COMMENTARY | The National Transportation Safety Board held a vote on Dec. 13 regarding the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices in vehicles. Their vote stated that states should ban all portable electronic devices in their automobiles, except in case of emergency.
The use of mobile devices in vehicles has been a hot topic in several states, including my home state of Connecticut. The use of a cell phone while driving has been banned in the state and those caught using their device will be given a ticket. The only way drivers are allowed to use their cell phones is using headsets or hands free devices, but it is laughable at this point at how little the law is enforced.
With drivers becoming more inpatient with each day, one would notice that a lot of people running red lights and stop signs have their phone to their ear, but still nothing is done.
I will admit that even with the current laws in place here, I still use my cell phone while driving. Initially, when the law was first passed, I would drop my phone out of sight if I saw a cop car, but at this point, I don’t even bother. The cops care about enforcing the law just as much drivers care about following it.
I don’t think I would like to have this ban enforced. It’s hard enough with police departments losing staff to enforce the laws that are in place as it is, throw in this extra tidbit, and it will be hard for them to do their job.
The proposed ban wouldn’t even allow hands-free calls, which is ridiculous. I thought the point of the hands-free headsets was that it was the safer alternative. If this were to go through, Motorola and other headset producers would cause an uproar, which could change everything.
If they want to be serious about this, they need to make the penalty strict. Maybe just a slap on the wrist for the first offense, but for the second and third offenses, a large fine or possible suspension of their license should be called for. If a person causing an accident is found to have been on their phone or using any other device, then they should be given a ticket and arrested for reckless endangerment, but that should be the case now. It shouldn’t only happen because of this proposal from the NTSB.
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