No-text law a tough call
By Yvonne Abraham, Globe Columnist | August 15, 2010
MEDFIELD - Chief Robert E. Meaney Jr. is thrilled we finally have a law banning texting behind the wheel in Massachusetts.
But, like a lot of police officers in this state, he's wondering: How is he going to enforce this thing?
Meaney is police chief in a town so idyllic it makes Mayberry look like a dump. There are occasional serious crimes here, but mostly it's busted mailboxes and school break-ins.
Still, the affable, gray-mustached Meaney has been worried about teens in his town. They're always on their cellphones, including when they're behind the wheel.
The law that goes into effect Oct. 1 makes it illegal for anybody under 18 to use a cellphone while driving.
Everybody else is free to use their cellphones for calls, but sending or reading e-mails and texts - even at red lights - carries fines of $100 to $500.
The law is a huge victory for road safety advocates, but it doesn't go far enough.
Activists and some legislators hoped to prohibit not just texting for drivers, but all hand-held phone use.
Senators batted them back, arguing that such a ban wouldn't improve safety, since hands-free conversations are just as distracting as hand-held ones.
The evidence on that is mixed, but one thing is clear: The only sure way to prevent the 28 percent of auto accidents the National Safety Council says are caused by cellphone distractions would be to ban all phone use on the road.
And sadly, the chances of that flying in Massachusetts are porcine.
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