Time to crack down on more than just texting while driving

We have complained about it for years, but now Wisconsin legislators may finally be willing to do something about it. Cracking down on cell phone use while driving. The state passed a law seven years ago banning texting while driving. But it only outlaws sending a text message. It does not currently ban reading a text, sending an email, skimming Facebook, or even watching a movie behind the wheel. But now some Madison lawmakers are looking to outlaw those behaviors for those in the driver’s seat as well. It is about time. We see these distracted drivers all over our roads, failing to maintain a proper speed, and failing to maintain their lane. Statistics show the need for cracking down on more than just texting. Wisconsin had more than 25,000 distracted driving crashes last year, resulting in more than 11,000 injuries. The number of road deaths in Wisconsin due to distracted driving has increased by more than 68 percent over the last two years. Clearly, tougher laws are needed. In Madison, they are considering a plan that would put plain-clothes police in city buses to look down on those driving with phone in hand, radioing ahead to awaiting officers. The problem of distracted driving is quite real, and Wisconsin needs to do more to stop it.