Hang up and drive: Oregon outlaws touching smartphone behind the wheel effective October 1

by KVAL

Fri, September 15th 2017, 10:25 PM UTC

For Speldrich, it's a never-ending public education campaign explaining that texting and driving are a highly dangerous combination for drivers of all ages.

And when education fails, the ticket book sends the message.

Nine out of 10 young drivers admit to texting while driving, speeding or running a red light within the past month, according to AAA.

That doesn't come as a shock to Officer Tom Speldrich with the Springfield Police.

"That sounds directly on par with the trends that we're seeing," he said.

And it's not just millennial drivers.

Motorists ages 40 to 59 scored well above 60 percent for the same distracted driving behaviors.

Speldrich said the tough barrier for most folks is that the cell phone has become an extension of themselves.

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For Speldrich, it's a never-ending public education campaign explaining that texting and driving are a highly dangerous combination for drivers of all ages. And when education fails, the ticket book sends the message.

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