As many may know or should know, California (and apparently many other states) now bans the use of cellphones while driving. The law allows motorists to be stopped by officers solely based upon this violation. Apparently, people over 18 needs to utilize a hands-free device (blue teeth and what not) and people under 18 are not allowed to use any form of wireless phones, regardless of whether it is hands free. Additionally, passed after the first two sections, is the code that bans texting while driving... which is a whole other non-sensible issue; I shall not even go into that can of OMFG.
Anyways. So, you say, it is a good thing right? Of course driving while pre-occupied with a conversation on the cellphone with your significant other about what she should wear or with your buddy describing the desolate state he is in after his girl friend dumped him would bring your concentration on driving down, right?
Sadly, the fact that our government felt the need to spank our hands obviously show that there are a significant amount of motorist on the roads that simply do not realize and do not care about the affects of driving into another car, or a tree. However, there are crucial errors that the law makers (who by the looks of it, lives in lah lah land) have failed to consider.
Personally, I have obtained a blue tooth device so I can operate my phone within the law. But since after I figure out how to successfully pair it with my phone, I'm in the middle of next week, I just don't bother calling anyone while driving. And since I don't have many friends, I don't have a problem with missing too many calls. So it would seem this law has had its affects on my motoring life.
Despite that, and even if I do say so myself, I have never been distracted by my cellphone while driving. If and when I would be talking on the phone while driving, my attention would still be allocated to driving. Common sense dictates that one's attention should be focused on the more imperative things, even if it equates to many incomprehensible conversations ending with the person at the other end coming to the conclusion that I could be suffering from mental retardation.
Still, rarely does a day go by where I do not need to perform evasive to avoid a driver who, unsurprisingly, was using his/her phone. What makes our oh-so-wise legislators think that enacting such a law will actually stop inattentive cellphone using drivers, when eons of human evolution could not? If the possibility of death and serious bodily injury does not deter these so-called drivers, what real use would this law provide, beyond making the rest of us, who actually CAN drive with decent skill, a little more irritated?
The possible root of the problem may be the penalty associated with the violation of this law: $20 for the first offense, and $50 for any subsequent offenses.
Now hang on a minute. I remember, a while back, I received a "fix-it" ticket window tint (not limo tint mind you). I had to remove the tint and pay a fine of $30. Keeping in mind that these fines were from 10 years ago, and undoubtedly has since gone up, what the government is telling the dim witted cellphone using drivers is that protecting yourself from skin cancer is basically as bad as sending an elementary school kid crashing through your windscreen. It simply does not serve as enough deterrence for thick headed drivers to stop their habits.
If I was the one prescribing the penalty, I would seek out something more definitive. The US Air Force using the offending cellphone user's phone to triangulate his location and sending out a laser guided missile ought to do the trick. But of course that won't be allowed: creates too many potholes. It'll be cruel to the car too.
So what can we do? These imbeciles are obviously a step backwards on the evolutionary chain, so it would be a benefit to all of mankind if they would be taken out by tactical strikes. Unfortunately that'll also cost too much. Sadly, this could be another sign of the end. Evolution has been effectively stymied. Human civilization has started its decline. All because of drivers who can't seem to prioritize between crash and burning, and chatting on the phone.
Or we can make the fines much higher. Or get rid of the law completely. Yeah, I suppose those would make sense too.
