Texting and driving, just as bad as drinking and driving

Many years ago, a Northeast Wisconsin girl in her late teens was killed when her car drifted over the centerline and was struck by an oncoming 18-wheeler. The driver of the truck had a clear view inside her car from his elevated position and said it was clear that she was leaning over to the passenger seat. The purpose is unknown, but her attention and eyes were averted from the road at the time she crossed the centerline. Tragedies like this have driven lawmakers to pass bills banning inattentive driving in an effort to protect the nation's drivers. Times have changed since this accident and one of the most prevalent distractions behind the wheel today is a cell phone. According to a CNBC article published in June, texting and driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving. Last week, the state Senate voted 27-5 to ban texting while driving. Lawmakers passed the bill after much deliberation about a similar ban that only affected drivers under the age of 18. It was decided that if texting and driving is dangerous for younger drivers, it is dangerous for drivers of all ages. Fines for the infraction will be between $20 and $400, the same penalty as inattentive driving. Proponents of the bill felt that many aspects of it were already covered under inattentive driving laws and there was no need for this new law. Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, was one of the few not in support. "We have laws on the book right now where we can enforce this," Kedzie said in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sen. Jeff Plale, D-South Milwaukee, also opposed the bill. "If you're using one of these things while you're driving and you're swerving all over the road, that's inattentive driving," Plale told NBC. "We're going to make it doubly illegal, just cause it wasn't quite illegal enough." According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, almost 6,000 people were killed and 500,000 were injured in distraction-related traffic accidents last year. Another study done by The New York Times involved outfitting the cabs of long-haul trucks with video cameras over an 18-month period. The study concluded that when drivers text, their collision risk is 23 times greater than when they are not texting. Greg Diltz worked as an EMT-Paramedic for Emergency Services of Door County for 29 years and for the past 20 years, has been a Cellcom agent, owning and operating his own store. "As a 30-year, retired paramedic and as a 20-year owner of a cellular retail store, I heartily support legislation to reduce driver distraction," Diltz said. "Texting and hands-on phone calling are not acceptable driving practices." While many realize the threat that texting and driving poses, until it hits home, it is often hard to take action to correct the problem. Jackie Zahn, a UW- Green Bay business administration major, is guilty of texting and driving but knows the risk that comes along with it. "I do text while I drive, but I try to only do it at red lights," Zahn said. "I know it does cause distractions and serious accidents can occur and although it hasn't happened to me yet, I know there is always a possibility." Currently, 18 other states and the District of Columbia have banned text messaging for all drivers. Gov. Jim Doyle told NBC that he was thrilled the Senate passed the bill and will sign it, should it pass the Assembly. An Assembly committee could hear the bill as early as this week although Assembly leaders have not said whether they will take up the bill.