With text messaging increasingly becoming the most popular form of communication, many drivers now find themselves using the quick method of communication behind the wheel.
According to Distraction.gov, the official United States government website for distracted driving, “In 2010, 3,092 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.”
Distracted driving is defined as any activity that draws a driver’s attention from the road, the website states. Activities including texting, use of electronic devices, grooming, eating and driving while talking to passengers are among the activities included. Texting is considered the most distracting because it distracts the eyes, hands and brain from the road.
“Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent at 55 miles per hour of driving the length of an entire football field blind,” the distracted driving website states.
Many states have passed laws to ban texting and driving.
Louisiana had a 2008 texting ban, which allowed law enforcement to give a driver a ticket if they were caught using the phone if they were pulled over for a separate offense, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated. As of Aug. 15, 2010, Governor Bobby Jindal signed a new law making texting and driving a primary offense, one that allows a law enforcement officer to pull over a driver for the offense and issue a citation. The fine for texting and driving is $175 for the first offense and $500 after the first offense.
Nicholls State University follows state law in regard to traffic violations.
Craig Jaccuzzo, director of university police, said, “University Police follow state law, which prohibits drivers from texting and driving to eliminate distractions while operation of a vehicle.  If a driver is caught texting and driving on campus, they are issued a citation, where they would have to go to city court if the driver does not pay the fine.”   
With the ban on texting and driving in Louisiana becoming a primary offense in mid-2010, numbers in 2012 regarding distracted driving are up since 2011.
According to the Louisiana crash data reports, the number of distracted driving crashes in the Tri-parish area of Terrebonne Parish, St. Mary Parish and Lafourche Parish in 2012 totaled 10,208. Terrebonne Parish had the highest total distracted driving crashes with 5,279, with 2,194 resulting in injuries and 25 fatal crashes. Lafourche Parish had 3,368 total crashes, with 1,412 injuries and 3 fatal crashes. St. Mary Parish had 1,561 total distracted driving crashes, with 758 of them resulting in injury and 10 fatal crashes.
Louisiana totaled 201,569 distracted driver crashes in 2012, with 83,699 of them resulting in injury and 974 fatal crashes.
Insurance company Nationwide recognized these statistics and are encouraging more people to become educated.
According to a Nationwide Insurance press release in 2010, “A new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute showing texting bans are not reducing crashes reinforces Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company’s position that a three-pronged approach is needed to combat distracted driving. This includes more education, better enforcement of laws and technological solutions.”
Along with the bans and laws that the government has established, some insurance companies are offering discounts for safe drivers.
Three top insurance companies that offer a safe driver discount are StateFarm, Allstate and Nationwide. StateFarm offers the Steer Clear safe driver discount program, which is a program that, if qualified for, allows drivers to log trips they have taken, and if they are within the standards, the driver will then receive the discount. Allstate offers safe drivers up to 45 percent savings on their car insurance. Nationwide offers their customers up to 10 percent savings if drivers are free from at-fault accidents and any major violations for five years.
Another barrier to help drivers stop texting and driving includes applications that can be downloaded to the phone. One application that can be downloaded is DriverMode, an application for Android and Blackberry that silences notification sounds and also sends a message to the caller or messenger stating that the user is driving.
Jaccuzzo feels as though texting and driving is distracting and irresponsible.
“I think it is irresponsible for an individual to text and drive; if drivers cannot master the skill of driving without distractions as simple as the radio, then answering the cell phone and trying to text only increases the possibility of a serious or fatal accident occurring,” he said.