Breathalyzers, Textalyzers and the Constitution

[Theodore]

Texting while driving is a real problem, it's beginning to take out more people than the Black Plague. I was stopped at red light in Peachtree City a little while ago, 1 in 4-5 was looking at their phone going thru the intersection. That means 25% of people driving are retarded
I think they should create a device that disables cell phones inside the vehicle

 

[IMaDad]

Texting while driving is a real problem, it's beginning to take out more people than the Black Plague. I was stopped at red light in Peachtree City a little while ago, 1 in 4-5 was looking at their phone going thru the intersection. That means 25% of people driving are retarded
I think they should create a device that disables cell phones inside the vehicle

maybe they can make it illegal to drive. Just automated drone cars for all.
For "safety"

 

[rbstern]

I work from home, so I am not out driving much during business hours. But, the days where I have to go to a meeting in Atlanta, I am shocked at how many people I see playing with their phones in both bumper-to-bumper traffic and at high speed. Incredibly dangerous.

I am not in favor of removing liberty to increase safety in such matters, so I don't support giving devices to the police that violate Constitutional guarantees, but I am in favor of vigorous prosecution using traditional police tools. For example, when you are driving down the highway, you should have no expectation of visual privacy from an outside observer who can see into your automobile, including the government. If they want to install high res cameras on the highways, and use those images as evidence to establish probably cause and investigate people for texting while driving, I am fine with that, as long as they don't use those images to track movements beyond such specific instances.

 

[Theodore]

maybe they can make it illegal to drive. Just automated drone cars for all.
For "safety"

I guess if you text while driving then you defend texting while driving, other people be damned. You'd like it over in England, they're really into emotions and not offending people

 

[rbstern]

I guess if you text while driving then you defend texting while driving, other people be damned. You'd like it over in England, they're really into emotions and not offending people

He's not saying that. He's advocating people being responsible for their behavior, without increasing the police power of the state to the point where it violates Constitutional guarantees. Something I happen to agree with.

By your logic, restaurants with parking lots shouldn't have a license to serve alcohol, lest people DUI.

We could extend this logic to carrying guns. Carrying a gun gives the wielder the ability to cause grave injury and take lives. Should guns be confiscated, or do we trust people to behave properly with guns?

In the end, responsibility still rests with the individual.

 

[JamesG]

In the end, we have too many stupid people that screw it up for the rest of us.

I guess if you text while driving then you defend texting while driving, other people be damned. You'd like it over in England, they're really into emotions and not offending people

But personal rights and freedom, not so much. That got beat out of the people by various feudal lords centuries ago.

 

[sublimebeer]

I use Gps and Pandora often. What's to say I wasn't using those apps?

 

[JamesG]

I use Gps and Pandora often. What's to say I wasn't using those apps?

 

[NWSharpshooter]

I use Gps and Pandora often. What's to say I wasn't using those apps?

Those are illegal as well. Anything you do with your phone while operating a motor vehicle is illegal outside of making or receiving phone calls.

 

[sublimebeer]

Those are illegal as well. Anything you do with your phone while operating a motor vehicle is illegal outside of making or receiving phone calls.

So you are telling me that if my phone in on a windshield mount and I'm using GPS I am breaking the law? Further more my stereo in my car is Bluetooth. I stream music and the voice from the gps over the speakers. If that is illegal then I am going to loose my license. What about if I am using the satellite to stream tv for the kids.