I agree with the latter. But, in my experience, there are at least 20 times more drivers driving distracted by cell phones than any other item. And, they are distracted for much long periods of time.

We don’t necessarily need a new law. The AG could simply say, “Talking on a cell phone while driving is inattentive driving, and I expect citations to be written for it. The only defense is calling in emergencies.”

It really seems the only people that don’t want something done are the cell phone talkers. They all think they aren’t distracted. They are.

So, Dunkin says people get injured so that’s the reason we need this law. My question is, exactly what activity can a person engage in that has no risk of injury? How ever short that list is, that is all you are going to be allowed to do after socialized medicine becomes the fact in America. At that point, the rights of the individual will mean nothing because you will be forced into a system where your every personal action impacts the collective. Thus, government will rule every aspect of your life.

And of course, socialized medicine will have all the love of the IRS and all the efficiency of Congress. The Democrats think of this as Heaven.

Dunkin explains that government exists to protect citizens from … themselves:

Dunkin knows nothing about our system of government. It’s governments job to write laws that prevent one person from harming another, it’s explicitly NOT governments job to protect people from themselves. This is exactly the kind of thinking that allows government to control every aspect of your life. Americans have a right to privacy and a right to be left alone and Dunkin should not have the position he has if he doesn’t understand that, and of course he does not.

I agree there should be a law against testing while driving…but walking? No way..you cant ticket someone for being a moron.

btw…the police have there hands full with all the shootings and murders in Chicago. They dont need to chase after walking testers. sheesh

In the absence of tort reform, this doesn’t look so bad.

It happened to a friend of mine years ago; the perp was not texting but jogging under a Walkman. Fortunately, he was still wearing it when they got him to the emergency room.

Hell no they’re not! They’re the worst kind of political intentions: the intention to “improve” humans against their will.

- The Cat

P.S. Technophobes

With California’s newest law it’s ILLEGAL to talk on a non hands free phone while driving. However, in their infinite wisdom, it is NOT ILLEGAL to text while driving

California….

originalpechanga on July 30, 2008 at 7:48 PM

Yup and I’ve watched two people texting while driving in just the last 2 days. Although the number of people I’ve seen reading while driving is much higher. But probably because texting is only just catching on here. Overseas, texting dwarfs (can I say that?) texting here.

Just another was way to raise money for this financially (and morally) bankrupt state.

Andy in Agoura Hills on July 30, 2008 at 8:07 PM

Bingo.

I think it would be safer than talking on the cell phone by yourself, yes, but still much less safe than driving without a cell phone at all, passengers or not.

jimmy the notable on July 30, 2008 at 10:23 PM

I think you’re right, and in all honesty I am among the guilty ones. But I plan to use this post and conversation as motivation to cut it out.

mikeyboss on July 30, 2008 at 10:20 PM

I think it would be safer than talking on the cell phone by yourself, yes, but still much less safe than driving without a cell phone at all, passengers or not.

jimmy the notable on July 30, 2008 at 8:21 PM

By that reasoning, it would be safe to talk on the cell phone while driving if you have a passenger in the car with you to act as another set of eyes.

Even Shepherd Smith couldn’t contain himself during this segment.

Does he ever? BTW, anyone else notice his new pronunciation of Pahkistahn? He slipped this afternoon and used both pronunciations in one paragraph. It was rather amusing.

hpnq420 on July 30, 2008 at 9:20 PM

Exactly. This is well said. This is exactly why cell phone driving should be illegal.

Tim Zank on July 30, 2008 at 9:53 PM

This is an idiotic statement. It more argues for banning other things than saying we shouldn’t ban cell phone driving. I’m assuming you are a cell phone driver and don’t get how dangerous it is. I drive a car and don’t talk on a cell phone and I hate cell phone drivers. It is more dangerous than any of the things you listed and always more prevalent. you can drive down any road and see people talking on their cell phones. If you looked at accident statistics, a huge number of them are caused by people distracted by cell phones. If it comes to the point where every other person on the road is so distracted by eating a hamburger that accidents are as prevalent as cell phone accidents, then yes, we should ban that too. A motor vehicle is a dangerous piece of machinery. It is not a toy and motor vehicle accidents should not be taken lightly. Real people die. it isn’t some “let’s call polar bears endangered because of global warming” bullshit. Real people die every single day because of cell phone drivers. It is a REAL problem. It isn’t about “personal responsibility” because tons of people on the road are completely moronic and if they kill me because they couldn’t put down their cell phone, that’s not cool and when I go out onto a road that is public property and expect it to be policed in such a way that I can feel reasonably safe (no, I can’t feel 100% safe, but when there’s somebody out there speeding and their perception is equal to that of someone driving drunk and there’s nothing illegal about that), and I find out that somebody blocked a law preventing something that absolutely should be illegal because they think it is their “right” to distract themselves while driving a dangerous deadly weapon, that pisses me off.

hillbillyjim on July 30,2008 at 9:32PM.

hillbillyjim:You are correctenzee,haha!

I loved when Rush played the smoking
Nazi parody’s on his radio program
way back when!

And like Sargeant Shultz,I zee nothings!

And probably too much,Das Boot!haha :)

hpnq420 on July 30, 2008 at 9:20 PM

You missed the point. How many times have you seen a driver distracted eating a big mac, drying their hair, fumbling for cd’s, talking to kids in the backseat, the list goes on and on and I’m merely pointing out you can’t ban every damn thing. We can’t be protected from everything all the time.

canopfor on July 30, 2008 at 8:08 PM

Have you been watching Hogan’s Heroes again? Dude.

LOL. (Looks east to Albany …)