You know that look.

When the eyes of a fellow driver drop to his or lap, face gently illuminated
by a glowing screen.

And while smartphone use while driving has become more commonplace it’s
no less dangerous.

Mobile devices are involved in more than 1.5 million crashes a year, according
to the U.S. Department of Transportation. And while one would hope for
common sense to prevail, it’s going to take regulation and enforcement
to curtail cellphone use on the roadways.

Attempts were made to restrict cell phone use among drivers in Indiana
as early as 2008. But it took another three years for legislators to muster
the political will to get anything done.

In 2011, the Indiana General Assembly made it illegal for drivers to send
or read text messages and e-mail without the use of a hands-free device
while in a moving vehicle. Well intentioned as it might have been, the
law has proven too specific to be very useful.

That’s because there’s no way for police or anyone else to
tell whether a driver is using text or e-mail, as opposed to any other
function of a smartphone. Think of everything a mobile device can do,
all those apps.

According to the Indiana State Police, a mere 186 drivers were cited for
violating Indiana’s texting and driving law in 2013. Officers have
not been empowered to look at the phone of a suspected texter, they can
only ask the driver and take his or her word for it.

This problem was highlighted in very public fashion in 2016 when the defendant
in a federal drug case got off on a technicality. He had been browsing
music on his phone, not texting, and the heroin seized from his vehicle
could not be admitted into court.

Currently in Indiana, any driver caught texting while driving may face
a fine of up to $500. Those under 18, meanwhile, may not use mobile devices
of any kind.

To truly deter cellphones on the roadway, however, a law must be crafted
that restricts their use more meaningfully, such as requiring hands-free
or voice-activated systems. On this front, Indiana could take a cue from
several other jurisdictions.

Drivers are forbidden from talking on a hand-held cell phone in 14 states
and the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, drivers cannot use text messaging
in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

While little has been done to close the legal loophole in the 5-plus years
since the bill was passed, lawmakers have certainly tried.

Indiana Senator Pete Miller famously sponsored a hand-free bill in 2015
after he totaled his SUV when he struck an overpass while attempting to
call his children’s orthodontist. Senate Bill 240 would have required
use of a hands-free device by any driver making a call had it not died
in committee.

Just last year, Senate Bill 79 called to limit drivers’ use of mobile
devices to GPS and tools to locate a gas station.

Perhaps 2017 will be the year that Indiana steps into the 21st century
and adopts a mobile phone law with some teeth.

Have You Been Injured in an Accident?

If you or your loved ones are injured as the result of the poor decisions
of a distracted driver this holiday season. At Wagner Reese can assist
you in pursuing the compensation you deserve and may need for medical
care and to cover a loss of wages while injured. There is no risk, as
we never collect any kind of fee unless your case is settled or won. Contact
us today at (888) 204-8440 for more information or to schedule a free
consultation.