- Joined
- Dec 8, 2006
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- Libertarian - Left
Distracted driving is not on a par with drunken driving.
it is though. Just as dangerous, and aggregating to significant levels.
I understand. People use their phones, they cannot pretend they don't. They think "I use it responsibly", or "I only do it occasionally", or "I'd never do it in traffic". I'm sure many of the same excuses were used for drunk driving back in the day. But when one engages in the behavior, they don't want it punished severely because they don't want to face those ramifications. Whereas something they don't think they do, like driving drunk, they're more willing to overpunish and call for extreme measures.
The guy on his phone that t-bones the minivan, he's going to be on his phone again in the future. And it doesn't matter if those kids in that van were killed by a drunk or the guy on the phone...they're dead.
So yes, actions that are as dangerous as drunk driving and cause similar consequences should be punished similarly. I get that many of you are on your phones while driving and thus don't want this dangerous and easily avoided act to be heavily punished despite the fact that distracted driving accidents and fatalities are starting to rival DUI because you don't want to face the repercussions of the action. But they create the same dangers, they create accidents and fatalities just like drunk driving, and should thusly be punished similarly to drunk driving.