There is nothing like almost being killed by someone who isn’t paying attention while he or she is driving. In the majority of those cases, I have been (un)lucky enough to see the driver focusing on some cell phone-related activity that has nothing to do with actually driving. It seems that problem could be remedied on Thursday when it becomes illegal to text while driving. Hooray?
To clear things up, the exact wording of the law is: “A person shall not read, manually type, or send a text message on a wireless two-way communication device that is located in the person’s hand or in the person’s lap, including a wireless telephone used in cellular telephone service or personal communication service, while operating a motor vehicle that is moving on a highway or street in this state.”
I’ve spouted off — twice actually — about legislators making laws without necessarily considering what they are doing. This law is supported by some pretty convincing evidence that texting is a dangerous thing to do while driving. However, I think it focuses on the symptom instead of the cause of
the problem.
The problem, in short, is us. Our culture treats cars, and by extension driving, as a benign activity. That is, a nondangerous activity. Unfortunately, driving can be quite dangerous. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, statistics indicate that in 2008, 37,261 people were killed in car accidents.
When compared to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car accidents would be the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. If an individual were to hit someone with a car, he or she could be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Driving is not an activity to be taken lightly, but it is so common it almost can’t be helped. When I hop in the driver’s seat, I don’t automatically think, “I am now at the wheel of a dangerous weapon.” That is, however, the reality of the situation.
I think legislators recognize that fact. Outlawing texting while driving is a way to remove a dangerous behavior from a dangerous activity. My problem with the law is that it recognizes something that singles out only one factor and by doing so, misses the root of the problem.
As I said earlier, I feel like I always see someone on a cell phone right after I see a driver do something stupid. Therefore, texting leads to accidents. Put another way, the correlation is the cause — a logical fallacy. Texting is not the cause of accidents, but it is a factor.
There are other factors to consider. Simply talking on a cell phone is distracting. Eating has been shown to be as dangerous as texting. People read, shave and put on makeup while driving. I think a case could be made for any or all of these behaviors to be made illegal. But doing so would not get at the heart of the problem.
Our approach to driving must change. Creating laws is one way to mold a society. I think changing our approach to certain things is a better way. Teaching defensive driving — which we do — is good. Explicitly driving home the point that cars are dangerous would be good, too.
To be clear, I am for the texting ban. And I don’t believe that is contrary to the points I have laid out. Although this bill was made with driving in mind, I think it is more indicative of a society trying to figure out how to approach the proliferation of cell phones. This law answers the question, “Is it appropriate to use a cell phone while driving?” with a definitive, “No.”
David Barker is the State News opinion editor. Reach him at barkerd@msu.edu.
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