It's official. The new texting while driving ban is now the law of the land in Alabama. Unlike Huntsville's original ban, which made texting while driving a secondary offense, law enforcement officers can now pull you over if they believe you are texting while driving. From what I've seen on the roads since the ban started, a lot of my fellow drivers still feel they can multi-task behind the wheel. Maybe it's because the fines for texting while driving aren't all that steep--$25 for a first offense, $50 for a second and $75 for a third. So maybe these numbers will help: according to a University of Alabama study, one out of every nine Alabama roadway accidents in 2011 was caused by distracted driving. Those crashes killed 132 people and injured more than 4,300. I hope those statistics gave you something to think about. Put the phone down. Put both hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. I'd want to get home safely tonight and I want you to do so as well. I'm Vanessa Oubre and that's my take. What's yours?
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