Wyoming Lawmakers Debate Texting Ban

03/6/2010

Studies have shown that distracted driving can significantly increase an auto operator's likelihood of causing an accident.

Wyoming lawmakers have detected this problem - and are taking action against text messaging behind the wheel, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. A bill was recently passed in the state's House of Representatives that would allow law enforcement officials to issue $75 fines for texting.

Some lawmakers have pointed to loopholes, saying that it is difficult to tell whether a driver is text messaging or changing their radio station. Others have said that it is possible to text safely while driving and that this law would turn otherwise ordinary citizens into criminals.

Wyoming passed a law last spring allowing fines for distracted or negligent driving. This makes the new law unnecessary, according to some of its opponents. Representative Mary Throne said it is within the government's rights to protect its constituents.

"The science demonstrates that texting causes carelessness," Throne said. "People get killed."

Cell phone use may increase the likelihood of a car accident because it often requires drivers to take their eyes off the road. A recent study by the Virginia Tech Institute of Technology showed that collisions are 23 percent more likely to occur when a vehicle's operator is text messaging.

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