Utah Law Banning Text Messaging While Driving Awaits Governor Huntsman's Signature
The Utah legislature’s bill banning text messaging and driving is still making progress, although some law enforcement officers worry about its effectiveness. According to KSL News, House Bill 290 will make text messaging or emailing while driving a class C misdemeanor. Governor Huntsman’s spokeswoman said the bill is in the standard legal review. Huntsman has not offered an opinion on whether he intends to veto the bill that has already been passed by the house and senate. If signed into law by the Governor, the bill will come into effect on July 1.
Some authorities in the Utah state police are concerned about the potential law. It will be difficult for officers to enforce the ban: how can they differentiate between someone dialing a phone number and someone text messaging? However, Senator Lyle Hillyard supports the bill, saying it will change driver’s mindsets and aid in promoting road awareness.
The bill is coming at a time when text messaging is peaking. According to CTIA-The Wireless Association, more than 380 billion text messages were sent between January and July of 2008. When mixed with driving, text messaging can have serious consequences. Statitistics show that a driver’s reaction time is reduced by 35% while text messaging, more than twice that of a drunk driver’s reduced reaction of 12%.
Whether or not the bill passes and is enforced, we strongly encourage all drivers to avoid text messaging while operating a vehicle. Please focus on driving and help keep our roads safe.
