Bring Texting to a Standstill

This summer, the issue of texting while driving was everywhere, appearing as the subject of editorial cartoons, news stories, and even legislative action: 18 states have now passed laws banning the practice, up from only six at the beginning of the year. Texting may owe its spot in the national debate to the ascendance of Twitter, as drivers turned to their cell phones to trade messages about the Iranian election or the whereabouts of David Lynch or Diddy. Perhaps crucially, the widespread use of smartphones makes texting far easier because of built-in keyboards. But whatever the cause, texting while driving is a danger to society, and Congress should act to stop it by banning the practice nationwide, imposing strict penalties, and launching an informational campaign to educate the country about its dangers.

Evidence overwhelmingly indicates that texting makes driving—an already dangerous activity—much more accident-prone. A study released by Virginia Tech found that the risk of an accident increases 23 times. A casual test by Car and Driver magazine, performed in actual cars, found that drivers who were texting reacted far more slowly than when under the influence of alcohol.

Despite national attention, simultaneous text messaging and driving remains legal in much of the country. A national ban may deter many potential text messagers, especially if the penalty for causing an accident while texting rivaled that of drunk driving, like the law passed last month by the Utah legislature that could send offenders to prison for 15 years. But while such a law may help ensure that perpetrators get the penalty they deserve, it may save few lives. Texters who get lucky and avoid an accident will be hard to detect, since phones are small and many hold theirs in their lap.

The airwaves have been filled with proposals to prevent texting while driving. One proposed solution is to require all car manufacturers to disable cellphone use while the car is in motion. Cellphone-jamming technology not only exists, but it can also easily be made portable and moderately precise. But this approach is unnecessarily invasive, may prevent crucial emergency calls, and could be prohibitively expensive to implement retroactively.

Other services are on the market that detect whether a cell phone is in motion using GPS technology and shut off texting services accordingly. But whether the product comes in the form of software on the phone or a special car key that communicates with the phone via Bluetooth, these products are unreliable, and determined teens would find a way to subvert such electronic safeguards.

Though technology appears to lie at the cause of the problem, we cannot turn to technology as a solution. As mobile technology continues to improve, texting will likely be superseded by some distraction we have yet to discover. If we try to prevent texting accidents with electronic blocks, it could mean the start of an arms race we are unlikely to win.

Instead, the approach to preventing accidents due to cellphone use should borrow from strategies used to combat drunk driving. Years of propaganda from government agencies and well-meaning non-profits like Mothers Against Drunk Driving have helped dramatically change cultural attitudes about drinking and driving. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey found that only 2.2 percent of nighttime weekend drivers were drunk in 2007, down from 7.5 percent in the 1970s.

A comprehensive program to educate drivers about the dangers of texting and other distractions must be part of any future driving safety legislation. Teenagers need to learn about the risks of cellphone use in driver’s education classes and potentially in high-school civics or human-development classes as well. The government should also purchase TV and radio advertisements warning about distracted driving. Gory public services announcements will help in the short term, but we should also try to send messages that reinforce good behavior, such as praising those who don’t text by calling them smart drivers or responsible citizens.

To maximize its effectiveness, a national bill on cellphone use in cars should be enacted quickly. While text messaging has been around for a decade, its recent proliferation means that etiquette is still changing and attitudes toward acceptable behavior are still receptive to molding. Americans need to get the message immediately that texting while driving is seriously unsafe, lest the notion that one must text back immediately, no matter the activity, become a permanent part of our culture.

Admittedly, changing attitudes about phone use may be harder than stopping drunk drivers. Alcohol is already illegal for drivers under 21 and was widely known to impair reflexes since long before the emergence of the automobile. Text messaging, on the other hand, is not only relatively new and fashionable but also marketed for its convenience. Yet the fact that the dangers of texting while driving are not always clear provides the most compelling reason why an aggressive informational campaign to expose them is necessary.

The online debate over a national bill has been largely focused on the notion that a federal ban might be unconstitutional, but there are few reasons to support that claim. At the very least, the federal government could withhold funding from states which fail to pass cellphone usage laws. The underlying concern these people face is that such a law would unduly restrict their freedom.

This complaint is entirely legitimate. However, in the case of text messaging, the temptation is so insidious that people cannot be fully trusted to decide for themselves whether it is safe to text behind the wheel. Besides, with so many lives at stake, is it really that much trouble to just pull over?

Adam R. Gold ’11, a Crimson editorial editor, is a physics concentrator in Adams House.