Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed a bill Wednesday prohibiting people in Indiana from texting while driving. It’s an effort to cut on down on distracted driving which causes thousands of Auto Accidents every year. The ban goes into effect July 1st.

As reported by www.fox59.com in the article, “Statewide Ban on Texting and Driving Takes Effect July 1st,” the new law bans the use of any device to type, send, or read text messages or emails while operating a moving vehicle. Drivers will, though, still be allowed to perform these functions if they are using hands free or voice operated technology. If Indiana drivers violate this new law, they’ll face a fine of up to $500.

Recently, several studies have shown how big a problem distracted driving is. Thousands of people are killed in car crashes on Indiana roads and on roads throughout the United States because drivers are not paying attention to the roadways. According to the federal government’s own website for distracted driving, www.distraction.gov, in 2009, more than 5,400 people were killed in vehicle crashes due to distracted driving, and more than 445,000 people were hurt in auto accidents due to distracted driving. And of the people killed in a distracted driving related accident, about one in five was due to cell phone use.