New texting-while-driving ban set to take effect in Columbus May 5
By Marisa Patwa
Many drivers have mixed feelings about the Columbus City Council’s approval of legislation banning texting while driving in Columbus. According to the March 24 article “Ohio House OK’s texting-while-driving ban,” by William Hershey of The Dayton Daily News, Columbus is now the fourth city in Ohio to pass such a ban, following Bexley, Cleveland and Toledo. The legislation calls for texting while driving to be a primary offense.
Twenty other states have already passed bans making it illegal to read, write and send text messages, as well as check e-mails or use the Internet while driving. However, according to Hershey, Ohio representative Barbara Sears said she believes the real issue is drivers being distracted, as activities such as shaving or putting on makeup can cause accidents as well.
“I think we need to keep our eye on what the real issue is,” Sears said. “Teaching ourselves to be more attentive when we drive.”
Senior Evan Hogankamp said he tries to refrain from texting while driving, but is tempted every so often.
“I try not to text while driving, but find myself doing it a little bit,” Hogankamp said. “I do realize that it can be dangerous though.”
In a lecture at the University of Michigan, psychologist Scott Campbell said he supports the ban and believes that those who text while driving pose a danger to others on the road.
“People disengage, or pay more attention to the person on the phone than to the people who are physically present,” Campbell said.
The March 12 story “Stop Texting While Driving,” by Kari Chadd of The Chillicothe Gazette, offered a few ways to prevent receiving a fine for texting while driving. These suggestions include putting the phone out of reach or turning off the phone while driving.
According to a July 2007 study by the Students Against Destructive Decisions, 46 percent of teens interviewed admitted to texting while driving. In addition, 37 percent of those students said they believe that even though they continue to do it, texting while driving is dangerous and distracting.
Although Hogankamp said people should be educated about the dangers of texting while driving, he is not sure he agrees that the ban should make the crime a primary offense.
“I have mixed feelings about that,” Hogankamp said. “I would say it depends on the situation to determine if someone should get in trouble for that alone.”
Sophomore Erica Sollitto, on the other hand, said she believes the ban is a good idea.
“As a new driver, I’m especially focused on what other people are doing,” Sollitto said. “I wouldn’t want to [get in an accident because] someboprevent receiving a fine for texting while driving. These suggestions include putting the phone out of reach or turning off the phone while driving.
According to a July 2007 study by the Students Against Destructive Decisions, 46 percent of teens interviewed admitted to texting while driving. In addition, 37 percent of those students said they believe that even though they continue to do it, texting while driving is dangerous and distracting.
Although Hogankamp said people should be educated about the dangers of texting while driving, he is not sure he agrees that the ban should make the crime a primary offense.
“I have mixed feelings about that,” Hogankamp said. “I would say it depends on the situation to determine if someone should get in trouble for that alone.”
Sophomore Erica Sollitto, on the other hand, said she believes the ban is a good idea.
“As a new driver, I’m especially focused on what other people are doing,” Sollitto said. “I wouldn’t want to [get in an accident because] somebody else makes the mistake of texting while driving.”
Sollitto said that texts can wait until the driver arrives at his or her destination, no longer posing a threat to others.
Famed talk show host Oprah Winfrey proposed a similar alternative and has been taking strong measures to prevent accidents caused by texting. According to her website, she has created the No-Phone-Pledge, where people pledge they will never text while driving again.
Winfrey said she hopes to encourage people to set aside their phones in an effort to curb the thousands of deaths that occur every year from texting while driving.
“Let it be the end of using a cell phone or sending a text message when you are behind the wheel of a moving vehicle,” Winfrey said. “And until we as a nation decide we’re going to change that, [the number of causalities] is only going to go up.”