A bill working its way through the N.C. General Assembly might not make some teens want to “lol,” but we’re not “j/k” when we say, this proposed law is, like, super way past due.
A bill by a bipartisan group of legislators in the N.C. House would make it illegal to text on any handheld device while driving. Never mind the fact that simply talking on a cell phone has been shown to increase the odds of a wreck, many communication-age motorists spend way too much time looking down to write text messages and not nearly enough time watching the road.
If the bill becomes law, as it should, North Carolina would join at least seven states that already have banned texting for all drivers. A few other states have banned texting for teen drivers only, which some legislators say might be the case with the North Carolina bill once it works through various committees.
But a teen-only ban sounds about as reasonable as prohibiting drunken driving, but only for people under the age of 21. If texting and driving is deemed dangerous, then the danger only grows with the age of the driver. It goes without saying, Baby Boomers and their parents typically aren’t the most skilled texters.
Other states allow drivers to text only in the case of an emergency, which begs the question, “When was the last time someone e-mailed the police for help?”
OMG! Forget about age restraints and silly special exceptions. There is by no means, ever a good time to allow motorists to write text messages while they drive.
It’s bad enough that text speak — the new-age shorthand that has made lol (laugh out loud) and brb (be right back) common lingo — has permeated and diluted the everyday language of America’s youth. Let’s not complicate the impact of this vile technology by allowing texting to pose a more immediate and physical threat to our well being. Lol.
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