December 12, 2011
Although it is a common occurrence, texting and driving is extremely dangerous! New laws were recently enacted to battle the problem, but according to 9 News, officers say they are having a hard time enforcing the new measures.
Right around this time two years ago, the state made it illegal to text and drive at the same time. Since then, Larimer County Sheriff’s office spokesperson, Corporal Nelson Sanderson, says that the department has only written one ticket for an infraction. Fort Collins and Boulder’s Police departments have also had a difficult time enforcing the new laws as well, only writing 41 and 15 tickets respectively. Sanderson blamed the lack of tickets on the difficulty of catching someone in the act while patrolling.
So if new laws and uniformed officers can’t stop the problem, what will? One Fort Collins man has some ideas that may work. He says narrower streets and more bump-outs will cause drivers to concentrate and traffic to slow in the area, thus preventing accidents. He said the idea comes from European streets that create environments where a driver has to be focused and cautious in order to prevent an accident.
The Colorado Auto Accident Attorneys with the McDivitt Law Firm host a contest each year in which students create public service announcements to battle the problems of distracted driving.
