In recent years, developed technology makes communication between any party of people easier. Most conversations are held via an electronic telecommunications device that allows two or more users to converse when they are not within a space where they can hear the other clearly. According to the journal Texting Tendinitis in a Teenager, Isaiah W. Williams (2011) surveys that “Students at ages between 13 to 18 years old send 173 billion text messages monthly by 293 million cell phones, on average, spend 1 hour and 35 minutes and send 118 messages each day.” This is just a short indication of the dangers related with unfocused driving for it increases the probable danger of a misfortune to befall.
The state of Texas was recently among few who have been hesitant to pass a state-wide ban prohibiting the use of electronic mobile devices to inhibit the risk of potential accidents on the road. Since 2011, Legislators have fought relentlessly to get such bills passed, but have failed until now. During the 85th Legislative Session, the House Bill 62 (HB62) which prohibits the use of any electronic telecommunications device while operating a motor vehicle, was passed by both chambers and signed by Governor Gregg Abbott to be effective as of September 1st this fall. With the rise of questions such as, “why now?” and, “what significance does this bring?” we must understand the history of this bill and how it will positively impact Texas Citizens.
As technology has rapidly revolutionized American society, we have transitioned to one that demands prompt satisfaction. Not many individuals contain the timely patience to wait until they have arrived at their desired destination to focus on sending a text message, or check a local social media website update on their phone. This developed a problem as time passed for it became one of the main contributors to roadside incidents. That is when most legislators realized that it was necessary to regulate electronic device usage with the amount of danger it imposed. The title given to the act of recklessness was later known to what we know as ‘Distracted Driving’. In the entry, U Drive. U Text. U Pay., The National Highway Traffic Association (NHTSA) (2009), defines this term as the following:
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system—anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving. Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing. (NHTSA)
The question of what has been done so far to address this issue has been on the minds of many concerned citizens for years in Texas. Alana Rocha and Matthew Watkins (2017) state in a publication of the Texas Tribune that back in 2011, State Representative Tom Craddick was one of the main contributors and driving force behind the initial ban proposal. “He was successful enough to have the proposal travel through both chambers only to be vetoed by previous Gov. Rick Perry, who stated it would ‘micromanage the behavior of adults’.” They also go on to include the fact that the bill was revived and pushed again in 2013 as well as 2015 where it passed the House, but quickly got shut down in the Senate due to unfavorable circumstances and opinions.
With no policies being passed, it was apparent that most local county, municipal, and city governments would have to enforce their own ordinances to ensure the safety of their citizens. These included such policies as drivers whom are under the age of 18 are not allowed to use cell phones while operating a vehicle which is cause for a fine up to two-hundred dollars in charges. Another known policy is the restriction on usage of electronic devices when in a school zone. This left the state divided, transitioning the policy to be very tricky to administer due to many complications of not having the state government to support the prosecution of the local laws. Even though it was left to local authoritative governments to put matters into their own hands until a unified ban was implemented, many major interest groups invested in lobbying to persuade legislators to comprehend the prominence of a unified front on a controversial issue in hopes of voting to pass the proposition.
Based off data from the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Reports, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) drafted a summary compiled from the number of fatalities and factors pulled from roadside crashes. TXDOT (2016a) stated in the Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts Calendar Year 2016, “that 1 person was killed every 2 hours and 20 minutes, 1 person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds, and lastly that 1 reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.” Furthermore, in 2016, there were a reported, “455 people killed in crashes involving distracted driving.” Cell phone users will be seen holding their device on average above dashboard level and trust reduced peripherals to pilot them. Just the fact alone that their eyes are off the road presents grave danger by having the road seem out of focus and sometimes dizzy.
TXDOT (2016b) surveys in the report Ages of Drivers in Crashes, that between the ages of 16-18 there was an average of 55954 total crashes, where distracted driving alone contributed to a fraction of them. In The Facts and Statistics of Texting While Driving, (Harron Law 2017) writes that, “in 2013, distracted driving killed 3,154 people and injured about 424,000. 25 percent of all accidents are caused by texting and driving.” It also goes on to mention that the leading cause of death of those who are aged 21 and younger is based on auto accidents. Harron Law (2017) also integrated a survey composed by AT&T’s Teen Driver Survey and found that, “97 percent of teens know that texting while driving is dangerous, yet 43 percent do it anyway. Everyone would prefer a solution that results in fewer accidents, injuries and deaths”. There is a clear indication that the approval for a statewide ban in Texas was long overdue. The evidence provided supports the claim that regulation on the use of mobile devices shouldn’t stop at this ban. With the amount of deaths and incidents listed, this ban proves to be the first step forward in providing a safer road for everyone by a huge margin.
House Bill 62 will bring forth a much more united state against distracted driving. The approved bill was installed with more edits and improvements being passed. Such additions include: That those who participate in a driver’s exam must have proficient knowledge of the effect of using a wireless communication device…or engaging in other actions that may distract a driver, an officer shall give a written notice if driver was using a mobile device, and so forth. This includes depicting the exact charges for the use of the device and other related offenses linked to its usage (Texas Legislature Online 2017). This developed draft provides sharpened provisions on every aspect regarding drivers in all fields to ensure the upmost accuracy and detail in upholding standards. Bill sponsor Judith Zaffirini and Rep.Tom Craddick made sure to encompass the fields of electronics communications, public safety, transportation, telephones, and the rules of the road subjects. Authored by five legislators, and coauthored by thirty more, the bill was introduced back in November of the past year, and signed by both houses exactly seven months later. It was approved by 123 yeas over 17 nays and proved to be a victory that was sought for many years prior. There has been much speculation as to whether this will prove to help the state in its goal to ensure safety. Many opposed to the bill feel that with its approval comes a double-edged sword since the state-wide ban may impose over stricter city ordinances already in place and become either too complex or too weak. Given that there do exist stronger individual ordinances, they only demonstrate a loosely divided patched framework of what this bill aims to achieve overall rather than the major cities do individually. With time the bill will become stronger, but you must have a strong foundation of cooperation to hold off.
Several republican and democratic members rose to say Craddick’s change would make the law unenforceable. The Texas Tribune (2017) also qouted Senator Joan Huffmen from Houston who stated, “It wont stop all behavior, but I believe when something is against the law, people will hesistate…And if this law saves one life, then we’ve accomplshed what we set out to accomplish. Driving is a dangerous act and Texas has been adamant until recently about passing a state-wide ban on the use of mobile devices while on the road. Accordingly, perspectives on the policies pertaining to distracted driving consists of an assembly of concerned people who deem a ban necessary to make the roads safer, and those who judge the use of electronic devices as a civil liberty that cannot be taken away. But when lives are taken away due to the use of these devices, we must act to ensure that there are laws to protect anyone on the road. Everyone should remember that driving is conserved a privilege and will be considered so even when abuse is evident and can be taken away when consequences take their turn. That is why this bill will positively impact Texas’ citizens for the better. In the long run, the pros outweigh the cons whom, can only be challenges our state representatives will seek to change for the better.