Texting while driving is the act of composing, sending, or reading text messages, email, or making other similar use of the internet on a mobile device, while operating a motor vehicle such as an automobile, truck or train. It has also been ruled as the cause of some motor vehicle accidents, and in some places has been outlawed or restricted.North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed a new law banning texting while driving, making it the 31st state to ban texting behind the wheel. The new law, which becomes effective Aug. 1, will impose a $100 fine on people caught texting while driving.
With North Dakota, 31 states, the District of Columbia and Guam have banned text messaging by all drivers. Eight states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have prohibited all hand-held cell phone use while driving. In January 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation imposed a texting-while-driving ban on commercial truck and bus drivers. Texting is fun, and it can be addictive, too. But with lives on the line, it’s important to have safe driving habits. Put in perspective, not that many text messages are really worth the risk of having a potentially fatal car accident. A ban on texting while driving, punishable by fines, may become the law of the land. Meanwhile, if drivers can muster the self discipline to ban it from their own driving repertoire (and if the parents of teens, especially, can demand there be no texting while driving) then everyone’s safety will be enhanced.