Our Next Big Distraction

By Ben Glass, Esquire

In Virginia, it's illegal to text while driving. That's a good thing, too. It discourages people from engaging in a dangerous behavior while behind the wheel. In fact, Virginia considers texting while driving a primary offense. That means that a police officer can pull you over if they suspect you of texting while driving. The fine is $125 for your first offense and $250 for subsequent offenses. So, why does this matter to all of us?

We all have a vested interest in discouraging people from texting while driving. While the behavior itself may seem quite benign when considered in a vacuum, it's actually incredibly dangerous. According to the Brain Injury Society, texting while driving is actually comparable to drinking four drinks and driving. That's scary statistics. Even worse yet, while drunk driving is decreasing over time, texting while driving is becoming more common over time. Society as a whole has worked hard to reduce the number of drunk driving accidents and in the midst of this effort, a new challenge has arisen. It will be critical to work with the same vigor and tenacity to reduce the number of distracted driving accidents that occur.

Here are a few suggestions

Don't text someone you know is driving (some courts are dancing around the idea of holding the sender partially liable for damages that occur as a result of a text knowingly distracting its recipient).

Don't read your texts while driving ever. Let those around you know that they should call you if it's something important. Let the call ring through and then pull over to a safe location and call that person back.

Certain phone apps can automatically turn off some features of the phone, such as texting or calling, when you start traveling at certain speeds. Find and download a reputable application and take the decision out of your hands.

If you're in the car with someone who is about to text, offer to read them the text and help send a text on their behalf.

You wouldn't get into a car with someone who is drinking, so don't tolerate someone who is texting while you're in the car. This might sound corny, but it's true. Be the enforcer; do it politely and sternly.

Let's get in front of the problem before it becomes a larger issue or before someone around you becomes a victim of distracted driving.