Texting While Driving: Very Costly

As it turns out, texting-while-driving penalities vary widely from state to state. According to a new state-by-state analysis by Mother Jones, I would have gotten off easy — the offense carries a $20 base fine in California. But had I been driving in Alaska, I could have been facing not only a $10,000 ticket, but a year in prison as well. It may seem somewhat ridiculous that a simple text could carry such a stiff fine. But remember, more teenagers will die this year from texting behind the wheel than from drunk driving. And a recent research study shows that even hands-free texting is more dangerous than drunk driving. Most states’ penalties fall somewhere between California’s lax $20 charge and Alaska’s brutal $10,000 fine — the median national penalty is $100. But it’s important to remember that we’re only talking about base fines. Many states, counties and towns tack on extra fees and penalties to traffic offenses. I think that the penalties should be much more strict for all phone service usage behind the wheel. Including spelling a word in words with friends. It seems like the laws are lagging behind the technology.