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Just right of the steering wheel sits an iPod, cell phone, DVD player and monitor - and one Nebraska senator classifies this setup as a driving distraction and hopes to ban it.
Sen. Jim Cudaback of Riverdale said that with LB1108 he hopes to ban electronic devices because they could cause accidents.
Drivers are more reckless and less attuned to the road when they talk on the phone or scan through an iPod, he said. Accidents may not be as prevalent now, Cudaback said, but they probably will happen more often.
``Technology is getting ahead of us,'' he said. ``(Legislative bills) shouldn't be reactive but proactive.''
Cudaback said he's not against cell phones or MP3 players, but just thinks Nebraskans shouldn't use them while driving.
Tom Kissinger, sales consultant for Stereo West at 40th and O streets, said employees can install MP3 players that connect to the car's wiring so drivers can use the radio controls. This prevents drivers from looking down at MP3 players.
Roger Kasl, owner of Full Spectrum Electronics at 6135 O St., said car stereo companies are now steering away from mainly button-operated radios to knob ones.
The knobs are multifunctional and can adjust the volume, the track selection or the presets, he said.
Other car conveniences, like navigation devices, are voice activated, Kissinger said, so people don't have to use the touch screen while driving and the automated system says when a turn is coming up.
Some cars also have DVD players or TVs installed on the dashboard, too. However, law requires configuring such devices so that they don't play while a car is running.
``They don't work unless the emergency break is on,'' Kissinger said. ``(The devices are) not a driving distraction. The bill doesn't make sense.''Cell phone companies have also created accessories - such as speakerphones and hands-free functions - to make talking and driving easier, he said.Full Spectrum Electronics' Kasl said driving distractions are getting more complicated. Years ago, cars had just power windows, locks and a radio.``Drivers just have to use judgment,'' he said. ``I don't think laws should be made that restrict (electronic accessories).''
Instead of creating restrictions, driving instructors should teach children the proper times when to use such devices, Kasl said. Also, some legislation already limits electronics - for instance, video screens for backseat passengers can be used while moving only if the driver can't see them.
If people try to disable or rewire the dashboard DVD players so they can work without the emergency brake on, he said, the devices have a sensor that will shut off with motion.
``It all just makes driving more convenient, it's not a distraction,'' Kasl said. ``It could only be considered (a distraction) if driving students aren't properly educated on when to use them.''
Lynda Jeutang, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln senior biochemistry major, said she supports the bill because it is a beneficial safety provision.``If it passes, I will stop to make my calls,'' she said. ``But I do talk on the phone and drive now and know it's probably not the safest.''
Jessie Combs, a senior accounting major, said she can see Cudaback's reasoning for this bill, but doesn't think it will be effective.
Cell phone and vehicle accessory companies make adjustments to their products for the benefit of drivers, she said, including hands-free cell phones.
``I think when people drive and use hands-free phones, they're better drivers than the ones holding a phone,'' she said, ``because they have two hands on the wheel and I think that just helps.''
Combs also said officers couldn't easily enforce the law because people could always deny they were on the phone.
But overall, Combs said the bill shouldn't pass because it takes away Nebraskans' freedoms.
If the bill passes, Cudaback said it could be difficult to enforce. Officers may not notice if a driver is using an MP3 player or talking on a speakerphone, he said, but officers can see reckless driving.
``Speeding always happens and people know it's illegal, but because they could get ticketed, they'll be more aware,'' Cudaback said
Similarly, Nebraskans might become more cautious about driving distractions if the proposed bill becomes law.
It may take a few sessions for the bill to pass, Cudaback said, but he expects it to be approved.
``Nebraska is conservative, so some senators may need to see a need for this law before they approve it,'' he said.
