Editor’s Note: In the interest of providing more engaging discussion, occasional double-editorials will present both sides of an issue. One will reflect the views of the board’s majority, and a dissenting viewpoint reflecting the views of the board’s other members. The following is the minority view:

After discussing the texting-while-driving issue, some Editorial Board members thought the ban was a step in the right direction. We hope Gov. Chet Culver is poised to sign the legislation as soon as it hits his desk Tuesday. It would solidify the notion that texting is an impairment while driving.

The law states that an individual cannot get pulled over specifically for texting and driving unless he or she is pulled over for breaking another law. However, while this is a step in the right direction, it is a dilution of what the legislation should be. Adult drivers who put themselves and others at risk should be pulled over and fined if they are caught texting and driving. Too harsh? Consider these facts: According to recent statistics from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, about 80 percent of collisions and 65 percent of near-collisions were a result of a driver being distracted. The NHTSA reported the most common distraction was cell phone use. While there are other types of distractions, such as changing the radio station or talking to a passenger, the NHTSA cited texting or dialing on a cell phone as a “complex secondary task.” These tasks are deemed most dangerous.

It’s discomforting that our reliance on the immediacy of cell phones causes us to compromise safety in favor of sending an inane 160-character message. As college students, we’re often guilty of believing that we’re invulnerable to effects of things like texting and driving, but in those few seconds we take our eyes from the road, we become vulnerable. This legislation would bring to light the severe consequences of what we see as a simple activity and remind us to think twice.