pShould it be illegal to text while driving?

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83 %

Yes

17 %

@Dec '12 c 207 comments V 468 votes

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468 Votes

17 hr

kenzie514

v Yes

Even though I do it, it is a distraction and should be against the law. Have almost gotten into several accidents because I was texting and driving.

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19 hr

gshort30

v No

but it should also not be illegal to follow someone you see texting and driveing and beat their ass we have too many laws as is

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23 hr

Nurse8493

v Yes

It's a proven fact that texting is dangerous. It threatens not only our lives, but every other life near you.

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Fri
johndziedzic voted

v Yes
Thu
MarkColwell endorsed gammler

v Yes
Thu
poee endorsed stepped_in_it

v Yes
Thu
warwil630 voted

v Yes
Thu

AlexNWA

v Yes

I would rather be on the road with a drunk who is trying to drive than a texter who is too distracted to pay attention to the road.

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May 22

LHoran

v Yes

You may have a right to put your life in danger, but not others.

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May 21

Politic-n

v No

No, it is a stupid thing to do, as is any distracted driving, but it shouldn't be illegal. Too many laws already, and this is coming from a cop!

B1

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May 21
Mallard voted

v Yes
u

May 21
HMB1114 voted

v Yes
May 21
Amy2723 voted

v Yes
May 21
mmej endorsed gammler

v Yes
May 21
9MileTrucking voted

v Yes
May 21

JesusLivesInMe

v Yes

If your eyes are on your phone they're not on the road, that's dangerous. Anyone who says it should be legal might as well say drinking and driving should be legal..

r1 reply

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May 20
DesignerLM voted

v No
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May 20

acg

v Yes

It is just as bad as driving drunk or high

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May 20

N0rthman

v No

Though its a behavior that should be discouraged, it's just another excuse pull someone over.

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May 20
Yobyag voted

v Yes
May 20
silentrunning endorsed AlexanderKM

v Yes
May 20
Bob72370 voted

v No
May 19
Jaybird1964 voted

v Yes
May 19
mwr voted

v Yes
May 19
solodad voted

v Yes
May 19
BeardHero endorsed Buzzfriendly

v No
May 18
doggie_luv voted

v Yes
May 18
tomtheterrible endorsed gammler

v Yes
May 18
sillybilly1b voted

v Yes
u

May 18
RobG voted

v Yes
u

May 17
DrSilicon voted

v Yes
u

May 17
sml11 endorsed stepped_in_it

v Yes
May 16
DyingBreed voted

v Yes
May 16
littlewolf8469 voted

v Yes
May 14

jessejaymes

v Yes

It not only should be illegal, it should be a loss of license for a year and then let's see how many do it? It should be prison time of a year for those who cause damage to another vehicle while texting. And it should be an automatic death penalty if a driving texter causes the death of someone else.

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May 14
Avoicenmany voted

v Yes
May 14
Mournwolf voted

v Yes
May 14

busseja

v Yes

Why is this a poll question. Kind of like asking if it is OK to get drunk and kill someone.

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May 14
MensaMan voted

v Yes
May 13
RadAuthNat endorsed gammler

v Yes
May 13
Roco voted

v Yes
u

May 13
Wooky endorsed gammler

v Yes
May 13
Philof endorsed gammler

v Yes
May 12
rangerjeff voted

v Yes
u

May 12
zoomer339 voted

v Yes
May 12

LEC

v Yes

duh !

Post
May 12
Fyi1957 endorsed ReligiousWar

v Yes
May 12
PaulUK2901 endorsed gammler

v Yes
May 12

looncraz

v Yes

Many states which do not have specific anti-texting laws (such as Texas) have generic laws for distracted driving which are applied whenever the activity causes any obvious reactionary impairment. Children are the #1 distraction... should we ban children? I think so.

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May 11
SlimElmo91 voted

v No

17 hr

kenzie514

v Yes

Even though I do it, it is a distraction and should be against the law. Have almost gotten into several accidents because I was texting and driving.

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19 hr

gshort30

v No

but it should also not be illegal to follow someone you see texting and driveing and beat their ass we have too many laws as is

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23 hr

Nurse8493

v Yes

It's a proven fact that texting is dangerous. It threatens not only our lives, but every other life near you.

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Thu

AlexNWA

v Yes

I would rather be on the road with a drunk who is trying to drive than a texter who is too distracted to pay attention to the road.

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May 22

LHoran

v Yes

You may have a right to put your life in danger, but not others.

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May 21

Politic-n

v No

No, it is a stupid thing to do, as is any distracted driving, but it shouldn't be illegal. Too many laws already, and this is coming from a cop!

B1

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May 21

JesusLivesInMe

v Yes

If your eyes are on your phone they're not on the road, that's dangerous. Anyone who says it should be legal might as well say drinking and driving should be legal..

r1 reply

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May 21

JesusLivesInMe

I forgot to add: If your texts can't wait, than you have a serious problem...

Post @JesusLivesInMe
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May 20

acg

v Yes

It is just as bad as driving drunk or high

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May 20

N0rthman

v No

Though its a behavior that should be discouraged, it's just another excuse pull someone over.

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May 14

jessejaymes

v Yes

It not only should be illegal, it should be a loss of license for a year and then let's see how many do it? It should be prison time of a year for those who cause damage to another vehicle while texting. And it should be an automatic death penalty if a driving texter causes the death of someone else.

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May 14

busseja

v Yes

Why is this a poll question. Kind of like asking if it is OK to get drunk and kill someone.

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May 12

LEC

v Yes

duh !

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May 12

looncraz

v Yes

Many states which do not have specific anti-texting laws (such as Texas) have generic laws for distracted driving which are applied whenever the activity causes any obvious reactionary impairment. Children are the #1 distraction... should we ban children? I think so.

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May 10

Goose

v Yes

In Tennessee (where I live) any form of "Distracted Driving" is illegal. Yes, reading the newspaper or sending a text both qualify. And people get charged with it all the time. They do it anyway. The reason they get charged is that it causes wrecks.

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May 8

captbigtime

v Yes

Yes text e-mail you should be doing two things watch out for motorcycles and people drive responsable !!!!!!!!

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May 6

URBS

v Yes

It already is in many states.

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May 6

TheHandsomeOne

v No

Plenty of us can do it hands and eyes free, how many of you can do that with your cellphone calls? How many of you really have no business driving any vehicle weighing over 500 pounds on public roads? I don't advocate texting or phone calls while driving, and certainly not for the majority of you that really have no business driving any 2000+ pound rolling missile.

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May 2

JustTheFacts

v Yes

It's already illegal!

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May 2

fraps

v Yes

Not only illegal, but a felony. In addition the driver should be charged with reckless driving, attempted homicide, and whatever else might be an applicable charge.

r8 replies

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May 5

TheHandsomeOne

Why should it be be anything but legal for those of us who can send and recieve text, hands and eyes free? I'll tell you, it should not be.

Post @TheHandsomeOne
u

May 5

fraps

@TheHandsomeOne I agree but am concerned a bit that your brain would be distracted even if your eyes and hands were free. But it is not that risky.

Post @fraps
o

May 5

TheHandsomeOne

@fraps Let me ask you this, do you think anyone driving any more user friendly and driver protecting vehicle than my raked to the next county with a mile long springer front end, kick start only, jockey shifted, suicide clutched and with scarcely a brake to it's name has any say over me texting, or most anything else I want to do, while riding it? I'll assume you do not take or make cell phone calls while driving and you also believe they too should be a felony?

Post @TheHandsomeOne
u

May 5

fraps

@TheHandsomeOne Only blue tooth and then to say I will call back. Do not answer if I am in traffic. I have no idea what you described.

Post @fraps
o

May 5

TheHandsomeOne

@fraps I can walk, chew gum and solve complex mathematical problems at the same time as well as write with either hand. Cops never pull me over on the previously described death machine, not even for splitting lanes.

Post @TheHandsomeOne
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May 1

gherlone

v No

it is stupid, but not criminal. people who do stupid things are assholes, not criminals (necessarily). it is already illegal to cause an accident - the reason that you caused the accident is irrelevant. criminalizing behaviours which may or may not lead to a criminal act is just bad public policy.

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Aug '12

gammler

v Yes

Absolutely! If an individual is texting while driving he is acting just like a drunk driver. I've seen people cross three lanes of traffic, cause an accident, and it turned out they were texting. I've driven professionally. If texting while driving remains legal than the laws against drunk driving should be repealed. In this State a teenager can be cited for texting while driving, but an adult can't.

B2

e55 endorsed

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Aug '12

Buzzfriendly

v No

While I think texting and driving is stupid, and were I overlord of planet earth, I would banish those who do text and drive (particularly in the passing lane) to the surface of the sun. But since I am not overlord, and there are numerous laws that already exist to address driving mishaps; which occur because of oneâs lack of paying attention while driving, I see no reason to create more laws. Use the ones we have, increase the fines and stop the conversion of the US into the ânanny stateâ(nanny state is a nice word for what we used to consider the actions of communist governments in the 1970âs).

e11 endorsed

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Aug '12

ReligiousWar

v Yes

Why shouldn't it be illegal??? It is dangerous. Enough Said.

e11 endorsed

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Aug '12

stepped_in_it

v Yes

Texting, talking on cell phone without bluetooth, reading, shaving, putting on makeup......etc. I just don't understand why all states have not made "distracted" driving an offense BUT an adult driving without seat belts (or riding w/o a helmet) is.

B1

e8 endorsed

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Aug '12

TheLoneRanger

v Yes

Texting while driving should absolutely be outlawed. As many people already know driving while texting has caused people to swerve of off course while driving. It also has been the cause of numerous close calls, accidents and deaths... Is it so incontinent to wait until we are not driving that we have to text now? The answer should be no in all cases... Here is a link to a Huffington Post article that includes a graphic public service announcement. It shows several teenage girls going down a road and the driver is texting. All of a sudden they get in an accident and it results in several deaths... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/25/texting-while-driving-psa_n_2...

B2

r2 replies

e5 endorsed

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Aug '12

Thunderchicken

v No

I don't like to see laws like this, but I would go so far as to say that cell phone use of any type should be taken into account in the event of an accident. I drive about 30,000 miles a year and have seen all kinds of drivers. It's not hard to spot someone on a cell phone just by their distracted driving style. I can't see preventing a behavior because some people can't handle it safely. But for those who engage in a behavior that injures others, I darn sure want them to be held accountable for their actions. FWIW, I don't text and drive and when I am on the cell phone, I use the hands free almost always.

B2

r2 replies

e4 endorsed

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Aug '12

Neo_NtheMatrix

v No

NO MORE LAWS. There are basically laws against this already.

B1

e4 endorsed

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Aug '12

AlexanderKM

v Yes

Distracted driving, yeah that's bad. Most people just don't have the ability to multi-task on that level. It should be illegal because you could be costing people their lives simply to find out what time that party on Friday starts. If it isn't important enough to pull over to find out then it sure isn't worth a life.

B2

e2 endorsed

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Aug '12

rankin22

v No

There are already laws on the books that cover this -- distracted driving, for example. You can't legislate stupidity.

B2

r1 reply

e2 endorsed

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Aug '12

seedtick

v Yes

Have you ever been following another driver on the open highway and they begin to slow down for no apparent reason? Chances are they are texting or otherwise using a mobile device. Ever notice a vehicle in rush hour traffic driving "differently" and when you pass them it is a woman putting on make-up? These and other things are called "distracted driving" and cause many accidents. Texas has a law making it illegal to use a cell phone in a school zone. Many cities have laws against using a cell phone while driving. I use a blue-tooth device while driving and never text while driving. I believe that a hands-free cell phone device should be standard equipment in all new v...

e4 endorsed

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