July 07, 2010
By: Carrie Van Brunt
Several states have kicked off the summer driving season this year by enacting laws aimed at cracking down on distracted driving.
Earlier this week, Delaware became the latest state to pass such a bill with legislation that bans the use of cell phones and texting devices by all drivers. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 29 states have now banned texting by all drivers, while eight have passed similar restrictions on cell phone use behind the wheel.
Last week, Massachusetts passed its own ban on texting behind the wheel for all drivers. That law got some additional attention because it also includes a provision where drivers under 18 can temporarily lose their license for such violations.
Nationwide, more states have also been making their texting bans a matter of primary enforcement, which means that police can pull over a motorist observed sending a message. Under a secondary enforcement law, police could only pull over a motorist if he or she engaged in some other violation first.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently cited data showing that 6,000 people died in crashes in 2008 that were caused by texting or using cell phones behind the wheel. People who cause accidents while disregarding these laws will not only face higher auto insurance premiums, but also potentially difficult legal troubles.
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