Missourians among country's most distracted drivers | newspressnow.com

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Missouri drivers are among the country’s most distracted drivers according to a recent study. . . .

There are state laws relating to distracted driving but no law that specifically prohibits texting for all drivers. That could contribute to Missouri drivers being more distracted than in other states, St. Joseph Safety Council Traffic Safety Coordinator John Christensen said.

“Three things happen when you drive and text,” he said. “Visually you take your eyes off the road, manually you’ve taken your hands off the steering wheel, and then cognitively you’re no longer engaged in driving because you’re going, ‘OK, I’ll grab the milk on my way home.’ So, three things are happening there and driving really is a full-time job.”

MoBikeFed comment: According to the study, Missouri rates 9th worst in the nation for distracted driving.

MoBikeFed and other allied groups across the state have been working towards a statewide prohibition on texting while driving for many years. However, a small block of opponents in the Missouri General Assembly have stymied progress on the bill year after year.

https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2021/02/15/c...

https://mobikefed.org/2010/03/cell-phoning-while-driving-even-more-dange...

https://mobikefed.org/2016/11/texting-while-driving-now-banned-46-states...

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