Texting While Driving continues to be a serious problem that is getting worst
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Can Legislation Really Curb the Dangers of Texting While Driving or is the solution up to the consumer?
6,000 people lost their lives due to the consequence of sending a text or email while driving. And over 500,000 accidents were caused that resulted in serious injuries. We need a solution that addresses the problem not just laws for punishment
States are fast coming to grips with this phenomenon but not necessarily in a good way. Legislatures across the country are passing laws to make sending a text or email while driving a primary offense with fines into the hundreds for the first offense and in some cases jail time or temporary suspension of driving privileges for repeat offenses. But it's very unlikely that people will stop sending texts or emails while behind the wheel because of a law mandating fines. Teenagers in particular are unlikely to adhere to these new laws. And adults - well more than likely they will also continue to send text and email while they drive - at least until they either take their own life by running off the road or sadly end the life of a child, a sister, a brother, a mother, a father or someone else.
Did you know that a recent study found people that send texts and emails while they drive are more dangerous than those that drive drunk? They become so engrossed in sending texts or responding to emails that they don't even look up to pay attention to the road. At any given time there are nearly 800,000 people sending a texts or emails while they drive - do you want to be on the road with one of them?
According to handsfreemessaging.com, States laws like those passed in D.C and more recently in Michigan will either force cell phone manufacturers to come up with effective methods to block texts and emails being sent when a person is driving or push the consumer to a service that facilitates their text habits in a safer format.
But there are drawbacks that make it unlikely that the average user will want to use them. One such solution is a blocker that prevents you from sending text or reading your email while in your car. The problem with this solution is that the consumer doesn't like having constraints put on their use of a device they feel they should be able to use as they please. Another solution is software loaded on your cell phone that will read you text and mail messages to you. The problem here is the limited capacity of the cell phone device – although cell phones, Smartphones in particular have increased processing power the text to speech software is a processor hog and can quickly drain the battery of the device. Also the software will not allow you to reply by dictating a text or email to be sent because of the intensive requirement of speech to text software. And in both cases the service or the software is tied to the mobile carrier and the phone itself. Additionally the software may not be compatible with all phones and certain carriers may not even offer the software.
While the best solution would be for people to simply stop sending text and emails while they drive, this isn't likely to happen. An alternative would be a service that allows you to have text messages and emails read to you while providing the capability of replying to those messages in real time using your cell phone and a hands free headset. The service would also have to be independent of the cell provider so that the consumer doesn't become locked into one company thus denying them the opportunity to shop for the best deals on cell phone service.
According to handsfreemessaging.com, "The current "No Phone Zone movement" being pushed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey is helping to bring this problem into the forefront and garner additional media addition to focus on an issue that will do nothing but get worst if solutions aren't found.
While laws provide some incentives to consumers to put the phone down and focus on the road it is ultimately the consumer that will determine how this problem can be effective resolved not state of national legislatures.
Can Legislation Really Curb the Dangers of Texting While Driving or is the solution up to the consumer?
6,000 people lost their lives due to the consequence of sending a text or email while driving. And over 500,000 accidents were caused that resulted in serious injuries. We need a solution that addresses the problem not just laws for punishment
States are fast coming to grips with this phenomenon but not necessarily in a good way. Legislatures across the country are passing laws to make sending a text or email while driving a primary offense with fines into the hundreds for the first offense and in some cases jail time or temporary suspension of driving privileges for repeat offenses. But it's very unlikely that people will stop sending texts or emails while behind the wheel because of a law mandating fines. Teenagers in particular are unlikely to adhere to these new laws. And adults - well more than likely they will also continue to send text and email while they drive - at least until they either take their own life by running off the road or sadly end the life of a child, a sister, a brother, a mother, a father or someone else.
Did you know that a recent study found people that send texts and emails while they drive are more dangerous than those that drive drunk? They become so engrossed in sending texts or responding to emails that they don't even look up to pay attention to the road. At any given time there are nearly 800,000 people sending a texts or emails while they drive - do you want to be on the road with one of them?
According to handsfreemessaging.com, States laws like those passed in D.C and more recently in Michigan will either force cell phone manufacturers to come up with effective methods to block texts and emails being sent when a person is driving or push the consumer to a service that facilitates their text habits in a safer format.
But there are drawbacks that make it unlikely that the average user will want to use them. One such solution is a blocker that prevents you from sending text or reading your email while in your car. The problem with this solution is that the consumer doesn't like having constraints put on their use of a device they feel they should be able to use as they please. Another solution is software loaded on your cell phone that will read you text and mail messages to you. The problem here is the limited capacity of the cell phone device – although cell phones, Smartphones in particular have increased processing power the text to speech software is a processor hog and can quickly drain the battery of the device. Also the software will not allow you to reply by dictating a text or email to be sent because of the intensive requirement of speech to text software. And in both cases the service or the software is tied to the mobile carrier and the phone itself. Additionally the software may not be compatible with all phones and certain carriers may not even offer the software.
While the best solution would be for people to simply stop sending text and emails while they drive, this isn't likely to happen. An alternative would be a service that allows you to have text messages and emails read to you while providing the capability of replying to those messages in real time using your cell phone and a hands free headset. The service would also have to be independent of the cell provider so that the consumer doesn't become locked into one company thus denying them the opportunity to shop for the best deals on cell phone service.
According to handsfreemessaging.com, "The current "No Phone Zone movement" being pushed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey is helping to bring this problem into the forefront and garner additional media addition to focus on an issue that will do nothing but get worst if solutions aren't found.
While laws provide some incentives to consumers to put the phone down and focus on the road it is ultimately the consumer that will determine how this problem can be effective resolved not state of national legislatures.