Indiana Attorney General Warns Against Texting While Driving

Greg Zoeller, Indiana’s Attorney General, recently met with AT&T Indiana President Geoge Fleetwood and state lawmakers to urge all drivers to avoid sending or checking text messages while behind the wheel. The attorney general’s office is apparently aligning with AT&T’s national anti-texting-while-driving awareness campaign.

Although distracted drivers come from all age groups, Zoeller noted that “Young drivers may already have a false sense of invulnerability. Couple that with the fact that today’s young drivers are from a generation that has possessed cell phones longer than they have had driver’s licenses, and you have a recipe for a multi-tasking disaster."

The AG also warned drivers of the potential legal liability for a distracted driving road accident: “Texting while driving will put you immediately at fault, and so you should consider whether your auto insurance company will cover your own negligence."

Under an Indiana law enacted in 2009, it is illegal for any motorist age 18 and younger to text or use any wireless devices while driving. Legislation is pending that would ban texting for all drivers regardless of age.  Although enforcement of these kinds of well-intentioned laws may help to improve highway safety and avoid car wrecks to some degree, the best way to avoid a distracted driving highway accident is to never be texting yourself and to keep an eye out for other motorists paying insufficient attention to the road.

For more information on the AT&T roadway safety initiative, visit the company’s online resource center.