Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Editorial: Texting crosses the legal line
A new law against texting while driving shouldn't be needed, but it is.
From the RoundTable blog
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Texting while driving becomes illegal in Virginia on Wednesday, so remember: Unhand that cellphone when you slide behind the wheel. Put temptation aside.
This means you, too, Mom and Dad.
A couple of years ago, Virginia lawmakers forbade drivers younger than 18 even to talk, much less text, on cellphones or other wireless electronic devices. That was a smart move, but it didn't go far enough to cut down on a dangerous distraction.
This year, the General Assembly showed the political moxie to extend the prohibition against texting while driving, at least, to people of voting age.
Lawmakers -- surely as wedded as any group of busy people to driving while phone is plastered to ear -- bowed to the argument that reading and punching out messages on a key pad while driving just can't be a good practice.
Still, as with the age-related restrictions, the new law will make it only a secondary offense for anyone to be caught texting while driving. In other words, police will be able to write a ticket for the transgression only if they've stopped errant texters for some other offense like -- oh, say -- reckless driving.
The National Safety Council considers the distraction from cellphone use a serious safety hazard. Enough so that it has asked states to make it illegal for drivers to use them -- hands-on, hands-free, talking, texting, in any way at all.
Being physically present behind the wheel while mentally miles away from the scene is not wise.
Given the curb on enforcement that lawmakers imposed, drivers can show their good sense by internalizing the message and choosing to abide by a sensible law.
