[HCRA] FWD: ARRL PRESIDENT HARRISON PRESENTS LEAGUE'S VIEWS ON DISTRACTED DRIVING LAWS TO SAFETY ADVOCACY GROUP

[n1kxr at comcast.net]

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ARRL PRESIDENT HARRISON PRESENTS LEAGUE'S VIEWS 
ON DISTRACTED DRIVING LAWS TO SAFETY ADVOCACY GROUP 

To ensure that Amateur Radio is not an unintended victim of the growing 
public debate over what to do about distracted drivers, ARRL President 
Joel Harrison, W5ZN, has written a letter to the National Safety Council 
(NSC) < http://www.nsc.org/ >, highlighting issues regarding the use of 
Amateur Radio emergency communications devices in vehicles 
< http://www.arrl.org/news/files/NSC_Letter7-30-09.pdf >. Many states have 
outlawed the use of cell phones while driving; some states with these 
laws have ambiguous wording (such as "mobile communication devices" or 
"mobile electronic devices") concerning the use of Amateur Radio while 
driving. 

According to their Web site, the NSC is "on a mission" to "alert the 
American public that different kinds of distractions have different 
levels of crash risk. Talking on a cell phone and sending text messages 
are much higher risk activities that occur for longer durations and with 
more people than most other actions engaged in while driving." They also 
seek to "lead a change in our nation's cultural norms, so people come to 
view cell phone conversations and text messaging while driving as unsafe 
and socially unacceptable. Calling for a legislative ban on these 
activities is the first step in a long-term process to educate Americans 
to their risk and change the culture" 
< http://www.nsc.org/resources/issues/distracted_driving.aspx >. 

Harrison explained to NSC President Janet Froetscher that Amateur Radio 
operators provide essential emergency communications when regular 
communications channels are disrupted by disaster: "Through formal 
agreements with federal agencies, such as the National Weather Service, 
FEMA and private relief organizations, the Amateur Radio volunteers 
protect lives using their own equipment without compensation. The 
ability of hams to communicate and help protect the lives of those in 
danger would be strictly hindered if the federal, state and local 
governments to not ensure that Amateur Radio operators can continue the 
use of their mobile radios while on the road." 

According to ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, it boils 
down to the difference between simplex -- when only one message can be 
sent in either direction at one time -- and duplex -- a communications 
mode, such as a telephone system, that provides simultaneous 
transmission and reception in both directions. Harrison, citing Sumner's 
40-plus years of experience as an Amateur Radio operator, puts it this 
way: "Simplex, two-way radio operation is simply different than duplex, 
cell phone use. Two-way radio operation in moving vehicles has been 
going on for decades without highway safety being an issue. The fact 
that cell phones have come along does not change that." 

Harrison attached a copy of the ARRL's Policy Statement on Mobile 
Amateur Radio Operation to the letter to the NSC. "Amateur Radio mobile 
operation is ubiquitous, and Amateur Radio emergency and public service 
communications, and other organized Amateur Radio communications 
activities and networks necessitate operation of equipment while some 
licensees are driving motor vehicles," the Policy Statement reads. 
"Two-way radio use is dissimilar from full-duplex cellular telephone 
communications because the operator spends little time actually 
transmitting; the time spent listening is more similar to, and arguably 
less distracting than, listening to a broadcast radio, CD or MP3 player. 
There are no distinctions to be made between or among Amateur Radio, 
public safety land mobile radio, private land mobile radio or citizen's 
radio in terms of driver distraction. All are distinguishable from 
mobile cellular telephone communications in this respect. Nevertheless, 
ARRL encourages licensees to conduct Amateur communications from motor 
vehicles in a manner that does not detract from the safe and attentive 
operation of a motor vehicle at all times. See the Policy Statement on 
the ARRL Web site: 
< http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/MobileAmateurRadioPolicyStatement.pdf > 
. 

"The ARRL acknowledges numerous and increasing instances of state 
legislative proposals (and occasionally municipal ordinance proposals) 
to curb the use of cellular telephones while operating motor vehicles, 
ranging from prohibitions on hand-held telephones to prohibitions on all 
forms of electronic devices," the Policy Statement maintains. "These 
statutory proposals would supplement the more generalized motor vehicle 
code requirements that exist in various forms in virtually all States, 
which require operators of motor vehicles to pay full time and attention 
to the operation of the vehicle while driving. ARRL understands that 
driver inattention is a leading cause of automobile accidents, and it is 
not unreasonable to be concerned about substantial distractions to 
drivers of motor vehicles." 

Saying that the League understands that driver inattention is a leading 
cause of automobile accidents, "it is not unreasonable to be concerned 
about substantial distractions to drivers of motor vehicles. Given the 
necessity of unrestricted mobile Amateur Radio communications in order 
for the benefits of Amateur Radio to the public to continue to be 
realized," the policy statement reads, "the ARRL urges state and 
municipal legislators considering restrictions on mobile cellular 
telephone operation to (I) narrowly define the class of devices included 
in the regulation so that the class includes only full duplex wireless 
telephones and related hand-held or portable equipment; or alternatively 
(II) specifically identify licensed Amateur Radio operation as an 
excluded service." 

"The ARRL is aware of no evidence that [mobile] operation contributes to 
driver inattention," the Policy Statement asserts. "Quite the contrary: 
Radio amateurs are public service-minded individuals who utilize their 
radio-equipped motor vehicles to assist others, and they are focused on 
driving in the execution of that function." 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole 
or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to 
The ARRL Letter/American Radio Relay League. 

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