Text-addicted city councilor seeks legislation against drivers like him

City Councilor John Tobin today called for a statewide law to ban texting while driving.

At a hearing at City Hall this morning, Tobin admitted he's a recovering texter: "I have done this, I've texted while driving many, many times. And I've been trying to reform myself. I never even gave it a second thought."

Tobin said he realized he needed help in August when a local allergist sent him a link to a graphic YouTube video from the United Kingdom showing a recreation of a texting-related crash.

Councilor Steve Murphy recalled in horror what he saw on Oct. 7 on I-93 - while driving up to City Hall for an initial hearing on Tobin's proposal: A young woman in the lane next to him, about to enter the tunnel at 45 mph while driving with her knees - so that she could text with her hands. "And I'm like 'Oh. My. God.' "

Boston Police Superintendent William Evans said he fully supported the measure, as did local traffic guru Jeff Larson, speaking on behalf of the Safe Roads Alliance. Larson said his group wants texting behind the wheel be treated as severely as drunk driving. Larson, in fact, said he would prefer to see a complete ban on all cell use by drivers, even if hands free, because that can be distracting as well. But texting is really "the perfect storm of danger," he said.

Larson added that while it's important to try to educated teens to knock it off, a message is also needed for adults, because the people he's seeing texting are "the CEOs and the CFOs and the finance guys" and other adults.

Murphy noted that Toledo, Ohio has penalties scheduled to go into effect that could send a serial texter to jail for up to six months.

Tobin said he hopes to have a home-rule petition ready for approval by the city council and the mayor this month for consideration by the legislature.