The state of Washington just passed a law and the state of Montana should follow suit.
In Montana, it is still legal to text and make phone calls while behind the wheel of a car. If this seems archaic to you, don't worry, it is. According to the National Conference of State Legislature, Montana is only one of four states that does not have a statewide ban of texting and driving. (Note: there are exceptions, such as different municipality laws, age requirements, and license restrictions).
Washington state, however, has taken a very progressive stance on the subject. Starting in July of 2017, drivers in Washington will be charged with Driving Under the Influence for using any handheld device, even while at a stop sign or light. Previous Washington law only penalized texting and holding a phone to the ear, which was easily evaded by holding the phone out of the eyes of law enforcement. Now composing or reading a message or any kind, taking pictures, looking at pictures, and so on will be illegal.
The law, however, does come with some exceptions, such as keeping the phone in a cradle and using minimal finger movements to help using map navigation. This new DUI law will charge electronic usage as a primary offense, meaning insurance rates would most likely rise with the offense, with a penalty of $136, which jumps to $235 after the second distracted driving offense.
So why do I say Montana should follow suit? The state of Montana continues to promote "Vision Zero", which promotes an aim to achieve zero fatalities or serious injuries caused by road traffic on state highway systems. In the year 2013, 424,000 people were injured and over 3,100 died in distracted driving crashes.
The state of Montana charts in a population of just over a million, or just over half of those injured in distracted driving cases. On average, one text takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds, or the length of a football field, and if the state is serious about Vision Zero, they will take every effort to halt distracted driving.
Personally, I believe the first step to eliminating the problem is prohibiting it and harshly penalizing those who are caught in non-compliance.
There's no text worth risking your's and others' lives. It can wait, and if it can't then pull over. The excuse "I only looked down for a second" won't save someone's child or yourself from your own selfish mistakes.
