Texting and Driving In Wisconsin

As of September 18, 2009, 18 states have banned texting while driving. Wisconsin is not one of these states. The state currently does not have any law against this growing problem. According to Sparta High School students and staff, this is an issue.

When senior Storm Treu was asked if he texted while driving, he quickly replied, "No." His thoughts on the subject? "Many people do it, it's not safe. It's probably the cause of my brother's accidents."

Mr. Sands, a math teacher at the school, had very strong opinions on the subject.

When asked if there should be a law against it, he answered, "There should be a law, absolutely."

Sands was asked what he thought about the issue, "Because it takes your eyes off the road it is very dangerous, for not only that person but everyone on the road. That 5 to 10 second text can cause an accident," he said.

Sands also believes that texting while driving is, "becoming a bigger problem".

When asked if he has ever texted while driving, he replied, "I have not while driving, I have as a passenger."

While it is not a law yet, Wisconsin seems to be on its way to stopping cell phone use on the road. State representative Jerry Petrowski has proposed bans on teens using cell phones 3 times.

There is also a pending legislation on the issue. Wisconsin Senate Bill 103 would prohibit texting while driving. If passed, the cost of breaking this law would be $100 to $400, for the first offense. Whether these actions, or any others, will stop the problem, it is yet to be known, but hopefully until then common sense can fill the gaps where the laws are lacking.