Cells block

The new no-cell-phone-while-driving law is in effect in California, and from the way in which it has been touted, it should solve a wide range of social ills, including slow sales in hands-free cell devices and accessories.

The problem with this law is that it goes after the visible effects of cell phone use in a car. Things like holding a cell phone, dialing a cell phone and dropping a cell phone on the floorboard in heavy traffic all become conspicuous, and suspicious, actions.

While diving down to the floor to search for a dropped phone while trying maintain control of a car is a stupid and dangerous thing to do, the other two simply are dexterous activities, much like the act of driving a car. It's true that hands should be on the wheel, but oftentimes they are pulled away from their duties to shift gears, change radio stations, and adjust the cabin temperature. In other words, hands were moving around from their appointed post long before cell phones.

This law does not go after what is at the true heart of the distraction: the engagement in a two-way conversation with one person not present. Phone conversations have a zone-out effect on people, an effect that does not seem happen in face-to-face interactions. This effect is not limited by hands-free devices, which do nothing to limit the distraction of the one-person-present-two-way conversation.

Rather than encourage drivers to put down the phone all together while driving, we have enacted a law that gives law enforcement another ticket into our cars. Not to say that this is what they wanted because that would be overtly cynical, but this law will benefit them much more than us. This law will be another crow bar law, prying the door open to escalating offenses.

If we really are looking to make a difference, I suggest police go after bad drivers in general and not drivers holding a phone to their heads. Much like the distractions that have kept our hands busy while driving long before cell phones, bad driving didn't start as soon as cell phones arrived to allow us to communicate any pointless thought with rampant immediacy. Again, it seems like we're "solving" the wrong problem with this law.

Congratulations California: We lead the nation in minor bull-shit laws that an infraction of can end in a major headache.