Arkansas Lawmakers Approve Texting and Driving Study
By: Jonathan Athens, KARK 4 News
Updated: September 12, 2012
As it stands, the number of drivers being cited for texting and driving has doubled since 2011, from 57 to 124.
However, that is hardly a dent compared to the number of drivers texting behind the wheel.
Police are having a hard time cracking down because they have to pay attention to what they are doing on the road.
Another driver learned the lesson not to text and drive, but Kristi Ahnert is the one who paid the price.
Two years ago, Kristi says a driver going 70 miles per hour slammed into her car because he was texting. She says she was seriously hurt.
"They said typically they don't catch a dissected carotid artery until after you have a stroke, so I was in the hospital eight days and then had a stroke and had to go back for another ten."
Her 3 year old sone Williams was in the back seat at the time of the accident. Luckily, he suffered nothing more than a bump on his head.
While state lawmakers are trying to figure out how to crack down on distracted drviers, the latest figures show the number of motorists cited for texting and driving is up from 57 last year to 124 this year.
But those numbers don't tell the whole story because they include repeat offenders.
Police are having a tough time busting people who text and drive because they have to watch their own driving while keeping an eye out for crimes in progress.
Maumelle police Lt. Jim Hansard says, "We have to drive, too, and you know when we are going down the road next to somebody, driving our car, we have to look out for the safety of the taxpayer and everybody else."
It took Kristi Anhert one year to get over her fear of getting behind the wheel again, but she's no longer afraid. She's just grateful to be alive and hopes other people will be aware of the consequences of texting and driving.
Currently, the penalty for texting and driving is $50.
Lawmakers will take a look at the results of the study in January when they start the new session.
However, that is hardly a dent compared to the number of drivers texting behind the wheel.
Police are having a hard time cracking down because they have to pay attention to what they are doing on the road.
Another driver learned the lesson not to text and drive, but Kristi Ahnert is the one who paid the price.
Two years ago, Kristi says a driver going 70 miles per hour slammed into her car because he was texting. She says she was seriously hurt.
"They said typically they don't catch a dissected carotid artery until after you have a stroke, so I was in the hospital eight days and then had a stroke and had to go back for another ten."
Her 3 year old sone Williams was in the back seat at the time of the accident. Luckily, he suffered nothing more than a bump on his head.
While state lawmakers are trying to figure out how to crack down on distracted drviers, the latest figures show the number of motorists cited for texting and driving is up from 57 last year to 124 this year.
But those numbers don't tell the whole story because they include repeat offenders.
Police are having a tough time busting people who text and drive because they have to watch their own driving while keeping an eye out for crimes in progress.
Maumelle police Lt. Jim Hansard says, "We have to drive, too, and you know when we are going down the road next to somebody, driving our car, we have to look out for the safety of the taxpayer and everybody else."
It took Kristi Anhert one year to get over her fear of getting behind the wheel again, but she's no longer afraid. She's just grateful to be alive and hopes other people will be aware of the consequences of texting and driving.
Currently, the penalty for texting and driving is $50.
Lawmakers will take a look at the results of the study in January when they start the new session.
