Driven to Distraction

Driven to Distraction
Date: 1/18/10
National News
N.Y Times UpFront
By Matt Richtel in Logan, Utah
pg.18


Over 2,600 traffic deaths are caused because of calling/texting while driving. Studies also show that if you Text/call someone while driving it is the same as driving with a .08 blood alcohol level. If you don't know what that means its the standard limit for drunk driving. Seventeen states have made it illegal to text while driving, and if they get caught they will spend three months in jail and a $750 fine, but if they cause injury or death they will spend up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. In 2006 Reggie Shaw a 19 year old resident of Utah was texting his girlfriend and clipped a oncoming Saturn sedan. And the Saturn spun across the highway and hit a pickup truck. Reggie killed two grown men just because he was texting his girlfriend, because of that pandemic Utah is very strict with people that text and drive. Alaska is equally as tough as Utah. If the police pull over or see a car that has a computer or video monitor they consider it a felony and punishable up to 20 years in prison. They think the same way for texting too.
I totally agree on banning texting and calling while driving. If it causes that many deaths and if its the same as driving drunk then it should be illegal in all the states. It is such a stupid thing to do. I hear people in the class say that they are all for doing it..I wonder if they will be "all for it" if they have killed someone on the street and serving 15-20 years behind bars. Everyone loves texting right but do they love putting their family members, friends, or strangers in danger...no. So I am "all for it" and what I mean by that is I want all of the states to ban texting and calling while driving

Discussion Questions

1.) Why do you think that texting and driving has become a big problem???

2.) Do you think that the jail time for texting and driving is fair?

3.) Do you think that some people should be able to text and drive if they have had nothing on their record or not?