Driving while texting

I didn't realize that Massachusetts already had a law on the books prohibiting talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving. It is jurisdictional, meaning that it may vary in the details from one county to the next, but essentially you are not supposed to be holding a cellphone and talking while driving. It is considered a primary driving offense, meaning you may be ticketed without any other violation occurring. However, I believe you will not get points on your driving record, which makes it a small fine and no real damage done to the offending driver. I might be wrong about that, but it sounds par.

Many states have a novice driver provision, stating that drivers under a certain age may not talk on a cellphone or a speakerphone. Note that the novice driver is classified by age, not experience; if you are forty and just learning to drive, you are not, in the terms of this law, considered a novice driver.

There are exceptions. Truck drivers are allowed to hold a cellphone and drive, for some reason. You may call 911 or report an emergency while driving. Passengers are free to chat away.

Here is the part I don't understand. There is nothing preventing you from *dialing* a cellphone. Is it me? Isn't it more distracting to have to take your eyes off the road and fumble with those tiny buttons than it is to actually hold the phone and talk? Is holding a phone and talking really more distracting than holding and smoking a cigarette? And what about texting? Nothing in the law prevents a driver from texting.

Maybe someone with teenagers at home should have a shot at rewriting this law.