Small Town News

Focus on the left lane, not the cell phone

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I like to imagine that the cell phone companies are behind the current house and senate bills floating around the legislature seeking to tighten laws on cell phone use while driving.

It's an odd conspiracy for sure, but there is some logic if you factor in that those who offer unlimited service for calls and mobile Internet face a nearly maxed bandwidth as a result of the smart phone explosion.

If the new law passes my use will drop by at least 120 minutes each day - the thought of every cop I pass pulling me over to give me a $124 ticket - $44 more than my unlimited package allowing constant contact -- bothers me.

It's more likely that the auto insurance lobby is somewhere behind the revision to rate talking on your cell phone while driving as a primary offense along with speeding and reckless driving - also causing insurance losses.

Right now a chatty violation comes as a secondary fine along with some primary offense like speeding. Lawmakers say that one in four auto accidents involve cell phones. It's a compelling statistic for sure, but image what would happen to the dying auto industry if the legislature understood that four out of four auto accidents actually involve automobiles.

As I recall, the entire consumer mobile phone industry was built on the car phone and its image of power and wealth. Those where the days when an entire car was required to power the device with a $4-per-min-ute cost.

Today battery technology has allowed the mobile industry to convince the masses they can reach peak efficiency while doing everything from driving to standing on top of Mount Rainier.

Admittedly there is danger to texting while driving and I recently promised my wife that I would stop doing so while driving down Highway 3 on rainy, dark nights.

Though lawmakers seem to think a hands-free device safer, plenty of credible studies point out that the physical act of holding a phone while you drive is not the problem.

They say the distraction and disadvantage comes from the cerebral act of focusing on a subject distant from the task at hand, such as trying to pass on the right a driver blocking the left lane of I-5 going 55 mph, both of which are illegal.

Perhaps the legislature's precious session time could be better spent seeking tougher enforcement of the already existing law that makes the endless supply of drivers breaking the law by cruising in the passing lane small-time criminals.



Copyright 2010 Shelton-Mason County Journal, Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 Shelton-Mason County Journal Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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