Don't just blame the cell phones

Another community just passed an ordinance to ban the use of cell phones while driving a vehicle. The reason continues to be that such devices are distractions to driving and have been found to be the root cause of many motor vehicle accidents.

To date, however, no fingers have been pointed at the automobile industry for all the distractive toys they are installing in cars these days, from GPS mapping systems, to SYNC and MP3 connections, to DVD players and sophisticated HVAC systems. The cockpits in our luxury cars are loaded with enough stuff that stacks up to a commercial airplane.

Cell phones are getting all the blame when a lot of the technology distractions are built into the cars themselves. Perhaps we need laws to require co-pilots (co-drivers) to assist in operating all the equipment on board, or a simply flashing sign that lights up proclaiming "ON THE PHONE, PROCEED WITH CAUTION."

Gary A Lichthardt

Elgin