U.S.

AsTextMessagesFly,DangerLurks
ByJENNIFERSTEINHAUERandLAURAM.HOLSON SEPT.19,2008

LOSANGELESSenatorBarackObamausedonetoannouncetotheworldhis
choiceofarunningmate.ThousandsofAmericanshaveusedthemtovotefortheir
favoriteAmericanIdolcontestants.Manyteenagerspreferthemtoactually
talking.Almostovernight,textmessageshavebecomethepreferredformof
communicationformillions.
ButevenasindustrycalculationsshowthatAmericansarenowusingmobile
phonestosendorreceivemoretextmessagesthanphonecalls,thosemessagesare
comingunderincreasingfirebecauseofthedangertheycanposebydistracting
users.Thoughtherearenoofficialcasualtystatistics,thereismuchanecdotal
evidencethatthenumberoffatalaccidentsstemmingfromtextingwhiledriving,
crossingthestreetorengaginginotheractivitiesisontherise.
Theactoftextingautomaticallyremoves10I.Q.points,saidPaulSaffo,a
technologytrendforecasterinSiliconValley.Thetruthofthematteristhereare
hobbiesthatareincompatible.Youdontwanttodomushroomhuntingandbird
watchingatthesametime,anditisthesamewithtextingandotheractivities.We
haveallseenpeoplewalkintoparkingmetersorwalkintotrafficandseemstartled
byoncomingcars.
Inthelatestbacklashagainsttextmessaging,theCaliforniaPublicUtilities
CommissionannouncedanemergencymeasureonThursdaytemporarilybanning
theuseofallmobiledevicesbyanyoneatthecontrolsofamovingtrain.

Thebanwasadoptedafterfederalinvestigatorsannouncedthattheywerelookingat
therolethatatrainengineerstextmessagingmighthaveplayedherelastweekin
thecountrysmostdeadlycommuterrailaccidentinfourdecades.
ACalifornialawmakerisalsoseekingtobantextmessagingbydrivers,astep
alreadytakenbyahandfulofotherstates.Wehavehadfartoomanytragic
incidentsaroundthecountrythatarepainfulproofthatthisisaterribleproblem,
saidthelegislator,StateSenatorJoeSimitian,whowrotetheCalifornialaw
requiringdriverswhoaretalkingonacellphonetousehandsfreedevices.
Thefightagainsttextmessagesisalsoreachingbeyondtherealmofpublic
safety.TheNationalCollegiateAthleticAssociationsboardrecentlyuphelda2007
banonalltextmessagingbycoachestostudentrecruits.
Thestudentathleteadvisorycommitteebelievedthatitwasunprofessional,
intrusiveandexpensive,saidErikChristianson,aspokesmanfortheN.C.A.A.
Theaters,too,longaccustomedtochidingcellphoneusersaswellaspeoplewho
crumpletheircoughdropwrappers,havetakenontexting.And,assistedby
cellphoneserviceproviders,parentshavemovedtolimitthehoursinwhichtheir
childrencangetandsendtextmessages.
Textmessaging,alsoknownasS.M.S.messaging(theabbreviationstandsfor
shortmessageservice),firsttookoffinJapan,cellphonetechnologyexpertssay,in
partbecausethecostoftextingtherewaslessthanthatofmakingcellphonecalls.
IntheUnitedStates,thepracticehasacceleratedgreatlyinthelastfewyears,as
thetechnologyhasimprovedwiththeintroductionofproductsliketheApple
iPhone.InJune,75billiontextmessagesweresentintheUnitedStates,compared
with7.2billioninJune2005,accordingtoCTIAtheWirelessAssociation,the
leadingindustrytradegroup.
TheconsumerresearchcompanyNielsenMobile,whichtracked50,000
individualcustomeraccountsinthesecondquarterofthisyear,foundthat
Americanseachsentorreceived357textmessagesamonththen,comparedwith

204phonecalls.Thatwasthesecondconsecutivequarterinwhichmobiletexting
significantlysurpassedthenumberofvoicecalls.
Thelureoftextingisselfevident.Itisfastanddirect,screeningoutthe
pleasantriesthatevenstandardemailmessagescallfor,likehowareyou.Itis
usedtoblastinformationamongcoworkersandinformparentsoftheirchildrens
whereabouts,and,asKwameM.Kilpatrickdemonstratedenroutetohisdownfallas
mayorofDetroit,isusefulinexpressingfeelingsofromanticdesire.(Objectlesson
No.2:textmessagesarealsosubjecttosubpoena.)
Itisjustasuperusefultool,saidCaitlinWilliams,aSanFranciscobakery
ownerwhoseoutgoingcellphonemessageencouragespeopletosendheratext.
Youcankindofcuttothechase,Ms.Williamssaid.Sometimesyoujustwant
yourquestionsansweredwithouthavingtoansweralotofquestionsabouthowyour
dayis.
Forallherloveoftexting,Ms.Williamssaysshehasseentheunderbellyaswell.
Ofcoursethereisthedangerousdrivingwhiletexting,shesaid,andthe
obnoxiouspersoninfrontofyoutextinginsteadoforderingtheircoffee,which
happenedtomeyesterday.Wearenotatapointwherethereareawholelotofrules
forproperetiquettefortexting.Ithinkasitbecomesamoreacceptableformof
communication,peoplewillregulatethemselvesalittlemore.
Teenagersandyoungadultshaveadoptedtextmessagingasasecondlanguage.
Americans13to17yearsofagesentorreceivedanaverageof1,742textmessagesa
monthinthesecondquarter,accordingtoNielsen.Andaccordingtoonesurvey
commissionedbyCTIA,4of10teenagerssaidtheycouldtextblindfolded.
KyleMonaco,a21yearoldstudentinChester,Pa,estimatesthathesends500
textmessagesamonth,comparedwith50phonecalls.ItsnotthatIdontliketo
talkonthephone,Mr.Monacosaid.SometimesIjustwanttoseewhatsgoingon,
asopposedtohavingaconversation.Soitiseasiertosendatext.
Parentsareoftentornbetweentheirloveofinstantaccesstotheirchildrenand
theirloathingofothershavingthesame.InAugust,Verizonbeganofferingaservice

thatblockstextingduringcertaintimesoftheday.
Usagecontrolsweredevelopedattherequestofcustomers,saidJack
McArtney,associatedirectorofadvertisingandcontentstandardsforVerizon.We
knowofsomepeoplewhowanttokeepthekidsphonefrombuzzingallnight.They
wantthemtogetsomesleep.
Andtextingatthewrongtimecanbeextremelydangerous.Overthelasttwo
years,newsaccountsacrossthecountryhavechronicledthedeathorseriousinjury
ofpeoplewhowalkintotrafficwhiletextingorwhodrivewhiledoingso.Police
officialssaidlastyearthatacrashthatkilledfivecheerleadersinupstateNewYork
mighthavebeenlinkedtotexting.ArecentNationwideInsurancesurveyof1,503
driversfoundthatalmost40percentofthoserespondentsfrom16to30yearsold
saidtheytextwhiledriving.
OnWednesday,theNationalTransportationSafetyBoardsaiditsinvestigators
haddeterminedfromphonerecordsthatthecommutertrainengineerinlastweeks
disasterhadsentandreceivedtextmessagesduringtheruninwhichthetrain
ultimatelycollidedwithafreightlocomotive.Twentyfivepeoplewerekilledinthe
crash,andmorethan130injured.
Further,agrouprepresentingemergencyroomdoctorsissuedawarninginJuly
againsttextingwhiledoingotheractivities,citingariseininjuriesanddeathsseen
inemergencyroomsaroundthecountrystemmingfromtexting.
Aspolicymakersconsidertheiroptions,useofthetechnologyshowsnosignof
ebbing.
JoanneKent,62,foundherselfflummoxedwhenhertwogranddaughterssent
hertextmessagesshedidnotknowhowtoretrieve.SoMs.Kent,aretired
physiciansassistant,attendedaclassheldbyAT&Tataseniorscenterin
Wallingford,Conn.,hopingsomeonetherecouldshowherhow.
Theydsendmeatextsaying,Havepapacomepickmeup,andIcouldnt
openit,shesaidofhergranddaughters.TheyfinallytoldmeIhadtolearn.

Aversionofthisarticleappearsinprinton,onPageA1oftheNewYorkeditionwiththeheadline:Cellular
Alert:AsTextsFly,DangerLurks.

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