Utah comes down hard on drivers who text
By Matt Richtel - NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
LOGAN, Utah — In most states, if somebody is texting behind the wheel and causes a crash that injures or kills someone, the penalty can be as light as a fine.
Utah is much tougher.
After a crash that killed two scientists — and prompted a dogged investigation by a police officer and local victims' advocate — Utah passed the nation's toughest law to crack down on texting behind the wheel. Offenders now face up to 15 years in prison.
The law, which took effect in May, penalizes a texting driver who causes a fatality as harshly as a drunken driver who kills someone. In effect, a crash caused by such a multitasking motorist is no longer considered an “accident” like one caused by a driver who, say, runs into another car because he nodded off at the wheel. Instead, such a crash would now be considered inherently reckless.
“It's a willful act,” said Lyle Hillyard, a Republican state senator and a supporter of the new measure. “If you choose to drink and drive or if you choose to text and drive, you're assuming the same risk.”