Calls for Oklahoma to ban texting while driving

Date: 23/10/2012

Oklahoma is not currently one of the US states where texting while driving is specifically banned, but there are calls for legislation to be brought in to change this state of affairs.

Drive Aware Oklahoma is pushing for the legislation at the same time as educating drivers on the risks associated with driving without due care and attention, reports Tulsa World.

Danial Karnes, a spokesman for AAA Oklahoma, said: "We're working to make sure Oklahoma is not the last state to pass a texting while driving ban."

Despite the fact that texting while driving is not specifically banned in the state, the local police department has been cracking down on inattentive driving.

Officer Craig Murray, Traffic Safety Coordinator for the Tulsa Police Department, said that more education is needed about the dangers.

Technically, driving while texting comes under the banner of inattentive driving as it is defined as engaging in any activity behind the wheel that interferes with the safe control of the vehicle.

Last year Tulsa Police handed out 58 citations for inattentive driving, which was followed up with a further 64 this year.

According to the US Department of Transportation a motorist who is texting while driving is 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident than one who is not.

Officer Murray said that since the average text message requires the driver to take their eyes off the road for around five seconds, a car travelling at 55 miles per hour could have continued for the equivalent length of a football field in that time.

The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office attributed nine fatal crashes, 547 injury crashes and 818 non-injury crashes to motorists being distracted by electronic devises in the state in 2010.

Trooper Betsy Randolph, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, said: "If you've been guilty of doing this, you know how dangerous it is.

"They look like a drunk driver; they look like a sleepy driver; they look like a distracted driver."

Posted by Sarah Bailey

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