WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.Editorial: Statewide Texting While Driving Ban

Editorial: Statewide Texting While Driving Ban

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By John Shryock - bio | email

  • Editorials

  • Friday, May 18 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-18 23:20:53 GMT
    If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident. The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are
    If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident.  The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are the other motorists on the roadways.

  • Tuesday, May 15 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-15 23:20:31 GMT
    On our editorial suggesting that the governor raise taxes to fund Medicaid, we received these comments: "If the budget is passed at this severely cut rate, the shortage of physicians, hospitals, and clinics
    On our editorial suggesting that the governor raise taxes to fund Medicaid, we received these comments:

  • Tuesday, May 1 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-01 23:20:35 GMT
    If your commute includes I-85 in the mornings I'm sure you've noticed men alongside the roadways picking up trash and road debris and thought to yourself "who would want to do that?"
    If your commute includes I-85 in the mornings I'm sure you've noticed men alongside the roadways picking up trash and road debris and thought to yourself "who would want to do that?"

  • Friday, April 20 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-04-20 23:20:42 GMT
    For the next sixty seconds I want you to give yourself permission to push pause on whatever you are doing and listen and reflect for a moment. I did this recently after reading an article titled "Top five

  • Wednesday, April 18 2012 7:27 PM EDT2012-04-18 23:27:31 GMT
    Representative Christopher John England (Tuscaloosa) has sponsored a bill in the Alabama legislature that would allow convicted felons of drug crimes to receive food stamps under certain circumstances.

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - In July of last year I wrote an editorial urging the City of Montgomery to ban handheld cell phone use while driving.  The city passed that ordinance. 

In fact since last year's legislative session some 20 Alabama municipalities of varying sizes have passed some form of law limiting the use of cell phones while driving.

In addition, 11 states passed text messaging bans last year, bringing the total number of states with this ban to 30. 

Alabama has one of the worst teen fatality rates in the country and teenagers love to text message.  Any distraction while driving is dangerous, but numerous studies have shown that texting is one of the worst, and that a ban on texting reduces accidents.

Again, this year, a bill has been introduced in Alabama's legislature to ban texting while driving.   While this bill seems like no brainer… the legislature tried but did not pass it last year. 

I urge Alabama's lawmakers to create consistency state wide on this matter.  Follow the lead of those 20 Alabama cities and 30 states and pass the text messaging while driving ban.

Mark Wilder 
Programming, Operations & Internet Manager
WSFA 12 News 

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