Thursday, January 1, 2009

Law against texting while Driving: Does this discriminate Deaf drivers?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 80 percent of vehicle crashes and 65 percent of close calls are caused in part by driver distraction. One of the growing problems in driving is text messaging. One example case is when five teenage girls were driving to a vacation home in upstate New York when their sport utility vehicle crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer, killing all of them. The police later learned from phone records that the driver had been typing text messages on her phone just before she swerved out of her lane. Toxicology tests ruled out alcohol and drugs as possible causes. Article

Text Messaging is illegal in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington and the District of Columbia have a text messaging ban for all drivers. Many believed this is not discriminatory and it is a public safety issue for everyone. Cell Phone Driving Laws Research have shown that teenagers and Generation Y (ages 16-30) drivers are more likely to send text messages while driving.

What do you think?

1 comment:

Mike said...

No, not really. Since the law discriminate against those who text and drive at the same time. A deaf driver can always pull over and text on the qwerty cell phones. One Deaf guy actually had the gall to suggest that the NY law causes Deaf people to be relegated as 2nd class citizens like this Deaf said - http://www.deafhooddiscourses.com/?p=109 . I had to laugh at that notion since I am deaf/hoh and use the phone (mostly to talk and listen) to communicate while I'm not driving, that is, when I pull over to use my phone first. That includes texting.

Texting while driving is NOT a right just as driving is a not a right but a priviledge. That doesn't mean that texting is a priviledge while driving. This Deaf guy said that he'll continue to text and drive even if a law against texting and driving come about in his state and he's willing to face the consequence of getting caught and ticketed. What is unfortunate here is that he is also willing to risk him and other people on the road their lives as well.

kokonutguy