Is South Carolina Next to Pass Texting Ban?
2010 may be the year that South Carolina passes a state-wide ban on texting while driving.

May 25, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Is South Carolina Next to Pass Texting Ban?

Texting Ban Up for Debate in Upcoming Year

2010 may be the year that South Carolina passes a state-wide ban on texting while driving. As of early January, state legislators had at least three bills waiting on their dockets seeking to ban texting while driving and another four regulating cell phone use.

While all of the proposed texting bills seek to ban the activity statewide for all drivers, the bills vary on the best way to accomplish this goal and how to punish violators. The most restrictive bill up for consideration is House Bill 4189, sponsored by Rep. Don Bowen (R-Anderson). If passed without changes, the bill would make texting while driving a primary offense and impose significant fines, jail time and driver's license suspension on those caught violating the law. The law would also allow the police to seize the driver's phone as evidence.

In comparison, one of the least restrictive bills would make texting while driving a secondary offense and carry a $25 fine per violation. This means drivers would have to be pulled over for another traffic violation, like speeding, before they could be ticketed for texting while driving.

Local law enforcement officials have expressed concerns about their ability to enforce a law that makes texting while driving a secondary offense.

Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have passed texting bans. Fifteen of these make a violation of the law a primary offense.

Danger Too Big to Ignore

In the past, some South Carolina state legislators have been reluctant to support a texting ban because it was viewed as another way for the government to regulate the activity of private citizens an argument reminiscent of the one over mandatory seatbelt use.

However, as more and more studies have come out revealing the full extent of the dangers posed by texting while driving, the activity is compared to drinking and driving: Like drunk driving, texting while driving endangers not only the life of the driver doing the activity, but also the lives of every other driver on the road.

Moreover, some recent studies have found texting to pose an even greater risk than drunk driving. In a study released in July, 2009, by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, texting while driving was found to be even more dangerous than either talking on a cell phone while driving or drinking and driving.

Other studies have found:
-Driver distraction is a contributing factor in 80 percent of all accidents and 65 percent of all near-accidents (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration)
-Cell phone use is a contributing factor in 1.6 million motor vehicle crashes each year, with texting being responsible for 200,000 of these accidents (Focus Driven)
-Drivers who text while driving have six times greater risk of being involved in a car crash than drivers who do not (University of Utah)

These alarming statistics have led to shift in state policies across the country since the first texting bans were passed in early 2008. In a little more than a year, nearly half of the states have passed some type of texting ban. The federal government is also considering a law that would require states to pass a texting ban in order to receive federal highway funding.

Conclusion

Driver distraction is a leading cause of auto accidents in South Carolina. Whether these drivers are distracted by a text message, phone call or something else altogether, when their distraction causes an accident, they may be held legally responsible for their acts.

If you or a loved one were harmed in a car crash caused by a distracted driver, contact an experienced attorney today.

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