Texting and driving will become illegal on July 1st, 2012 in West Virginia – which will hopefully leave residents more focused at the wheel. In addition to signing Senate Bill 211 into law on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012, West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin also signed a personal pledge to only use hands-free devices while driving. The pledge reads as follows:
I pledge to put safety and the safety of others first.
I will not text while I am driving because it can wait.
I will always use a hands-free cell phone while driving because I am a responsible driver.
I will do my part in keeping the roadways safe.
Governor Tomblin is encouraging high school students to sign his new Safe Driver Pledge, committing to use only hands-free devices while driving. Governor Tomblin unveiled a web page (http://go.wv.gov/pledge) where all West Virginia drivers can make the same commitment. He also plans to make Bluetooth devices available when calling is banned.
In addition, Governor Tomblin presented finger guards to educational superintendents of a school he recently visited. These finger guards are a constantly visible reminder of the danger of texting and driving. Drivers (new and old) should remember the risks of texting while driving are very similar to the serious consequences of drunk driving. In fact, texting is such a distraction that some states have recently outlawed texting while walking – seeing that texting has become a huge problem in many metro cities.
- Anti-texting finger bands are a constant reminder of the dangers of texting while driving. Photo credit: Kate Ter Haar via flickr