2012

On August 1, a new law prohibiting texting or emailing while driving goes into effect in Alabama. A new report provides details.  Of the 125 distracted driving-related fatalities that occurred last year in the state, it is believed that about half were attributable to an electronic device. Violators will be fined and have two points… read more

Alabama’s new texting and driving law goes into effect on August 1. A sergeant with the Dothan Police Department noted that the law applies to any device that allows a user the ability to text and receive messages while driving. He stated that drivers should even program their GPS devices in advance so they are… read more

A recent poll from Consumer Reports shows that 85% of Americans had in the recent past seen an individual text or email while walking. 52% of those people reported that the distracted walkers were a danger to themselves and people around them. The number of pedestrian injuries due to distracted walkers seem to be on… read more

A law passed in Nebraska that banned texting while driving has not made much of an impact on teens behind the wheel of  vehicles. The Youth Risk Behavioral Survey from the CDC showed that older high school students are more likely to engage in texting or chatting on a cellphone. 70% of 12th graders in… read more

The new texting while driving law becomes official on August 1, 2012 for the state of Alabama. In an effort to see how prevalent this problem is, the Fox6 station in the area decided to drive around and see how many people they could catch texting behind the wheel. They saw the first offender after… read more

A new article from the Poughkeepsie Journal discusses the continuing epidemic of texting while driving. Distracted driving can be attributed to more than 3,000 deaths last year.  Even with a new, stricter law passing in New York, distractions reportedly continue to be commonplace. The increase of one point on an individual’s driver’s license (3 points… read more

Teens are increasingly at risk for texting while driving. In Pennsylvania, a ban on texting while driving was implemented in March, but a survey from Bridgestone shows that although 90% of teen drivers are aware of the ban, 20% still read texts behind the wheel and 15% continue to send texts while driving. This is… read more

A year ago in the state of New York, a law went into effect banning the use of cellular devices for texting while driving. Since last year, there have been over 20,000 tickets issued across the state and almost 3,400 issued in Queens alone. This law was put into place to curtail the dangerous epidemic… read more

In an editorial from the Times-Herald of Newnan, Georgia, the author warns of the safety hazard created by distracted drivers. Two common causes of distracted driving are talking on cellphones and texting, even after the Georgia legislature outlawed texting while behind the wheel.  These aren’t the only distractions out there, though.  A reader e-mailed the… read more

Bill 16, which took effect in Alberta almost a year ago, may not have the effect lawmakers intended, according to a new opinion piece. It is supposed to prevent distracted drivers from committing such acts as texting or talking on a cellphone while driving. Though the number of tickets has increased, there has yet to… read more

Drivers in California will now be allowed to text as long as their devices are completely hands-free. The new law was proposed as a way to take advantage of this new hands-free technology.  A report gives further detail on the amount people could expect to pay in fines.  Violators, including those who simply tap a… read more

In recent years there has been a lot of talk about texting while driving.  With fatal accidents becoming increasingly commonplace, numerous state and local governments have passed texting while driving laws. In many areas, though, these laws have proved to be nearly impossible to enforce, which has some officials frustrated. The law that has been… read more