US transportation secretary wants to ban drivers from using cell phones
A new federal law has been called for; would ban drivers from any kind of cell phone use
We’re all aware of the consequences of texting and driving. It’s stupid and illegal. It makes sense that we have laws in place telling us so. But what about talking on your phone, or reading incoming texts, or doing anything else at all with the device while driving? Shouldn’t that be illegal, too?
According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, it should be. He said Thursday that the problem of drivers using cell phones in moving vehicles is a national epidemic, citing 3,000 annual deaths due to distracted driving. LaHood called for a federal law that would ban talking or texting on a cell phone while driving any type of vehicle. He said states would be encouraged to enforce the law if it meant that in exchange, they could receive federal highway dollars.
LaHood also wants law enforcement officials to have the option of writing tickets when they notice individuals behaving “foolishly” by using mobile phones while driving. This isn’t the first time LaHood has tried to shed light on the cell phone/driving issue, but it is the first time he’s pushed for action on a nationwide scale.
And he certainly has plenty of statistics to back him up. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administation, using a cell phone while driving causes the same level of impairment (delayed reaction time) as having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent. LaHood also has plenty of support from people who have been injured in cell phone-related driving accidents; accidents, that he noted are “100 percent preventable.”
Via: Reuters
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