[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Here's what I'd like to know - since the inception of the text message, has the accident rate in the USA actually increased? A quick search on the NHTSA website shows that both the number of fatal accidents and the rate of fatal accidents per miles traveled in 2009 were the lowest number in 15 years, well before the text message.

The fact is, as long as you have people driving cars you are going to have accidents. As long as our DMVs are willing to give anyone with a pulse a driver's license, you are going to have lots of accidents. If it's not a text message it is some other form of stupidity distracting an already bad driver and causing an accident. As usual the government is addressing a symptom to try and show action, instead of addressing the root cause.

Years ago I did a high school paper comparing the fatality rate on the German Autobahn with the fatality rate on the US Interstate system. Despite our interstates then being limited to 65 MPH and much of the Autobahn being unlimited (at the time), the fatality rates were nearly identical. Research indicated that much of the credit was due to the higher standards in Germany to earn a driver's license.

But God forbid we fix the issue at hand. Lets put laws on the books that allow the police to fine you based on a visual observation and not require any proof on their part. Lets give the police another open-ended excuse to pull over drivers. Lets allow further government invasion into our privacy by allowing them to browse through the personal information on our phones and phone records. The government is here to help, right?

Here here! I don't text and drive, but leave my damn phone and car alone.