What is the ban for text messages for?
In Missouri, it is not illegal to text and drive, meaning that you cannot be pulled over by a police officer if you have your phone in your hand or your lap or are using it to text someone.
With the proposed house bill 398, it would still not be illegal to text while driving, but any police officer would be able to hold it against you if they catch you for another traffic infraction.
In practical terms, it would mean that as soon as you cross a double line, that text could become a fine on top of the fine you would get for the traffic infraction. This is what is called secondary enforcement.
What is the problem with texting while driving?
To some it may be clear why texting and driving is an issue; mainly that the distraction alone makes your ability to react to situations a lot worse. This causes many fatal accidents on the road.
It poses a significant risk to both the driver and others on the road. When a person texts while driving, their attention becomes divided, leading to visual, cognitive, and manual distractions.
This means their eyes are off the road, their mental focus is on the phone instead of driving, and their hands are not fully engaged in controlling the vehicle. These distractions significantly impair their ability to perceive and react to hazards, increasing the likelihood of accidents.
Texting while driving not only endangers the lives of the driver and their passengers but also puts pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists at risk.
Almost all (48) states have already banned texting while driving, but Missouri has not. This bill, would not exactly ban texting altogether, but could be a start to prevent people from using their phones in their car.
Where can you text safely, if not during driving?
The question arises why people text while they are driving. A possible explanation for this, is that they simply feel they cannot waste a second before communicating back to people.
Now that we are talking about safety, it is also worth noting why our platform exists.
Besides real-life harm and safety, there is always a digital threat when sending texts. This consists of things such as messages being intercepted, to your phone number being used in spam or phishing messages.
Sending a text online, through a secure platform, allows you to avoid the dangers that come with standard texting. With these online services, you can ensure anonymity, security and even practice business marketing from an easy-to-use place.
There is no time like today to start thinking about safety and safe practices for texting, whether that is offline or online.
