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Oval Office Order: No Driving While Intexticated
Hey, you, with the government license plate and one eye on the road and one eye on your cellphone screen, it's time to hang up and drive -- by order of the president. On Thursday, President Barack Obama signed an executive order aimed at the 3 million civilian employees of the federal government and its contractors stating that any employee driving a government vehicle or using a government cellphone should not text while driving.
The order blames texting while driving -- henceforth to be referred to as a DWIt, or driving-while-intexticated -- for everything from distracting drivers to causing deadly crashes.
Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood warned that he expected employees to "take this order seriously," adding, "let's show our friends and families that we can resist the temptation to answer the phone."
The executive order comes as LaHood wraps up a two-day Distracted Driving Summit, in which he called distracted drivers "a menace to society" and "an epidemic that seemed to be getting worse every year." He also announced new findings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that blamed distracted drivers for 6,000 fatalities and half a million injuries in 2008.
The executive order only applies to federal employees now, but drivers eyeing the guy who's DWIt in the lane next to them should take heart: Several states have already enacted bans on cellphone use while driving and, at the end of July, four Democratic senators, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), introduced legislation that would push the ban nationwide.
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Comments (39)
greatqb44
9:15AM Oct 2nd 2009
The summer games and texts...that Obama is on top of things huh
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(5)
(5) 
Chris Williams
1:54PM Oct 2nd 2009
I don't know if you know this...
The President of the United States deals with several things during the course of a day. Before he returned to the United States, he continued a discussion with the generals in Afghanistan.
Plus, do you think texting while on the road effects the safety of all Americans? And did you know that the Olympics would bring lots of revenue and help it's economy if it were brought to Chicago (moot point now)?
I'm not personally defending Obama, but let's be real about this. Every President juggles a variety of different responsibilities at one time whether it be Obama, Bush, Clinton or Reagan.
The President of the United States deals with several things during the course of a day. Before he returned to the United States, he continued a discussion with the generals in Afghanistan.
Plus, do you think texting while on the road effects the safety of all Americans? And did you know that the Olympics would bring lots of revenue and help it's economy if it were brought to Chicago (moot point now)?
I'm not personally defending Obama, but let's be real about this. Every President juggles a variety of different responsibilities at one time whether it be Obama, Bush, Clinton or Reagan.
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(-6)
(-6) rthompson1329
2:19PM Oct 2nd 2009
he has to stick with what he knows
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(10) gomimosa
4:37PM Oct 2nd 2009
Chris. Its OK to multi task,but if you don't finish anything it's irrelevant. P.S. the Olympics generate debt.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (9)
(9) buster
11:11AM Oct 3rd 2009
How about this TEXT...
START the WAR CRIMES TRIALS for GW,DICK, and their lying crew.
START the WAR CRIMES TRIALS for GW,DICK, and their lying crew.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-16)
(-16) gvpal52
4:25PM Oct 2nd 2009
Here we go again. Don't the states decide things like intoxication limits, speed limits, and a variety of laws within there state lines. What the hell is the white house doing making these decisions from a central federal power base. More evidence that this is moving towards a dictatorship, an all powerful federal lawmaking machine. The states have to stand against this on that principle.
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(8) amanagod
12:55AM Oct 5th 2009
I can someone who represents him or herself as informed be so ignorant. The law states fedral employees and those who contract with them. Last I heard the president had a right to govern how the federal employees that represent him conduct themselves form a reference point of safety, and at the very least common sense. The telecomounications companies have all now admitted to withholding information as to the dangers of texting as well as using cellphones in general while driving.
Can we all just stop with the pointless government takeover arguments we keep coming up with and actually make educated comments based on facts and reason, not silly notions derived from the desire to promote personal prejudices against the President of the United States? This is really getting old.
Can we all just stop with the pointless government takeover arguments we keep coming up with and actually make educated comments based on facts and reason, not silly notions derived from the desire to promote personal prejudices against the President of the United States? This is really getting old.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) gvpal52
4:33PM Oct 2nd 2009
I wonder what the fine really is for government employees for answering the phone when there bosses call to tell them what they want on there sandwich or something big like that. This is probably the first step In a plan to make them exempt not to hold them accountable.
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(1) bonbon
9:23PM Oct 2nd 2009
or when they need a booty call, and their aides have to arrange it all, all hush hush. . just ask Roberts seems he knows all about it.
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(3)
(3) gvpal52
4:34PM Oct 2nd 2009
where is it?
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(0)
(0) gvpal52
4:35PM Oct 2nd 2009
Oh there it is!
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(0) Tammy
4:45PM Oct 2nd 2009
This was a good move. It'll no doubt save life and limb.
Even if it is the responsibility of individual states, I believe a sweeping, federal law against texting while driving that encompasses all states is overdue.
Even if it is the responsibility of individual states, I believe a sweeping, federal law against texting while driving that encompasses all states is overdue.
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(-1) kathy
4:13AM Oct 4th 2009
Hello Tammy, my first thought after I read this article was, "Doesn't each Individual State do this?". No, we dont need the Feds to make a Nationwide Law about it, all they have to do is stick it to that states and each State will enact a law banning Texting while driving. And you know how they stick it to the states dont you, they tell them they are going to get a lot less in funds for Highways if they dont ban Texting.
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(1) gvpal52
10:21PM Oct 5th 2009
It is not the place of the Federal government to define everything we can and can not do. You will regret giving the executive branch that much power. It is Un American.
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(1) gvpal52
10:25PM Oct 5th 2009
It is UN American to allow that much intrusion into our lives by the executive branch of the federal government. It really is!
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(1) Charles Queen
7:42PM Oct 2nd 2009
Is Obama really that totaly ignorant of the laws alrredy on the books.It has always been illegal for those driving government vehicles to drive while intoxicated.Although depending on which branch of the government you are working for these rules get pushed under the rug frequently.While working for the justice department(border patroll and INS)I was on duty on more than one acassion when an INS agent and or border patrol agent was driving whuile drunk, in fact it happened quite a bit.i remember a couple ocassions when INS agents were driving drunk,one rear ended a car and on another ocassion while sucking down the drinks on duty at a bar that they were told was off limits while on duty their car got broken into the trunk popped and 3 hand held radios,bullet prof vests and a couplr long guns and I don't mean shotguns were tacken.This gave whoever the culprit was acess to our radios and frequency's that we used all the time.Of course it was reported to the deputy director in Detroit at the time and of course as always it was hushed up and nothing ever came of it as far as any type of punishment.Ironic isn't it?And you had better believe it still go's on today with a lot of the diferent agency's.They will always hide or cover this type of thing up and no reports will ever be filed
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(-3) bonbon
9:28PM Oct 2nd 2009
look what Kennedy got away with.
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(10) angeldolllogic
10:13PM Oct 2nd 2009
The article was about driving while in"text"icated, not intoxicated. It discussed the perils of driving while text messaging (texting) on your cell phone.
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(4) bonbon
1:05AM Oct 3rd 2009
really
well thank you ms. logic, we did not know that duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
well thank you ms. logic, we did not know that duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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(0) tbr3guys
4:23AM Oct 3rd 2009
how about this for an oval office order? "all cabinet members, 'czars' and other presidential appointees must pay their taxes"...
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