Some Holes in Texting and Driving Laws

Law enforcement needs stronger texting and driving laws to enforce the ban on cellphone usage while driving. At present the enforcement of the ban on texting necessitates an officer to actually see the violation which is difficult if the cellphone is on speakerphone or the driver is using a hands-free device or the cellphone unit is in the driver’s lap. About 120 studies conducted on the use of cellphones while driving show that the use of hands-free devices in conducting a phone conversation does not mean that the driver is not distracted.

It has been suggested that signal blocking technology be used to complement the present texting and driving laws. Some consciousness groups say that people automatically reach for their cellphones when it rings because they can and forget the hazards this action cause. They are also tempted to call back or text back especially if they are temporarily caught in traffic. In the last few years, there has been a push for a federal law for banning the use of cellphone devices while driving.

Alarming Statistics Lead to Texting and Driving Laws

Parents, doctors and even industry leaders have been alarmed by statistics, figures and findings that texting drivers are likely to cause more accidents than those who are concentrating on the road. Over the years, more and more people whose loved ones figure on these accidents join the consciousness groups. The desire for banning texting is shared by nine out of ten American adults in a recent interactive poll who believes that cellphone usage while driving is dangerous, distracting and that texting and driving laws should be passed on a federal level.

It has also been suggested that to enforce the texting and driving laws, cars should be equipped with a data recorder and it should be standard procedure to subpoena cellphone records so that guilt and responsibility can be easily determined when vehicular accidents happen.

Many US states have already banned calling and texting while driving but Washington, New York, Virginia and Louisiana’s texting and driving laws require that a law enforcer have another primary reason to stop a vehicle. In Maryland, drivers are banned from texting but allow them to read their incoming messages or add phone numbers in the phonebooks of their mobile phones. When they are stopped by police, the drivers are let go if they say they were using a GPS device or dialing a number.

Law enforcers hope that new texting and driving laws and the many educational campaigns including the alarming statistics released by the National Safety Council will cause people to change their habits and refrain from texting while driving. Education and enforcement of the law should effectively reduce the occurrence of motor vehicle accidents and injuries caused by distracted driving.

The drive for the passing of texting and driving laws has been spurred by highly publicized collisions with multiple death and injuries which were caused by driver’s texting, according to claims of survivors. Fines are imposed in many states for drivers caught texting but jail time is rarely imposed. However, some states like Utah have texting and driving laws that impose a $10,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison if a texting driver cause an accident which resulted in injury or death.

Understanding The Dangers of Distracted Driving

The US Department of Transportation has a site dedicated to share knowledge and promote understanding of the dangers of distracted driving.  In November 2010, a public service announcement by US Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood promoting the “Faces of Distracted Driving” series was released.  The PSA contains clips of people from all over the country who lost their loved because of crashes caused by distracted driving.  The stories are heartbreaking and these people have been lauded for their participation in this effort to save lives through building public awareness.  The message:  texting or talking while driving is dangerous. Put your Cellphone down!

According to the US Department of Transportation statistics,  nearly 5,500 people died in 2009 due to distracted driving and about half a million were injured due to texting and using mobile phones while driving. The website stresses the seriousness and life-threatening danger of distracted driving and the US Department of Transportation is determined to stop the practice.

There are always dangers in driving even for expert drivers because there is always the third party: care-free pedestrians, incompetent users you are bound to encounter on the road, animals that cannot read or follow directions and even organic and non-organic road obstacles.  It is imperative that drivers remain focused and concentrate on their driving at all times.

Technological Advances That Contribute to Distracted Driving

It is unfortunate that there are too many technological advances producing wondrous gadgets that are specifically designed to amuse and distract humans whether they are relaxing at home or behind the wheel trying to get to their home or some other destination.  According to a recent survey, there are several things and modern human practices that result in distracted driving:

• Facebook profiles can now be updated through your cellphone.  Allegedly there are more than 175 Facebook users around the world and it is now in the top list of driving distractions because of the increasing number of cellphones with social networking apps.
• Looking at the mirror and applying lipstick, spraying on perfume or using other cosmetics is a high ranking cause of distracted driving.
• Tweeting on twitter is surprisingly another distraction while driving.  Some people cannot wait to tweet something for fear of forgetting the details when they get home, so they tweet while going down the road.
• Sleeping or dozing off while driving is a very common occurrence for people who are tired but want to get home or get somewhere else on a tight schedule.  Fatigued people are advised to sleep in road side hotels or park in safe areas to rest for a while before continuing their journey.
• Texting is dangerous even if you have memorized all the cellphone keys by heart.  You still have to glance at the screen from time to time to read what you wrote and those few seconds can be lethal.
• Phone calls are one of the leading causes of distracted driving.  Some of the time, these calls cannot be avoided when you are stuck in traffic and someone waiting for you is calling to verify your whereabouts.  Sometimes you yourself have to call to tell your appointment to wait because you are stuck in traffic.  Whether you are waiting for traffic to move or your vehicle is moving, law enforcement officers can apprehend you and fine you when you are making phone calls behind the wheel and contributing to distracted driving.

Reasons to Track a Cell Phone

There are many reasons why people would want to track a cell phone.  The foremost reason for parents to track a cell phone is to protect their children and guide them properly.  There is also a cell phone app that will disable the cell phones of children while they are driving or attending classes in school.  There is too much freedom that kids enjoy these days as there are lots of new places to go to and explore.  Instead of going to class, they can go to the mall and play various video and computer games.  They can also go exploring the sights on their own and their parents will not be subject to too much worrying when their kids are late going home from school if they are able to find out where they are through the cell phone tracking system.

Track a Cell Phone To Keep Track of Kids

There are many times where kids and teenagers get involved in problems which they refuse to share with their parents for fear of punishment or embarrassment.  Bullies can also intimidate some children and there might be criminals lurking about the school premises.  By using the track a cell phone feature, parents can find out if their child is having a problem.  Teen-age problems can be drug related, alcohol related or pregnancy-related.  Parents who are able to track their child’s daily movements are more confident and relaxed than parents who worry all the time where their child is.

Jealousy is another reason why people want to track a cell phone.  Jealous wives who are suspicious that their husbands are cheating on them appreciate this cell phone feature.  They can find out where their husbands are and figure out what his business is at the specified place.  If she can’t figure it out herself, then she can go into the confrontational mode and ask him outright why he is in a particular place at a particular time because she has tracked his cell phone.  The same will be true for a husband wanting to track his wife and where she goes on a certain day.

Employers can also use the track a cell phone feature to control employee expenses and monitor their activities.  If they have assignments out of the office, the employer can easily find out if the employee strays from the specified trip schedule he has to undertake on a certain day.   While some employees are honest and trustworthy, there will always be problematic employees.  Modern and forward thinking employers provide their employees with cell phones for tracking purposes.  Employees can get tempted to call in sick and attend to some other personal things.  Some employees out on calls are sometimes able to finish way ahead of time or the person to see is not available and can use the extra time to visit friends. Knowing how to track a cell phone can give an employer invaluable knowledge of his employee’s behavior while outside the office.

The primary reasons why people want to track a cell phone remain to be lovers wanting to keep track of each other.  Some are suspicious and want to find out if their beloved is cheating on them, while for others it is really deep concern for the safety of and affection for a loved one.  It is a way of being connected at all times. There are many ways to track a cell phone and you can find many of them on this site.