Letter to the Editor

Your view: Driving distractions

Monday, June 11, 2007

Mr. Juden's research is correct that no Missouri cities have prohibited the use of cell phones while driving. Handsfree or not, talking to someone while driving is a distraction. Would this ordinance apply to taxi drivers using their communications to converse with their office? Truck drivers on CB radios? Would it apply to the police using radios to communicate to the dispatcher or other cars? Farmers or private band business radios? These actions require reaching for a hand held, click to activate, microphone to speak, requiring more concentration and movement than a cell phone.

If we go this far, distractive conversation in the car should be researched further. To friends in cars, where your head turns away from the road to face your companion in conversation. Distractive songs on the radio. Maybe carpools should be confined to one person.

Ms. Rodgers can't see why a phone call would be so important while you are driving. Her business must not depend upon being available to customers at any time, but many business people are dependent on just such means to maintain their livelihood.

Although, some throughout the country have adopted such laws, I think there is a reason no other Missouri city has adopted such measures.... It is an unfair, biased look at cell phone use. Everyone has been upset with some jerk on a cell phone that can't drive while talking on a cell phone, the phone gives us a target for our anger. It is just as upsetting when the same jerk still can't drive, but we have nothing to blame it on. It's another case of the problems of a few, dictate the wants and needs of the many.

D. U. Millingstone