Proposed Cell Phone Ban Fails
Recent attempts to ban cell phone usage while driving by the City of Town and Country, Missouri, have failed. The Aldermanic President of Town and Country proclaimed cell phone use while driving a “statewide problem” that should be addressed by the Legislature. This issue began boiling oven amidst allegations of cell phone usage causing a fatal accident on Highway 40 in the St. Louis suburb. See the recent St. Louis Post Dispatch article covering the story. The Alderman believed enforcement would be a major problem for implementing a ban. This reasoning seems weak as we already have law enforcement patrolling our streets. Most drivers can tell when someone is driving while using a cell phone, without any special training. Many times, these drivers appear to be driving while intoxicated due to the distraction of their conversation. Surely a Town and Country police officer can also detect the signs of this type of driving. Further, the call or text log on most phones could be checked to ensure they had been in use.
Problems enforcing a cell phone ban seems more like an excuse than a reason. The only thing keeping us from making our roads safe is our society’s obsession with chatting on the phone while driving. Public safety is not an area in which we should defer to convenience. Numerous studies have linked cell phone use to car accidents. Let’s wise up and stop this epidemic.
