In Virginia the following cell phone laws are set in place:

·         Ban on all cell phone use for bus drivers

·         Ban on all cell phone use for novice (drivers under the age of 18) drivers

·         Ban on texting for all drivers

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website Distraction.gov, distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing.

There are three main types of distracted driving

·         Visual (removing your eyes from the road)

·         Manual ( removing your hands from the wheel)

·         Cognitive (taking your mind off of what you are doing)

Texting while driving is the most disturbing because it involves all three types of distraction.  Other types of distracting activities are: cell phone use, eating, drinking, talking to passengers in the vehicle, grooming, reading, changing the radio…

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 448,000 people were injured in 2009, all of which involved some type of distracted driving.  In addition, 5,474 people were killed.  Of the people killed, 995 involved reports of cell phone use during that time of the crash.

Persons under the age of 20, account for 16% of distracted drivers involved in fatal accidents, which is the highest of all age groups.  Persons 30 – 39, are the highest percentage of distracted drivers with a cell phone involved in a fatal accident at 24%.

Below is a table provided by the NHTSA:

Studies have shown that driving while texting can be riskers that driving under the influence.  A study by the University of Utah found that a driver is 8 times more likely to crash while texting.

The high-risk combination of driving and cell-phone use has inspired engineers such as John Looby of New Berlin who invented a device which blocks cell phone use while on the road. According to JSOnline, his prototype device, which plugs into a car's onboard diagnostic port syncs wirelessly with cell phones to disable texting or phoning whenever the car is in gear.  The system then reengages the phone when the vehicle has come to a complete stop.

Many like John Looby suggest that text-blocking technologies will soon be standard safety practices in vehicles like sealt belts and air bags.