Lawmaker, Safety Group Push for Nationwide Texting Ban for Drivers

October 5, 2009

Texting while driving should be banned in every state to prevent car crashes caused by “distracted driving” which accounted for nearly 25 percent of all road accidents in the US, Sen. Charles Schumer (New York – D ) announced on Sunday.

“The statistics from the US Department of Transportation clearly show that texting while driving should be ban in all states”, he stressed.

The senator also urged other lawmakers to support his bill that would make texting behind the wheel a primary offense.

Under the proposed bill, a state will lose 25 percent of its federal highway funds if it does not implement a texting ban for all drivers.

Meanwhile, road safety organization AAA supports Schumer’s legislation and said that a national texting ban should cover all states by 2013.

AAA Spokesman Robert Sinclair Jr said that “it is quite upsetting that such law should be implemented when in it is so obvious that the practice of texting while driving is dangerous.”

The trucking industry also supports the bill but said the government should focus more on the enforcement of the existing traffic laws on negligent driving.

During a “Distracted Driving Summit” held last week, US President Barack Obama has issued an executive order that forbids federal employees from texting while driving.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association’s website, 18 states and the District of Columbia ban all drivers from texting behind the wheel.