DWT
Brent Finnegan -- May 22nd, 2008
Last night, TV3 ran a story on driving while texting that stated, “Virginians are some of the worst offenders in the nation when it comes to texting behind the wheel.”
The report they’re referring to is the one vlingo released yesterday.
Based on a survey of nearly 5,000 U.S. consumers that aimed to understand how, when and why consumers use text messaging, the report revealed that texting has taken hold as a mainstream communication vehicle. The study found that 55 percent of consumers now use text messaging and 42 percent use their mobile phones to text as much or more than they do to make calls. Additionally, 28 percent of consumers admit to driving while texting (defined as emailing, instant messaging or texting).
Virginia did not end up in the top five “states with the highest percentage of respondents who admit to DWT.” According to the vlingo report, the five worst offenders in the U.S. are South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland and Louisiana. However, we came in 6th.
There were several bills introduced in General Assembly this year to prohibit DWT, but none got out of committee.
>> Additionally, 28 percent of consumers admit to driving while texting (defined as emailing, instant messaging or texting).
Guilty as charged. :(
Last June a Virginia Tech student was texting, driving (and drunk) when she ran up on the sidewalk in Blacksburg and hit five people. This month she was convicted of felony maiming.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/160229
Jott helps alleviate this issue somewhat. (http://jott.com/ as mentioned in twitter posts)
Yeah, I’m surprised at how well Jott works (as long as you speak clearly).
OK, I just want to know HOW anyone CAN text while driving. LOL
Seat belt checks in progress in front of Red Front as I type.
Seat belt checks are such a rip off. How in the world the insurance companies lobbied successfully for that I will never understand (this coming from a fella who never goes anywhere without his seat belt on).
This is really going to knock down the Twitter numbers.
Nah, police can tell if you are on the phone unless you use a hands-free kit, enforcing the no texting laws would be ridiculously difficult for police.
Texting is a rip off. I got one, and Verizon charged me for it – on top of their hefty monthly fees. That “feature” is now blocked.
christa, like this.
Eyes on the road, cook.
OK cook, so you can multitask while driving. I, on the other hand, cannot. lol
I ride a motorcycle (a Harley of course) and I have two major thoughts each time I mount the bike, especially in Shen Valley. 1) Today, some fool old man with cataracts will try to kill me today and 2) some 20-something female ho talking on her cell phone will also try to kill me today. Unfortunately scenario #2 is the most realistic. If I could legally take a baseball bat to the head of these shallow hoes willing to kill people while talking to their BFs about nail polish, I would.