Yay, more ineffectual legislation.
You don't even have to know how to drive an automobile to get a driver's license. I could have passed the driving test at age 16 while drunk and painting my interpretation of The Persistence of Memory on a napkin with ketchup packets.
Also, as someone who was nearly killed by an elderly driver, I enjoy how they are a protected class above suffering the indignity of reevaluation.
The NTSB can stuff a first edition copy of Unsafe at Any Speed up their collective asses.
You don't even have to know how to drive an automobile to get a driver's license. I could have passed the driving test at age 16 while drunk and painting my interpretation of The Persistence of Memory on a napkin with ketchup packets.
Also, as someone who was nearly killed by an elderly driver, I enjoy how they are a protected class above suffering the indignity of reevaluation.
The NTSB can stuff a first edition copy of Unsafe at Any Speed up their collective asses.
Their poll is stupid. Where's the option for "Increase the penalties for causing an accident tenfold if using a cell phone when it happened"?
Who the hell is supposed to enforce this? A federal traffic law? Someone better keep these tools out of the traffic flow or it will end up like aviation.
And, it's a hell of a lot harder to get an FAA certificate of any type than a DL. You only have to pass the eye test. They will help with the rest.
And, it's a hell of a lot harder to get an FAA certificate of any type than a DL. You only have to pass the eye test. They will help with the rest.
Hell, while they are at it, might as well try to ban screaming or crying kids in the car, the radio, some of those flashy signs on the sides of the road, nagging wifes, backseat drivers....I am sure there is lots more I am leaving out. I agree with drastically increasing the penalties if a cell phone is proven to have caused a wreck. You just cant protect everyone from the stupid people.
pretty much what everyone else here has said...ineffective legislation. Will be extraordinarily difficult to properly enforce w/o significant curtailment of rights (read here: that's exactly what will happen) and will fall into one of those classes of laws that tend to generate disgust for the legislators and their enforcers. Fundamentally I much prefer laws that prohibit actions that are malum in se as opposed to actions that are malum prohibitum and this law falls squarely into the latter category. (Proper) use of a cell phone in a car is not any more dangerous than a myriad other tasks that a driver often performs whilst driving.
I +1 GTG idea about penalty enhancements for accidents or other losses sustained due to a driver yapping away on cell phone
I +1 GTG idea about penalty enhancements for accidents or other losses sustained due to a driver yapping away on cell phone
There has never been a need for a ban. There has always been a desperate need for states to be more effective in prosecuting violations of the laws concerning failure to control your vehicle. None of those laws care why you lost control, only that you failed to maintain reasonable control. Doesn't matter why: Cellphone. Makeup. Reading a book. Adjusting the radio. Writing a check. Having sex. None of those are specifically banned, and they don't need to be. Just address the effect of the behavior - loss of control - and go from there.
The only thing the NTSB recommendation will do is cause a bunch of ineffective laws to be written very poorly.
What about phones with GPSs? How are you going to deal with that? Most legislators won't think that far ahead. What about people who use their cellphone for music? Is that going to be banned?
Define "use." Define "message." When your phone's GPS software tells you to turn, is that receiving an electronic message?
There's also the issue that phone and texting bans have been shown to actually increase crashes. The basic idea is that rather than holding the phone up high where they can quickly look from phone to road, people hold them down low, out of sight, and get more distracted.
See http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/8...ns-increase-crashes-study-says-rumpus-erupts/
I fully expect the Feds to coerce bans from every state legislature via blackmail using highway funds.
The only thing the NTSB recommendation will do is cause a bunch of ineffective laws to be written very poorly.
What about phones with GPSs? How are you going to deal with that? Most legislators won't think that far ahead. What about people who use their cellphone for music? Is that going to be banned?
Define "use." Define "message." When your phone's GPS software tells you to turn, is that receiving an electronic message?
There's also the issue that phone and texting bans have been shown to actually increase crashes. The basic idea is that rather than holding the phone up high where they can quickly look from phone to road, people hold them down low, out of sight, and get more distracted.
See http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/8...ns-increase-crashes-study-says-rumpus-erupts/
I fully expect the Feds to coerce bans from every state legislature via blackmail using highway funds.
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