DWT? That’s driving while texting. Lawmakers in Washington state were among the earliest to recognize the insanity that is text messaging while operating a motor vehicle. They banned the practice in May 2007.
How has that worked out? Tough to tell.
TechFlash blogger Todd Bishop provides the analysis:
Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15, the Washington State Patrol issued 116 tickets and 187 warnings for violations of the texting law, according to Sgt. Freddy Williams. That may seem like a lot, but it pales in comparison to the 803 tickets and 1,475 warnings issued so far to people talking on their phones while driving (without a hands-free device). That state ban took effect in July — six months after the texting law.
In some ways, it makes sense that drivers would text less than they talk. Tapping letters over the gear shift is a serious distraction — to the point that even the most maniacal texters should realize how foolish it is. Right or wrong, many people are more comfortable talking on the phone behind the wheel, despite the risks.
But the mechanics of texting also make it easier to conceal. Unless a driver holds the device against the steering wheel or close to his face, a common technique is to look down, texting illicitly below the window. From a passing patrol car, it would be much harder to detect a texter than to notice a phone plastered against a driver’s ear.
Another complicating factor is that the Washington law allows police to enforce the ban only when a driver is first found to have committed some other violation, such as swerving between lanes or speeding. Other states, such as California, have taken a more aggressive/sensible approach and made DWT a primary offense worthy of direct police attention.
Whatever it takes to get these knuckleheads to stop is fine by me.
