Yet another new law we don't need

Politicians want to make it look like they are doing something in the name of safety, so they are about to create a new law that isn't needed. We have laws against careless and reckless driving. We have laws against crossing the double yellow line. We have laws against felonious driving, tailgating, speeding, and everything else. If someone is dumb enough to text and drive, he'll be breaking some other law at some point.

From the Detroit News

Lansing -- Michigan is closer to outlawing texting at the wheel with the Senate's passage Thursday of a no-texting law-- but the House and Senate remain divided over how to enforce a ban.

The House passed a ban on texting while driving as a secondary offense, meaning police could only enforce it if drivers are pulled over for something else -- like speeding or an illegal turn.

The Senate amended the House bill to make it a primary offense, meaning police could pull a driver over for texting at the wheel without another offense. It's up to the House to agree to the change, or the two chambers will have to work out a compromise.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100325/POLITICS02/3250476/1409/metro#ixzz0jaY1LvDv

This is the interesting part. Primary v secondary.

AAA Michigan, Allstate and other auto insurers have called for a texting ban. Officials with the Michigan State Police have said they would prefer that texting be a primary offense

Of course they want a primary offense classification. More money for the coffers. This is not about safety, but more tickets.

The votes in the house (secondary offense) is 105-2, with Geiss and Bledsoe voting no. Geiss voted no because he thought it should be a primary offense. The senate bill passed. 22-10. The no votes are Bishop, Jansen, Nofs, Sanborn, Brown, Kuipers ,Patterson, Stamas, Garcia, McManus, Richardville. I think the only controversey within the group is primary v secondary. I hope it doesn't pass, because new laws aren't needed.

Texting while driving. We don't need more laws.

This is in the Argus. Good intentions, but I don't support it.

Reading, writing or sending text messages while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle would be banned in Michigan under legislation approved by a House committee this morning.
Responding to concerns about the potential for overly-zealous enforcement, however, the legislation was scaled back from its original version and would not allow police officers to base a traffic stop on suspected texting alone.

Violating the prohibition would be a civil infraction, punishable by fines of about $100 and would not result in penalty points on an operators license.

Rep. Lee Gonzales, D-Flint, said Michigan needs to move quickly to join nearly two dozen other states which have banned texting while driving, a practice he said is “worse than drunk driving.”

I can't support this. I'll give Gonzales some credit for scaling this back from being a primary offense and points so it isn't as bad as it was, but we have too many laws as it is. The problem in today's society is that too many people, especially on traffic matters say that there ought to be another law. Both parties are equally guilty in this area.

Texting while driving is dumb. I don't do it, and don't think others should do it. However, should it be illegal? Or should dangerous driving be illegal - which it already is. Current laws already rectify the problems that can be caused from texting and driving.

Reckless Driving:
1) A person who drives a vehicle upon a highway or a frozen public lake, stream, or pond or other place open to the general public, including, but not limited to, an area designated for the parking of motor vehicles, in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.
(2) A person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.

Felonious Driving
257.626c Operation of vehicle on highway or public place; conduct as felony; penalty.
Sec. 626c.
A person who operates a vehicle upon a highway or other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles, including an area designated for the parking of vehicles, carelessly and heedlessly in willful and wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others, or without due caution and circumspection and at a speed or in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger any person or property resulting in a serious impairment of a body function of a person, but does not cause death, is guilty of felonious driving punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.

Careless Driving
257.626b Careless or negligent operation of vehicle as civil infraction.
Sec. 626b.
A person who operates a vehicle upon a highway or a frozen public lake, stream, or pond or other place open to the general public including an area designated for the parking of vehicles in a careless or negligent manner likely to endanger any person or property, but without wantonness or recklessness, is responsible for a civil infraction.

Tailgating.
(1) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the highway.

Turn Signals are the law. Impeding traffic is against the law.  Crossing the double yellow line is against the law. All these things are common when drivers are texting instead of looking at the road. We have enough laws. We don't need more laws.