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DOT Secretary Wants to Disable All In-Car Cell Phones
Eradicating distracted driving has long been a top priority for U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Now, he's apparently willing to go to even greater lengths to ensure that we never have the opportunity to call or text from behind the wheel.During a recent appearance on MSNBC, LaHood said the U.S. government may one day require all cars to come equipped with devices capable of disabling cell phones. "I think it will be done," LaHood said on Wednesday. "I think the technology is there and I think you're going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones. We need to do a lot more if we're going to save lives." LaHood went on to say that such technology would target not only a driver's cell phone, but all mobile devices belonging to in-car passengers, as well. He did stress, however, that "personal responsibility" remains paramount for all safe drivers.
LaHood's on-air appearance coincided with the launch of a new online campaign called 'Faces of Distracted Driving' -- a series of videos featuring first-hand accounts from people who have been injured by distracted drivers. "Just last year, nearly 5,500 people were killed and 500,000 more were injured in distracted driving-related crashes," LaHood wrote in a blog post announcing the initiative. "These lives, and too many others like them, were cut short -- not because of malice, but because of carelessness."
It's pretty clear that statistics and scare tactics have yet to resonate with many drivers. But, is cutting off all in-car cell phones the only other solution? Constantly ringing phones certainly add an extra element of peril to any highway, but they also offer a safety net to drivers who may be in danger, or lost in a shady part of town. Disabling all phones certainly seems like the easy solution, but it's certainly not without its own potentially dangerous downsides.
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Comments
8
Subscribe to commentsLevel 5Nov 19th 2010 11:31AM
Would it had been any better if it WERE from malice, Ray?
TGIFergieNov 19th 2010 12:55PM
Disable cell phone ability to contact 911 in cars, NO. Disable ability to send/receive text messages, e-mail, or play games, YES.
VirtuousNov 19th 2010 1:01PM
Another reason why I won't be voting for Obama in '12. We don't need a nanny goverment.
vascolandiaNov 19th 2010 1:46PM
I believe cell phones should only be allowed in case of emergency but not disabled them because it can be dangerous. Lots of people depend on cell phones for emergencies, it depends where you live, ' if you live in rural areas, cell phones are important to find out whether your kids are safe, they can talk to you if something happens.
I do not think is right just because some people are dangerous to others.
Why not apply the same law as for driving under the influence, the same laws and that will be the end of it.
I normally stop the car if I have an emergency, and I use the cell phone to call my husband for whatever I need, if this possibility disappears it will endanger lots of people, like us. Believe it or not cell phones improved lives in rural areas.
What should be done is, to outlaw cell phones unless it is for an emergency . Just oulaw the use of cell phones while driving, why go so far and endanger the rest of the people, give high fines and that is the end of it.
It is easy to prove if your call is an emergency nowadays.
icewinter23Nov 20th 2010 8:15PM
Lame. So what about when I am the passenger? Gonna disable my freedoms? Not cool.
DJ WooldridgeNov 21st 2010 1:32PM
He did hit one nail on the head, we need to get back to personal responsibility. With all the lawyers people try to blame someone else for everything then sue them to make a profit. The reason the government want to take responsibility for our actions is because we don't want to be responsible for ourselves!!
How about upping the seriousness of distracted driving to the likes of a DUI... maybe that will reduce the number of people doing it....
BretNov 28th 2010 11:22AM
"Them kids and their fancy gadgets" We need to disable his walker by removing the tennis balls off the legs and spike his Ensure. Let's see how he likes that.
MELBA ANN WILLIAMSDec 6th 2010 10:40AM
I posted this idea a year ago---there goes my million dollar idea. YES--there is no way to get a handle on this loss of lives among our youth & also Grandma's abusing the privilege. Make it a law to have a disc of some sort in every car---like the law to have insurance. The disc would disable the phone when you get in the car. If we can put a man on the moon--surely we can do this. Then if you have to make a call-- pull over to a safe place and get out and talk til the cows come home. Someone who is a tech genious could invent a way to use the phone in event of Emergency--such as if you run off in a ditch--Have phone programmed to use only calling 911 by all carriers. This would save so many of our children especially who ARE going to sneak to text while driving. Also save lives of innocent people. I am guilty of using mine while driving--- if a law was implemented by DOT-- we all have to abide. This NO rule with texting or calling now is open season for murder on the highways. Yesterday to implement this was too late... It could become law very soon--- congress get busy--we want to save our children's lives. NOW..