What to do about distracted drivers? #tellusatoday

About 25% of drivers surf the Web while behind the wheel, according to a State Farm survey. The percentage who go online while driving has nearly doubled since 2009. Comments from Twitter and Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Increased patrol and increased penalties will hopefully make this number go down. Treat distracted driving like a DUI; then people will stop.

— @PolRel

Make punishments more harsh. You're putting other people's lives in your hands (no pun intended).

— @hurrduhdurr

I see this behavior most every day commuting to work. Usually it's younger drivers. Yesterday, I saw a young guy doing about 30 mph in a 45 mph zone drifting back and forth in his lane while the rest of us were trying to get past him. As I went by, his head was firmly fixated on his phone.

— David Hale

To stop distracted drivers, revoke driving privileges and publicly shame them. You have an obligation to all other drivers to be responsible.

— @mustang_will

Paste BN's article also talks about people accessing the Internet. That doesn't necessarily mean surfing ("1 in 4 surf Web while behind the wheel," News, Nov. 12). If I use Google maps with voice directions (i.e. hands-free, not looking at the screen), I'm accessing the Internet, but I'm not surfing the Web.

— Thomas R Dean

Shame these drivers. Those found texting while driving should be required to have the license plate IMATXTR for six months.

— @mhenderson33

If you text/surf while driving, the offense should be treated like a DUI. You deserve to lose your license.

— Ken Raymond

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