The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission recently launched its new Text-Free Turnpike safety-awareness campaign. Even though texting while driving is not illegal in the state of Pennsylvania, the goal of the campaign is to educate Turnpike drivers on the danger of the activity and to reduce the number of text-related car accidents on the state’s toll highways.

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have anti-texting laws and nine states outlaw the use of handheld cell phone use while behind the wheel. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s media relations manager explained the new effort is not about encouraging the creation of a new law. Instead, the effort is about educating the public on proper driving techniques regardless of the law and bringing an overall greater focus on the dangers of distracted driving.

Texting is the worst driving distraction of all according to the Turnpike media relations manager because it engages a driver in three ways. When a driver is reading and responding to a text message, texting takes the driver’s hands off the wheel, takes the driver’s eyes off the road and takes the driver’s concentration away from operating the vehicle. The cognitive, manual, and visual engagement of texting are the reasons why so many states have made it illegal.

During 2009, over 120 accidents on the Pennsylvania Turnpike were attributed to distracted driving. Already for the first portion of this year, there have 100 distracted driving-related accidents on the Turnpike. The statistics are based on drivers who admit that a distraction was a factor in the accident. Even though texting is not illegal on the Turnpike, officers may still issue tickets for poor driving that results from texting such as crossing over road lines, driving slowly and weaving through traffic.

Source: Mainlinemedianews.com, “Pa. Turnpike Commission Gets Out the Text Message,” Gary Puleo, 10/17/10