As you drive during rush hour on Interstate 376 or 279 in Pittsburgh, how often do you see other drivers texting behind the wheel? Distracted driving is a major cause of car accidents in the Pittsburgh area, and in 2010 more than 3,000 people died in car accidents caused by texting or other cellphone use. Pennsylvania recently passed a texting and driving ban and as a result the number of car accidents caused by texting behind the wheel may decrease.

Beginning March 8, drivers who text, email or search the internet while driving will face a $50 fine. Pennsylvania's new ban on texting while driving is a primary offense law; which means that a police officer can pull a driver over if the officer sees a driver texting. An officer does not have to state another reason to pull the driver over.

Under the ban, the use of a wireless phone, smartphone, portable or mobile computer, personal digital assistant or similar device cannot be used for texting, instant messaging, browsing the internet or emailing by a driver. The purpose of the law, according to state policymakers, is to change the current culture of distracted driving and to educate the public on the risk of texting while driving. Often the danger of texting while driving is compared to the danger of driving while legally intoxicated. While it is clear that texting and driving is dangerous, the ability of police officers to spot drivers breaking the texting ban may not be so straightforward.

While the law bans texting and surfing the internet while behind the wheel, the law does not ban the use of cellphones for talking. Police officers will therefore have to see drivers actually texting before tickets can be issued.

Under the ban, a police officer cannot take a driver's cellphone to check whether or not the driver was texting. A driver can give a police officer permission to check the phone. Further, police can ask for the phone, but the driver is not required to hand it over.

Hopefully the law will help change the culture of distracted driving in Pennsylvania, even though it may be tough to enforce.

Source: phillyburbs.com, "Drivers who text will soon be ticketed," Bill Devlin, Jan. 30, 2012