Chan Lowe cartoon: Texting and driving
I have a friend who takes a Darwinian view of people who do dangerous things.
For example, whenever she reads of some hothead on a crotch-rocket who has had a one-vehicle collision with a tree--or a wall--she says, "Natural selection. Not meant to reproduce."
One could put texting while driving in the same category, and just dismiss it as another one of those harmful behaviors--like eating fast-food burgers and fries--that Americans love to defend as their God-given right, except for the fact that the compulsive texter may be entering the same intersection at the same time you are from the other direction.
Then, things get personal. Moreover, there's the insurance argument: Why should those of us who don't even know how to send a text message (and I'm proud to say I'm one of them) subsidize the multi-taskers who place everyone's lives in jeopardy to stay connected?
I read that devices are being sold in Utah (where TWD is now illegal) to disable cell phone signals in the car to prevent the driver from texting and calling while the engine is running. I can see why parents would want one of these things for their teenage kids, but apparently a lot of drivers install them for their own use, because they just can't keep themselves from doing it, even though they know it's dangerous.
Sounds familiar. Mothers Against Texting Drivers, where are you?
CHAN LOWE has been the Sun Sentinel’s first and only editorial cartoonist for the past twenty-six years. Before that, he worked as cartoonist and writer for the Oklahoma City Times and the Shawnee (OK) News-Star.
Comments
I'm ok with he natural selection argument. I don't text. I see the good uses for this technology but I haven't embraced it just yet. I think that there needs to be some serious consequences put forth to prevent people from doing this. Maybe $1000 fine if you cause an accident because you were texting while driving. It'll be hard to prove (maybe caught on a traffic camera) but putting the word out there of $1000 fine might just prevent someone from doing this. High School driver's ed classes will need to revamp that old film that we watched where they show mutilated and/or dead bodies who were killed by reckless drivers. Or perhaps insurance companies need to build the language into their policies that if you get ticketed for driving while texting after causing an accident, you won't be covered. The insurance company will still help the person you hurt but you are SOL and on your own.
Posted by: good driver | October 1, 2009 4:52 PM
Just as I'm infavor of compulsory helmets on motorcyclers because their head injuries drive all our hospital and insurance costs up, I'm in favor of some means of disabling cellphones when the car is not in idle.
Posted by: Jeff Seitelman | October 1, 2009 7:50 PM
Hey Chan, where's his seatbelt?
Posted by: COP | October 2, 2009 8:18 AM
so you don't know how to text mr lowe. just when i thought i was the only neanderthal left. i am the only person i know without a cell phone. texting is out of the question. anybody engaged in any distration while driving should be pulled out of their car and horsewhipped
Posted by: ron wilson | June 8, 2010 1:46 PM