Intexticating is a term that has been used to refer the act of driving while writing and reading text messages on your cell phone. It is take off on the word intoxicated since if you are intexticated you are driving without focus on the roadway and thus a danger just as person that is under the influence is to other motorist. Being intoxicated or intexticated makes your awareness of the vehicles around you and slows down your response time. A University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) study came to a conclusion that driving while intexticated is like you are a .08, under the influence.

Being distracted by texting, either the act of writing a text message or reading one, has been shown to make you more likely to be in an accident. A study by Virginia Tech found that people who were driving trucks and texting were up to 25 times more likely to be involved in a crash.

In October 2009 President Barack Obama signed an executive order aimed at the 3 million civilian employees of the federal government and its contractors stating that any employee driving a government vehicle or using a government cell phone should not text while driving. The executive order by President Obama blames driving while texting, also known as DWT or DWIt for driving-while-intexticated, for everything from distracting drivers to causing deadly crashes.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study blamed distracted drivers for 6,000 fatalities and half a million injuries in 2008. Several states have already enacted bans on cell phone texting while driving and, at the end of July 2009 four Democratic senators introduced legislation that would push the ban nationwide. Under the measure, states would have two years to outlaw the sending of text and e-mail messages by drivers or lose 25 percent of their highway money.

While a few years ago there were only a few states with texting laws for drivers there are now 18 states plus the District of Columbia that in some form ban texting while driving. Some states laws only concern teen or novice drivers. Teens are at the most risk since 80% of teens surveyed were guilty of intexticating; put this together with the already high rate of accidents for new drivers and it can be a deadly combination.

The below states currently have texting laws which are primary and for all drivers unless noted otherwise:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado - effective 12/2009
• Connecticut
• Delaware - learner's permit and intermediate license holders
• District of Columbia
• Illinois - effective 1/2010
• Indiana – drivers younger than 18
• Kansas – learner permit and Intermediate drivers (effective 1/2010)
• Louisiana - secondary offense
• Maine – learner's permit and intermediate license holders
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Mississippi – learner permit and provisional license holders
• Missouri – drivers 21 and younger
• Nebraska – learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18 secondary
• New Hampshire - effective 1/2010
• New Jersey
• New York - secondary offense
• North Carolina - effective 12/2009
• Oregon – effective 1/2010
• Tennessee
• Texas – intermediate license holders for first twelve months
• Utah
• Virginia – secondary offense
• Washington State – secondary offense
• West Virginia - drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license

In most states it is just a fine for being ticketed for texting while driving however in Utah, if someone is caught texting while driving (intexticated) they can be cited for careless driving and face up to three months in jail and a minimum of a $750 fine.

Utah's law defines careless driving as committing a moving violation (other than speeding) while distracted by use of a hand-held cell phone or other activities not related to driving. If you are in an accident while texting and there are injuries or fatalities, the driver who was texting could get a $10,000 fine and a minimum of 15 years in prison.

Be careful when you drive and stay clear from talking on a cell phone or texting. The less distractions you have the more focus you will have on driving your vehicle.