Governor Terry Branstad signed a proclamation Thursday, warning of the dangers of texting while driving. Students from the Des Moines Area Community College gathered in the governor’s formal office for the event. Jesse Carver was among the students who signed a pledge not to text and drive.
“I understand the dangers of it,” Carver says. Carver admits he used to text and drive. “I learned from my friend,” Carver said.
“She was in an accident over (texting and driving). She broke her arm, flipped her car.” A recent Virginia Tech study found having a texter behind the wheel is more dangerous than a drunk driver. A National Safety Council Report concluded one out of every four traffic accidents is caused by a person either talking on a cell phone or texting.
State law forbids teens from talking or texting while driving. When it comes to adult drivers, state law bars texting while driving, but it is a secondary offense. The means a cop must be pulling an adult driver over for another infraction, like speeding, and can then ticket that driver for speeding and for texting while driving.
The fine plus court fees for texting while driving is about $100.