Yes, there are Luddites galore <the range of technological feasible clashes with what is sociological possible. > Just look at the antipathy to cellphones for example, which has eased over the decades. But there is still opposition from those who can't walk and chew gum at the same time, with them making it illegal to use a cellphone while driving.
There are already perfectly good laws for people driving without due care and attention. There is no need for specific laws about tuning radios, eating lunch, fondling a female, being fondled by a female, whacking children in the back seat, gawping out the window, perving at a passerby, ogling an oglee, putting on make-up, reading the newspaper, checking the GPS, talking to passengers, using a toothpick, listening to the radio, shouting at the radio, singing with the radio, gesticulating at other motorists, shooting at other motorists, or pedestrians, or houses.
As you can see, there would be a lot of laws if each distraction was made illegal. Since it perfectly safe [from a driving point of view] to do any of those things if the driving conditions are such that there's no problem in doing them, such as being stuck on a stopped freeway for half an hour for example, or there is simply not much attention required at the time because the road is empty, there's 200 km to drive and it would be nice to phone home and give an ETA.
A driver with an auto-pilot car can talk on a cellphone and have no problem. A silly old geezer who never could drive and really can't now, using a car with no ABS and encroaching dementia would not do so well if they used a cellphone too, when they can't drive even on a sunny day with no other traffic.
Those who want using a cellphone while driving made illegal are obviously the people who are too clueless to be driving. They should be banned from driving and forced to take the public transport they are so in favour of, for other people, so that they can drive unimpeded. They are obviously the dithering incompetent, unadaptable, slow-witted who block driveways and cross roads, fail to go on green, hesitate everywhere, fail to see dangers, drive too slowly if there's anything happening at all such as a police car stopped on the other side of the motorway. We need to get them off the road.
Mqurice |
