Many of us take full advantage of texting on our phones. The ease and use of sending a text message instead of calling someone is on the rise and will keep rising. Unfortunately, with this rise in popularity, people are also texting while driving. I’m guilty of it as I’m sure you may be. Well, 2012 we might want to reconsider using our cellphones at all while we are in our cars.
Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri all have their own version of cellphone/texting laws in effect right now, but the penalties are going to be stiffer if the laws pass in 2012. I’ve listed below the current laws and the bills that will be up for vote this year for each of these three states.
Oklahoma
- Drivers required to “devote their full time and attention to such driving.” Fines $100.
- Drivers with permits or graduated licenses (teens) face suspension or loss of license if they use a handheld electronic device to talk or to text while the car is in motion.
- Drivers 21 or younger prohibited from text messaging.
- Drivers with restricted licenses banned from using wireless communications devices.
- Text messaging outlawed for all drivers. Fine $60.
- Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Using a cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University of Utah)
Be careful out there on the road. If you can, try not to text while driving. It’s hard, but if we can get this under control imagine how many people’s lives may be saved.
At Regal, our drivers honor these laws in each state to make sure that we are safe.
If you would like read more about text messaging laws or statistics visit:
Oklahoma Text Messaging
Missouri Text Messaging
Kansas Text Messaging
