Driving While Using Electronic Text Messaging Devices is ILLEGAL in Maryland as Of Oct. 1, 2009.!!
Law text can be found at - http://mlis.state.md.us/
Below is an excerpt from the 90 Day report of the 2009 General Assembly session:
Experts estimate that the nearly 250 million wireless phone users in the United States sent about 158 billion text messages in 2006. It is unknown how many of these messages were sent while people were operating motor vehicles, but driving while texting appears to be a growing trend. A study by Nationwide Insurance estimated that 20% of all drivers send or receive text messages.
A Zogby poll of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 revealed that 66% admitted to texting while driving. While few studies have quantified the distraction caused by texting while driving, and no state has published data showing a link between texting and vehicle accidents, experts have estimated that driver inattention is a factor in 80% of motor vehicle crashes and 65% of near crashes. As a result, driver distraction appears to be a factor in about 4.9 million accidents, causing 34,000 fatalities and 2.1 million injuries.
LISTEN TO CP Publisher Paul Foer on 1430WNAV at 8:15 every weekday morning.
Join us every Thursday morning, from 8-9 am for our Sip N' Blogs normally at ZU Coffee, 934 Bay Ridge Road, Annapolis, Maryland, in the Giant Shopping Center. Special guests will be:
Oct 8--Mat Silverman, Ward 5
Oct. 15--Josh Cohen
Oct 22--Chris Fox (at Sly Fox Pub)
Oct 29--Dave Cordle
Stop by on your way to work for your morning latte and meet other local activists. Zu now has a drive-through window!
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