Not long ago, we brought you word of New York’s creation of texting zones as a bid to reduce instances of distracted driving along highways. The thinking is that we live in a society when people almost compulsively have to check their phones when they buzz. The urge to text for some is simply too great, and thus the Governor of that state and various other safety officials decided a texting zone may be the answer for those who can’t put their phones down.
A new report, though, finds an author conflicted about what the creation of texting zones means for society at large. She explains that, on the one hand, people should have to stick to the rules that have been put in place at the state level. This suggests that these texting zones are basically a way to cave in to rule-breakers who don’t have the willpower or the inclination to keep on the right side of the law.
On the other hand, it’s clear that texting is a serious problem on the highways, even in those states that have made the act illegal. If just one person who would have otherwise sent a text while traveling 65 miles per hour down the road decides to pull over instead, and a life is spared because of their action, then the texting zones would be very much worth it.