Between
the unpredictable highway traffic, detours, and construction, driving around
Albuquerque can get pretty crazy on any given day. And when you take into account
distracted drivers, the risks get compounded.
Fortunately,
starting this July, New Mexico will become the 42nd state to enact a ban on texting
while driving. Signed into law by Governor Martinez, after July 1, you’ll
receive a $25 citation for getting caught texting while driving the first time,
and $50 each time after that. Although several cities in the state have outlawed
texting while driving already, the law will soon be enforced statewide.
Why
is texting and driving so bad? According
to the Federal Communications Commission:
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2010 driver distraction was the cause of 18 percent of all fatal crashes – with 3,092 people killed – and crashes resulting in an injury – with 416,000 people wounded.
- Forty percent of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger, according to a Pew survey.
- The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.
- Eleven percent of drivers aged 18 to 20 who were involved in an automobile accident and survived admitted they were sending or receiving texts when they crashed.
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