LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Education is solution to distracted drivers, not new laws

Are we really thinking about making texting while driving a federal crime? Why stop with texting? Why not outlaw drive-up windows at fast food joints and coffee shops? Why not outlaw children younger than the age of 10 in motor vehicles, because they can REALLY be distracting? Why not outlaw radios/CD players in motor vehicles? Does anyone think passing a federal law will change behavior?

Prohibition sure worked well, didn’t it? Are the federal courts underworked? Does Congress have any more important issues to resolve? Do we want the FBI tracking down texters? Maybe we could redirect the NSA to intercept all text messages and determine who was texting while driving, instead of who is planning to bomb a public facility.

We should all applaud the efforts of people like Michael Bailey for trying to make a difference. The solution to this problem, like so many others, is education, not new laws.

Ken Pickering
Florence