Inactive law becomes reestablished due to more accidentsThursday, September 30, 2010Irish Eyes 3News

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Many teens are unaware of laws banning cellular device use while driving that have been in place since 2008. On Aug. 15, changes to these laws went into effect.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), one of the two laws, bans all cell phone use, whether handheld or hands-free (Bluetooth), by novice drivers in their first year of licensure. The changes to this law made it a primary offense, meaning that an officer may cite a driver for using a cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place.

The second law bans all drivers, regardless of age, from using a cell phone, computer or other electronic devices to send or receive text messages while driving. Changes to this law also made this infraction a primary offense. For the first offense, drivers will receive a fine of up to $175. The second offense is a fine of up to $500.

Previous laws allowed cell phone and texting citations only if police had stopped the driver for another offense, meaning that they were secondary offenses.

Sheriff Newell Normand said in the Times Picayune that many were unaware of the laws due to poor enforcement and advertising. Students at King prove this unawareness.

“I thought these laws were just made. In that case, I’ve been breaking the law a lot,” senior Lindsey Dupuy said. “But now that I do know of them, I think that Bluetooth should be allowed because sometimes you need to call

someone on the phone to get directions or in case of emergencies.”

While these changes to the laws went into effect on Aug. 15, another law that was already in effect bans school bus drivers from cell phone use while passengers are present. School bus drivers were also already banned from text messaging. Both laws are primary offenses.

“I think it [laws being primary offenses] is a good idea,” senior Kenneth Berthelot said. “It could possibly reduce fatalities related to people driving while texting.”

In Dec. 2007, experts believed that 73 percent of wireless phone subscribers used their phones while driving. They estimated that 80 percent of motor vehicle crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involved some form of driver inattention. This means that driver distraction was a factor in as many as 4.9 million accidents, causing 34,000 fatalities, 2.1 million injuries and as much as $184 billion in economic loss.

According to the GHSA, many other states have laws in place as well. Louisiana is one of 30 states that bans text messaging to all drivers, with 11 of those states enacting the laws in 2010. Eight other states prohibit text messaging only to novice drivers, while only eight states prohibit handheld cell phone use from all drivers. No states prohibit all cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) from all drivers. Twenty-eight states, however, prohibit all cell phone use to novice drivers.

“I think that the laws have good intentions,” Dupuy said, “but it probably won’t work as much as they want it to. It may scare people for a little bit, but it won’t last.”

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38%: Some of the time

20%: Never

26%: Seldom

How often do you talk on the phone while driving?

16%: Most of the time

22%: Somewhat dangerous

37%: Very dangerous

13%: Not dangerous

24%: Slightly dangerous

4%: I don’t know

How dangerous do you feel it is for a person to use the phone while driving?

30%: Most of the time

21%: Some of the time

27%: Never

22%: Seldom

How often do you text while driving?

Endangered turtles were killed along with other wildlife including pelicans that just left the endangered list and other birds and fish. BP was held responsible.

Along with wildlife, the seafood industry took a hit when companies could no longer receive oysters, fish and other crustaceans because they might be tainted.

Since 1976, New Orleans’ own P&J Oyster Company, established in 1876, has shucked over 30,000 oysters a day. Al Sunseri and his brother took over the business after their father and usually harvested and cultivated their own oysters until the oil spill. The few oysters, crabs, shrimp and crawfish they had was bought from other states and no longer the west side of the Mississippi River in Lafourche, Jefferson and west Plaquemines.

“We have been around 134 years. The 1927 flood and hurricanes hasn’t stopped us and neither will this oil spill. I’m hopeful to pass this business on to more generations,”

Sunseri said.Oil spills and leaks happen frequently.

However, they are not usually widely publicized.

The second largest oil spill was the Exxon Valdez oil spill, during which 750,000 barrels escaped into the Alaskan waters. Sept. 3, 2010, a Mariner Energy oil rig platform exploded. Due to the pilot going against company protocol having alcohol in his system, Valdez was fined $508 million.

“I don’t honestly think it [BP oil spill] opens up a whole new series of questions, because, you know, in all honesty I doubt this is the first accident that has happened and I doubt it will be the last,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told the press.

National Incident Commander Thad Allen confirmed that cement injected into the well dried and was able to say Sunday Sept. 19 that, “We can

finally announce that the Macondo 252 well is effectively dead.”

P&J Oyster Company, which is located downtown, has been in operation since 1876 and was one of several local businesses devastated by the BP oil spill.

Sean McGuire