This may come as a shock to many, but apparently it's becoming more and more common for people to text while they're putting on their makeup, fixing their hair, reading the paper, drinking their coffee, reading a good book and shaving.... oh yeah, and DRIVING.
According to this article, it's a big enough issue that several states are working on passing bills to outlaw driving while texting, or "DWT." Is that really necessary, or are there bigger issues that could be dealt with?
Yes, I'm sure that in our line of business, we are highly guilty of this as a group. I'll admit that I am too. Back before my addiction to smartphones, it was easy to text away without ever taking my eyes off the road. One thumb and one little 10-key pad to type on was easy. Now I've got a full qwerty keyboard to deal with. I can't type by feel anymore, I have to see what I'm doing, and I have to use two thumbs. So yes, it's a MAJOR distraction if I try to reply to a text while driving, which could equate to danger for everyone around me on the road, so I typically pull over now if I need to text; not always, but most times. Heck, I've even been known to have the laptop sitting in the front passenger seat while trying to pull up a listing or email a form to someone. How stupid is that?
What? You do it too? OK, let's lighten things up a little bit. Here's a fun blog post about this topic that might make you chuckle once or twice. Seriously though, I'm sure this really is a growing problem around the country. I have no doubt. I also don't deny that something needs to be done about it. It's like talking on the phone while driving. Some can handle it responsibly, and some can't. I think there is actually a certain gene that holds the ability to effectively drive and talk at the same time. Problem is, the majority of drivers weren't born with this gene. Only a lucky few of us can chew bubble gum & walk at the same time. Same gene.
So, how do we combat this DWT problem? Make it an offense punishable by death? Well, maybe not. Truthfully, I don't know that even a new law would take care of it, simply because it's like any other law. If it's not heavily enforced, it won't do any good. Besides, do we really need more laws to enforce common sense? I'm pretty sure just about every state in our country has a distraction law. Did you know that in most places you can actually be ticketed for smoking while driving? It's a distraction. You can be cited for "failure to devote full attention." Same goes for putting on your makeup, fixing your hair, reading a book, or even digging through your purse while driving. When's the last time you heard of someone getting a ticket for those things?
Plain and simple, why create more laws? Why not just utilize the power that's already available to our officers?
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