The dangers of texting behind the wheel

Texting while driving is responsible for well over 1,000,000 accidents per year, as drivers make operating the car of secondary importance.

“When you’re texting and driving you’re taking your eyes off the road, you’re taking your hands off the wheel and you’re creating a recipe for the old proverbial perfect storm if you will in terms of automobile crashes.”, says Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis.

Wednesday kicks off Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and Sheriff Mike Lewis is warning drivers that it doesn’t take long for a serious crash to happen while a cellphone user is active in the driver’s seat.

“In miliseconds. Accidents happen very very quickly.”

That’s all it takes.

When a driver anticipates an open road, he or she may think that there’s time for a quick text.

But the window of time when you’re looking away is more than enough for something — or someone to become an obstacle.

So if you absolutely must use your phone in your car, Lewis says, “You can pull over on the shoulder of the highway, activate your hazard lights, and make that phone call.”

If you get pulled over and police suspect that you’ve been texting or talking on the phone Sheriff Lewis says they have every right to ask for your cellphone.

He says, “If you see someone texting, you stop them, say “were you texting?” Uhh, no I wasn’t, may I see your phone please. They hand you their phone, and you can see they were in the middle of a text at the time they were stopped.”

If you’re found guilty…

Lewis added, “You text – you drive – you pay. That’s the bottom line.”

These are laws against texting and driving in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia according to distraction.gov.

Delaware – (All are Primary Law)

• Handheld ban for drivers of all ages
• Ban on all cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for bus drivers
• Ban on all cell phone (handheld and hands-free) for novice drivers
• Ban on texting for drivers of all ages

(Novice driver is described as a driver with a learner’s permit or intermediate license holders.)

Maryland

• Handheld ban for drivers of all ages (Primary law)
• Ban on all cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for novice drivers (Secondary law)
• Ban on texting for drivers of all ages (Primary law)

(Novice is described as drivers under the age of 18 with a learner’s permit or provisional license.)

Virginia

• Ban on all cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for school bus drivers (Primary law)
• Ban on all cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for novice drivers (Secondary law)
• Ban on texting for drivers of all ages (Primary law)

(Novice is described as drivers of all ages under the age of 18.)