Caitlin Harrison/The Oklahoma Daily

I’m Caitlin Harrison, a journalism senior, writing for the Daily for my third semester now. Reporting for a daily newspaper is never easy, but I’ve found that through all its challenges, it’s still pretty rewarding. I love journalism and I’m certain it’s what I want to pursue the rest of my life. I left the Daily last semester to intern for the Oklahoma Gazette, the weekly newspaper in Oklahoma City. It was great experience, but I’m so glad to be back at the Daily covering the Capitol and the OU Regents this semester.

OK, so I’m not going to lie. I used to send the occasional text message while driving, that is, until I got an iPhone last year. Touch screens are so impossible to text and drive with, I don’t see how anyone could do it! Apparently people do, though, because Oklahoma is considering passing a law banning texting and driving during the next legislative session. Not only that, but the bill’s author, Rep. Sue Tibbs, R-Tulsa, said it would also ban the use of handheld cell phones.

Since I rarely text and drive anyway, I wouldn’t have a problem with the first part of that ban. Studies have shown that people take their eyes off the road for more than a couple seconds at a time when texting—and a lot can happen in, say, five seconds. I’ve heard of more than just a few stories of injuries and deaths related to texting on the road. And although a law like this probably isn’t going to stop everyone from texting while they drive, at least it’s a step in the right direction.

As for the second part of that bill, I’m not so sure it’s going to gain enough support. Talking and driving has become so commonplace now that I think it would be hard to ban it and tell everyone in the state they have to have a hands-free device. Studies have also shown that it’s the conversation itself that distracts drivers, not so much the device in their hand. Because think about it—when you’re on the phone, you’re thinking about what the person is saying, so mental pictures form in front of your eyes, taking your concentration off the road—even though you’re looking at the road the entire time. I don’t think there’s an easy solution to this problem either way, and I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of scrutiny on both sides before anything passes.