Caught a story on NPR this morning while driving to work. I had heard that California was about to try to do some law-making about cell phone usage in cars.
What I hadn't heard is that legislators are also trying to pass a law that prohibits 16 and 17 year-olds from driving while using any electronic device (including hands-free equipment.)
Opponents of the bill say that teaching safe driving is the responsibility of parents, not the state.
What do you think? Would this law be an invasion of personal privacy? Does the safety of its citizens warrant the government violating what a person does in his or her car?
12 comments:
If it's legal to have a cell phone, then it is legal to have it anywhere. If not, ban the things.
The Statist error is always trying to put a fence around actual crimes (injuring someone with your car because of negligence) by criminalizing peripheral things (what the negligent person was doing at the time).
It's the same impulse that leads us to make up rules like, "Christians shouldn't drink, because then they might get drunk."
Delusions of human autonomy.
Any electronic device? My iPod has revolutionized my driving! In true Texan spirit I say, "Come and take it!"
Todd, I dont think the government should have to do this, but I do believe that the parents arent doing anything about it! So I say go for it!
I am the worlds worst about texting or replying to an email while driving, and I know it is not safe.
BTW, what is up with the pic of the girl in a bikini top?
Invasion of privacy, unconstitutional, etc. It's stuff like this that really pisses me off, and makes me despise legislators. Controlling people's personal lives...something wrong with that.
And I'm not one of those government hating people...but incidents like this just make me angrier than the KKK when O.J. was cut free.
Oh, and she's driving on the wrong side of the car...
Oh, I didn't even notice that she's wearing a bikini top.
Anybody find it strange that I got so many male comments so fast on a bikini-post?
It's legal to have a gun but I can't take it into a court room...
We've already allowed laws that require seat belts to be worn - how would it be different to ban devices that distract a motorist while driving? We have a tendency to give up freedoms for safety/security (or at least a false sense of safety/security).
What I have to say would stir up too many other comments and keep Todd from making any other important posts.
Come on, Rob...I'm the comment king these days...help us out!
Well, I think they can ban the use of cell phones. Why not? But also, what will they start banning next? If they are so worried about how distracting phones can be, why not take out radios from cars? Are we allowed to travel with more than one person in the car with us? Will they make that a new law? People can be distracting too. You can't ban everything.
Heck, we've already said good-bye to habeas corpus and ushered in a new era of martial law so I say why not? Who cares about human rights anyways huh?
"Opponents of the bill say that teaching safe driving is the responsibility of parents, not the state."
hmm... this could be said about the teaching of a lot of things like, I don't know, science, reading/writing, sex issues, etc. But hey, why make us parents responsible to start teaching stuff, when the state is so willing to do it for us?
Oops, sorry. I wouldn't want to stir up a debate on education and the government, would I? Not with Johnny around...
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