Wake-up call: The dangers of texting

We’ve written about the dangers of texting while driving—particularly among teens—before. Now the practice has been brought to national attention with the news that texting may have played a part in last Friday’s fatal crash of a California commuter train. The National Transportation Safety Board reviewed cell phone records and found that the train's engineer was sending and receiving text messages while he was on duty. Federal investigators still need to determine if the engineer's texting with two teenage passengers while he was driving the train caused him to miss a stop signal, according to published reports. The California Public Utilities Commission has just banned the personal use of cellular communication devices while operating a train.

Six states and Washington, DC ban the use of handheld cell phones—for talking and/or texting—while driving. Simply put, if you’re driving any type of vehicle, keep your eyes on the road, not your cell phone, PDA, or other device. See our tips on how to reduce driver distraction. And share them with the teenagers in your life.

—Desiree Calamari

Comments

[melville248]

What a shame, the poor judgment of one person has affected so many.

[Gregory M]

It's amazing...for a few dollars you can purchase a handsfree. Many cellphones come with a handsfree. Better yet, purchase a bluetooth. They're becoming more affordable. And yes, no wire hassles. It infuriates me to see people holding a cellphone handset and operating a vehicle. Many of you know what I'm talking about, seen it a 100 times....While holding a handset...going 50 mph in a 65 mph passing lane or going extremely over the limit...going straight in a left turning lane...i've personally mistaken drivers for being intoxicated, when instead there on a cellphone handset. And they're all over the road. It's nice to see various states are finally effecting a ban on cellphone handset use at different levels...Face it, smoking kills and the government has been clamping down on it. After the horrific California train crash. In which the operator was sending a text message. That sends a message plain and clear.