As a national group of people, Americans just can’t help themselves.
We’re not fat, we’re just big boned. We’re not self-absorbed dolts, well, maybe a little.
We don’t mean to act like idiots, we have just become the biggest multi-tasking citizenry in the world. Hey, we can fight a war in Iraq, AND Afghanistan, all the while bailing out our banks, collecting unemployment and stopping global warming. At least that’s what I read in my email this morning on my drive to work.
Of course, the results have been less than stellar, so we need help with our addictions — even if it’s merely finding a new medical term for an addiction to addictions or finally identifying the gene that explains why 
it’s not my fault.
That’s why so many states are now passing laws to stop drivers from texting while driving. Americans first and foremost protect themselves from themselves. In an announcement released today by autoinsuranceonline.com, there will be 21 states with bans on texting while driving by Jan. 1.
Pretty soon, cops will be able to pull you over if they suspect you thinking about the iron you left on at home or why that pretty girl dumped you. After all, those are distractions too.
Even the White House issued an order to all federal employees to avoid it or face the wrath of Obama, or at least David Axelrod.
Now if you’re not sure what your state laws are — and many of us are so bad at geography that we’re not entirely sure what state we’re in — check out this chart by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association.
State |
Hand-
|
Enforce-
|
All Cell Phone Ban |
Text Messaging Ban |
Crash
|
Pre-
|
|||||
School Bus Drivers |
Novice Drivers |
Enforce-
|
All Drivers |
School Bus Drivers |
Novice Drivers |
Enforce-
|
|||||
| Alabama | |||||||||||
| Alaska | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | |||||||
| Arizona | Yes | Primary | |||||||||
| Arkansas | Yes | <18; 18 – 20 can use hands free only | Primary: bus drivers
Secondary: novice drivers |
Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | ||||
| California | Yes | Primary | Yes | <18 | Primary: bus drivers
Secondary: novice drivers |
Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | ||
| Colorado | <18 | Primary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | |||||
| Connecticut | Yes | Primary | Yes | Learners Permit and <18 | Primary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | |||
| Delaware | Yes | Learner’s permit and intermediate license holders | Primary | Learner’s permit and intermediate license holders | Primary | Yes | |||||
| D.C. | Yes | Primary | Yes | Learners Permit | Primary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | ||
| Florida | Yes | ||||||||||
| Georgia | Yes | Primary | Yes | ||||||||
| Guam | Yes | Primary | |||||||||
| Hawaii | |||||||||||
| Idaho | |||||||||||
| Illinois 1 | See footnote | Yes | <19 | Primary | Yes (eff. 1/10) |
Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | |||
| Indiana | <18 | Primary | <18 | Primary | Yes | ||||||
| Iowa | Yes | ||||||||||
| Kansas | Learner or Intermediate License (eff. 1/10) |
Primary | Learner or Intermediate License (eff. 1/10) |
Primary | Yes | ||||||
| Kentucky | Yes | Primary | Yes | ||||||||
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes (eff. 4/10) |
Primary: bus drivers
Secondary: novice drivers |
Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Secondary | Yes | Yes | |||
| Maine 2 | <18 | Primary | <18 | Primary | Yes | ||||||
| Maryland | <18 w/ Learner or Provisional License | Secondary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | |||||
| Massachusetts | Yes | Primary | Yes | ||||||||
| Michigan 3 | See footnote | Yes | |||||||||
| Minnesota | Yes | Learner or Provisional License | Primary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | ||||
| Mississippi | Learner or Provisional License | Primary | Yes | ||||||||
| Missouri | <21 | Primary | |||||||||
| Montana | Yes | ||||||||||
| Nebraska | <18 w/ Learners or Provisional License | Secondary | <18 w/ Learners or Provisional License | Secondary | Yes | ||||||
| Nevada | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| New Hampshire 4 | Yes (eff. 1/10) |
Covered under all driver ban | Primary | ||||||||
| New Jersey | Yes | Primary | Yes | <21 w/ GDL or Provisional License | Primary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | ||
| New Mexico | In State vehicles | Yes | |||||||||
| New York | Yes | Primary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Secondary | Yes | |||||
| North Carolina | Yes | <18 | Primary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | |||||
| North Dakota | Yes | ||||||||||
| Ohio | |||||||||||
| Oklahoma | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Oregon | Yes (eff. 1/10) |
Primary | <18 (eff. 1/10) |
Primary | Yes (eff. 1/10) |
Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | |||
| Pennsylvania | Yes | ||||||||||
| Rhode Island | Yes | <18 | Primary | Yes | Primary | ||||||
| South Carolina | |||||||||||
| South Dakota | Yes | ||||||||||
| Tennessee | Yes | Learners Permit or Intermediate License | Primary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | ||||
| Texas 5 | Yes, w/ passenger <17 | Intermediate Stage, 1st 12 mos. | Primary | Yes, w/ passenger <17 | Intermediate Stage, 1st 12 mos. | Primary | Yes | ||||
| Utah 6 | See footnote | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary | Yes | ||||||
| Vermont | |||||||||||
| Virgin Islands | Yes | No data | Yes | ||||||||
| Virginia | Yes | <18 | Primary: bus drivers
Secondary: novice drivers |
Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Primary: bus drivers
Secondary: novice drivers |
Yes | ||||
| Washington | Yes | Secondary | Yes | Covered under all driver ban | Secondary | Yes | |||||
| West Virginia | Learner or Intermediate Stage | Primary | Learner or Intermediate Stage | Primary | |||||||
| Wisconsin | |||||||||||
| Wyoming | Yes | ||||||||||
| Total | 6 + D.C., Virgin Islands | Primary (5) Secondary (1) |
17 + D.C. | 21 + D.C. | Primary (20) Secondary (2) Varies (4) |
19 + D.C., Guam | 1 | 9 | Primary (25) Secondary (4) Varies (1) |
33 + D.C., Virgin Islands | 6 |
1 Illinois bans the use of cell phones while driving in a school zone or in a highway construction zone.
2 Maine has passed a law making it against the law to drive while distracted in the state.
3 In Michigan, teens with probationary licenses whose cell phone usage contributes to a traffic crash or ticket may not use a cell phone while driving.
4 Dealt with as a distracted driving issue; New Hampshire enacted a comprehensive distracted driving law.
5 Texas has banned the use of hand-held phones and texting in school crossing zones.
6 Utah’s law defines careless driving as committing a moving violation (other than speeding) while distracted by use of a handheld cellphone or other activities not related to driving.
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