Enforcement of texting ban is rare

[The Straight Story]

A nearly year-old state law that bans drivers from sending text messages has been applied sparingly by police in Sauk County and elsewhere.

The Baraboo News Republic surveyed local law enforcement agencies and found they had combined to issue just six texting while driving citations from December 2010 through September 2011.

Of the eight agencies surveyed, four said they had not issued any such citations. One agency did not respond to the newspaper's request for data.

Law enforcement officials said violations of the texting law are not easy to prove.

http://www.wiscnews.com/baraboonewsrepublic/news/local/article_959e12c4-0cce-11e1-8d47-001cc4c03286.html

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. I can't say I have seen too many people that I KNOW are texting.

It's easy to tell when some dick-head is yakking on the phone - not so much for texting.

[HopeHoops]

2. At least in PA it is only a secondary offense (can only ticket if pulled over for something else).

Still, it did play into the conviction and jail term for a woman who struck and killed an officer near Dillsburg while texting. She was also putting on makeup and eating at the time (go figure), but what really got her a long sentence was the fact that she tried to delete the evidence from her phone. That's just stupid. The phone company has a log of all of that shit for at least a few weeks (or more).

[ProdigalJunkMail]

3. the pretty much ignored in GA

from what I can see. you aren't even supposed to READ messages while in your car (even stopped at a light) but I see people left and right just texting away...

sP

[FSogol]

4. I believe that "texting while driving" is worst than drunk driving. The drunk, even with

delayed reaction times, is at least looking thru the windshield. Texters aren't even looking. The texters should be prosecuted like DUIs and DWIs.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

5. But let a cop spot you without your shoulderbelt on and watch the mars lights fire up.