In the early going, it seems as if some form of a texting-while-driving-limit bill could happen. One possible–politically pragmatic–scenario: Making distracted driving a secondary offense and allowing texting in hands-off, high-tech cars. The rationale: Road-safety bills remain touchy issues in Tallahassee. So, why not get what you can this year? Something is better than nothing. Then, perhaps, next year the compromise bill can be revisited and maybe toughened.
Yes, a compromise is better than no action–if those must be the lone options. But hands-off texting is not attention-on driving, which should be the goal of any legislation. People will still die unnecessarily as a result of low-focused drivers in high-tech cars. But not as many as might have been the case. What’s fewer lives saved when progress can be claimed?