Members of the National Transportation Safety Board triggered a firestorm last week when they “encouraged” state governments to make it illegal for drivers to use cell phones in their cars and trucks, including vehicles equipped with hands-free systems.
Cell phone conversations while driving pose dangers. That’s an established fact. Texting while driving is akin to suicide. But a ban like the one suggested by the NTSB will not be adopted.
Cell phones are a distraction. Some studies that have equated the risk to driving under the influence of liquor.
Arkansas bans texting while driving. The latter law was adopted following the death of a young man in Northeast Arkansas. The driver of the second vehicle admitted he was texting and was charged with a crime. He committed suicide before going to trial.
Missouri state lawmakers filibustered tougher cell phone use limits after two school buses filled with high school students slammed into a freeway wreck caused by a man sending a number of text messages.
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Federal transportation officials cited that same accident in pushing for all states to enact an all-out ban on cell phone use by drivers, and restricting the use of hands-free devices. The focus of the NTSB’s proposal was the August 2010 wreck near Gray Summit, Mo., in which a pickup truck struck the back of a tractor-trailer truck cab that had slowed for road work. The buses then crashed into the wreckage. The 19-year-old pickup driver and a bus passenger, 15, died in the crash. Thirty-eight individuals, mostly students, were injured.
Investigators determined the pickup driver had sent and received 11 texts in a dozen minutes just before the crash. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia ban texting while driving, while nine states and Washington, D.C., prohibit hand-held cell phone use. Thirty states prohibit all cell phone use for beginning drivers.
However, convincing states to adopt a total ban will be difficult and few state lawmakers give the proposal little chance at succeeding in state capitols.
Federal agencies have used federal funding in the past to twist legislative arms, indicating, for example, states could face the loss of federal dollars if they do not adopt specific regulations.
While acknowledging growing safety concerns, lawmakers are wary of inconveniencing commuters and say a complete ban would be one of the biggest government intrusions yet into the daily lives of motorists who have grown attached to their cell phone use in their daily routines.
Driver inconvenience is the factor state lawmakers most often cite in their opposition. Others note that cell phones have benefits. In rural states like Arkansas, a driver’s cell phone can save lives.
A ban would be unenforceable. Remember how long it took Arkansas lawmakers to adopt seat belt use as a primary offense?
Enforcement is still the biggest bugaboo. How can an officer easily determine if a driver is singing along to his favorite song on the radio or talking on a hands-free cell phone?
As phone features multiply, so have accidents blamed on texting and wireless calling. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said there were 3,092 fatalities blamed on distracted driving last year, including 408 of which involved cell phone use, the first year the agency broke out cell phones as a separate cause of distraction.
In 2010, highway deaths hit their lowest point in more than 60 years, even though the 46 million miles traveled was higher than in 2009.
The federal safety board can’t compel states to adopt cell phone laws, but it has accomplished a service in the debate. In view of the findings, states should do more to further reduce the number of fatalities.
We know an educator who believes there’s no call or text message that’s so important that it can’t wait. His stance makes sense.