dangerous practice, very risky and not worth the risk I am sure.
On the other hand, I am, almost as vehemently, against a ban on this
practice. I have my reasons.
Conceding that the cellphone is a major source of distraction while
driving, it is not the first, the last or the most distracting thing in
a car. There are other things like CD players, radio, a passenger, food,
drink, mirrors, falling objects (from seat to the floor, not from the
sky), open map...a number of things. A kid in the backseat can be much
more distracting than any cellphone.
Since we are not proposing to ban on each and every one of them then why
the cellphone?
An idiot not looking where he's going can be just as dangerous as an
idiot on the cellphone not looking where he's going.
Ultimately, driving carefully and safely is the responsibility of the
individual and there's no amount of prohibitive laws that can replace
that individual. Until we have robot drivers.
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to
fill the world with fools.
- Herbert Spencer, 1820-1903
So, when you are trying to save men from the results of their own
mistakes, you are going too far. There are people who can operate a
vehicle and carry on a conversation. There are people who know their own
limits and do not attempt this. There are a lot of other variety of
people. A law is applied uniformally across the whole spectrum but no
law can make all men equal in this regard.
So, by imposing bans like this we are just taking away some part of
personal freedom, nothing more than that.
I'd really like to hear what my readers think about it. Do drop me a
line.
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