One year ago, Indiana passed a law prohibiting the use of any telecommunication device to type, transmit or read text messages or email while operating a moving motor vehicle. However, today – one year after the law was passed – school resource officer Phil Hobson said he finds challenges in enforcing the law.

“I think it’s like how speeding is illegal,” Hobson said. “There are still a number of people who text and drive just  like there are people who speed and break the law.”

According to a recent survey conducted for State Farm by Harris Interactive,  only 43 percent of drivers ages 16 and 17 say they have never texted while driving, showing that many teens still text and drive despite tougher restrictions.

Eric Cui, vice president of Lifelines and junior, said he believes the reason teens continue to text and  drive is that the law is not rigidly enforced.

“It is very difficult to catch someone texting while driving since it’s a relatively quick and minuscule action,” Cui said via email.

According to a recent Star Press article, there were just 46 citations and 40 warnings for texting while driving by state troopers in Indiana.

Traffic enforcement officer Scott Spillman echoed Cui in the reasons for difficulties in rigidly enforcing the law.

“The way the law is written, it is very difficult to stop someone for this violation,” Spillman said. “A lot of people hold (the phone) down, and the way the law is written , you don’t know if they’re putting in a number to call mom and dad, which is allowed, or if they’re answering the phone (which isn’t).”

Although there are some flaws in the system structure of the law, Spillman and Cui also said they sees some benefits in the law.

“It is a first step in the right direction,” Cui said. “I do believe it a necessity as texting and driving is a dangerous activity on par with driving under the influence in my opinion. I feel that it is not the law that needs to be improved but rather the method of enforcing it.”

From a safety standpoint, Hobson said he doesn’t necessarily see the arguments for allowing texting while driving as relevant to the main issue of eliminating distraction on the road for safety.

“I would say as far as changing the law from a strict safety standpoint, you could just make a stronger argument to eliminate cell phone use while operating a moving vehicle than allowing text use ,” Hobson said.

According to Spillman, education of distracted driving is the greater solution.

“I think (the key is) just more of the education of the distraction the devices can cause every driver, not just teenagers, more than anything else.”