In California, we're all very aware of the newish Hands Free Law [1] prohibiting driving while talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device, but did you know that texting isn't specifically forbidden [2] by the law? That's surprising to me, especially in light of the report of an American teen that died in a car accident this week while she was driving and texting at the same time [3].

For the same primary reason that cell phone calls in cars aren't allowed - holding the phone inhibits your ability to use both hands - it seems that texting fits the same danger zone. Actually, since you have your eyes and hands on your phone to text, I think it's way worse to text while driving. And of course, they're both intellectual distractions, because your brain isn't fully focused on the road.

What do you guys think?

Source [4]