The People Who Need 'Texting Zones' on Highways Most Are Also Least Likely to Use Them

Earlier this week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that 91 "texting zones" have been established along major state highways. Cuomo's hope is that the zones will cut down on distracted driving by giving people a place to pull over and finish an exchange. Nearly 300 signs will guide drivers to these areas with messages like "It Can Wait: Text Stop 5 Miles."

There's little to dislike with the initiative. Distracted driving is an enormous public safety hazard that will only become more enormous as the texting generation gets behind the wheel. The campaign was also relatively low cost, since the texting zones are simply re-branded rest stops (as Andrew Liszewski at Gizmodo points out). This is a marketing scheme, not an infrastructure project.