If texting should be outlawed, what about....

SO, today I heard about it again, and had to rant...the State of Illinois wants to make texting while driving illegal. Good idea? Sure. But, honestly, I want to get down to the REAL nitty gritty. The rationale - Texting while driving is a distraction, and driving distractions should be eliminated so the driver can keep his/her attention on the road. So, then let's examine all things distracting that should be outlawed...that is, if all things distracting should be outlawed. (All of the following items have been personally experienced by me...a guilty party.)

Talking on a cell phone. - Oh, sure, in Chicago cell phone users must use a hands-free device while driving. I always thought this was stupid. Here's the real truth about why talking on a cell phone has not been outlawed, and why the hands-free law was enacted...
When you really think about it, cell phone using drivers don't hit people and things, and run stop signs because they didn't have both hands on the wheel. They do it because their reaction time is delayed. Why is reaction time delayed? No, not because you need time to put that other hand on the wheel. (Proof? People with one arm are allowed to receive and maintain a driver's license.) It's because the PHONE CALL is the distraction. I know, I know...some of you are saying, "Nu-uh! I'm not distracted when I'm on the phone." Well, I talk on my cell phone, while driving, on almost a daily basis. I've given this some REAL thought. Yes, I have driven through an intersection, more than once, and afterward though to myself..."hmmmm, I must have thought that light was green, or I wouldn't have gone through it, but I don't really remember." You have too. Admit it.
But, here's a better way to express what I'm talking about. When we have a conversation, we form a picture in our mind to better understand what the other is talking about. Let's say you're talking to a woman about what she did last night. If she said, "I went out with the girls.", then that's easy. But by the nature of conversation, she is more likely to add, "I wore that red dress. You know, the one with the halter top. It has that cute ruffle at the bottom. I really like it because it's so short and sassy. Oh, and I was wearing those big silver earrings, and those black patent leather spikes! And you should have seen my hair! I had it cut yesterday! It's really short now. Seriously short! And if that's not enough of a change, I dyed it really blond!" You get it? This whole time you have been imagining your friend in your head. Then you had to add earrings, spike heels, and a whole new hair style. THAT, my friends, is why you are distracted. And you ARE distracted.
So, why hasn't talking on a cell phone while driving been outlawed? Because those who make the law, want to use cell phones while they drive! One step further...they know it's a distraction, and want to look like they are concerned and are trying to make the roads safer, so they settle to make a law that says you have to use a hands-free device. There, tax-paying voter, did that make you happy? Notice how we don't hear anything much about talking-and-driving now that texting related accidents have been in the news? Phone addicted politicians everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief...something else has diverted your attention.

Bill boards. - Some time ago, in our area, sparkly moving outdoor advertising was made illegal. Too much of a distraction, they said. Those sparkles and shiny things can really distract a driver (?). Now our gambling river boat in East Peoria has a very boring sign. You could miss it if you aren't looking for it. Car dealerships are taking a risk when they put balloons on their front line of cars on the lot, too. Woo! Too distracting. Well, have you ever driven the speedway up north they call the toll road? Or for that matter, any 8 lane highway up near Chicago? Big crazy billboards everywhere! On those roads, where your attention is needed the most, there's no limit to the shape, content, or otherwise of billboards. And they change on a regular basis, from advertiser to advertiser...so don't start thinking, "you get used to them and don't notice them anymore". If you DID "get used to them", advertisers wouldn't spend millions on them every year.
So, why aren't billboards outlawed? I dunno. I can speculate about a hundred reasons, but I don't have THAT much space. But, if all things that distract a driver should be outlawed, why not billboards?

-Smoking in your car. This is even more dangerous, in my opinion, than using one hand to talk on the phone (if one hand off the wheel WAS the problem). For instance... if you see an accident coming, you can drop the phone. No problem. If you're smoking, well, just dropping the cigarette could lead to other problems, from a simple burn, to worsening the situation in catastrophic ways. Also, if, while driving along, your cell phone slides to the floor, you have (and should take) the opportunity to get control of the car, yourself, and the situation before you reach for it. Most people who drop a lit cigarette don't have much time to think before they go scrambling for that fiery inferno that's about to burn the seat...or their leg.

-Radios. I sing to the radio, dance to the radio, radio surf to find a better station, and, while listening to talk radio, I even talk and yell at the radio.

-Balloons. Have you ever tried to transport a balloon bouquet to a birthday party? OMG! Totally distracting. AND blocks your vision!

-Dogs in the car. This one is a double dip! Dogs move about the vehicle too much. You have to take that one hand off the wheel to pet them to calm them down, too. AND, when another driver sees your cute pooch with his head out the window and his tongue blowing in the wind...now YOU are distracting OTHER drivers!

-Kids in the car. Boy, you talk about distracting. This goes all the way from newborn to teenager. You start out being distracted to see why the baby is crying, getting them what they need to stop the crying, and then to see why the baby IS so quiet. Then, you go to the stage where you are reaching in the backseat to hand your toddler a Teddy Graham, then yelling at two kids for fighting with each other, then, in my case, having fun and laughing along with them. Kids are VERY distracting.

-Hot road construction workers. All good looking, tan and/or muscular DOT workers should be taken off the highway and re-assigned to desk jobs... where woman drivers can not see them, and thus be distracted.

I bet YOU can think of many other things that need to be outlawed, if all things distracting should be outlawed. And, you can probably see why this texting law frustrates me. Again, I have no problem with the potential law. I'm just sayin'...!