Comment Re:The usual response (Score 2) 738
So, it's perfectly acceptable to drive a 4,000 pound piece of metal at an unsafe speed, while impaired, as long as you don't hurt anybody? That's so stupid. Following your logic, my grandfather is legally blind, so he should be allowed to drive as long as he doesn't kill anybody. You ignore the fact that driving is a privilege, not a right; if you break the rules of the road, you no longer have the privilege of using those roads. The license program, however flawed it may be, is there for a reason. You also ignore the fact that driving is an inherently dangerous activity, and plenty of stone-sober people die every day while completely focused on driving. It's a chunk of metal, hurtling down a stone path that isn't much wider than the car itself, with only minimal contact with the stopping surface, operated with barely any coordination.
I'm of the opinion that if you get caught driving under the influence, you should lose your license for no less than 5 years, have to go through a rehabilitation course, attend the funeral of at least one drunk driving victim, and pay a hefty fine. I also have zero problem with police hanging out in a bar parking lot, giving breathalizers at random. If you're drunk, call a cab.
As far as cell phones go, they're not nearly as impairing as alcohol. Almost every phone made today has a speakerphone feature. Nearly every phone also has a headset attachment. Hell, some of the headsets don't need to even be attached. I think that it should be OK to pull drivers over for having a cell phone on their head, just like it's OK to pull you over if the cop doesn't see the seatbelt on your shoulder. It takes one hand away from the activity of driving. Even if you normally drive with one hand, it's still a major physical and mental distraction to keep your arm in that position.
I'm of the opinion that if you get caught driving under the influence, you should lose your license for no less than 5 years, have to go through a rehabilitation course, attend the funeral of at least one drunk driving victim, and pay a hefty fine. I also have zero problem with police hanging out in a bar parking lot, giving breathalizers at random. If you're drunk, call a cab.
As far as cell phones go, they're not nearly as impairing as alcohol. Almost every phone made today has a speakerphone feature. Nearly every phone also has a headset attachment. Hell, some of the headsets don't need to even be attached. I think that it should be OK to pull drivers over for having a cell phone on their head, just like it's OK to pull you over if the cop doesn't see the seatbelt on your shoulder. It takes one hand away from the activity of driving. Even if you normally drive with one hand, it's still a major physical and mental distraction to keep your arm in that position.
