Theater senior Nicole Oria throws her phone in the backseat of her car so that she isn’t tempted to scroll through her Facebook newsfeed while she’s behind the wheel.

While it isn’t the new ban on social media that keeps Oria away from her phone while driving, some may be cautious because of the new law.

The State of Louisiana passed a new ban on social media while driving that went into effect Aug. 1.

Drivers caught using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, while driving may be issued a ticket for up to $175, with subsequent offenses costing up to $500.

Oria thinks the new ban is ineffective, because she does not think the police will enforce it.

“I do not know anyone who has received a ticket for texting while driving, so I cannot imagine the NOPD handing out tickets for tweeting while driving,” Oria said.

Roughly 660,000 U.S. drivers use phones or other devices at any daylight moment while driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as of 2011. The ban on social media use attempts to reduce the reasons drivers can use phones while driving.

Oria thinks the only real way of preventing social media-related accidents is to prevent cell phone use altogether while driving.

Kodie Bowen, A’11, said she does not use her phone to use social media while driving, because she uses it to play music.

“I am just not coordinated enough to drive my F150 through New Orleans’ skinny, pothole-filled streets while on my phone,” Bowen said.

The new social media ban, alongside the previous texting ban, aims to prevent all communication through a phone while driving. It does not, however, restrict the use of other smartphone features, like using the Internet, while driving.

Safety administration data showed that more than 3,300 people were killed in 2011 in crashes where the driver was distracted.

Oria said that looking up directions or searching for a song to play is also distracting. She said banning just social media is only taking care of part of the problem.

“The new law will not work even if the police did enforce it because people can just simply lie and say they were using another app or getting directions on the Internet,” Oria said. “I don’t see how an accusation can be proven.”

Bowen said that she thinks New Orleans police will have trouble picking out which drivers are tweeting and which drivers are surfing the Internet. She also said she thinks the police should be more concerned with crimes posing direct threats to people than crimes like using social media while driving.

“In all honesty, I think the NOPD should focus on more dangerous crimes than pulling me over for updating my status,” Bowen said.

Even if there wasn’t a ban on social media, Oria said that she will continue to stay off her phone while driving.

“I don’t restrict myself from texting because of a cop,” Oria said. “I restrict myself for my own safety.”

Christiana Van Bree can be reached at [email protected].