Vehicular Homicide

The New York Times has another well-reported piece [1] in what I hope becomes a crusade on the unbelievably terrifying and widespread new habit of texting while driving. (And I hope Slate's own Will Saletan continues his writing [2] on this issue.) Texting while driving! I understand where you should all meet for pizza is a crucially important piece of information, but how much carnage to we have to endure before we treat this insanity as as serious a violation as drunk driving? Studies have shown people reading and sending texts while behind the wheel are often more dangerous than drunks, yet the laws are lax and law enforcement weak. We need public service campaigns similar to those which have helped drive down rates of smoking, so that people understand the utter devastation that's caused by going 60 miles an hour while paying no attention whatsoever to the road. So Double Xers, have you ever texted while driving? And what would it take to get you to vow to never do it again?

Photograph by Getty Images.