No distracting electronic devices in your average police cruiser. No, not at all.
In the wake of a multi-vehicle fatality accident in Missouri that the National Traffic Safety Board blames on a driver distracted by receiving text messages behind the wheel (even though their own report indicates other errors and inattentiveness by drivers contributed to severity of the the incident) the safety agency is recommending that all 50 states ban the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices while driving. Here is the NTSB’s recommendation in that regard:
- (1) Ban the nonemergency use of portable electronic devices (other than those designed to support the driving task) for all drivers; (2) use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration model of high visibility enforcement to support these bans; and (3) implement targeted communication campaigns to inform motorists of the new law and enforcement, and to warn them of the dangers associated with the nonemergency use of portable electronic devices while driving. (H-11-XX)
The question is whether such laws will be enforced fairly and consistently for all drivers or will police get special privileges.
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When he’s not busy doing custom machine embroidery at Autothreads Ronnie Schreiber edits Cars In Depth and contributes to The Truth About Cars and Left Lane News
I’ve sat a the red light nearest the county courthouse on days when traffic court is in session and watched every LEO going by from the town clown Barney all the way up to superbad state troopers.They ALL are on their cell phones. The Peoples Republik of Maryland recently made use of cell phones behind the wheel a points violation, but since “some animals are more equal than others”…
Really? You have to ask?
Of course police will be exempt. Subjects have to obey the law, not them.
I take conference calls on my blu-tooth. How is it different than listening to talk radio or a book on tape? Let’s take the radios out of all cars too.
Did the NTSB explain what distracted the trailing school buses?
Phone conversations, especially with people you know, tend to be highly distracting in most environments because, I suspect, you conjure up the facial expression of those you’re talking to. Notice that you can’t hold a normal conversation and read simultaneously.