Thursday, March 28, 2024

Slow down

Law has good intentions, doesnt cover enough ground

We’re all getting pretty ticked off by drivers on cell phones, but new legislation in New York doesn’t consider the many implications of banning phone calls while driving.

The state Assembly passed a bill Monday prohibiting drivers from holding a cell phone to their ears. Gov. George Pataki said he will sign the bill, which will go into effect Nov. 1.

Legislators were encouraged by a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University showing 87 percent of New York state voters and 85 percent of cell phone users in the state support a ban.

The law does not address the distraction of actually dialing cell phones and allows hands-free methods of use, such as headsets or speaker phones.

A 1997 study by the New England Journal of Medicine found using a cell phone while driving “is associated with a quadrupling of the risk of a collision during the brief period of a call.”

But a study by AAA between 1995 and 1999 found radios and tape players were responsible for more collisions than cell phones.

Cell phones are a problem on the road. So are people who apply makeup or look at their Palm Pilot while trying to drive. Eating also requires skill, as well as dealing with rowdy kids in the back seat.

If someone driving is affected by a distraction, police can stop that person for driving dangerously. Cell phones are a small part of a very big problem.

Giving police another reason to stop motorists won’t help. If someone zips past on the highway, citing cell phone use - actual or not - gives cops a chance to stop people they don’t like for one reason or another.

Another law requires a lot more paperwork for police. When a motorist is pulled over, an officer is tied up for at least 10 minutes, time he or she could spend patrolling for more serious crimes, especially in New York City.

If we decide to stop drivers from using cell phones, we need to stop people who munch on fast food or bury their heads in their CD collections.

Driving with a cell phone to one’s ear is not rocket science; it can be done with minimal effort. Those who choose to chat and drive also need to concentrate on the road to compensate for the distraction.

If a driver is distracted by a cell phone, chances are that person will be easily distracted by other things, like the radio.

It’s common sense that you need to make up for a distraction and not let your car slide into another lane, but some drivers need a reminder.

Something needs to be done to stop distracted drivers from crashing into others, but New York legislators are only making a small dent by banning cell phone use on the road. The law is unfair and inadequate.

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