In class the
other day we briefly discussed the 'hands free while driving' law. I
never thought much of it other than the obvious; the village is just trying to
make the streets a little safer. But when a fellow student brought up the
fact that this rule could not be enforced just any where, for two specific
reasons I was shocked! First of all Winnetka is a small community so rules can
be informed more easily and secondly Winnetka is a very affluent community and
therefore there are a lot of expensive cars which are often equipped with the
most advanced technology such a hands-free device. I had never made this
connection but it does make a lot of since. A rough neighborhood on the
south side of Chicago doesn't have access to the same luxuries as we do and
therefore this rule would not make since to be in place there. But at the
same time these people have the same risks from distracted driving as we do... so
there should be laws banning use of cell phones while driving there too. It’s
interesting that the law is 'fit' to our way of life. Does that say
something about the community we live in? Or is it just a necessary precaution?
There is controversy over whether or not putting bans on talking while
driving should be allowed; "The Constitution, specifically the First Amendment, says
that the government shall make no law abridging free speech. Talking on a cell
phone is, in fact, protected free speech under the First Amendment". In
my opinion the Government is not trying to take away our freedom by banning
phones while driving but instead trying to keep us safe. One could argue
that it us up to the individual whom is driving about when they should or
should not use their cell phone. But clearly drivers have been very
irresponsible; "The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) says that
cell phone use was a cause or contributing factor in more than 500 vehicle
accidents statewide in the first six months of 2010". This is
shocking, and one hundred percent avoidable! I believe that the
government should step in and make a law about cell phone use. If the
consequences were extreme then it would only be a matter of time before drivers
would change their ways. What do you think? Do you believe drivers should
have freedom to determine their own boundaries when it comes to cell phones
while driving, or is it the government’s job to set the boundaries?
Alana, I agree with you that in this case, the government should be able to step in. Although people may think that it would be unfair to ban the use of cellphones in cars, I think that it makes complete sense and would be very helpful for the safety in many communities. I see people talking on their cellphones and texting while driving everyday and although most of them probably know about the dangers of it, they still feel that it is necessary that they make that quick call or text. It seems that without the government stepping in, the use of cellphones in cars will remain prevalent and accidents due to this will continue to occur. Whether or not a person has the luxury of owning a car with a hands free device, they should still not be allowed to use cellphones. Safety precautions like this one should not be based on whether or not people in a community can afford a certain type of car or not; they should be based on the fact that citizens need to be protected and banning cellphones would do exactly that.
ReplyDelete