"Give 'em an inch" department:
The Indiana Senate has approved a bill making it illegal for drivers to send or read text messages, but also banning talking on the phone.
[. . .]
Sen. Brent Steele of Bedford proposed an amendment adopted Monday applying the ban to all cell phone use by drivers. He says that using a phone to make a call can be as dangerous as texting.
That just isn't so. Texting takes an enormous amount of concentration that shouldn't be diverted from the task of driving. But it's hard to make a case that texting is more dangerous than any number of other activitives, such as fiddling with the radio or gobbling down your favorite takeout. But people usually don't run for the General Assembly because they want to make nuanced distinctions. "Oooh, look at that shiny thing over there. Let's tax it. Or ban it. Or regulate it. Something. Anything! I done good today."
Comments
I would fully support a "hands free" law. (Hey, Leo, want to open a cellular accessory store with me?) ;)
Send this guy an e-mail and ask him (like I did) if he forgot he's a Republican.
http://www.in.gov/legislative/senate_republicans/5315.htm
We don't need another nanny law, we need to be left the he** alone.
If the various studies are to be believed, hands-free operation is just as dangerous as holding the phone to your ear. However, I agree that texting and driving are completely incompatible. Texting requires taking your eyes off the road for an extended period.
Of course, banning hands-free phone operation makes no sense because it is unenforceable. How is a cop to tell whether you're on the phone or just talking to yourself?
The Mythbusters did a segment on cell phone use vs. drunk driving, as concluded phone use is more dangerous. So I leave the phone and always drive drunk. I'm sure the cops will understand.
Fifty years ago, a typical newspaper was about 18" wide. These days, it's about 14" wide.
This change has cost the newspaper industry quite a bit of money. If the page is narrower, you need to print more pages to get in the same amount of content, which means more money for plates.
I'd like to thank the newspaper industry for spending the money to make that change. It is SO much safer to turn the pages of the narrower newspaper while behind driving.