Going Over The Edge

While the political death match of the 2012 GOP presidential candidate nomination continues, we thought we might pull our attention today towards a slightly less distracting, but equally intense piece of news released earlier in the week.

In case you missed it, the NTSB - the National Transportation Safety Board - released an official recommendation earlier this week, calling for a blanket ban on the use of all cell phones and text message devices while driving. The instant the recommendation hit the news media, we began seeing a steady stream of e-mails, tweets and texts - some of them likely coming from people driving motor vehicles.

The NTSB's recommendation may seem like common sense, to a degree. After all, distracted drivers are more dangerous than those who are focused on driving. Multiple studies over many years have proven that to be true.

The sad thing is, the NTSB's recommendation appears to be based on a study with both questionable methodology and questionable findings.

In recent statistically significant studies from both the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and major auto insurer State Farm, about 60-to-70% of Americans admitted to talking on their cell phones while driving, while between 30 and 40% of Americans admitted to texting behind the wheel.

While the numbers may be staggering, the reaction by millions of Americans, on all sides, is a mix of understanding and horror. Americans seem to understand the statistics generated from distracted driving deaths and accidents - but they're horrified that a government agency could take away what they see as their right to do whatever they please behind the wheel.

Everyone has their own excuse, too, as to why they shouldn't have to give up their rights to mobile communication. From small business persons to law enforcement officers - some of whom now have cars that look like the cockpit of the Space Shuttle - most Americans believe their abilities to drive and communicate should allow them to avoid any kind of ban that might come from the recommendation of the NTSB.

Technically, the NTSB has no direct way to turn its recommendation into action. As an independent federal agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents and promoting transportation safety, the NTSB has no legislative powers at its disposal.

What it does have, however, is the ability to influence how Congress distributes money to the states for things like roads and bridges. In much the same way that the NTSB pushed states to adopt seat belt laws, and has pushed auto manufacturers to adopt higher safety standards, the NTSB has now publicly stated their intentions to put mobile communications in their influential crosshairs.

What they may find, however, is an automotive and telecommunications industry aligned together against them, along with millions of Americans - especially at the state level of politics - who have no intention of being silenced behind the wheel.

While we are firmly against texting and driving, and we tend to recommend hands free use of any mobile communication, we think the NTSB may have just driven this idea off the end of the proverbial cliff. The fact is, some people may actually be able to drive and hold a conversation. Unfortunately, far too many Americans are somehow allowed behind the wheel simply because they still have a pulse.

If the NTSB wants to put out blanket recommendations to encourage better safety on America's roads, they should start by putting forward tighter rules for who should be allowed behind the wheel in the first place.