texting

Bears, manholes, piers, and mall fountains are just some of the hazards you can meet if you choose to text while walking.

According to a survey of 2,227 adults by the Pew Research Center, the average text message user sends or receives an average of 41.5 messages a day.

Helena city commissioners have voted in favor of an ordinance that would prohibit the use of either hands-free or handheld electronic devices — including cellphones, pagers and laptops — while operating a vehicle.

A recent survey found Montana teens are smoking and drinking less, but half say they have texted or talked on a cell phone while driving. The Office of Public Instruction administers the risk behavior survey every other year.

The Montana Senate has voted down a bill making it a crime to text while driving, opponents saying the law would be unenforceable, and that some studies show communities with texting laws are more dangerous, because people try to hide their phones, and text on their laps.