Our position: Drivers should be ticketed for text messaging eve...

A driver has a hard enough time focusing on the road without picking up a cell phone to send a text message to a friend.

[The Lorax]

"No one is going to LOL when a driver loses control while cruising down Interstate 4 at 55 mph."

Well, first off, that'll never happen. No one loses control at 55, because virtually no one goes that slow. If anyone does lose control, it's BECAUSE of someone who is cruising along at a paltry 55.

Anyone who gets a ticket for texting should suffer the additional penalty of having their phone confiscated. They could pick it up when they pay the ticket. If they don't pay the ticket on time, it gets destroyed.

Draconian, perhaps. Effective, perhaps. Drive the point home, you betcha.

[FastJack]

This isn't a realistic bill - can't be enforced. This is window dressing for appeasing and gaining voters. end of subject

[Taxed to Death]

Any multitasking while driver takes your concentration away from driving. Those who say they can use their cell phone, sending texts, reading, writing, playing with the radio and putting on makeup don't have any idea of how much they are drifting into other lanes, constantly changing speed, and putting other drivers at risk. About half of us are using our best defensive driving skills in avoiding accidents because of you inattention to driving.

[Rick Bowen]

To focus on just text messaging behind the wheel is tunnel vision. There are so many other things distracting drivers. There are after market devices which are made to only use while behind the wheel. How many drivers are watching DVDs while driving, programming their navigation devices? Does the ban on Text Messaging while driving include surfing the web, sending and reading emails, sending IMs, watching video streaming on your cell phone? There are quite a few laws on the books not being enforced that would make driving safer. Look around, how many people are wearing headsets, have the radio on so loud you can't function, watching videos on their iPods. Text messaging is growing at rate of 157% annually, so it is a hot subject that may not be used by the generation suggesting these restrictions, but another opportunity to be in the public spotlight by claiming their concern and efforts to improve safety.

[Ramdan]

I am a professional truck driver and I am fortunate enough to not have an accident while working. The closest I have ever come to an accident where I would have been at fault was when I was using my cell phone. Evan the best most experienced drivers should refrain from cell phone usage while driving. Text messaging while driving is INSANE. I have seen other drivers doing 85 MPH reading the newspaper. To do the things taxed to death cites is criminal negligence and should be treated as such.

[Harry Coverston]

"Trying to curb text-messaging is a legitimate compromise to an outright ban on cell phones in cars."

Naw. It's simply one more failure of our government to put the interests of citizens ahead of their corporate puppet masters. "Trying to curb text-messaging" is hardly "a legitimate compromise." It's a failure to deal with the problem - the use of cell phones while driving. This is a practice at least as dangerous as driving while intoxicated if not more so as countless studies and legislation in many states and countries has recognized. As Yoda, the sage in Star Wars was prone to say, "Do or do not do. There is no try."

[Rob]

Keep your laws outta my car.
Just because ya'll are too dumb to walk and chew gum at the same time is not a legitimate reason for banning it for everyone. If someone gets in an accident due to innattention with a cell phone an additional fine could be assesed, but to make it a primary offense is just giving police more unneeded power and revenue enhancement.

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

[Kelly in Winter Springs]

Honestly, it is possible to use a cell phone while driving. It's call voice dial and a hands free kit. If you don't have to look at your phone to make a call, how is it any different from talking to a passenger in the front seat?

Now, as far as txting goes, that absolutely should be banned. It takes two hands, and both eyes to type a text message. No one should be writing emails on thier phone while driving. If it is a pressing issue, pull of the road.

Also, watching DVDs, surfing the web, etc is on the same lines as texting. I for one can not concentrate on avoiding other driver's stupidity while watching TV. It is competition for you vision, not just your attention.

Government shouldn't have to ban cell phones, etc. Shouldn't people be smart enough to not do anything to distract themselves if they can't "walk and chew gum"? Oh yeah, this is Florida. Never mind.

[Tired Commuter]

Florida drivers can't chew gum and walk at the same time.

I grew up here and thought it was normal, and it was an eye-opening experience to go elsewhere and actually see people that could drive.

[bousozoku]

There are no legitimate reasons to drive and hold a phone.

There are plenty of devices that allow you to talk without holding anything but the steering wheel.

It's not just text messaging that's a problem. It's dialing or looking at directions/maps (on paper also) or checking e-mail.

Of course, it's likely almost no one will be ticketed since I regularly see sherrif''s deputies and police officers with phones in their hand while driving. If they don't understand doing the right thing, how can they enforce the right thing?

[rene]

It is definitely dangerous to text and drive as is using a cell phone under certain conditions. That being said however it's ludicrous to expect law enforcement to enforce when they can't or won't even enforce the laws already out there like red light running. I honked my horn yesterday at some bozo who ran through the red light and almost hit me even though I waited a bit before going on the green. The funny thing is a LEO was in the next lane over and HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS CRAZY BECAUSE I HONKED AT THE IDIOT. Then every morning I see these same LEO's standing by the side of the road giving tickets for 3 mph over. Wake up morons do your darn job.
If we can't crack down on the bad drivers who have no business driving and we have an oversupply in FL we can hardly expect those same idiots to understand they can't text and drive.

[Rick Bowen]

There are services available that allow you to speak a text message that will be converted and sent as a text. So how will the authorities know if the driver spoke the text message or typed it?

There are two-thumb rules in place in other states and Hawaii just voted down a very similar proposal as put forth in Florida.

There is no evidence available that prove one way or the other that text messaging in itself has increased the number of accidents. You have had some very public news articles and reports, but nothing has been officially done on a national basis.

[Lamar]

Orlando Sentinel wrote:

A police officer would be able to write a citation, set at $60, only if the officer pulled a driver over for another offense, such as speeding. But an officer shouldn't need another reason to pull over a driver who is tapping away on his or her cell-phone keys.

Wow. Sentinel writers must have no education. Perhaps they are even monkeys.

Here's a little journalistic lesson for the write-monkeys at the Sentinel: Think what happens if police are allowed to pull people over for suspecting them of texting. I know "thinking" isn't really in your job description, but try it. That would give the police the ability to pull anybody and everybody over who happens to glance down.

Sorry for being so mean, but the Sentinel must hire the bottom of the barrel writers. It would be truly laughable....if it weren't so sad.

[Franly Now]

Florida has more damned laws now than anyone can keep up with. We don't enforce the ones we have and we don't need new ones. Cops with their blue lights going along the side of the highway are more of a dangerous distraction to more drivers than one twinky text messaging would ever be. Everytime a cop is writing a ticket, people are craneing their necks to see what is going on and you have a grand chance for a major accident as people aren't paying attention to the traffic slowing ahead of them. This is idiotic to add more distractions.

[Jeff Bouffard]

I can't wait to see this challenged in court.

Florida National Guardsmen are deployed in Iraq. No editorial for that anywhere in the archives.

I say they should not be there.

Bouffard for Congress
www.electbouf.com

[Gloom and Doom]

Big Brother where art thou? Tickets for no seat belts, camera tickets for running red lights, tickets for cell phones, tickets for text messaging. What's next, tickets for farting in your car. You guys are really desperate for some revenue to spend on stupid projects. Get a life.

[clh727]

Exactly who are you to tell me what it is that distracts me? While I do agree with your assesment of text messaging while driving, I do not Exactly who are you to tell me what it is that distracts me? While I do agree with your assessment of text messaging while driving, I do not believe it should be an enforceable law to ban this or cell phones or anything else for that matter. If a person is driving reckless, the person should be ticketed for driving reckless. Where is the line drawn on banning things? We have enough laws to prosecute someone who is driving badly; we do not need to expand what is already there.

[Tony]

In the UK, any use of s mobile while driving without the use of a hands free device (bluetooth headset etc) will result in a statutory offence if caught. Thats points on your license and a fine.
On a recent trip to Orlando we used a taxi, the female, hispanic driver spent the entire journey juggling TWO mobile phones and missed the turning for our hotel as she was too busy with the phones. We were very close to asking her to stop and just getting out and walking the rest of the way as we felt so unsafe.

[AAAARRRRGGHH]

Another issue where the Sentinel Editorial Board starts banging the drum for increased police intervention...

Seatbelts, text messaging, red light cameras, you'd think Jane Healy gets a cut of every ticket written in this town.

[The TRUTH]

Rob wrote:

Keep your laws outta my car.
Just because ya'll are too dumb to walk and chew gum at the same time is not a legitimate reason for banning it for everyone. If someone gets in an accident due to innattention with a cell phone an additional fine could be assesed, but to make it a primary offense is just giving police more unneeded power and revenue enhancement.
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

It's self-Centered Morons like you, who live in your little world of self importance. I can only hope that WHEN your crash your vehicle while entertaining yourself, you don't involve anyone else.