Tuscaloosa News:Law should require attention to driving

Staff Report

It’s against the law to text while driving in 35 states, but not in Alabama. Across Alabama, 21 cities — including Birmingham, Florence, Decatur and Huntsville — have banned driving while texting, but not Tuscaloosa.

The National Transportation Safety Board wants all 50 states to ban cellphone use by drivers. No texting, no talking — not even on a hands-free phone. That’s an impractical standard and goes far beyond the laws in any state.

Research and common experience, however, show cellphones are a dangerous distraction for drivers. So are loud music, fast food, mascara brushes and, often, other passengers. Cellphones may be a special kind of hazard; while studies are inconclusive, there is data to suggest that under some circumstances, cellphone use is as debilitating to drivers as alcohol.

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