Issue date: 10/8/09 Section: Opinion

Point

By Michael Mayday

The year is 1975: Microsoft is founded by Bill Gates, Robert E. Lee is pardoned and has his status as an American citizen reinstated (105 years after his death, thank you very much) and Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa is reported missing. Also, roughly 44,525 deaths took place on the roadways of America.

Fast forward 33 years and you'll find that roadway mortalities maintain a disturbing trend. In 2008 alone, 43,313 people died in motor vehicle related accidents, despite the introduction of legislation requiring all passengers and drivers wear seat belts. Lives, it appears, were not saved by special laws targeting distracted drivers.

Now, it appears there is an initiative to ban cell phone use while driving. The reasoning behind this push suggests drivers are distracted while texting or talking on the phone, and not giving their full attention to driving. This is true. It's hard to concentrate on that yellow line when a classmate just informed you of a ten-page paper due tomorrow that's worth 50 percent of your grade. It's also fairly difficult to focus on the road when you're trying to tune in that one radio station that actually plays music. Friends, too, prove distracting, especially when cracking jokes at your expense in the back seat. Oh, and fast food? There perhaps is no greater danger than a quarter-pounder with cheese hovering right in front of your face while going 75 down I-94 in an effort to make it to that concert in Detroit on time. All while driving a manual. None of this is however, is illegal. It isn't regulated, and some cases, it isn't even frowned upon.

But, if you have your cell phone out and you text the local police department of an accident on the highway you may soon be receiving a fine for breaking the law. That is, if cell phone use, including texting and talking, becomes illegal while driving.

Realistically, the reason for promoting such a law wouldn't be to look out for the well being of citizens. If that were the case, the state police would commonly pull people over, suggest they put their seat belts on or they put down their cell phones and leave it at that. But I have yet to hear of an instance where a police officer pulled someone over just to give helpful suggestions. The only reason such a law would pass would be for a new revenue stream.

In Michigan, driving without a seat belt is a primary offense. That means if you're seen without a seat belt on you can be pulled over and fined. Indeed, in 2007 Warren officer David Kanapsky gained notoriety in a Detroit News article highlighting him for writing 5,000 traffic tickets in 2007. Those 5,000 tickets contributed only about 10 percent to the total tickets by Warren police officers that year according to the Detroit News article.

Throw in the possibility of texting while driving as a primary offense and you'll have cops jumping to pull over any teenager foolish enough to get behind the wheel. All the while, police officers are distracted from doing their jobs. Instead of looking for murderers, they're looking for Meghan, who's asking her husband if he needs anything from the grocery store. Instead of chasing down thieves, they're chasing down teenagers who don't know any better.

Texting while driving is foolish, yes, but no more foolish than eating while driving, or having loud kids in the back seat while driving. It's a bad decision, but not always a fatal one. For all the sophistry declaring texting while driving kills we forget everything carries that potential. But writing a law fining people for living is just that: evidence of government's inability to stay between the lines.

Counterpoint

Jessica Kneller

Think about how different classic movies would be if cream-colored envelopes containing romantic letters were replaced with the beeps and clicks of text messaging. "Pride and Prejudice" would be quite altered if Elizabeth Bennet had simply received "OMG Wickham = poser" via cell phone.

People can't seem to stop texting even when they're behind the wheel. It's almost predictable. Someone cuts you off or drifts into your lane; nine times out of 10, they're talking on the phone or busily texting someone.

The effects of texting while driving extend far beyond just seeming inconsiderate. They can be deadly. Drivers who were texting have caused countless accidental deaths. Those familiar with the movie "Seven Pounds" have witnessed the truly disturbing after-effects of such carelessness. One of the most horrifying cases of the modern obsession with texting is the 2008 Chatsworth train collision that killed 25 people. The conductor sent 45 messages while operating that train. Texting while driving can kill.

I myself will be the first to admit my guilt. This summer, I sent a friend a text message while I was driving to her house. It was a really stupid thing to do and if I could, I would go back in time and tell myself, along with a warning about taking Somerville's class, not to do it.

Texting while driving demonstrates a disregard for the lives you come into contact with on the road. I can't imagine how enraging it would be for a mother to find out that her son was killed because someone was texting while driving at 60 mph.

Here's some more food for thought: what do you generally text about? When I look through my inbox, I find countless "Hey! What's up?" messages and other insignificant conversations. I don't know anyone who comes to meaningful conclusions or debate theological doctrines via text messaging.

That being said, would you really want that distraught mother to find out her son died so you could type "LOL?"

Texting doesn't allow you to truly be where you are and dilutes the maturity level of any relationship you have. I don't feel the need to know where so-and-so is at any given moment nor to constantly gush my every thought to a host of people.

Consequently, I support states passing laws that allow police officers to ticket texters. Since people don't seem to consider the fact that they are endangering lives, someone must bring that thought to them. And if it means they have to pay a fine, then so be it.

A friend of mine that lived in California for the summer was recently telling me that he was pulled over and given a ticket for talking on his phone while driving. He was frustrated, offering the excuse that at least he wasn't texting while he was driving. When I later asked him what he thought about texting laws, he said he didn't think police officers should be able to pull anyone over and ticket them for it. But he said that if someone gets into an accident because they were texting, then it's reckless driving.

My question is this: how are the police supposed to prevent accidents unless they are able to take some kind of action? You must pick your poison.

Being from Chicago, I have lived under cell phone laws for a while and know that people really do avoid talking on the phone or buy Bluetooth headsets to keep from getting fined. I hope people will take the same approach with texting.

I think I'll be okay with a few less "LOLs" and a few more "G2Gs."

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