Ban bad law
Published: February 22, 2009
The Alabama Legislature is well on its way to approving yet another ill-conceived, unenforceable law.
Last week, the state House of Representatives passed a measure that would criminalize sending or reading text messages while driving. Violators would face a whopping $25 fine on their first conviction, $50 for their second and $75 for subsequent charges.
No one wants to share the road with a driver whose attention is on a tiny handheld device instead of the roadway, so legislation such as this would, at first glance, look like sound traffic law.
Unfortunately, it would be virtually impossible to enforce and would do nothing more than kill a lot of trees for the reams of paperwork it would require.
There are many, many distractions that drivers should avoid to make our highways more safe. Should legislators consider separate laws to prohibit tinkering with a global positioning system? What about applying makeup or tying one’s necktie? Eating fast food or drinking coffee or soda distracts drivers. Should those activities be outlawed? What about pets as passengers? Or young children? Or spouses?
What about those drivers who get caught up in the episode of Spongebob Squarepants on the DVD screen of the SUV travelling in front of them? Should watching someone else’s video player be illegal?
Law enforcement officials are already saddled with trivial mandates such as window tint laws, car stereo volume restrictions and other “crimes” that detract from more important police work.
Texting and other distractions cause drivers to be reckless on the roadway, and that is a violation of traffic law.
We’d be better served by a measure that criminalizes proposals of new laws that are unnecessary or unenforceable.
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Reader Reactions
I agree I have seen our own police officers with cell phones firmly placed in their hands on the side of their heads. Not a bluetooth in sight. I’ve also seen them going way over the speed limit with no lights or sirens to alert us they are coming.
It’s a shame really.
Unfortunately, when it comes to cell phone usage of any kind, law enforcement persons are just as guilty as the rest of us.
There will always be something to distract us while driving. You cannot always tell when someone is using a cell phone due to bluetooths. A loud radio can distract some drivers. Kids in the back seat distract some drivers.
It should be a matter of judgement. Even if you are extremely careful, you could still get into an accident.
Driving safely should be a concern to all of us—regardless of our own activity in our vehicles.
Here, let me see if I follow your logics here:
I can still email and eat my breakfast burrito while driving, right? Ok cool…whoops some one wrecks doing that, so that is banned. Then combing my hair, or someone applying makeup is ok, whoops… that is banned. No problem yet right?
Well, lets just be proactive here and since all the auto companies are in debt to the u S of A, let require sensors that shut the car off if you are not looking out the front windshield for a period of .05 seconds or more. So ALL cars must be retrofitted to accompany this, the system also requires you to have both hands on the wheel. And while your car is in the shop it must be retrofitted with two stage front airbags and side curtain airbags. You must comply within 90 days in order to avoid a $fine$.
Still good idea right?
You are broke now from the install (because it is another unfunded government mandate-but you don’t care about the constitution) and can’t afford to have the stereo buttons on your steering wheel so now Amy Pollard is out of a job again as well as all the other radio stations because no one will advertise with them. Now the people that gain from radio advertising go out of business because they had to advertise through the paper or tv. With such High unemployment, the problem just spirals out of control. The government steps in and declares martial law, and nationalizes everything in order to save the country, to do so, they scrap the constitution and join with the rest of the globe to help unify laws….....
Far fetched? just keep letting them take our rights away. Be responsible for yourself on the road and drive defensively. If you drive as if every one else is a MORON then you will find yourself a little bit safer after all. If you can’t drive responsible, then put a sign on your car so the rest of us know!
The law should read NO texting or cell phone use of ANY kind. It should be turned off while you are driving.If you have an emergency, then PULL OFF the road. Plain and simple! So, whatever means it takes for law enforcement to catch them let them do it. Most of the drivers here can’t drive without having one or the other in their hand!
I doubt i said “intervention.“
Deterrence is a strictly hands off approach to preventing crime by the mere presence of laws, and law enforcment.
You ever seen a crackhead light up and take a hit in front of a cop? why?
The laws on the books and some enforcement- ticketing offenders on a consistent and fair basis- creates a deterrent.
and an officer cannot simply search your vehicle. there has to be a reasonable reason. a ticket for a seatbelt or cell phone abuses are not enough.
There’s a difference between Big Brother and sensible laws to protect.
one last thing: can you blame a patrolman for being suspicious as heck when approaching a stranger’s vehicle? it isn’t his fault if in the process he does find a strong reason to search your vehicle. and as i said before, if you have nothing in the car, then you should not worry about anything.
We no longer have most of the rights the constitution guaranteed us. Heres one example and there are many more .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herring_v._United_States
They cant or dont enforce the mandatory liabilty insurance law, how the heck they think they can enforce a law as this?
Oh, and that even goes to protect the “thugs” driving around with 22’s and the trunk lid rattling for the thump thump music that is waaay to loud. The loud music is an infringement upon me, but not an excuse to look for their 9mm’s and whiskey bottles and bags of weed. Sure we know its there, but do the work and prove its there, not just a hunch!
Actually if you read what laws were INTENDED for you would realize that the current set isn’t for keeping police from intervening. Our constitutional rights (given by GOD and held self evident) are that we are not to infringe upon others freedoms. SO, having said that a seatbelt ticket is in no way infringing on another. This simple law is there for the mere purpose of opening a door for the police to look for something else going wrong. Driving fast does not hurt anyone either, unless you can’t control your car and then its reckless. Drunk driving, yep that is dangerous. Whether I have illegal things in my car or not does not matter, the Police don’t have a right to search based on a hunch. And bullying someone on the premise of if you don’t let them search your vehicle they will arrest you. We are innocent until proven guilty. Do the police work and find probable cause and get a warrant. We should all be very wary that the Police have mastered this skill as they can turn towards our homes at anytime. It matters not whether we are doing things by the book or not! Its our property and we have a right to privacy, as long as we are not infringing on the safety of others.
I keep nothing illegal, and drive just barely the speed limit and have a great deal of gratitude for the job Police do, just want them to follow the rules.
Just another excuse for search and seizure?
sounds like someone is worried about what they put in their car.
if you don’t buckle up, you get a ticket.
If you drive fast or drunk, you get into trouble.
if you are dumb enough to put drugs or other illegal things in your car, and you get busted because your REO Speedwagon is blaring so loud the deaf cop nabs you, then well, you deserve the hot water.
actually, ticketing for “trivial” things is 99 percent deterrence; if you are up to no good, you’ll go out of your way to avoid any police attention.
If you think about it, most of police work is a deterrent. Patrol cars sitting at intersections and school zones are there to remind you to buckle up and drive slower.
That’s the brilliance of these laws- to keep people from doing things before the cops intervene.
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