Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

To the Editor:

Re “Not Driving Drunk, but Texting? Utah Law Sees Little Difference” (“Driven to Distraction” series, front page, Aug. 29):

Utah’s law, prohibiting texting while driving, should be adopted by all states. Many states also have laws that forbid talking on hand-held cellphones while driving, but unfortunately these are not adequately enforced.

One day while waiting in my car on a busy street, I decided to count the number of passing drivers talking on hand-held cellphones. I found that one in five drivers was doing so.

Studies have shown that both texting and talking on cellphones cause fatal accidents. The solution is to dramatically increase the penalties—for example, revocation of the driver’s license for one year and a $500 fine, with $100 going to the arresting officer as an incentive to enforce these laws.

We are all unsafe because of distracted drivers, and the time has come for tougher enforcement and severe penalties.

Robert Ackerberg
Massapequa, N.Y., Aug. 29, 2009