Why ban the cell phone from driver’s use is just silly

So, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended a full ban on all texting and cell phone device use by drivers of ANY vehicle on the public roads. This includes hands free devices as well.  The only device allowed, under the proposal, would be those installed by the manufacturers of the vehicles, so services like OnStar and Ford Sync would be allowed.  The thought is that this ban would reduce, by a significant amount (though it was not specified) since over 3,000 fatalities last year were the result of ‘distracted’ drivers. Huh. Ok, sounds great, huh? Saving lives is a good thing, right?  Well, yes, yes it is. Buuut…

If you ban these devices, then, by extension, you should also ban:

• stereos
• AC/Heater controls
• OnStar and Sync and all Bluetooth devices
• rear view mirrors
• all controls that take your hands off of the steering wheel
• eating
• drinking
• talking to your passengers

Sounds pretty silly, doesn’t it? You probably think I am overreacting, but, I’m not.  All those things were present before the cell phone.  In fact, talking to passengers is probably the most distracting a driver can do.  I don’t know of ANY stats on this issue. Of course, no one would ever suggest a ban on passengers, it is silly, but, nonetheless, they are a huge distraction.  And, what of children?  Most states say you must put them in the back seat until they are a certain age/weight.  You must also put them in safety seats or boosters.  So, now you have a major distraction in the back seat. You must constantly look back to see what they are doing.  Talk about dangerous. To me, a child in the back seat is far more dangerous than calling someone on a cell phone.

Now, don’t get me wrong, texting while driving (unless you have something like Siri) is pretty stupid and, while the laws are rather draconian, these do make a certain amount of sense even though I oppose them too. 

Even banning these things is not going to prevent their usage and all it will do is put an undo burden on law enforcement who should be patrolling our roads looking for real criminals rather than wasting time writing a citation because someone called their spouse or boss or whatever.