DRIVING WHILE DISTRACTED, SMOKING WHEN GAMBLING. Two Vice Stories

CELL PHONES AND CARS

United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is on a rampage to ban all cell phone use while driving. If that is not enough, he even wants passengers to be prevented from making a call. He is lobbying for devices to be installed in cars that will disable cell phone usage. LaHood has called distracted driving an “epidemic” and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that about 5,000 people a year die as a result of it.

In 2008, the NHTSA reported a total of 37,261 vehicle fatalities. Of those, 13,846 were alcohol-related. Why isn’t LaHood talking about installing BAIIDs (BREATH ALCOHOL IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE) in all cars? A BAIID measures a driver’s sobriety. According to the website of the Illinois Secretary of State, “The device requires an initial blow from the driver to start the car. Following that, the device will require breath samples at random intervals throughout the drivers trip. Thus, preventing someone else from blowing into the machine to get the car started.”

“There’s a lot of technology out there now that can disable phones and we’re looking at that,” said LaHood on MSNBC. LaHood said the cell phone scramblers were one way, and also stressed the importance of “personal responsibility.”

Well, we have the technology to prevent anyone from ever driving while alcohol impaired so why aren’t we using that technology? Almost three times as many people die as a result of alcohol related car crashes than do in distracted driving crashes.

Sandra D. Bruce, Assistant Inspector General of the U.S. Energy Department released a report Monday that the Tribune said, “showed that government agents hired to drive nuclear weapons and components in trucks sometimes got drunk while on convoy missions, including an incident last year when two agents were detained by police at a local bar during one.”  Now that’s really scary distracted driving!

Why stop at banning cell phones? As U.S. Sec. of Transportation, you would think LaHood would look into other means, not just banning "one" distraction. What about talking, playing the radio or Ipod, shaving, putting on make-up, eating, looking at the GPS screen, talking to the passenger(s), yelling at the kid(s)?

I have the perfect solution. Let’s just ban driving and then there will be ZERO traffic fatalities a year!

SMOKING WHILE GAMBLING

Illinois has lost about $500 million just in the last two years to competition from neighboring states where smoking is allowed in casinos. A measure to exempt the state's casinos from the smoking ban passed the House Executive Committee last week on a 9-1 vote. Several of the “yes'' votes noted that they have a problem with the bill and were merely voting to send it on for a full floor debate. It now goes to the entire House.

HB1846, House Amendment 1, would re-allow smoking in the state's casinos, “if smoking is not banned in gaming facilities located in the nearest neighboring state.'' All the usual suspects, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the Illinois Department of Public Health, argued against the amendment. What I found amusing was that they were against the bill not only for health reasons, but that the exception would be unfair to bars and others that would still be under the smoking ban. Talk about trying to cover your ass!

I smoke and it is a filthy habit. But I do smoke. I gamble also and I have not been in an Illinois casino in years.

I get to Horseshoe Casino in Indiana by driving there. So if LaHood bans all driving, I won’t be able to get there. Both problems solved!