OK Mom Pushes For Stricter Laws To End Distracted Driving

Crashes caused by drivers using electronic devices have gone down in the past year since a new law was passed making texting and driving illegal, but one mom is pushing for more. 

Gail Lambert’s life was forever changed when her daughter was killed in a crash. Now, she’s on a one woman mission to make a change.

In the blink of an eye, Lambert’s daughter Bobbi White was gone and White’s kids were seriously hurt. Police say the 9th grade Owasso English teacher’s car was hit back in May.

The children's physical scars have healed, but the emotional scars; those may never go away. Now, Lambert is on a mission to end distracted driving in Oklahoma by putting up signs near school zones and by asking lawmakers for change. 

“Hands free zones in construction areas and school areas and like I said increase fines and make people more accountable,” Lambert said.

It’s been one year and one month since the state legislature passed a law making it illegal to send or read texts, emails or to send or look at photos or videos while driving.  It seems to be working. 

According to AAA Oklahoma: 

• Total crashes where a driver was distracted by an electronic device fell 12.5 percent;
• Injury crashes plunged 21.6 percent, from 538 to 422
• The number of fatal crashes dropped 30 percent, from 10 to 7
• And non-injury crashes fell 5.8 percent, from 743 to 700.

In Oklahoma City, police have only written about 200 tickets.

Officers said it’s a hard law to enforce "because they actually have to physically see through a side window or the windshield that people are physically texting," said Oklahoma City police officer Megan Morgan.

Lambert said she will keep pushing for more accountability. She said she doesn’t want anyone else to suffer the way her family has. 

"She wasn't just my daughter. She was my best friend,” Lambert said. “And we just miss her. We just really miss her."