I have been giving a lot of thought to the new, very severe, texting while driving laws. In New York state, you can get 6 points on your license, which is a LOT!! I get it. It is dangerous. No one should text and drive. I admit that I have done it, and I find it dangerous, so I don’t do it now. But since we all agree that it is dangerous, shouldn’t the cell phone manufacturers put some kind of control on the phones to prevent this very dangerous practice?
Let’s take a look at things that are regulated. Cars. Your car cannot drive 200 MPH. It is regulated for safety. Car seats. Seat belts. Air bags. All of these things in the care are created and forced on us, for our safety. So why can’t the government regulate our cell phones?? Probably because their lobbyists are very effective, and regulating them would cut down on our usage, thus costing AT&T and Verizon lots of money in fees, and Apple and Samsung lots of money in putting in a regulating device. But if we could get the lobbyists out, here is how it could be done.
The texting function shuts off once you hit 15 mph. You can see who is texting you, but to answer them back, you need to pull over. I picked 15 mph, because that is a speed bikers can go but most people cannot run that fast on foot. If you can, I am not worried about you because you are obviously physically gifted, and wealthy, and probably have a driver. If you are riding your bike at 15 mph and trying to text, then Darwin’s Law will take care of you, so I think we can give you that speed.
Simple. Texting cuts off. Will this happen??? Never. Ever. Why not? Corporate control of lawmakers. Don’t believe me?? Read This Town: Two Parties and a Funeral, Plus Plenty of Valet Parking by Mark Leibovich of the NY Times. Scary stuff. The almighty dollar is the only god the politicians worship. Almost all of them. Let me know what you think if you do read it.
Nancy Lee Dunn 