New Texting Law Takes Effect January 1st for Kansans

You're not the only one making resolutions this year...so is the state of Kansas. Only, their's will stick! Starting today, January 1st, anyone caught texting, emailing, or IM-ing behind the wheel will be given a ticket...and in the city of Shawnee, it's going to cost you $110. Kansas is one of 30 states to enact the no texting-while-driving law.

To illustrate why this law is so important, check out these interesting facts below:

• Texting while driving increases the risk of accident 23.2 times over unimpaired driving.

• Texting while driving results in longer response times than even drunken driving. While an unimpaired driver can respond quickly to changes in traffic and begin braking within half a second, a legally drunk driver needs four additional feet to begin braking and a driver who's texting needs 70 feet.

• In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spend nearly five seconds looking at their mobile devices-enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more area than the length of a football field. (124 yards at 55 MPH)

• Though 95 percent of drivers surveyed said texting behind the wheel was unacceptable and unsafe, at least 21 percent admit to doing it anyway.

• Especially amongst teens, texting results in erratic driving behavior, like lane weaving and speeding up and down, increasing the likelihood of hurting pedestrians and running into other vehicles.

• Texting behind the wheel is generational: 37 percent of drivers 18 to 27 admit to texting while driving, compared to 14 percent of 28 to 44 year olds, and 2 percent of 45 to 60 year olds.

• An accident can happen in two to three seconds while texting.

Let's make this a year of responsible cell phone use.