GET THE MESSAGE OR ELSE!
TEXTING TICKETS DOUBLE AS THOUSANDS MORE DRIVERS CITED CASHMAN: Tougher phone laws needed
This should come as little surprise. Because we all know most of us are guilty of it, and many of us have probably only narrowly avoided accidents because of it.
Nearly 8,600 drivers were caught texting on state highways last year — more than double the number four years ago — and those statistics should push lawmakers to get the hands-free driving bill to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk immediately.
The bill would ban people from even holding their phones while driving, to eliminate any distraction whatsoever, as well as any confusion over whether they are committing an offense.
“Lives will be lost if this is delayed any longer,” said state Sen. Eric Lesser, a cosponsor of the bill.
In 2016, police in Massachusetts slapped 8,598 drivers with fines for texting while driving, according to state’s Merit Rating Board. That marks a steady and sharp increase since 2013, when they only issued 3,389 tickets. That jumped to 4,707 in 2014 and 6,140 in 2015.
Each of those years, police also fined between 500 and 800 people for “improper use of mobile device.” State police spokesman Dave Procopio says it is unclear exactly what those drivers were doing with their phones, but in the trooper’s judgment, it was illegal.
“It is possible that in some cases, troopers cited a driver who was looking at/using his or her phone for the offense of impeded operation instead of the texting offense,” Procopio said in an emailed statement.
Under the proposed law, drivers could face a $100 fine and up to $500 for repeat offenses if caught handling their phones behind the wheel. The third offense would be surchargeable.
Law enforcement needs clearer guidelines around stopping distracted drivers. Forcing drivers to go hands free is the best solution. Fourteen other states have already adopted similar legislation.
The bill, which already has passed the Senate and is now in the House, would solve all of the confusion for police trying to keep our streets safe. A spokesman for House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo said, “The bill will be reviewed as soon as it goes through the process.”
Allow me to suggest applying the gas to that process. Without distractions.
“The iPhone is now 10 years old, and smartphone use is almost universal,” Lesser said. “This is leading to more and more accidents and preventable deaths, so it is absolutely essential for our driving laws to catch up. Frankly, a much stricter hands-free requirement should have gone into effect years ago.”
While there aren’t precise numbers on the death and injury toll from texting, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that, nationwide, 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015. In Massachusetts that year, distracted driving accounted for one-fifth of the state’s 291 road fatalities.
Let’s make our roads safer for everyone and give police the tools they need to catch the distracted drivers.