In an age where constant communication is commonplace, it should come as no surprise that many drivers feel compelled to keep in contact by texting. However, the practice of texting while driving has indeed become dangerous for the person doing so and the drivers and pedestrians surrounding.
On Aug 21, a Missouri law prohibiting people under the age of 21 from texting while driving went into effect. The law is intended to protect young drivers from the distraction using a texting device provides on the road.
Offenders against the new law will be pulled over and issued a ticket or a warning. However, because the law is so new, convention has not been set.
“It really depends upon whatever the judge decides at the time,” Officer John Zlatic said.
Since cell phones and other texting devices are so small, police often have trouble catching drivers in the act of texting, a difficulty similar to the enforcement of seatbelt laws.
“If I saw someone texting, then I would pull them over,” Zlatic said. “If there is a complain, then we can investigate further in their phone. We need a reason to suspect a driver has been texting to search them, though.”
Originally, the law was supposed to apply to all drivers, but somewhere in the process of lawmaking an age restriction was added.
Zlatic expressed some concern about that facet of the law.
“Anything to do with driving should incorporate all drivers,” he said. “I would have made it universal. Anyone driving a car would not be able to text.”
Criminal investigator and driving instructor Geno Dokes agreed, pointing out that while younger drivers have less experience on the road, adults are not usually expert texters.
“I think [the law] should be for all people,” Dokes said. “In my opinion, teenagers text a lot faster than adults. There are pros and cons to both age groups, so I think it should apply to both ages. I think anyone using cell phones is very inattentive.”
Even those under the law’s jurisdiction support what it is trying to achieve: safety.
“Not only is it really dangerous to make calls while driving, it’s so much worse to text,” junior Kelsey McFarland said. “I tried doing it once or twice and I almost switched lanes without meaning to. Texting while driving is just really, really stupid.”
Zlatic said that another problem with the law is how hard it is to collect data on its effectiveness.
“When you’re only doing a small group, it’s going to taint statistics,” Zlatic said. “It’s going to be very hard to collect statistics because the law only applies to a certain age group.”
Although the law is a step in the right direction, Zlatic believes that without universal enforcement, the texting while driving law cannot keep the roads completely safe. Whether or not a driver falls under the ban on texting while driving, everyone can still keep the roads safe for everyone by staying focused on the road.
“I don’t see a decrease [in accidents] right now,” Zlatic said. “I think part of the problem is that it’s not universal. I just wish there was a better way to enforce it. There’s a fatal flaw when something only applies to one group.”