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After a recent study that showed drivers are 23 times more likely to figure in a car crash when texting, US lawmakers are scrambling to ban the activity altogether. But will legislation really solve the problem? As early as now, there are already several questions about the move:

#1 - Just how easily can law enforcers catch drivers in the act?

It's fairly easy for motorists to hide the fact that they're texting, and law enforcers might not spot violators at a glance. They'll probably need more sophisticated technology to enforce the law, such as high-speed cameras -- or simply hope the driver is dumb enough to do the act in an untinted car, or with the windows down.

#2 - Will legislation really kill the habit in the long run?

While reading up about the recent study, I've come across several blogger comments that went this way:

"Really? They spent millions of dollars to prove the obvious?"

"I can't believe they spent all that money to prove what everybody has known for several years."

"Where do I sign up to get money to conduct studies? A few million will do just fine."

It's easy to think that anyone with enough common sense will know that texting while behind the wheel can put themselves in danger, but obviously this isn't the case. Banning the act may discourage some errant drivers, but will it discourage enough?

#3 - Will driver education be a more cost-effective solution?

There are other ways to make people kick the habit, such as through better driver education. Insurance companies can give bonuses to drivers who take special "don't-text-while-driving" courses, and gear such benefits towards teenagers, who don't get many breaks with insurance companies to begin with.


Seriously, I love texting technology -- while we're waiting for some real city-wide Wi-Fi technology to roll around, it'll have to serve our needs to stay in touch. But at some point, we'll have to realize that the most important thing to do is to keep our eyes on the road.