I'll Turn This Car Around!

I have some issues with this new hands-free cellphone law. For those of you that are unaware, a law stating that motorists must use a hands-free device to talk on a cellphone went into effect today. Other states that have imposed the hands-free law are: New York, New Jersey, Washington, & Connecticut.

This law is supposed to cut down on accidents caused by people being distracted by the phone.

My issues:
This doesn't mean that people won't be talking on the phone. It only means they will not have a phone in their hand while they are doing it. It is not illegal to drive while smoking, drinking a soda, eating a taco, or applying lipstick. All of these things involve holding something in one hand.

It is not illegal to drive with screaming children in the backseat. Okay, yeah, I know, they can't outlaw the transportation of children (dammit), but you'd be hard-pressed to find a parent that didn't agree that having screaming fighting children in your backseat is immensely distracting. especially when you start waving your hand behind you, trying to reach the fallen toy, the spilled crackers, or the screaming mouths ;)

It is not illegal to text message while driving! Join me now in a collective, "WTF?!" Alaska, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington have outlawed text messaging by drivers. How is talking to someone MORE dangerous than typing on a keypad to them, and/or reading? There's a reason cars come with Map Lights. It's dangerous to drive while reading. It can be somewhat dangerous to drive while unable to hear over a sound, but I assure you, my cell is no louder than my stereo, and my stereo falls well within legal limits on noise.

There are actually police that are admitting that this new law is a good thing because it gives them one more reason to stop a car. Did I miss something? I thought we were trying to make the state a safer place to pollute commute?

You can read more surprising crap here: L.A. Times article