Legislators who, as the State House News Service reported last week, "are set to close January without finishing work on any major new laws," don't want their constituents to think they're lazy. So the Committee on Transportation has once again trotted out a bill that would ban the use of handheld phones while driving.
Never mind that a similar ban on texting while driving — a truly dangerous activity — has proven virtually unenforceable. The joint House-Senate committee voted 8-0 last week to endorse legislation that would force drivers to install hands-free devices in their cars or forgo the use of their phones altogether.
The House has backed such legislation in the past, but it was defeated by a 16-18 vote in the Senate the last time it came up in 2010. However, support appears to be growing for a bill that would turn tens of thousands of motorists into scofflaws, yet would likely be enforced haphazardly, if at all.
The National Transportation Safety Board has proposed a ban on all electronic devices in cars, which some might interpret to mean GPS units and radios should be forbidden, as well. Use of any of these can be a distraction, but then so can sipping a cup of coffee or daydreaming while behind the wheel. Fortunately, no one at the Statehouse has proposed going that far — yet.
Driving responsibly is the obligation of every motorist, but as state Rep. Brad Hill, R-Ipswich, told reporter Ethan Forman, you can't legislate common sense. You can, however, increase the fines for those found guilty of driving negligently for any reason, which in our view would be a more effective deterrent.
Our guess is that if Beacon Hill could come up with a way to tax people who talk on the phone while driving, that would be the preferred route. The state makes money already by taxing another unhealthy habit, smoking, after all, and Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed imposing a similar fee on those unable to resist candy or sweetened beverages.
Why not take a different tack altogether and offer a tax break to those who equip their cars for hands-free calling? Unfortunately, this is a Legislature that is much more comfortable intruding on people's rights than lowering their taxes.
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
Hurricane Forecast: 15 Named Storms Expected
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking
Search Intensifies for Missing Louisiana Woman
Bloomberg: Man Implicates Self in Etan Patz Case
NYPD: Person Implicated in Etan Patz Death
Raw Video: Fire on Nuke-powered Sub in Maine
Illegal Burn Suspected in Nevada Fire
Obama: 'We've Got More Work to Do'
Astrologers Predict Outcome of Presidential Race
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK
FAMU Bandmates: Victim Volunteered to Be Hazed
Raw Video: Bride Who Faked Cancer Released
Raw Video: Tornado Appears During Wedding
Raw Video: Passed Out Man Robbed
Inquiry Hears Wider Secret Service Misbehavior
HP to Cut 27,000 Jobs, Save Up to $3.5B
