Tag Archives: texting

Michigan’s texting law again…

Well…I just can’t let this one go…you all know about the new law in Michigan that makes texting while driving a primary offense…that means that the police can stop anyone they “suspect” of sending or reading texts, or reading e-mail while driving. While this sounds like a good idea to some folks given some highly publicized accidents that have happened while the drivers were texting, let’s look at exactly what that means. What are the actions that would make you a suspect? Basically, anything that you do in the car now makes you liable to be pulled over. I have an MP-3 player that is attached to the stereo in my car that any officer can say looks like a phone if I’m looking at it to change the music. What if I’m looking at maps that I need to get where I’m going…how can they see in my car to see that it is a map and not a phone…and what about the smartphones that many people use instead of maps? What about the handheld gps systems that can be mistaken for a phone? What about ford’s Sync system that can provide e-mails to be read in the car? Which, under this law is illegal. I’d be selling my Ford right away.

That said, I do believe that when you are in the car, you should be driving; not talking on the phone, eating, reading, or putting on makeup.

Where are the Repubs who are howling that the healthcare bill is a direct attack on their freedoms when this bill is so much more of a direct attack on the fourth amendment and the guarantee of protection from unreasonable search and seizures?

And, let’s think of the primary driving force behind this bill; the insurance companies who have spent millions lobbying for it’s passage. The reason for this is, as the police write tickets for this offense, guess who gets to raise the rates of people that have been ticketed? Given the history of police departments abusing the powers granted to them by vague laws, do we expect any different here? Geez….

texting, driving, and the police

There’s been an interesting development here in Michigan in regard to texting while driving. There are bills in the legislature that, with the urging of many police departments, would make texting while driving a primary offense; meaning that the police could pull over any motorist if they suspect they are texting. Does anyone else see the potential for abuse here? It’s the same old dodge they have been using for years, similar to “you have a burnt out taillight” or a similar car has been used in a crime, that has led many overzealous officials down the path of gutting the 4th amendments protections against illegal search. Fortunately, at least at this early date, there will still be a requirement to get a warrant to actually look at the device in question. But a police chief quoted in today’s “Detroit News” has said that his officers will be instructed to ask to look at every phone and I fear that most people will not know that it is their right to refuse. Now, don’t get me wrong, being a police officer is many times a thankless, dangerous job, and I support them when they follow the rules like you and I have to, and I agree distracted driving is a problem that needs to be solved. But to give the police the power to pull over any motorist that they suspect may be texting (how about all Fords that have Sync installed) is too large of an intrusion given that the number of accidents in most of the country are declining. Just my opinion…