By Samantha Fournier
Cell phones have become as necessary as wallets these days. Phones escort students virtually everywhere: from class to lunch and back to their dorms, to work, on walks, shopping, to the dentist and everywhere in between.
While students can talk, e-mail, surf the Web, and play games with their cell phones, texting seems to be the most frequent reason for students to pick up their phones. Even at taboo times like during class or in the car, students can’t face losing that connection.
According to a non-scientific, informal survey taken by 100 CCSU students, 51 students admit to texting while driving. While only two of the 100 have gotten into accidents, 15 students said they knew someone who was in an accident that was caused by texting while driving.
“I’ve known people who’ve gotten tickets, but not into an accident. I’m sure it’s happened though. It’s quite obvious that it can,” said CCSU resident student Angela Finnimore. Finnemore said she only texts at stoplights, but is terrified to do so other times.
Of the students who text while driving, 44 believe that it is a distraction. It has caused a near accident for 19 of the survey respondents.
“Yes – all the time,” CCSU student Rose Swaim said of the frequency at which she texts, as she sits with her purple blackberry by her side. Swaim said she tries not to text while driving, but she will occasionally read text messages in the car.
“I know a lot of people who [text while driving], and I know they pay a lot less attention when they do it. It scares the crap out of me to be in the car with people who do it,” said Swaim.
Recently, the state Senate and the House approved a bill that bans texting while driving and applies the same fines as talking on a cell phone while driving. Currently, fines start at $100 for a first offense and increase to $150 and then to $200 for all following offenses.
“I definitely think it’s a problem, but I don’t think [this legislation] a way to control it,” said Swaim on the recently approved legislation.
While students’ budgets are low, an increase in fines and a new law may not be the way to stop texting while driving. Eighty five percent of students who took the survey support the new law. Even some of the survey takers who supported the law said they believe this law isn’t enforceable and won’t make an impact.
Survey respondents acknowledged that texting and driving was dangerous. They revealed that they were concerned about others texting and driving.
“Just the idea of watching your lap. How can you [drive] if you’re looking down at your phone?” questioned Finnimore.
