Out of Scope: Tales From The Tech Project Front - ' Technoscourge'

Put Your Thumbs Where I Can See 'Em!
There's a new acronym that legislators want short-winded squirrelers to get used to: DWT.

That's "Driving While Texting," the newest bit of collateral damage from handheld devices like cell phones and smart phones, better known by their addiction-laced nickname, "Crackberries." But these side effects are more destructive than neck aches and sore thumbs; people have actually died in texting-related traffic crashes.

The Wall Street Journal, in a March 14 cover story, named two specific cases: A Tennessee man who drove off the road in 2005 while texting, and a Colorado teenager who struck and killed a bicyclist "while texting a friend." Washington State Rep. Joyce McDonald is sponsoring a bill to criminalize texting behind the wheel—except in cases when users are trying to contact emergency personnel or law enforcement. The Journal reports states like Oregon and Arizona are looking into similar measures.

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