There is a growing understanding that texting while driving is unsafe at any speed. It is one of distracted driving types has become deadly on America's highways.
Federal officials, academics and transportation experts gathered in Washington to address this expanding danger of distracted driving.
Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have legally banned texting while driving. Utah has the toughest law on texting while driving, which can result in a maximum 15-year prison sentence.
Many drivers believe they have the ability to multi-task -- driving, texting, changing the song, talking, etc.
The facts are proving their assumption wrong -- in some cases, even deadly wrong.
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- Drivers of large trucks who text while driving have a 23 times greater risk of collision accidents.
- Drivers who text while driving are twice as likely to crash as an intoxicated driver, according to a University of Utah study.
- Minnesota reports that 25 percent of all accidents involved distracted driving.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar has called for a national ban on texting while driving.
In Minnesota, it is already illegal under state law to text while driving. Teens and bus drivers are also prohibited from talking on cell phones while driving.
As the evidence demonstrates, it is clear that a national ban on texting while driving is needed.
