Cell phone use in cars is a safety — not civil liberties — issue

The Weatherbird chats on his cell phone while driving.———

The car that I drive here – which is pretty average by American standards – is much safer than the pretty average Malaysian car I have back home.

My Ford Taurus here is more stable, has more control and better brakes than my Proton Iswara back home. Most importantly, unlike my Proton, it has driver and front-passenger airbags.

The roads here also are less frenetic than what I’m used to in Malaysia. I’ve spent time at Atlanta, Kansas City, Columbia, Carbondale and St. Louis so far, and the drivers here generally are calmer and more placid than my fellow Malaysians.

Most people are patient, obey traffic laws and show a general sense of courtesy I wish my countrymen would adopt.

That’s why the ongoing debate about cell phone usage by drivers bewilders me.

I find it amazing that the issue actually is up for debate and that there actually are people who advocate texting and the usage of cell phones without hands-free kits by drivers.

The Missouri Legislature’s refusal to enact a texting ban, instead choosing to limit it to drivers under the age of 22, was amazingly wishy-washy. What were they trying to say? That it’s only those under that age cap who’d be distracted by a mobile phone? The passage of that law seems to defy all logic.

Also, that people are turning this into a civil liberties debate is fascinating. This is a phenomenon that, during 2006 and 2007, resulted in 25 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries in Missouri alone.

It’s hard to see how some people can construe attempts to ensure such tragedies don’t recur as a way for the government to infringe on their personal freedom.

Malaysia – where drivers have comparatively barbaric attitudes on the roads – more than 10 years ago enacted laws punishing drivers who text or make calls without using hands-free kits. These punishments range from monetary penalties to revocation of licenses and even to jail terms in extreme cases of reckless driving.

Enforcement is tight, with police setting up roadblocks every now and then to nab errant motorists who immediately are slapped with a hefty fine.

Yes, it is a pain to constantly plug uncomfortable hands-free kits in our ears and not be able to read or reply the text messages that come in while we’re behind the wheel. And yes, there are still yahoos who ignore the laws and continue to use their cellphones as they like.

Yet, nobody has bothered making a case for ‘individual freedoms’ when it comes to using a cell phone in the car. Nobody has argued that these laws intrude on the individual’s right to talk in his vehicle when he wants to.

This isn’t a debate about civil liberties and personal freedoms. It’s an issue of road safety. It’s an issue that involves the lives and well-being of every person who uses the road. Because the lives of the road users around us are dependent on how careful and conscientious we are behind the wheel.

Besides, it’s not very hard to pull over or wait till we get to our destination before answering that text message.

Tags: cell phones, culture, driving, law enforcement, safety, texting


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