More Governmental Stupidity

[Zoneboy]

BARRE, Vt. - Put down the flute and keep your eyes on the road.

And forget about sipping that cup of coffee on the way to work, or smoking a cigarette on the way home. In some states, it could soon be illegal — if it isn't already.

Emboldened by the passage of cell phone bans for drivers in some communities, states are turning their attention to other things that drive motorists to distraction.

Vermont lawmakers are considering a measure that would ban eating, drinking, smoking, reading, writing, personal grooming, playing an instrument, "interacting with pets or cargo," talking on a cell phone or using any other personal communication device while driving. The punishment: a fine of up to $600.

Similar bills are under consideration in Maryland and Texas, and Connecticut has passed one that generically bans any activity that could interfere with the safe operation of a motor vehicle.

"Cell phones attracted people to this issue," said Matt Sundeen, a transportation analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. "Now that people are more focused on distracted driving issues, they're beginning to talk about the broader range of distractions."

For the sponsor of the Vermont bill, the motivation came from his own observations.

"What finally pushed me over the edge was when I was at a stop sign and somebody opposite me was trying to navigate around the corner with a cell phone to the ear in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and she wasn't doing very well," said Republican state Rep. Thomas F. Koch.

He said his wife recently saw a driver playing the flute, which led him to include the instrument ban in his bill.

"There are a lot of bad habits out on the road. This isn't just for drivers' own good. This is to protect the other people on the road," he said.

Often, they need protection:

_In Illinois, a bicyclist was killed by a driver who had been downloading cell phone ring tones while behind the wheel last September.

_In Westminster, Calif., a 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by an SUV whose driver lost control as he was trying to reach a cell phone and plowed into a family at a bus stop Nov. 29, authorities said.

_In Spokane, Wash., a trucker who was allegedly using a cell phone crossed a highway median and struck another truck head-on, killing five children, in 2005.

_In Athens, Ala., a woman lost control of her car while reaching for a ringing cell phone and crashed into a church last month.

Distracted drivers were involved in nearly eight out of 10 collisions or near-crashes in a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute that was released last year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Young drivers are some of the worst offenders. A study of more than 5,600 students released last month by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Co. reported that nearly 90 percent had seen friends drive while talking on cell phones and that half saw drivers playing hand-held games, using listening devices or sending text messages.

Jeff Rogers, 44, of Barre, filling up his pickup at a gas station Thursday, said the Vermont bill is "going a little too far."

"I can understand the cell phone thing," he said. "But the rest of it, how are they going to enforce that?"

[Zoneboy]

I can also understand the cell phone issue but some of these are just plain ludicrous. You'll notice that the examples of vehicular accidents given were all caused by cell phone distraction, Not one incident of a driver being distracted by eating or drinking was mentioned but I have no doubt that there have been accidents were this was also a factor.

If a person can no longer eat or drink while driving, What's next? The banning of drive thrus? Most people that use the drive thru eat on the road so how can they enforce this law? Let me guess, All restaurants will have an officer assigned to each location to make sure that you eat your meal in the parking lot before getting back on the road.

Others I can understand are reading, writing, personal grooming & instrument playing but one that wasn't mentioned was use of the radio. Who knows how many drivers have taken their eyes off the road to find a cd to play or to change the station.

If they really want to enforce a no drinking rule, they should go after the drunks that are stupid enough to get behind the wheel. We hear about fatalities caused drunk drivers all the time but I have never heard of anyone being killed because a driver was distracted by a soda.

There are distractions far worse than the ones mentioned that can easily cause accidents but unfortunately, These cannot be enforced. Among them:

Driving while a blaring sun is right in your eyes

Sneezing, That may sound funny but keep in mind that you cannot keep your eyes open during a sneeze and that split second is enough time for an accident to happen.

Objects or animals in the road that you have to swerve to avoid.

I'm sure there's more but you get the idea.

[Sterling Holobyte]

I can understand the stuff about not doing other things while you are supposed to be driving, but it is the stuff like banning listening to your Ipod while you are walking that gets me.

[sara]

My mom used to read while driving.