Text-messaging while driving is now outlawed in Massachusetts after laws restricting the use of mobile devices by drivers went into effect Thursday.
The restrictions are part of the Safe Driving Act, which was passed in the Massachusetts State Legislature and approved by Gov. Deval Patrick (D) in July. The laws make it illegal to send text-messages from behind the wheel and ban all use of mobile devices by drivers under the age of 18.
Massachusetts will become the 30th state to adopt such restrictions on text-messaging, according to State Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville).
A statement from Patrick's office said that any driver suspected of composing or reading a text-message can be stopped by law enforcement and fined.
Provost, who supported the bill in the State House of Representatives, applauded the act's passage.
"I think it is important that we have finally banned texting while driving," she told the Daily. "It is dangerous and unnecessary."
Provost said that quantifiable changes in the frequency of accidents caused by distracted drivers should not be expected immediately.
"Human habits, once they are adopted, are difficult to break and take a lot of effort to break," she said. She hopes the act will eventually make Massachusetts roads safer overall.
Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) Capt. Mark Keith said the new laws will be somewhat difficult to enforce.
"Generally, there's a feeling that the enforcement of the new law is going to be a little complicated because of the difficulties in detecting whether or not a person is texting, which is illegal," he said.
Under the new laws, using a phone to place a call or use a GPS application is permitted, but it is difficult to tell from a police car if a driver is text-messaging or using his or her phone for something else, Keith said.
"If an officer observes somebody to appear to be texting, as is with any suspected violation, it is up to their discretion to make a vehicle stop and investigate that, and then depending on the situation, they officially can either give a verbal warning or citation," he said.
Keith explained that TUPD is still deciding how to enforce the text-messaging law.
"We haven't devised a plan of action," he said. "I think there's going to be a period of time where we need to develop an action plan for how to effectively enforce this law."
TUPD has the authority to enforce Massachusetts's motor vehicle laws on the Tufts campus, Keith said. He said TUPD has seen many incidents of drivers text-messaging behind the wheel.
"We see it throughout the Commonwealth, including on campus," he said.
Jeff Larson, the president of the Massachusetts safe driving awareness organization Safe Roads Alliance, said that he sees the new laws as an improvement.
"It's a huge change from not having any restrictions," he told the Daily.
In addition to the new texting law, there is a new regulation stipulating that drivers under the age of 18 found to be using any mobile device will face a fine and a license suspension, regardless of whether they are using a hands-free device.
Larson said the provision banning teenagers from using cell phones is meant to help new drivers focus on the road and develop safe driving skills.
"It's based on the assumption that inexperienced drivers need to focus on the road and avoid distractions more than adults do," he said.
Larson added that his hope is that the new laws will decrease the number of accidents caused by drivers distracted by cell phones. "I think that's the assumption," he said.
He also refuted a recent study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute, which found that in states in which similar laws have been enacted, there has been no effect on automobile accident rates.
"I think that study was flawed in that it doesn't take into account time or enforcement," he said, adding that it will take a while for any conclusive data to be available.
"For a law to be effective, it has to be enforced and people have to be aware of the danger of disobeying it," Larson said. "In Massachusetts, I think we're moving along that path."
Katie Lazarski, a sophomore who keeps a car on campus, said that from her own experience, the new laws will be beneficial to road safety.
"I'm from Connecticut, where it's already illegal to do that, and I didn't know it was legal in Massachusetts," Lazarski said. "I think it's probably going to be a lot safer, because it's helped out a lot in Connecticut."
Emma Lieberman, a freshman, said that her driving habits would not be altered by the act.
"Texting and driving never crossed my mind before, because where I'm from it already is [against] the law," she said.
Sophomore Allie Maykranz agreed, saying that after narrowly avoiding an accident while text-messaging and driving, she has since stopped the habit.
"I get really distracted and I'm a really good driver as long as I'm focused," she said. "After that close call, I never do that anymore."
Provost said that the law also imposes new restrictions on elderly drivers. "It is going to require older drivers to renew their license in person more often," she said.
She added that she is considering resubmitting a proposal — originally made last year — to completely ban all phone use by drivers. Provost believes popular support for stricter phone laws would make it possible to get such a proposal moving.
"I am considering whether to file a bill in the next session," she said. "There is a constituency that would strongly support such a bill."
