To text and drive or not to text and drive? That is the question 21 year-olds in Missouri may find themselves currently asking. However, they may not have a choice anymore.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 1, the Senate perfected a bill extending the texting ban to drivers of all ages, not just those under 21.
If this law is passed in the House of Representatives and by the governor, it is scheduled to take effect in August.
Tom Shively, Missouri representative for District 8, is sponsoring the bill in the House. The bill was heard on Thursday, Mar. 3, Shively said.
Shively said the only way it could be enforced is if a police officer actually sees someone texting, or if an accident is caused by texting while driving. The penalties would be the same as the ones used now for people under 21.
Shively said the reason he supports this bill is because it would be unfair to single out a particular age group, and texting and driving is a problem that applies to all ages.
Arguments in opposition to this bill include the idea that texting and driving is only a problem for teens, and that older drivers have more experience and thus a better ability to multi task while driving.
“That is not a valid argument and it just doesn’t hold any truth,” Shively said. “Taking your eyes off the road, whether you’re 40 or 20, is still going to be a hazard and affect your reaction time.”
Younger people seem to agree with him. Shively said most of the feedback he has received is from young people in support of this bill.
Students like Sydney Ozersky, sophomore, said the texting ban is a good idea and should be extended to all ages.
“No matter what your level of experience is, you could still veer off the road,” Ozersky said.
Whether the ban would be effective if it passes remains questionable.
“It might work if people actually care about safety, but you can’t make decisions for other people,” Ozersky said.
Jason Stumpf, Chesterfield traffic officer, said people will probably still text and drive, whether it’s legal or not. The ban is already challenging to enforce because it’s hard for officers to see whether drivers are actually using their phones or not. Stumpf said if it became a law it would be difficult to enforce, but it might be just enough to keep some people from doing it.
Undoubtedly, texting while driving leads to accidents, Stumpf said. However, it’s difficult to determine just how many accidents are caused by phone usage. “Most people who have an accident don’t truthfully tell what caused it,” Stumpf said.
A driver’s risk of crashing expands whenever they take their eyes off the roads. Experience is not something that comes into play, Stumpf said. In fact, younger drivers tend to be more attentive to the road precisely because they have less experience and are still getting used to driving.
“More experienced drivers forget the dangers of driving,” Stumpf said. “They become complacent. It doesn’t matter how old you are. Looking down, even for a second, takes your main attention off the road.”
If the bill doesn’t pass, people over 21 are still left with a choice. They can choose to read and send text messages while driving, or they can choose to let it wait and keep their focus on the road.
