{"id":5288,"date":"2011-03-07T22:05:47","date_gmt":"2011-03-07T22:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diaryofanadi.co.uk\/?p=5288"},"modified":"2011-03-07T22:05:47","modified_gmt":"2011-03-07T22:05:47","slug":"texting-and-driving-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diaryofanadi.co.uk\/?p=5288","title":{"rendered":"Texting and Driving… Again!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Maidenhead Advertiser reports that Keisha Bianca Wall crushed a 63 year old woman against a wall shortly after receiving a text message last February. She denies causing death by dangerous driving. The BBC also has the same story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"TextingWall, who was 18 at the time,\u00a0was driving a black Suzuki Jimny she’d been given as a Christmas present. She had passed her test eight months earlier. Her mother – a driving instructor – was in the car with her. The trial is ongoing.<\/p>\n

Over in the States (and Canada)\u00a0at the moment, the issue of texting whilst driving is big news.<\/p>\n

NY1 reports on the current campaign to fight what they call “distracted driving”. The report says that 30% of under-30s admit to texting whilst driving, and over 60% admit to using the phone. In 2009, around 5,500 people were killed as a result of distracted driving in America. There is a government website – distraction.gov<\/a> – which is worth a look.<\/p>\n

The same story is covered by 13 News in Florida, and refers to a 17 year old who was killed on her way to school in 2009 – she was texting behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

The California Highway Patrol<\/a> is also actively trying\u00a0to deal with the problem in a more aggressive way.<\/p>\n

KRMG in Oklahoma reports on a bill that hopes to make texting behind the wheel illegal. The Toronto Star reports<\/a> that “Webbing while driving” is a growing problem. And CBS reports on beauty queen<\/a>, Miss South Dakota, who is taking on distracted driving.<\/p>\n

Back in the UK,\u00a0Essex police are taking on the problem in a blitz on mobile-using drivers. Of course, the problem they have over here is the Law.<\/p>\n

Going back to the original story, it doesn’t matter if Keisha Wall was looking at her phone or not. If it can’t be proved, she’ll be let off.<\/p>\n

EDIT 10\/3\/2011:<\/strong> The American side of this topic is being picked up by numerous Stateside (and North America generally)\u00a0news sources:<\/p>\n