SectionsOur View: Text messaging while driving a crime for under 21, WTF?
The Standard Editorial Board
Issue date: 8/25/09 Section: Opinion
Oh, to be young. We are society's favorite scapegoat.
This new legislation - House Bill No. 62, which makes illegal the act of texting while driving for people 21 years old and younger - is proof that young people don't vote.
Apparently, my grandmother can text while driving more safely than my classmate.
Even though texting while driving increases the risk of an accident by more than 23 times, regardless of age, according to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
When this law takes effect on Friday, it will only target irresponsible youth and let general irresponsibility go unchecked.
This new law is disappointing beyond it's immediate impact. If government is meant to address problems in society, it should be guided by logic.
For an example of the flagrant disconnect between logic and reality on this subject, direct your attention to a recent survey conducted by Nationwide Mutual Insurance.
In the study, people overwhelmingly said using a cell phone while driving is the most dangerous distraction for people while driving.
More than 80 percent of those people said they talked on their cell phone while driving.
Here's the hypocrisy: Nearly all of the respondents said they were safe drivers. So, they acknowledge cell phone use while driving is dangerous yet not when they do it.
There is a strong argument that lawmakers are using the same misguided logic, especially if you consider none of them are under the age of 21.
This new legislation - House Bill No. 62, which makes illegal the act of texting while driving for people 21 years old and younger - is proof that young people don't vote.
Apparently, my grandmother can text while driving more safely than my classmate.
Even though texting while driving increases the risk of an accident by more than 23 times, regardless of age, according to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
When this law takes effect on Friday, it will only target irresponsible youth and let general irresponsibility go unchecked.
This new law is disappointing beyond it's immediate impact. If government is meant to address problems in society, it should be guided by logic.
For an example of the flagrant disconnect between logic and reality on this subject, direct your attention to a recent survey conducted by Nationwide Mutual Insurance.
In the study, people overwhelmingly said using a cell phone while driving is the most dangerous distraction for people while driving.
More than 80 percent of those people said they talked on their cell phone while driving.
Here's the hypocrisy: Nearly all of the respondents said they were safe drivers. So, they acknowledge cell phone use while driving is dangerous yet not when they do it.
There is a strong argument that lawmakers are using the same misguided logic, especially if you consider none of them are under the age of 21.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
angel
posted 10/02/09 @ 9:07 AM CST
i think is unfair but i also think it is fair cuz us teens shuld be litening to music instead of texing to ppl while drivin
even though you are 18 yrs. (Continued…)
Brandon Davis
posted 10/09/09 @ 3:11 PM CST
See the post above to see the direct effects that texting has had on young people's ability to spell or even form logical sentences.
Technology is continuing to enable the absolute drop in intelligence in our country. (Continued…)
Post a Comment