Effective July 1, 2008, a new law prohibits cell phone usage while driving unless a hands-free device is used. However, it fails to address ANY of the issues its purpose is to resolve!
1) You’re still allowed to talk. In the past I often argued in defense of cell phone usage, “in terms of distraction from the road, how is talking on a phone any different from talking to a passenger? The same intellectual and emotional involvement is involved in either case, right?” The usual counter-argument, which I now subscribe to, was “That is true, the distraction level is the same, but a live passenger can help you be aware of the road.” So if that is true, then allowing people to use headsets but still talk does not dispel the dangers of holding a conversation with someone who is not also an additional set of wary eyes in the vehicle.
2) You’re still allowed to dial. I’m too lazy to look up sources (so sue me for being a bad journalist), but I’m pretty sure there was some research that showed that most accidents occur during dialing, not conversation. That makes sense because you have to take your eyes off the road to dial. And if you’re going 65mph, if dialing takes you a cumulative total of 1 second, you’ve gone a cumulative total of 100 feet without looking. And EVEN WORSE…
3) You’re still allowed to text message! That makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. If dialing and texting is the dangerous part, why not pass a law against that? It’s like the time I got a shot at the doctor’s when I was 7 and then she put the bandaid on the wrong spot! You’re not solving the right part of the problem!
So what does this law do at all? The one thing it does is allow one more hand on the wheel during conversation. I don’t think that one hand is enough to make any difference, if the distraction still exists and the delayed reaction time remains the same. In fact, there’s no guarantee that extra hand won’t be doing something else, as more people continue to upgrade their vehicle with more hands-occupying technology (internet access on their phones, GPS systems, iPods and other music systems, entertainment systems, touch-screen dashboards, etc.)
Of course, I have no viable or humorous alternative solution to propose here, like I usually do. This time I’m just complaining.
[Edit, 2008-07-03: For the humor, see this post.]
Were you traumatized by the shot and the bandaid that was put on the wrong spot? =P You forgot one other part of the problem: how are they going to enforce this new law? Policemen will be pulling people over every few minutes.
actually, you’re only allowed to text at 0 mph
Yeah, I don’t get it either. It’s just as dangerous to text, or heck just try picking a song on your iPod!
I’m glad though, it’ll give me an excuse not to take calls while I’m driving. I like excuses not to be bothered. They were going to find a way to enable cell phone use on airplanes, and I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOO SHOOOOOT MEEEEE NOWWWWW…
=Matt=
@ Steph: Actually, you make a revealing point. I get it now.. they KNOW the law makes know sense, but they’ll still enforce it because it’s going to make buttloads of money in fines!!! They could ban breathing.. it’s totally non-sensical, but it would make billions!!
Whoa… text messaging is still legal? yea.. that does NOT make sense at all…
Bluetooth headsets are great :)
did you write ‘makes know sense’ …? lol
=P
Haha, oops yes I did! But in my defense, I had emphasized the word KNOW just 4 words prior.. :D
Man, that’s like me saying “site” instead of “sight”. I’m glad you and Jess are around to correct me.
[...] all around the blogosphere are responding to the new hands-free law, now in effect, in the same way I did, but more humorously. Be [...]
Actually the failure to include the ban for text was an oversight and they are passing a new bill to correct that part. But someone should have seen that part.
However it comes right back to what you said - until you find a way to give a better way to DIAL, you still (as in texting) have to take your eyes off the road. I know most phones are putting in voice recognition technology so you can say the name. I have vision of me shouting at my phone as it keep repeating “name not recognized” which would lead to a different form of road rage…
But it will fill the coffers of many cities as well as make those who manufacture headseats wealthy!