Just like the thinking (or lack of) that people can drive OK when they have been or getting high, driving while texting is dangerous. But a lot of teens think they can do it just fine.
We have this law here but we also have laws against impaired driving. Like anything else, it matters what we think or what we "believe" to be true.
Here is an article from the pressherald.com
No LOL: If U txt & drive,U should go 2 jail
If you want to understand a problem, talk to an expert. When the problem is texting while driving, the experts are in high school. "Texting is an addiction," South Portland High School student Hunter Blondin told a panel of lawmakers, transportation officials and others at the Ocean Gateway in Portland last week. "I know people who go to bed with their cell phone and wake up with their cell phone." He's right. The compulsive need for constant up-to-date information is an addiction, and like addictions to drugs, alcohol or overeating, it drives people to make choices against their own self-interest. When they are behind the wheel of a car or truck, however, it's not only their health that is at risk. While this dangerous behavior has become a fact of life for a generation of young drivers, the legal system has been slow to react. The Legislature passed a law that punishes the whole spectrum of distracted driving, from putting on makeup to reading a book, but it is only a penalty tacked on after their lack of attention causes a moving violation or an accident. Too often, that's too late to save a life. Sen. Bill Diamond has a bill that would make texting while driving an offense all by itself. This is a law that is long overdue. If passed, anyone typing a text message while driving could be pulled over and fined. Enforcement would not be complicated: You can't type a message without looking at your device, and that should be easy to spot. A driver who takes his or her eyes off the road is also what makes this activity so dangerous. With a vehicle at highway speed traveling the length of two football fields in five seconds, even momentary inattention could be deadly. We can't rely on appealing to the good judgment of people addicted to electronic text messaging. It will take passing a law and vigorous enforcement to convince them to kick this dangerous habit.
