Published September 30, 2010
A sign over the Pike in Boston (Bill Sikes/AP)
It is law in Massachusetts today: You can get fined and lose your license for getting caught texting while driving — even while stopped in traffic.
Our producer Keosha Johnson posted a really useful FAQ on the new Safe Driving Law, answering such questions as Can an officer cite someone if he or she did not actually see the person texting? and Do police officers have the right to read the text messages on someone’s phone?
The law has many skeptics, including retired Police Chief Wayne Sampson, director of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, who spoke with WBUR’s Morning Edition.
“The problem with this type of a violation is that we have to observe the actual violation,” Sampson said. “And if an operator is holding the device down below the window level, it would be difficult to observe.”
And that’s exactly why texting bans elsewhere have led to the opposite of their intended effect, Sampson said.
“There has not been a reduction in motor-vehicle crashes because of this. And in some states, the number of motor vehicle crashes actually went up because they found that people were trying to be more deceptive by hiding the cellphone, and that was keeping their eyes off the roadway.”
Sampson was referring to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Back in June, I broke down exactly what “texting” means under this law — and boldly declared that you and I and everyone with a smartphone has done it. (A great many of you said no, you have never texted while driving, thank you very much.)
If you missed it, the New York Times has a great game that tests your distractedness.