Our contributor thinks there’s nothing wrong with this picture. Please set him straight.Disclaimer: The following post comes from Mike Mahoney, SW’s proofreader/occasional music writer who does not own a cell phone, a car, nor a monopoly on The Daily Weekly’s thoughts on this matter.Your Washington State Senate did some bill-passin’ today, ushering to the House legislation that would crack down on technologically distracted drivers. Texting or use of a cell phone without a headset would become a primary offense, punishable with a $124 ticket.At first glance, this is a no-brainer: dangerous behavior is penalized, fewer people will be injured (or worse). But is that really the case? A study released this week and another by the New England Journal of Medicine, among many others, say no. This is a classic example of legislation that sounds like it recognizes and rectifies a meaningful problem and is easy to vote for, but won’t accomplish much, if anything. It’ll fill state coffers with money from fines, piss off drivers–making them hate government even more than they did already–and ultimately wind up being about revenue enhancement, not public safety.
The most troublesome aspect of the bill is the way it fails to differentiate between people who use a cell phone while driving and those who drive while texting, two markedly different activities from the all-important hands-on-the-steering-wheel perspective. Driving while texting should be illegal–no question. But this legislation penalizes drivers–not engaging in erratic or dangerous behavior–for doing something that most of them do quite well; namely, talking on a cell phone while managing not to have a car accident.
Instead, ban texting while driving–period–and put the hammer down on drivers who have caused an accident because of their simple inability to use a cell phone and operate a car at the same time. Take their licenses away (at the very least), and let them experience what it’s like for those of us who choose not to drive and get around just fine.
Yes, driving a car is a privilege, not a right, but merely using a cell phone behind the wheel should not preclude that privilege.
