Editor,
The cell phone driving ban that the City Council recently passed claims that talking while driving is just as dangerous as being drunk behind the wheel. I do not agree with what is being suggested by this bill, our city government and the media.
Deciding what "driving with distraction" would encompass is very subjective. What is the next step, to make driving while looking for a CD, driving while changing the radio station or driving while putting your makeup on illegal, as well?
If a study were done on the number of accidents caused by some of the activities done by drivers every day in our country, the numbers would be staggering. A University of Utah study found that "drivers talking on a cell phone are more likely to crash and are at least as dangerous as drunk drivers." The fact of the matter is, anything that takes your eyes off of the road for any length of time, for any reason, makes you more likely to crash. Can a driving-while-distracted law then make it illegal to get your children to stop fighting in the back seat? No matter how you slice it, that would be driving with distraction.
From my understanding, the fine being suggested for a first-time offense is $100, and $200 for a second and third.
Because Mayor Martin Chávez signed this bill, I promise that he and the City Council members lost my vote in the next election. I believe that our country is going in the wrong direction when it comes to deeming normal daily activities a threat to society. Our government is writing laws at such an alarming rate that I wonder what will still be legal in 20 or 30 years. There is a fine line between good government and hyper government, and this bill crosses that line.
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Christopher Escalante
UNM student
