This past Tuesday three New Jersey judges stated that you could also be liable for the text in which causes a crash. Texting a person while driving is not illegal yet, because of the major controversy. The controversy has to due with the fact that the driver is ultimately responsible for paying more attention to technology rather than the road.
The topic at hand was brought up when a couple riding their motorcycle was severely injured from being hit by an 18-year-old in his truck who was texting his girlfriend and crossed the center line. After settling with the boy, the couple still had a law-suit against the 17-year-old girlfriend who's text overall caused the crash. In the end, she wasn't charged or fined, because she claimed of not knowing the boy was driving at the time. Basically, if you are texting someone who you know might be behind the wheel just wait until you know they have stopped driving to contact them.
What are your thoughts on this story? Do you think it should be illegal to text drivers?
Link to the story: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/29/tech/mobile/texting-driving-jersey-explainer/
Replies
Well done on your posts and responding to people's comments Halley!
Crazy! It wasn't the girls fault. It was the boys fault. He's the one that shouldn't been texting her in the first place. What idiots.
I don't think it should be illegal to text someone when they are driving but the person driving should tell who ever they are talking to that they are going to be on the road. Just a simple "going to HyVee text you when I get there" could make a major difference. I think they should just be told what's going on.
That's a good point, maybe if they told the current people they are holding a conversation with that they are driving somewhere not as many texts would come in eliminating any urge to check messages and reply.
I don't think it is illegal because sometimes you don't know if they are driving or not. Though, if the person that texted you while they were driving they also are putting their lives at risk.
I agree. I do not think the person who texts the driver should be punished? How would they know they were driving? That is ridiculous that they are even considering making this a law. It is the driver's responsibility to not get distracted with the cell phone use in the car.
I think this is the reason they have not passed it as a law and encouraged other states to use it. Most of the time people do not know they are texting drivers. Maybe the person texting them knew they were on a trip, but thought they were stopped at a gas station or maybe switched drivers. It is overall the drivers responsibility to not answer or start a text message while driving.
It can go both ways, but when it comes down to it the driver controls what the car does and are responsible for their actions. Plus, they can lose control of the car by simply changing the radio or searching for something, so the driver does not have to just be texting to cause problems.
I don't think that texting someone while they're driving should be illegal. Because like the 17 year old girl said she had no idea he was even driving so really she can't be held responsible. I also think that the person driving should have the common sense to not text while driving but I guess some people will never learn, or at least not until they are dead or the kill somebody.
Exactly, most people text while they drive on a regular basis and nothing goes wrong, therefore when a traumatic accident occurs these people carry a guilty feeling with them for the rest of their lives.
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