Letter: Law banning texting and driving is far too lenient

I am happy to see a new law about texting and driving, but it is too little to late.

The law will not take effect until 2019. That means it is very likely there will be several more people killed before the law goes into effect. Why the delay?

Secondly. The law is far too lenient. The penalties are a joke.

If someone is driving under the influence and is pulled over by an officer of the law, there is a very good chance they will spend the night in jail and face a substantial fine. If they are involved in an accident an arrest is almost a certainty. Why are those same standards not applied here?

Am I any less injured or perhaps dead because the driver was impaired than I am with someone who was otherwise distracted?

Why the double standard? Why are the penalties not the same? Why is it not a moving violation and reported to your insurance company?

Let’s get real. A fine of $136 is not nearly enough for this type of accident given the outcome. Even the idea that you can drive using your device, get pulled over and ticketed for it, and pay anything less than a $300 fine is a joke.

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Letter: Law banning texting and driving is far too lenient."