Safety advocate pushes for universal ban on texting and driving

A law passed by the 2009 Missouri legislature bans anyone under the age of 21 from texting while driving. While many agree that such a ban is a good idea, many people also wonder why the law doesn't apply to people of any age. Several bills have been filed for the 2010 session that would expand the ban to drivers of all ages.

Doug Horn is one who thinks a texting-while-driving ban should include everyone. Horn is a highway safety attorney with offices in Independence, Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis, and he is well-versed in the issue of distracted driving. He says texting while driving is a uniquely dangerous activity.

"It has its own universe of risk," Horn said. "It's not surprising it is more dangerous than drunk driving. It's not just becoming an issue affecting young people anymore --older people are texting, too. Everyone can see that it's affecting drivers of all ages."

Nevada Public Safety Director Gary Herstein agrees that distractions are dangerous and should be avoided.

"Anything you do that distracts you and keeps you from concentrating on driving is dangerous," Herstein said. "Driving a car requires your full attention."

Horn said not everyone agrees, he recently did an interview on the radio and a caller to the show thought the ban was going too far.

"He asked, 'what are we going to do next, ban eating in cars?'" Horn said.

Eating in cars, while not something to be encouraged, isn't as dangerous as texting, Horn says.

"Eating in cars is different," Horn said. "When you're eating you can keep your eyes on the road. It's not like you're multi-tasking, looking at a tiny screen, trying to read it."

Texting is not just distracting, it's addictive, according to Horn.

"All of this is habit-forming, addictive behavior," Horn said. "This multi-tasking society we're in has a lot of distractions. Cognitively, you're not paying as much attention when you're driving down the road while you're having a conversation."

Living in a rural area is no haven from the dangers of texting-while-driving, either, Horn said.

"What I'm trying to make more people aware of is that on rural roads there is little room for error," Horn said. "They are narrower and you don't have the space to recover you do on wider roads."

An Associated Press story from Chris Blank says a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study released in July found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not sending messages. Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device increased risk of collision about six times in cars and trucks.

The Kansas City Star editorial board claims that texters' reaction times are three times slower than those of someone at the legal limit for drinking and significantly slower than those of a driver who's been smoking marijuana.

A universal texting-while-driving ban is just one facet of a multi-pronged approach using signs along the road and educational programs Horn advocates.

"It's a situation we need to attack on a number of levels," Horn said. "The law forms a strong foundation for a strong public education campaign ... I see real opportunity in schools and drivers ed programs to let people know how dangerous this is."

In addition to educational programs Horn said he'd like to see larger penalties for anyone caught texting while driving.

"I would like to see are greater penalties for texting while driving," Horn said. "Now they're negligible, like speeding tickets. Tougher penalties would make people pay more attention."