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may signal
total ban
Several new laws took effect Friday across the state. These included a rewrite of DWI laws that are supposed to make it tougher to exonerate drivers with blood alcohol levels of .08 or .09, more frequent verification of sex offender lists and the addition of a law to stop protests at funerals.
The law that will probably affect the most people, however, is one that prohibits a driver under the age of 18 from using a cell phone except under special circumstances.
Some observers believe this teenage ban could lead to a law that would prohibit the use of cell phones by adults as well.
Studies from as far back as 2001 found that the risk of causing a car wreck while using a cell phone quadrupled due to what scientists call “inattention blindness.” The results were the same for both handheld and hands-free devices.
Cell phones have become an inextricable part of people’s lives, so it may be some time before a ban for adults will be considered. Yet, as the number of wrecks due to cell phone distraction increases, pressure will build for an all-out ban.
The new law for teens will be difficult to enforce and will be only marginally effective unless agencies do targeted enforcement.
But perhaps the new law and pressure to ban cell phones for all drivers will force car manufacturers and cell phone companies to design new technology to lessen “inattention blindness” and make driving safer.
As cars are said to be getting “smarter” with on-board communication systems, sophisticated dash board displays and GPS units, the human brain hasn’t been able to keep up.
We’re seemingly married to our cell phones, but it’s hard to dispute the facts. This is quite a serious conflict when considering the number of crashes caused by in-car distractions.