Massachusetts bans phone navigation – PNDs okay
July 5, 2010 by Rich Owings
Massachusetts has a new anti-texting law that will ban the use of cell phones for auto navigation, while allowing personal navigation devices (PND). While I think PNDs are much easier and safer to use than phones, I have my doubts that this was a carefully considered part of the legislation. Hey, maybe TomTom did some lobbying on this one; after all, their US operations are based in Massachusetts!
Via @gatorguy2
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Huh. Yeah. Something tells me that wasn’t really thought through. It’s my understanding (being a Massachusetts resident and former CT resident, another state with strict in-car mobile phone rules) that the law is meant to completely discourage actual tactile USE of the mobile phone while the vehicle’s in motion.
That is to say, banning active manipulation of a phone.
That the law succeeds in making use of mobile phone navigation — which is an inherently passive activity (you don’t hold the phone) — is kind of disappointing and confusing.
What about if the phone was mounted on the dash, windshield, or somewhere else?
I don’t think that matters, but I haven’t seen the exact text of the law.