However, repeat offenders should face more serious charges, like DUI offenders.
The real problem is you cannot legislate common sense. TWD is only as dangerous as DUI when driver is texting unlike DUI where entire time the drunk is on road it is a danger. Best I came up with was the speeding in construction analogy. I have also read that driving while tired or sleep deprivation is more dangerous than drunk driving. We both know you can’t write legislation for being tired but we can inform people as you have with TWD how dangerous tired driving can be. Something else to consider newer tech in cars will allow drivers to text by voice command via infotainment system in dash which while not as dangerous as physically texting this type of distracted driving will be a new risk. Other new tech will be internet/email access making autos a traveling office. My point no legislation will be able to address all of these issues only informing the public so that they can make competent decisions to minimize distractions while driving.
By the time the time TWD legislation would be written , approved, and passed, texting likely be an obsolete technology.
Rover, very good points.
Although I admit I am guilty of this while driving myself. In my daily ride downtown Ive seen men shaving, woman applying make-up and several other distracting things. Anything but driving while behind the wheel of what sometimes could be called a two thousand pound weapon is dangerous.
I would also like to add, in Dupage county traffic courts even if you are found innocent and your case is dismissed you still owe and must pay “court costs” which I would think is illegal, after all I was found not guilty and my case was dismissed. I have no law backround and my attorney advised me to pay (him and the court) One would almost be forced to plea guilty and pay fine through the mail. If not, win or lose you pay by showing up to court to defend yourself. I dont believe the police should be enforcing such frivolous laws when they could be doing better things. I am not saying twd is ok or safe, but why not a helmet law or running with a pair of scissors? You might say doing some dangerous things are only harmful to yourself and not a danger to anyone else. Why the seatbelt law then or any other law to protect us from us? I admit I dont have a solution to this problem. Maybe if the phone or auto company executives figure out how to make a fortune by solving this problem we might all be a little safer