In June, the United States Department of Transportation gave $2.4 million in federal support toward projects to end distracted driving in California and Delaware.  During the announcement of the projects, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called on the 11 remaining states to ban texting behind the wheel.  Those states without such a ban include Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas.

In 2010, the United States Department of Transportation funded similar programs in Hartford, Connecticut and Syracuse, New York.  Following those programs, a study revealed that texting while driving dropped 72% in Hartford and 32% in Syracuse.  The results of those programs are impressive and support the implementation of similar programs throughout the United States, including our local area.