As a lawyer and an urban pedestrian, let me say this about that:
1. Cell phone use while driving is something done in public. It is not shielded from view, as it is done in a car full of windows. It is not, therefore, a private activity.
2. It’s one law that is so flagrantly and commonly violated it’s not even funny. Even here in Chicago, where we’re theoretically serious about our cell phone while driving law, I’d say a good 10-15% of motorists are yacking away as they drive. Some kind of enforcement, at least for a time, while people get the message that this is illegal and a bad idea to boot, seems thoroughly appropriate.
2 Comments
“YOU! Winston, 74239!…”
As a lawyer and an urban pedestrian, let me say this about that:
1. Cell phone use while driving is something done in public. It is not shielded from view, as it is done in a car full of windows. It is not, therefore, a private activity.
2. It’s one law that is so flagrantly and commonly violated it’s not even funny. Even here in Chicago, where we’re theoretically serious about our cell phone while driving law, I’d say a good 10-15% of motorists are yacking away as they drive. Some kind of enforcement, at least for a time, while people get the message that this is illegal and a bad idea to boot, seems thoroughly appropriate.