President Obama issued an executive order Oct. 1, barring all military members, federal employees, and federal contractors from sending text messages while driving on military installations or operating vehicles owned, leased, or rented by the federal government. The ban also applies to driving privately owned vehicles while conducting government business. “Despite the shocking accident reports and warnings, people still text while driving,” said Mario Owens, the safety officer for the Army Installation Management Command. Time spent texting is time spent not paying attention to the road, studies show. A Department of Transportation study showed that use of electronic devices factored into 16 percent of all fatal vehicle accidents in 2008.
