Need To Know: Meridian’s New Cell Phone Law

Isn’t the phrase New Year, New Law?  That's the phrase today in Meridian, where it’s now illegal to not just use your cell phone while you’re driving, but to touch your phone while driving.  So, while it’s obviously against the law to hold your phone to your ear, it's also against the law to reach down to text, check your Instagram or look for a song.  If you get caught, it will cost you $90.  Whether you agree with it or not, the numbers don’t lie.  According to CarInsurance.net, here are some scary statistics:  

• 21% of teen drivers involved in a car accident were distracted by cell phones. 
• Texting or reading a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for at least 5 seconds. 
• Men are 4 times more likely to drink and drive, while women are more likely to text and drive. 
• Reaching for an object increases the chances of a car crash by 8 times according to the more alarming distracted driving statistics. 
• Once a driver has been distracted, it takes only 3 seconds for a car crash to occur. 
• In the United States, about 9 people are killed every day due to car crashes involving a distracted driver. 
• Texting and driving causes 1 out of 4 car crashes. 
• Texting and driving is 6 times more likely to lead to a car accident than driving drunk