NTSB: The politics of Distracted Driving

I saw a news report stating that the NTSB wants to ban the use of all electronics while driving and one story in USA Today shows the sorry state of our society, as well as journalists.

These two paragraphs show it all from the article NTSB: All states should ban cellphone use while driving

Schatz's truck was then rear-ended by a school bus, which was rear-ended by another school bus. The buses, which investigators found had brake problems, carried members of the John F. Hodge High School band. A student, Jessica Brinker, 15, who sat in the last row of the first bus, died in the crash.

"Two lives lost in the blink of an eye," said Deborah Hersman, the board chairman. "No call, no text, no update is worth a life."

Another article, which does not mention the details of the buses:

Feds propose a total cellphone ban for drivers

So, one person is texting while driving and manages to kill himself. The two buses hit him, not because of the use of electronics, but because of bad brakes. Yes, two buses with students, both with bad brakes and the issues is with the person who first crashed who was using a cell phone, not two buses which could not stop.

I have participated in the discussion of cell phones and distacted driving in the past and it is quite interesting. Those that want to ban cell phone use tend to be hypocrites. The reason for this is that they don't want to ban their distractions and claim that their distractions can't be eliminated. Often their distractions are children, pets and other things. Anyone who is getting distracted while driving should safely pull over and stop, especially if they have children.

People need to know their limits. If they can't safely drive, they shouldn't. If their children are a distraction, then they should hire a driver, such as a taxi or a bus, to transport them to keep everyone safe. I am sure that some would respond that it is not reasonable to say that parents with distracting children should hire a driver, but then it shows that money is more of a concern that the lives of others or even of their own children. The real issue should be distacted drivers, not one targeted specific item.

Where is the outrage from the NTSB regarding two buses with bad brakes carrying children? Why do they use this to attack cell phone use instead of showing that the NTSB has serious issues ensuring the safety of school buses.

For the record, I don't tend to talk on the cell phone while driving because my priority is driving, so I do a poor job of talking on the phone.