A national watchdog group has just named Nebraska as one of the nine worst states in the country when it comes to safety laws.
The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety put Nebraska in the “red” category or dangerously behind.
Right now, you have to be pulled over for speeding or another reason before getting a ticket for using a cell phone while driving.
Some are saying enough is enough and it’s time for Nebraska to change the law.
“When someone is on a cellular device, even if it's hands free then our reaction time is slowed to that of somebody .09 under the influence, if we were pulled over at .09 we would be immediately arrested,”
said Executive director of Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 Tom Everson.
Everson said while many people support a ban on texting and driving, those same people may be doing it themselves.
“There really seems to be a disengagement, an indifference among us drivers in terms of really looking at our own behavior, we want everybody else to behave correctly but we don't necessarily look at our own behavior,” said Everson.
Statistics from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety show a gradual increase of distracted driving through 2014 with over 4-thousand just from that year; the highest number to date.
“It's a problem, it's a very big problem,” said driver Bob Moore. He said he see’s it everyday on his commute from Omaha to Gretna.
Other drivers said a change in law could change behaviors.
“If you make it first offense, and have the police actually looking for it you get a change,” said driver Michael Moriarky.
Those against this proposal say it would be hard to prove someone was texting at the time of the offense, or feel this is another law to give police more power.
But ultimately for Everson, his main mission is to keep your eyes on the road and save lives.
“We keep trying to fool ourselves that we can do this, we can do this, we can do this and we are putting ourselves and other people in peril as a result,” said Everson.
The texting while driving ban bill currently sits in the Nebraska transportation committee. The chairman Senator Jim Smith tells KMTV because this isn’t a priority bill, it probably wont see a debate this short session. Smith also said he doesn’t believe it has the 5 votes needed to get out of the committee anyway.
