Legislators should listen to clear signal on cell phones

The public wants a tougher law

By: Opinion | Hickory Daily Record
Published: February 28, 2010

HICKORY --

Do you have a horror story about a near-collision with a driver talking on a cell phone?

Of course you do. Everyone does.

You've also watched in amazement as some cell-phone-wielding dingbat climbed a curb while trying to turn a sharp corner with just one hand on the wheel.

Legislators have apparently believed that because of their vast numbers, cell-phone-calling drivers were in the majority and wanted to maintain their perceived right to drive like idiots.

Well, they would be wrong. As far back as 2003, when cell phone use had gone completely mainstream, drivers were acknowledging that they had developed dangerous driving habits.

Two years ago, a poll showed 56 percent of drivers admitted using a cell phone while driving without using a headset.

And forget the stereotype of the cell-phone-armed soccer mom. Sixty percent of men interviewed said they used a cell phone while driving, compared with 53 percent of women. Fifty percent of the men said they made a daily habit of it.

A new Mason-Dixon Poll shows that 90 percent of voters are in favor of laws restricting cell phone use while driving.

As of Dec. 1 of last year, drivers in North Carolina can no longer text while driving. A mere 10 percent of those polled recently say they felt the texting law is all that is needed.

So what does it take to pass legislation banning hand-held cell phone use while driving? Aren't such laws years overdue?

What legislator is going to oppose such a bill?

This isn't a Democrat issue or a Republican one. It's neither conservative nor liberal. There are no shadings or nuance here; the language should be as simple as common sense.

Are the legislators on the pocket of the cell phone lobby? Doubtful. Even the cell phone industry knows better than to oppose such laws.

There's no courage or daring needed here. Our legislators know the practice is dangerous, and now they know that their constituents want them to do something about it.

Here's a shout-out to state Reps. Mark Hilton, Mitchell Setzer and Ray Warren, as well as state Sen. Austin Allran: The next session of the General Assembly is coming up in a couple of months. Make this your first order of business.