Opinion: Phones and driving: Time for a sequel to Goofy’s ‘Motor Mania’?
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The California law against driving while holding a cellphone has had some effect -- but not enough. The official figures say that, and a look around the freeways confirms it. There are definitely fewer drivers with phones clamped to their ears, but they’re not exactly hard to find, either. In fact, if the driver in front of you is weaving around a bit, with 23 car lengths of space ahead of him or her while the freeway is traveling at 15 mph, you can almost lay bets on the matter.
Obviously, it will take more than a $189 fine to make bigger inroads on the texting-while-driving and phoning-while-driving phenomena. Would a $309 fine do the job? That’s what a bill introduced by state Sen. Joe Simitian would impose for a first offense.
A second offense would go on the driver’s record, which could mean higher insurance rates or a trip to traffic school. And that might actually have some effect on what’s obviously a hard-to-break habit of the modern road. The bill has passed the Legislature and awaits Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature.
Please, governor, sign. This is a hard-to-dislike bill. At worst, it won’t change driving habits, but it will bring more money into state coffers, and I, for one, will not cry on behalf of people who can’t invest in a $10 headset for their phones. Better, maybe motorists who scoff at the notion that they drive like addled children when they’re on their phones will learn better in traffic school. But for that to happen, shouldn’t we have a sequel to that beloved cartoon staple, Goofy’s ‘Motor Mania’? Maybe they could call it ‘Phone Phrenzy.’
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Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times
