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Last week during a two day distracted driving summit, President Obama signed an executive order banning federal employees from texting while driving when in government vehicles.  In addition, the DOT will ban texting and restrict the use of cell phones by truck and interstate bus drivers.  To further drive the point home, school bus drivers who have been convicted of texting while driving will find themselves barred from getting a commercial license. 

The DOT also plans to introduce permanent restrictions on the use of cell phones by rail workers as well.  This comes after several recent train accidents, several with fatalities, caused by drivers who were texting rather than paying attention to what they were doing.  Federal employees will also be banned from texting while driving in their own private vehicles if those vehicles are being used for government business.

It’s hoped the executive order and new restrictions will help set an example for safe driving.  The dangers of texting while driving are becoming more and more of a concern as texting’s popularity grows.  A PSA in the U.K. graphically shows the horrific consequences of a teen’s choice to text while driving..  Texting has eclipsed e-mail as the most popular way to keep in touch among young people, and they are the age group most likely to text while driving.  While most states have laws banning talking on a phone while driving or requiring hands free only devices to do so, anti-texting laws are not yet commonplace but are increasing.  A proposed bill in the Senate would reduce federal highway funding to states not willing to ban texting while driving.

I’ve seen many teens and young adults brag about texting while driving, or claim the studies saying a driver texting while driving has the same reduced reflexes as a drunk driver are false and that they can do both just fine.  Some even brag about how good they are at driving with their knees!  As a pedestrian I have lost count of the times I’ve been nearly run over by a driver who was busy talking or texting on their phone and couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to the road.  If you text while driving, STOP. 

The bottom line is no text message is worth risking a life for.

Read [PCWorld]