Should Distracted Driving Have Greater Penalties?

It’s a very well-known fact that the vast majority of car crashes are caused by human error, with all kinds of risky driving behaviors that cause thousands of accidents resulting in severe injury or death. Driving after drinking alcohol, speeding, reckless driving, and aggressive driving, have always been some of the most common behaviors that increase the risk of crashing, but in recent years, distracted driving has become the leading cause of accidents. Texting while driving, which is considered to be even more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol, has become somewhat of an epidemic in the United States, and is responsible for over 20% of all car crashes.

This is why many states began enacting distracted driving laws a couple of years ago, that are supposed to deter drivers from texting or talking on their cell phones while behind the wheel. These laws impose bans on cell phone use while driving, with penalties that include fines, and demerit points, in some states. But, statistics show that in many states, laws that prohibit using cell phones while driving don’t help reduce the number of accidents, and drivers’ behavior and habits don’t seem to change dramatically.

With fines that are well below $100 in most states, drivers feel that getting a ticket for distracted driving is not that big of a deal and don’t feel threatened by it. In most cases, drivers only get a ticket, with no additional consequences for their driving record, unlike when they get caught driving under the influence. Many people are wondering why distracted driving penalties are not as harsh as those for DUI, which in addition to pretty hefty fines, carry jail sentences and license suspensions. It is rather strange that drivers using cell phones are not being punished like drunk drivers are, considering that this activity is just as dangerous as driving with a high blood alcohol content, and drivers that are texting are much more likely to get in an accident than those that don’t engage in this activity while their vehicle is in motion.

Obviously, the tough DUI laws that are being enforced across the country, with automatic license suspensions and revocations, vehicle impoundment, mandatory jail sentences and couple of thousands of dollars in fines, contribute to reducing the drinking and driving problem. Over the past several years, the number of alcohol-related accidents in the U.S. has been declining, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the rate of drunk driving fatalities per 100,000 people has dropped 48% between 1991 and 2010. This clearly has to do with blood alcohol content limits getting stricter, and penalties for drunk drivers getting tougher.

Go hands free

Driver distraction among commercial motor vehicle drivers has been investigated a lot in recent years, and it has been found that it brings very serious consequences, considering that accidents involving commercial vehicles, such as trucks or buses, are much more dangerous than accidents involving other motor vehicles, because they are much larger and heavier, and because of the nature of the cargo they transport. That’s why commercial drivers are subject to much heavier penalties than other drivers.

In December, 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation enacted a law that made it illegal for commercial drivers to talk on a hand-held sell phone while behind the wheel, and a year before, they were prohibited from texting and driving. Those who violate these bans face fines of up to $2,750, and employers of those commercial drivers are subject to fines of up to $11,000. Repeat offenders also face a 60-day suspension of their commercial driver’s license, and third-time offenders will get a 120-day license suspension.

It’s only natural to think that if distracted driving laws were tougher, these types of accidents would start to decline, as well. In addition to raising fines and imposing automatic license suspensions, or maybe even jail sentences, as part of the distracted driving penalties, states should make sure these laws are enforced much better, considering that stricter enforcement, with increased number of sobriety checkpoints, has been one of the factors that has helped reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents. This should be accompanied by more aggressive media campaigns explaining the dangers of distracted driving, which can really help change driving behavior.

Submitted by guest author: Jordan Perch

photo credit: vikisuzan via photopin cc

photo credit: Thomas Hawk via photopin cc

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