CAR PHONE BAN GOES TOO FAR

That's one of the potentical consequences of a stupid suggestion this week -- by the self-proclaimed National Safety Council -- that cell phones be banned in cars.

They want them done away with. They say that the piecemeal banning of cell phones -- mostly in our most liberal states -- doesn't go far enough. They won't be happy until every cell phone in every car is turned off or broken.

Specifically, they say that talking on a cell phone while driving is a dangerous as being drunk -- that cell phones in cares are the same thing as a DWI.

Which is, of course, preposterous. Their claim is not based in reality, but in the exageration of the activist, in the made-up nonsense they pump out in an effort to get people to surrender their freedom. Talking on a cell phone while driving is potentially, for some, distracting. It is, however, in no way like being drunk. It is, in fact, an activity that is, for most drivers, very easily manageable.

People talk on the cell phone all the time while driving. Even in states that outlaw it, talking on the cell while driving is common and safe.

That is proven by the fact that cars aren't piled into one another or into bridge abutments all over the place. Tens of millions of Americans talk and drive safely every day.

In fact, over the last decade plus, as this technology has become part of the mainstream of American life, the rate of highway accidents and fatalities has gone down. Over the period we've had more phones -- countless more phones -- and yet we've had fewer accidents. That is part of an uninterrupted trend toward safer highways resulting from evolving road and car design. Phones have not had an impact on traffic accidents or deaths, and yet these busybodies want to take them out of the hands of drivers.

And not just out of the hands.The National Safety Council says that hands-free phones must also be outlawed. That means the OnStar microphone in the rearview mirror, and the Blue Tooth in the ear. You simply can't talk while driving. Any form of telecommunications device used in any way while you are driving the car is going to be banned.

You break their rule, and they're going to have a cop pull you over and write you up.

How possibly do these morons propose to impose their new rules on your life? How is an officer alongside the road going to be able to tell if you are singing to the radio or talking on a hands-free phone?

Of what if you have a child in the car with you, someone small who doesn't reach up above the windows, and you're talking to him? Or to your dog. Or are hashing out an argument you had with your spouse. Or maybe you just like to talk to yourself.

Will running your mouth behind the wheel now be Fourth Amendment probable cause to pull you over? What about mouth breathers, will Big Brother hold them forever suspect?

This is all just nonsense. It shows what mischief can arise from these freedom-grabbing jerks who want to cram their rules down our throats.

And that's all that's happening here. This is about the piecemeal stripping of freedom from the American people. There remain few corners of life where people can actually choose what they want to do. Freedom of choice ends when you walk out the abortionist's front door.

If you want to talk on your cell phone while driving in your car, it's your business.

And the heck with anybody who says different. These freaking busybodies and their domineering arrogance. They feel completely entitled to play with your life like you are a rat in a cage.

But we should tell them to bug off. It's not their job to protect us, or to define what protection is. We have laws that define safe driving. They tell us how fast to go, and how to pass, and not to leave our lane, and how close to follow, when to yield and where to stop. If we violate any of those laws, ticket us. If we are not violating any of those laws then we, no matter what we are doing, are driving safely.

It is up to us to decide if we can do a certain activity and operate a vehicle safely. If the vehicle actually operates unsafely, pull us over. Until then, it's none of anybody's business.

If you want to eat while you drive, or listen to the radio, or talk on the phone, it's none of anybody's business.

We've got to keep the government off our backs. And we've got to recognize that by "protecting" us the government is doing nothing but enslaving us. Because the government can't give you safety without taking away freedom.

Driven to Distraction

By Peter Piepper
In the 90s, paying attention behind the wheel is taking a back seat.

If you do any commuting at all, you've seen them in action: the guy reading the newspaper while driving his car at 60 miles an hour on the freeway or the woman applying her eye makeup while trying to pilot her sport-utility around town. Sure, multi-tasking isn't just the craze these days; it's a necessity as we're confronted with more to do and less time to do it in, but I'm one of the old school who feels that drivers should actually pay attention to driving. After all, each of us who drives is in command (one hopes) of a missile weighing a ton and a half, a missile capable of producing a great deal of death and destruction if used improperly. I'm afraid many of us are so comfortable with driving that we forget this fact.

But there is no denying that a lot of people are doing a whole lot of things while at the wheels of their vehicles. And this hasn't escaped the notice of some people who have more than a passing interest in keeping those of us who drive cars from careening into each other on a semi-regular basis, namely Farmers Insurance Group. Those fine folks recently commissioned a national survey to determine what other activities drivers participate in while they're commuting. And the results would be funny if they weren't so frightening.

For example, 5.5% of men and 2.1% of women admit to shaving while commuting. Frankly, one might think with electric shavers so prevalent these days the figure might be higher for men, but more than 2% of women shave on their way to work? That must take some dexterity.

Apparently cross-gender fair play is alive and well behind the wheel, too. According to the survey, 18% of women apply make-up in the car, a figure that isn't too surprising, but what might be surprising is that 1.3% of men also admitted to applying make-up in the car. Also in the name of vanity, 8% of men and women style their hair on the way to and from work.

These mundane side activities might not seem life-threatening, but there is a substantial human cost.

"Busy lifestyles have resulted in drivers making the most of their idle time in the car," says Diane Tasaka, director of corporate communications for Farmers. "The problem is that these distractions make the driver inattentive and greatly increase the chance of a collision."

Tasaka is not just talking through her industry-colored hat either. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), inattentive driving resulted in 3,960 fatal crashes in 1997 (the most recent statistics available) and even more fatalities (4,474). NHTSA ranks inattentive driving as the fourth highest contributing factor relating to fatal crashes.

Nearly 35% of Americans drive less than 15 minutes to work each day, yet drivers across the country are squeezing plenty into their daily commutes. In addition to applying make-up and shaving, Americans are performing a wide variety of tasks while, at the same time, attempting to control their automobile.

The survey shows that one out of every ten people on the road admit to reading newspapers or books while driving, while 5.6% admit to changing their clothes. Boredom might account for the high figure for reading, but one can only speculate why people feel the need to alter their wearing apparel while at the wheel.

Closet musicians seem to abound in the United States. The survey found that 21.7% of the American driving population drums on its dashboard or steering wheel. That, of course, could be very disturbing to the 30.6% who talk on their cellular phones while driving.

Many drivers attempt to use their commutes for self-improvement or family togetherness. Nearly 56% of the population use drive time as a brainstorming session or for mental organization, i.e. they think while they're driving. I'm not sure what the other 44% are doing upstairs as they motor along. Nearly one third of drivers (32.7%) meditate, and 15% find their commutes to be quality, non-interrupted time with their children. Some 16% take advantage of the extra time to listen to books on tape.

Interestingly, the lower the driver's income, the more likely they are to read newspapers and books on the road. Nearly 22% (21.7%) of drivers with household incomes less than $25,000 admit to reading the newspaper and books, while only 5.2% of drivers with household incomes over $100,000 read while driving.

On the other side of the coin, the more money drivers make, the more likely they are to listen to books on tape. Over 21% of drivers with incomes over $100,000 listen to audio books, while only 10.8% of drivers with incomes less than $25,000 listen to them. In essence, the more affluent drivers can afford to have someone read to them, while the less affluent need to read to themselves.

People with money also are enthusiastic about playing along to music. Some 29.2% of drivers with $100,000-plus incomes are dashboard bangers, keeping the beat by playing imaginary drums on their dashboards and steering wheels. Only 19% of those with incomes less than $25,000 admit to dashboard drumming. Perhaps they prefer air-guitar.

Despite all of the self-imposed distractions, the American driving public gives itself high grades. A little over 48% of the driving population see themselves as excellent drivers and 41.4% claim to be good drivers. The older the driver, the more confident he or she is. More than 40% of 18-34 year olds rank themselves as excellent drivers, while 64% of people 65 years and older say they are excellent drivers. Only 1% of the population admits to being poor drivers. (And one could guess they're really lousy.)

Farmers' national survey was conducted with a sample of 1,000 consumers nationwide and has a margin of error +/- 5%.

While we all have a lot to do these days, except perhaps for those reading this on-line in stir, safety experts agree it pays to remain focused on driving and traffic conditions at all times. Though your parents might not have told you this, it is good policy to prepare for your day (shaving, make-up, hair, going to the bathroom, etc.) prior to leaving for work. Driving is too vital an activity to be confused with other pastimes. As James Dean once said, "The life you save may be mine."

Peter Piepper is a freelance writer who frequently examines safety issues

http://www.drivingtoday.com/features/archive/distraction/index.html

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.