At this point, we’ve all heard tell of the many dangers of using smartphones while driving. And we’ve all probably also ignored those dangers at one point or another, which has led 47 US states to establish bans on what’s now become the leading cause of death for teenage drivers — texting.
Mother Jones has put together this state-by-state map of max penalties for first-time offender. According to where you live, the answer can vary wildly — anywhere between $US20 and $US10,000, in fact. A few states even only have bans on bus drivers and/or new drivers; four have absolutely no ban at all. That fact’s especially disconcerting when you realise that nearly a dozen teens die every single day from the act.
So considering that 3092 people died in the US due to mobile phone-related crashes in 2011 (with an additional 20,000 being injured), we all might do well to follow Alaska’s lead. [Mother Jones]
