Nevada – The Newest Nanny-state

Nevada has entered the anti-cell phone nanny-state after lawmakers in the Assembly approved a measure banning cell phone calling or texting while driving beginning July 1. The vote was 24-17 without debate on Senate Bill 140.

Disgusting!

Under the bill, drivers will be allowed to make calls if they use a “hands-free” system while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. A driver cause violating the law could be fined $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense and a possible six-month suspension of their driver’s license for a third offense.

So much for personal responsibility and that rugged sense of individualism Nevada was known for at one time.

There are exemptions, however to SB 140. Emergency personnel and law enforcement officers will be allowed to use a cell phone while on duty, and motorists would be permitted to place cell phone calls to report or request assistance for a medical emergency, a safety hazard or criminal activity.

As a former risk manager, I have to ask: Are they going to create cell phone safety courses for police, fire and ambulance personnel and how much will this cost Nevada taxpayers?

Strangely — language pertaining to this question is absent from SB 140.
Lauren Weinstein of People for Internet Responsibility says banning the use of cell phone while driving makes politicians feel good about themselves. However, he adds, there are no studies that show hand-held cell phones are any more or less distracting than “hands free” devices.

How long will it be before Nevada lawmakers decide it’s a good idea to ban the children sitting in the backseat — after all, they can be a distraction and cannot be rendered “hands-free,” much to the wish of some parents.