Your texting & driving rights, defended by patriots

Strangest beginning to a news story we’ve seen in a while:

“PHOENIX — Arizona drivers’ right to compose and send text messages from behind the wheel of a moving vehicle has successfully been defended.”

This from a report on the defeat of a distracted driving bill, written by Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services. The headline in the Arizona Star noted that the bill “was sent packing.”

Guess the Arizona cops would have to pry the text messaging devices from freedom lovers’ cold dead hands.

A distinct possibility, if you think about it.

After a crash and ‘epiphany,’ Ky. rep votes yes

Last week, State Rep. Keith Hall of Kentucky turned thumbs down on a plan to ban text messaging while driving. He voted against HB 43 in the House Transportation Committee.

The measure succeeded, though, and went before the full House on Feb. 4. This time, Hall voted yes with the zeal of a recent convert.

“I’ve had a change of heart,” he told the House.

That’s because the night before the vote, his wife reportedly reached for her ringing cell phone and plowed into another vehicle.

“I heard the sirens go off, and my cell phone rang and they said, ‘Your wife has just had a serious traffic accident,’ he told fellow legislators during debate.

“That’ll give you an epiphany,” he said. “That’ll give you a wake-up call.”

Kentucky’s distracted driving bill HB 43, which also prevents teens from using cell phones while driving, cleared the chamber in an 80-16 vote.

People frustrated with legislative resistance to cell phone and texting legislation sometimes wonder if distracted driving has to affect lawmakers personally before they’ll vote yes.

Sometimes, yes.

Governor reaches out to drivers — by texting

Props to Gov. M. Jodi Rell for her plan to toughen Connecticut’s existing ban on driving and talking on handheld cell phones. She’s pushing for a text messaging ban, too.

No doubt Rell is one of the good guys on this issue.

But, get a load of the unfortunate wording in this invitation from the gov’s official web site:

Dear Friends:
If you are like me, there are days when you are on the road all day, away from your computer and with limited access to e-mail. However, you want to be the first to know of the important news … from my office. Now you can.

Sign up today to get text messages from my office sent to your cell phone. After all, keeping you up-to-date on what we are doing in Hartford is one of my top priorities. (Our italics)

Let’s hope no one who is “on the road all day” with a cell phone causes a wreck while reading Rell’s text message — regarding her text-messaging ban.

‘Name and shame’ cell phone violators

Steady, cell phone chatterers. The Essex Chronicle in England has decided to “name and shame” drivers who are violating traffic laws by using mobile phones behind the wheel.

A reporter accompanied local police as they cited drivers for chatting and texting while motoring. The newspaper then printed the perps’ names and photos.

The unusual tactic sometimes is used by the media to humiliate prostitutes’ johns, but the cell phone suspects didn’t seem all that repentant.

“I don’t like people telling me how to live my life,” said second-time offender Gemma Dean. When asked if she felt like she was endangering others by cell phoning while behind the wheel, she replied: “I don’t really care.”

At least one fellow caught one-handed admitted: “I feel a bit stupid now.”

An online commenter pointed out that these are alleged offenses. “The Essex Chronicle are NOT the police or a magistrates court!”

In any event the cell phone chronicles could be good for circulation. “Buy this week’s Chronicle for more on the issue and to see if you were pictured on the phone behind the wheel by our photographers,” the paper’s web site urged.

Distracted driving progress cited by NYT

“I’m on a rampage about this, and I’m not going to let up,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says of the dangerous practice of text messaging while driving.

Rampage on, Ray.

LaHood’s comments were reported Jan. 3 in a New York Times article, “Bills to Curb Distracted Driving Gain Momentum.” The article adds nothing new to the conversation about distracted driving, but contains a few items of interest.

• “Proposals (to curb distracted driving) are being met with less resistance than in years past from legislators, and are enjoying newfound industry support,” the article says. Reporter Matt Richtel says 200 bills have been filed regarding distracted driving, but doesn’t specify a time frame.
• “People are starting to see it like drunk driving, and that’s the comparison we need to continue to make,” said Steve Farley, an Arizona state representative from Tucson.
• Of critics of distracted driving legislation, Farley said: “They will always believe this is an issue of personal freedom. They don’t take into account the loss of freedom when a texting driver runs into someone and kills them.”

The New York Times deserves credit for the distracted driving stories it has been cranking out over the past year. At least in bulk, the Times clearly is in the lead in mainstream media coverage of the issue — even if the stories are mostly recycled news.

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