A report released today shows Louisiana drivers are among the worst in the nation for sending text messages while driving.
Vlingo, a company that provides voice interface options for cell phones, conducted the study that ranked Louisiana the fifth-worst state in the nation for driving while texting.
South Carolina was the worst with 40 percent of respondents admitting they text while driving. Arizona was the best state with 17 percent of respondents saying they sent text messages while driving.
Louisiana is one of 23 states considering a ban on texting while driving. House Bill 852 got its nod from the state House of Representatives and is now in the state Senate Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee.
The bill allows the use of hands-free devices to talk on cell phones, and only the driver is prohibited from using a hand-held device.
The bill will also ban text messaging. Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans, said drivers who text are 50 percent more likely to be involved in an accident than drivers talking on their phones.
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