November 07, 2009
What's Inside:
Texting bill’s intent panned
Pending Gov. Jay Nixon’s approval, if you can’t buy alcohol, you can’t text message while driving in Missouri.
A bill banning text messaging while driving for people 21 and younger — with a $200 fine — was approved last week by both the Missouri Senate and House. Its last step is to get signed by Gov. Nixon.
Some of those people in the bill’s age range question its motives.
“It doesn’t really make sense. How is anyone going to see that I’m texting? What if I’m just looking at my phone?” Scott Raymond, a 19-year-old from Savannah, Mo., said.
Others wonder if there’s other driver distractions the bill is leaving out.
“My friends mess around a lot more in the car with their iPods and (GPS devices), I doubt they’ll outlaw those,” Travis Webb, 18, of St. Joseph, said.
Above all, some wonder why it’s aimed at those 21 and younger.
“My grandma could be reading a text while driving and that’s fine. But I can’t? I don’t get it,” Mr. Raymond said.
The law was part of a larger crime bill that went through legislation, covering everything from sex offender limitations to cattle rustler prison sentences to beer bong restrictions.
Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City, said while he voted yes for the entire bill, he thought the text messaging law was silly.
“It’s not the best piece of legislation,” he said. “What’s the difference between text messaging and eating?”
Mr. Guest said the pending law is useless as officers have more important things to do.
“To me, I don’t think it can be enforced. I don’t think it’s something the police have time to enforce,” he said. “It may be a feel-good thing to some people.”
Still, it’s undeniable that cell phone use is a problem.
A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stated crash risk is four times higher when driver is using a hand-held cell phone. Last week, an allegedly drunken and texting driver crashed into two St. Joseph Police Department vehicles.
According to News-Press files, Capt. Kevin Castle said it’s a definite danger to the driver.
“With a cell phone, you have the option of having your eyes on the road,” said Mr. Castle, who was not giving an endorsement to cell phone use while driving, “but with texting it’s not an option. You’re using at least one hand and your eyes aren’t on the road.”
Mr. Webb said young people know text messaging while driving is dangerous and a distraction, but enforcing a law to stop them won’t do the trick.
“If I’m driving stupid, then I’ll get pulled over for doing that,” he said. “Kids they’re trying to catch doing this are too sly; it will never work.”
Andrew Gaug can be reached at andrewgaug@npgco.com.
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WOW how can they waste their time on this piece of crap bill. Why can a 21 year old text but not a 20 year old??? There isn't a big difference. It makes absolutely no sense. I can maybe see 18,with an intermediate license, but 21 that is just silly. If you want to ban texting, do it for everyone not just those under 21, because a lot more older people do it than you think.
An age limit imposed on texting while driving? How ignorant is that? Do our lawmakers believe that somehow stupidity magically goes away at the magic age of 21? I have seen more adults who are much older than 21 doing stupid things behind the wheel of a vehicle that distract them. How about speeding down I-29 south applying your mascara in the rear view mirror? How about looking in your briefcase while traveling on the Belt?
Why don't we just outlaw stupidity and irresponsibility while driving? Maybe that will clear the roads or generate more revenue from fines to pass more ridiculous bills by the legislators. The payment of fines could solve our economic situation is short time.
Last week, I saw a lady "OVER 21" text messaging while driving down Woodbine and then West on Frederick Avenue (for at least for 10 blocks while I was beside her)
She was steering with her knees, her knees!!! Her hands never touched the steering wheel except to turn the corner at Frederick. She would glance up occasionally looking at the road ahead. What an invitation to disaster. They should ban text messaging while driving period, not just those under 21.
If they want to text message or talk on the phone while driving a car, they should pull over and park anyway.
My Daughter is 26 and does this all the time. I have begged her not to do it. The age limt shows a huge lack in judgement on Nixons part. The fact my Daughter does it shows a even bigger lack of judgement on her part. The only way to stop this is to do away with texting all together. If having a cell phone at your ear 24/7 is not good enough for you then you better just stay at home.
“It’s not the best piece of legislation,”........ is our legislative branch listening? badly crafted laws are worse than no law at all.
People said the seat belt law couldn't be enforced either but it is. Younger drivers are more likely to get in an accident because they have less experience. Perhaps the law should extend to all motorists but at least this is a start.
Young drivers need as few distractions as possible to keep them and the roads safe.
MichaelH - I bet you change your tune when someone in your family is injured or killed by someone texting. Laws are for protecting us all. It wasn't long ago that texting wasn't an issue because it wasn't available - When technology changes the laws must be updated to reflect what is happening today.
Just logged this with all of those other worthless laws that are not inforced.
Like lights on when windshield wipers are on.
Seat belts.
Using turn signals
Driving in passing lane.
Passing using the turning lanes.
Wearing headphones while driving.
Wearing shoes while driving.
Crossing the solid white line to pass a turning car.
Speeding.
Littering.
Running red lights. Rolling through stop signs.
Sitting in the middle of an intersection waiting to turn left, and running the red light when you do go.
Parking (unless you happen to be down town). Guess when you are yard selling the parking rules don’t apply either.
Parking in your yard, remember that one. You have to have space that kinda looks like a driveway.
Parking in the Fire Lane.
Using someone’s else handicap tag to park up front. Yes I have seen hundreds of people using moms, dads, grandparents car to park up front. (there should be a special place in hell for those people.)
I don’t understand why everyone is so upset about this law. It will never be enforced like the hundreds of other ones. It is a waste of our tax money.
Nobody should be texting if they are going to make this a la. It is just common sence you should not text when driving anyway this is a good way to hit and kill somebody because you want to send a message to someone.If it is that important give them a call most cell phones have speed dial on them and even are hands free. Txting and driving should not be allowed for anybody.
We don't need any new laws for texting while driving. There are laws already on the books. It is called Careless driving by failing to maintain proper lookout and control of your vehicle.
Careless and Imprudent is quite vague and could easily be thrown out in a texting case as there is too much gray area. Specific, black and white laws that evolve with the times always work better than trying to lump everything into a very vague offense with a lot of gray.
I think that all texting in automobiles should be illegal and only handsfree devices used for phones - (such as blue tooth) as this is the only way these laws can really be enforced.
This particular law will most likely be a secondary offense as it would be impossible for the officer to tell if the driver is 21 or not.
Before anyone complains that their rights are being violated or that I must not use these devices remember driving is a privilege and not a right and I frequently use a blackberry - it should not be used while driving and I have over 2 million miles of driving experience with no accidents.
Just another example of King Hill Avenue Syndrome. KHAS is a kneejerk reaction by politicians as a fix to a problem not caused by the thing being fixed.
About 15 or 20 years ago some nitwit was racing his Mustang up King Hill Avenue. He lost control at Sixth Street Viaduct at a speed estimated at well over 100 MPH. The crash killed an innocent woman that happened to be traveling on the viaduct. The city council at the time immediately lowered the speed limit on King Hill Avenue from 40 to 30 MPH. I will not argue whether or not 40 was appropriate for that street, but I will argue that using the fatal crash as an excuse was pandering at it's worst. If some moron is going to race a city street at 100 MPH, a ten MPH difference in posted speed limit means nothing. My cynical eye caught that and KHAS was born to my mind.
If you take time to look, KHAS is all around us. It's in ticky tack building codes. It's in traffic and parking regulations. It's in the criminal code, a prime example being "hate crimes". It's always been illegal to kill people, regardless of the reason. It is also illegal to run into parked police cars, texting or not. I realize this particular law is not a response to the local incident, but I would bet it got it's start in response to SOME incident.
Maybe I am just cynical, but critical thinking seems to be a lost art. ;)
The law needs to cover ALL texting. Texting is ridiculous and so is eating, makeup being put on, and yes even smoking. (ever dropped a hot ash between your legs, yes, and it can cause a crash). I hate the Government taking control and I hate them making all these laws, but I dont like driving carefully and risking my life for some idiot not smart enough to know that they are operating a 2 to 3 ton vehicle and are busy texting. I think the age rule is dumb and a waste of time. ALL texting should be illegal no matter the age. There should be a 1000 dollar fine for every time they are caught, then the point would get across eventually. Oh yeah, texting should result in confiscation of the phone too!
The police do not enforce regular laws, so why add another one?
Michael..Once again you show your lack of any common sense. In your “if it feels good do it” world I assume the child molesters, drunk drivers, drug dealers, murderers just to name of few, would be allowed on the streets to run wild and do whatever they “WANT” to and the rest of us could just suffer the consequences. But in the real work the government thank God “controls” these people (to some extent). It is very clear that there are many people who do not have the ability to understand that a car can be a deadly weapon. Driving while texting is as stupid as driving drunk. I hope we never have to hear the song you will be singing if texting ever effects you or someone you love.
The main reason is for the law inforcement they are over 21 and they have laptops and cell phoones they use all the time I believe this is why they brought this law in so it covers them. It should be outlawed all together. and a bunch of other stupid laws.
I think this law should apply to everyone that drives. I was in a wreck where a girl (over 21) hit me from behind an toalted my car,she said she was talking on her cell phone an didn't even see me as I was setting at a red light.
I believe that there should be no texting or cell phone calls while you are driving a car, no matter what your age. Should be less accidents.