New electronic gadgets can be serious distractions to drivers of all ages

Dear Editor:

Until recently, highway safety advocates concentrated much of their efforts on battling two main causes of death on our roads – drunk driving and lack of seat belt use. Now, with the rapidly growing popularity of portable communication devices, officials are emphasizing the dangers of distracted driving.

Nationwide in 2008, nearly 6,000 people were killed and more than 500,000 were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers. Distracted driving covers a multitude of behaviors such as rubber necking, eating, drinking, talking to passengers, adjusting the vehicle’s sound equipment, talking on a cell phone, texting and fiddling with a GPS.

Drivers under the age of 20 are particularly susceptible to distractions because they are heavy users of cell phones and texting devices and are often less experienced behind the wheel than older drivers.

While all distractions can endanger a driver’s safety, texting while driving has become an area of concern because it involves taking your eyes off the road, taking your hands off the wheel and taking your mind off driving. Drivers who use hand-held devices are more likely to become involved in a serious crash.

In response to the risks created by new portable electronic devices, the federal government and some states are passing laws and regulations to eliminate texting while driving. The federal government recently enacted a new rule that bans truckers and commercial bus drivers from texting while driving. Nineteen states, including Louisiana, have banned texting while driving, while six states and the District of Columbia have banned talking on a handheld device for all drivers.

In Louisiana, all drivers are prohibited from texting while driving and drivers under the age of 17 are prohibited from using a cell phone unless it is to report an emergency. The maximum fine for texting while driving is $175 for the first offense and $500 for each offense after that. The fine doubles if the offending driver is involved in a crash while texting. The maximum fine for minors using a cell phone while driving is $100 for the first offense and $250 for each offense after that.

Texting and talking on a cell phone are not the only types of distracted driving, but they’re among the more common. While portable electronic devices such as cell phones and navigation systems are helpful they can also pose a danger when operated while behind the wheel of a vehicle. It is crucial for everyone’s safety for drivers to refrain from texting and engaging in other forms of distractive driving. Doing otherwise could result in tragic consequences.

Lt. Col. John LeBlanc,

Executive Director, La. Highway Safety Commission

Governor’s Highway Safety Rep.