Recently, several states have begun to really crackdown on texting while driving.  New York has launched a program where New York State Police will patrol highways and the roads in unmarked tall SUVs so that they are able to peer down into cars and ensure drivers are not texting.  In effort to accommodate drivers, New York has also created “Texting Zones” on highways so drivers can pull over and use their phones.

Fines for texting while driving range from a whopping $10,000 in Alaska to a mere $20 in California.   Now before you call $10,000 ridiculous, consider that researchers estimate texting and driving results in more than 3,000 annual teen deaths and 300,000 injuries – making it more deadly than driving under the influence of alcohol (2,700 teen deaths and 282,000 injuries) annually.

So, are steep fines justified for texting while driving?  Or should just new drivers be prohibited from texting while driving like in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Mississippi?  For a full list of fines by state, look here.