Vt. ranks well in texting behind wheel
|
|
A Rutland High School student uses her cell phone Tuesday to demonstrate sending a text message in Rutland. Vyto Starinskas / Rutland Herald |
Toolbox
By DANIEL BARLOW VERMONT PRESS BUREAU - Published: May 20, 2009
MONTPELIER – Vermont has the third lowest rate of cell phone texting while driving, according to a national report. This marks the second year in a row the state has earned that rank.
Vlingo Corporation's second annual report on the texting habits of Americans reveals that about 19 percent of Vermonters admit to sending these messages via their cell phones will driving.
The number last year in the survey was 20 percent – a change that falls within the 1.5 percent margin of error for the survey.
"We saw lots of states move up and down this list this year, but Vermont was one of the few that remained near consistent," said Dave Grannan, the CEO of Vlingo, a Cambridge, Mass., company that manufactures hands-free mobile technology. "Even the states that have strong laws against this still have higher averages."
Nationally, about 26 percent of cell phone owners say they text while driving. The statistics range depending on the age group; nearly 60 percent of people 16-19 years old text while driving, and nearly half in the 20-29 age group do the same. The numbers drop the older the population is, with 13 percent of those 50 or over engaging in the dangerous practice.
Arizona has the lowest rate of texting while driving, with 18.8 percent. Tennessee is the worst offender, with 42 percent of cell phone owners saying they text while in their vehicles.
Interestingly, there seems to be near national-consensus that texting while driving should be banned. According to the study, 83 percent believe it should be banned, 7 percent believe it should be legal and 10 percent are unsure.
That makes it clear that there are many in the United States who do text while driving, but also believe they should not legally be able to do so.
"I think it is very common for people to think that there should be good laws to protect us, but at the same time they think those laws shouldn't apply to them," Grannan said.
In the last year, since Vlingo's first study of texting habits, there have been several high-profile accidents blamed on the practice. Last September, a train accident in Los Angeles blamed on a driver sending text messages killed 24 people. Earlier this month, a Boston trolley driver caused an accident when he took his eyes off the track to text his girlfriend.
Grannan said these and other accidents across the country probably account for the 5 percent increase in the number of people who want to see the practice banned. He said there are now 30 states with some form of ban being considering in their Legislatures.
"It's entering the public eye now," he said.
In Vermont, lawmakers have grappled with the issue for years with little resolution. Earlier this year, the House passed a bill banning the use of cell phones while driving for those under 18 years old and requiring hands-free cell use for those older.
Sen. Richard Mazza, D-Grand Isle, the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said lawmakers ran out of time in the 2009 session to take up the bill – but he said it will be a topic of discussion in his committee next year.
The difficult part of creating such legislation is the sense that it cannot just focus on cell phone use while driving, Mazza said, but also other activities that can distract drivers, such as eating food or reading a newspaper.
He said Senate lawmakers seem to be resistant to outlawing the practice.
"On our committee … I don't see a strong desire to ban it," he said.
Some of the states with the toughest laws against driving while texting are also the worst offenders, according to the survey. Among the five states with the best records, only Rhode Island has a ban – and that is on drivers under the age of 18.
Grannan said he still recommends states consider some form of ban.
"Passing laws around DWT raises awareness of the issue," he said.
Research firm Toluna conducted the survey for Vlingo, which annually does market research for the products it creates and sells. Grannan said the company releases the other data on texting habits that it collects to be a "good corporate citizen."
daniel.barlow@timesargus.com
32