• 19
  • August
    2011

The issue of distracted driving has received a lot of press in recent years and deservedly so. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009 distracted driving led to the deaths of 5,474 people across the United States.

In its effort to curb this deadly driving habit, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval recently signed into law a bill banning texting and using a handheld cell phone while driving.

Beginning October 1, law enforcement officers around the state will begin pulling over drivers who they catch texting or using a handheld cell phone and issuing verbal warnings. Then, January 1, the law takes full effect and law enforcement officers will begin ticketing drivers who violate the law. A first offense will carry a fine of $50, a second offense will carry a fine of $100, and a third offense will carry a fine of $250.

The term distracted driving encompasses a lot of activities; from eating and applying make-up to talking with passengers and changing the radio station. However, texting is often singled out as one of the most dangerous distractions because it involves all three main types of distraction, according to the NHTSA: visual (taking eyes off the road), manual (taking hands off the wheel), and cognitive (taking mind off the task at hand).

While the new law bans the use of handheld cell phones, it does not ban drivers from using ear pieces or Blue Tooth technology to use their cell phones while driving.

Drivers that are distracted while behind the wheel become a danger to themselves and others on the road, increasing the risk of a motor vehicle accident. According to the NHTSA, drivers that use a handheld phone while behind the wheel are four time more likely to be involved in an injury crash than drivers who do not use a handheld phone.