Banning cell phones, and a safe alternative
I wrote this letter to my representatives this morning. The core idea is that banning cell phones won’t improve safety (because it’s only one distraction, popularized by the media simply because cell phones have spread so rapidly), and that one of the best ways they could help make the roads safer is to enforce a safe driving distance. I’m sure this will all fall on deaf ears, as banning cell phones is the flavor of the month.
(Edit: I was wrong about deaf ears. Representative Dave Upthegrove agreed. Neat. Edit2: Rep Shay Shual-Berke wants to do more research on the subject. Also indicated that there isn’t a law that would cover text messaging already — I’m surprised there isn’t a law about having to watch the road while driving, but I haven’t done days of research on this subject though.)
I am writing to urge you to reject legislation that would outright ban operating cellular phones while driving.
There were accidents before cellular phones existed, and there will be accidents after we all use brain implants to communicate. Cellular phones are simply the current “whipping boy” of the press. The fact is that a core skill involved in driving is the ability to manage distractions, be it the radio, screaming kids in the back seat, flashing lights from an emergency vehicle, kids playing along sidewalks, etc.
If a person lacks this critical skill, then they should not have accepted a driver’s license in the first place, and we should seek to prevent them from obtaining one if at all possible.
Banning the use of cellular phones will do little to improve road safety.
I do not believe that it is safe to send text messages while driving, but I suspect that is already illegal under at least one law, so additional law seems highly unnecessary; perhaps at most existing law could be tweaked. In any case, I would not be entirely opposed to legislation addressing this issue, as by necessity it requires a person to look away from the road for an extended period of time.
As an alternative, I would urge you to encourage the House in any possible way to increase funding to enforce safe driving distances. New technologies are making this more practical, and it could make a real positive difference on our roadways.