Conn to seize licence for repeat cell users

The Conn Legislature passed a measure which would now allow police officers to seize the driver’s licence for up to 24hrs for repeat cell phone offenders.  Apparently the fines were not enough to deter drivers from using the hand-held devices since their banned usage in 2005.

This is one of those Nanny State laws that bothers me.  People are distracted by all kinds of things, and now with the advent of the cell phone, it is just one more thing among the other distractions.  The number one distracted driving cause of accidents is due to something outside the vehicle, i.e, billboards, rubbernecking, changing radio, talking to other passengers.

Just the fact that phone use is something that can be done in a vehicle will cause those who cannot do two things at once to crash.  Given the exponential use of cell phones, and the number of cars on the road, if it were truly the safety hazard the government claims it is, people would be crashing uncontrollably.  The fact that there aren’t pile-ups at every intersection should be telling.

From 1990 to 2008, the number of cell phone subscribers increased more than 4900%, while the number of registered vehicles during the same period more than doubled.  If there was a correlation between cell phone use and traffic accidents, the number of accidents attributed to phone use ought to be through the roof.

As one State Legislator noted the irony, the state had just begun passing measures to decriminalize marijuana, but want to treat phone users like DUI suspects.  This is the epitome of a solution that is in desperate need of a problem.  At least the legislators have the soccer mom vote locked up.