Ban driver texting statewide

Mount Pleasant has advanced a plan to ban texting by drivers within its corporate limits, and the city of Charleston is doing the same. But a caution from Charleston City Council member Kathleen Wilson underscores why a statewide ban is needed.

Ms. Wilson, who represents the city portion of James Island, pointed out that the random boundaries between the city and the town of James Island could make enforcement difficult. The same is true in West Ashley, she said Tuesday.

A statewide ban would ease that difficulty for law enforcement officers throughout South Carolina. The House of Representatives took a major step toward that goal this week with approval of a bill to prohibit texting behind the wheel. The Senate should follow suit.

Considering the hazard, it is to be fervently hoped that any ban on texting will do more to convince motorists not to text than open up opportunities for writing tickets. The House bill would put a $25 penalty on texting while driving -- an inconsiderable amount in view of the hazard.

Research has clearly demonstrated the dangers of texting by drivers, showing why most states already have acted to prohibit it. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has determined that texting diminishes motorists' attention on the road by as much as 80 percent. That is substantially greater than most driver distractions, including cell phone use.

Texting while driving has been banned by President Obama for federal agencies, and at least one state agency, the Department of Transportation, has done the same. Local jurisdictions should have no hesitation about following their lead for those who use their respective motor pools.

Texting is particularly popular among teens, and that includes those behind the wheel. The probability that the most inexperienced drivers are also the most avid texters emphasizes the need to prohibit texing while driving in South Carolina.