The Senate may be trying to pass a federal ban on texting while driving, but Utah recently passed a much stronger bill: It views the act is inherently reckless and punishes it as harshly as drunk driving.
Passed after a texting driver killed two scientists, the law would put texting while driving in the same legal category as drunk driving if any crash happens. It’s a far stronger law than most of those already existing in other states; California’s, for example, punishes offenders with a tiny fine, usually around $US20.
In Utah, if you were to crash while texting, the punishment could be extremely severe—up to 15 years in prison. It’s a harsh law but we can’t deny that texting while driving is incredibly dangerous. [NYTimes]
matt
Monday, August 31, 2009 at 9:20 AMwell if it was an eye for an eye, they would go to the purpetrator’s house, pick one of there innocent loved ones at random. and execute them.
Daniel
Monday, August 31, 2009 at 10:35 PMMatt, that’s a bit much i reckon. I understand what you are saying… like the victims didn’t deserve it either, but i wouldn’t go as far as an eye for an eye.
Still a good law though. If you are using most of your brain thinking about what to say, how to construct your sentences, and looking at the screen/number pad, what the hell are you using to think about possible traffic situations? sure you may know what is happening then and there, but what about that pedestrian that is thinking about running across the street, what about that stopped car over there? Driving requires absolute 100% undivided attention. It can turn out to be a life or death situation, and these people are idiots who should be punished. I would fully support these laws.