From the Washington Post [Excerpt]
States send mixed message on texting and driving
By ANDREW DeMILLO
The Associated Press
Saturday, September 19, 2009 11:31 AM
– Fiddling with your iPhone behind the wheel can get you fined across much of the nation. But many states are more than happy to tweet you with up-to-the-minute directions on how to steer clear of a traffic jam.
It is a mixed signal that some safety experts and politicians say could be dangerous.At least 22 states that ban texting while driving offer some type of service that allows motorists to get information about traffic tie-ups, road conditions or emergencies via Twitter.
"You shouldn't be fiddling around with any kind of electronic gadget in your car while driving," said Minnesota state Rep. Frank Hornstein, who helped write his state's no-texting-while-driving law. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have banned all texting while driving, and eight others prohibit texting by younger drivers only, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
OK, so we are a bit schizophrenic, nothing new there. The fact is, Twitter has become a tool, and for driving, it can be as valid as a GPS unit, which, by the way, is not without its own causes of driver mishaps. 2009 will probably be known for the year governmental agencies discovered Twitter and overall it has been a win/win engagement of technology and social media. A win for the governmental agency and a win for the constituency served.
