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Abstract: 

It has been just over a year since the fatal crash in East Bloomfield, NY, that killed five Fairport High School graduates. They were driving to Keuka Lake for one last get-together before beginning college in the fall. They wanted to cool off and swim as temperatures in western New York rose into the 90s in late June 2007. No one was drinking. Bailey had just qualified for her fully privileged New York State license and had four passengers. After receiving a cellphone message to hurry, she crossed a solid line to pass a slowly moving vehicle. According to law enforcement sources, 15 seconds prior to the crash, her Verizon cellphone responded to a text message. This article discusses the distraction of texting while driving, the consequences, legislation aimed at preventing it, and the fact that it is rarely enforced.

Keywords: East Bloomfield, NY; National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS); Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS);

Affiliations:  1: Editor; 2: The Research Foundation of the State University of New York.