Drive-by pornography seems to be the latest scourge on the road. Upright citizens stop at a light, and what’s on the TV screen in the car ahead but no-holds-barred smut. Lawmakers in Louisiana and Tennessee are trying to forbid the showing of dirty movies in moving vehicles, and other states will surely follow their lead.
In other porn developments, California health officials want adult-film stars to wear condoms during sex scenes. Two such performers were recently found to have HIV infection. The condom requirement would fall under Cal/OSHA workplace-safety rules.
Perhaps compromise is possible in the drive-by porn controversy. While passengers may continue to watch obscene movies, the films will show only safe sex.
But set aside safe sex for the moment. How about safe driving?
In-car entertainment systems seem to be the hot new thing in consumer electronics. Some worrywarts fear that driving under the influence of television will lead to accidents. Others think it only fair to let drivers watch movies when watching the road gets boring.
Whatever. At least 38 states now prohibit drivers from viewing movies while driving. Seventeen states insist that screens be put in a place where the driver can’t see them.
Mobile entertainment systems were originally intended for pacifying children. No point waking the kids from their TV stupor. Just lift their limp bodies off the sofa, strap them into the back of the SUV, and turn on the cartoons. That way, Mom can put on her makeup, talk on the cell phone and drive without the added distraction of dealing with squirming children.
While many states try to stop people from driving and watching movies at the same time, technology always seems a step ahead of the law. Some automotive DVD players can be plugged right into the dashboard. And handy consumers are learning how to rejigger the navigation system on the dash to also show movies.
So when it comes to consumer electronics, the American motorist will not be deterred. If the driver can handle both Interstate 80 and re-runs of "Sex and the City," then more power to him. Doing both remains perfectly legal in 12 states.
But drive after a glass of Chardonnay? That is an outrage that cannot stand. Stones, boulders and lightning bolts will rain down upon the motorist found to have the smallest amount of alcohol in his or her bloodstream.
And this is no exaggeration. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues annual reports totaling alcohol-related traffic deaths. But look how the agency defines "alcohol-related." If a driver involved in an accident has a blood-alcohol concentration level of 0.01 or higher, then booze is deemed a factor in the crash.
To understand how ludicrous this number is, consider: The legal blood-alcohol limit in most states is 0.08 — eight times as much. At 0.08 or higher, a driver is considered unable to drive safely. And the 0.08 number is considered a very conservative benchmark. Many states used a 0.10 limit for years and were happy with it. The states tightened it to 0.08 when the federal government threatened their highway funds if they didn’t.
The upshot is this: One driver can be reading his e-mail and yelling into the cell phone while driving through a downpour. But if he plows into another car, and the other driver was found to have 0.02 blood-alcohol level, then the accident is labeled "alcohol-related." And using mouthwash can raise the level to 0.02.
This is not to minimize the dangers of drinking and driving. But the neo-prohibitionists have purposely lumped together drunks and controlled social drinkers into one wicked class. Half of all intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes have a blood-alcohol concentration level of 0.17 — more than twice the 0.08 limit adopted by 45 states. These people are drunk as skunks and the real problem.
The driver watching "The Matrix Reloaded" is a lot more dangerous than the motorist leaving dinner after a glass or two of wine. But to many in our society, even one drink before driving is the real crime.
So he who downs a beer is considered the menace on the road. And that’s not all: Any accident he causes could interrupt the other driver’s movie.
Froma Harrop is a Providence Journal columnist. Contact her by writing to
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