Ninety-one percent of Americans believe sending text messages while driving is as dangerous as driving after having a couple of drinks, but 57 percent admit to doing it, a poll released on Tuesday said.

The Harris Interactive survey commissioned by mobile messaging service Pinger Inc. found 89 percent of respondents believe texting while driving is dangerous and should be outlawed.

Even so, 66 percent of the adults surveyed who drive and use text messaging told pollsters they had read text messages or e-mails while driving. Fifty-seven percent admitted to sending them.

To lessen the number of uninsured drivers on state roads, two Kansas senators recently introduced bills to strengthen state law.

One would create stricter civil and criminal penalties for uninsured drivers. Kansas law now says first-time offenders must pay fines between $300 to $1,000 in addition to losing their driver's licenses and vehicle plates, both of which can be reinstated through payment of a fee and proof of insurance coverage.

Under the new proposal, a third conviction for driving without coverage would be considered a felony and, if the uninsured driver caused the death of someone through an auto accident, the driver would be charged with murder instead of manslaughter.

The second bill would require insurance companies to notify the Kansas Department of Revenue when a policyholder either cancels coverage or obtains a new policy. A new Revenue Department computer system would track changes to identify drivers who cancel policies and do not obtain new ones. Under existing state law, uninsured drivers can be fined and face jail time.

Britain is to become the first country in the world where the movements of all vehicles on the roads are recorded. A new national surveillance system will hold the records for at least two years.

Using a network of cameras that can automatically read every passing number plate, the plan is to build a huge database of vehicle movements so that the police and security services can analyse any journey a driver has made over several years.

Wow. This seems like a massive undertaking, and hopefully the video recognition software that they use to take down the plate numbers is up to snuff. I can imagine lots of interest in photo blocking sprays and drivers "accidentally" forgetting to clean their plates off.

The information is also going to be made available to British intelligence officers. I can imagine lots of folks being interested in peeking at the data (where was my spouse last Saturday night?) so I hope the security system is impenetrable.

The satellite-based system will monitor the speed limit and apply the brakes or cut out the accelerator if the driver tries to exceed it. A government-funded trial has concluded that the scheme promotes safer driving.

Drivers in London could be among the first to have the "speed spy" devices fitted. They would be offered a discount on the congestion charge if they use the system.