Hands-Free Driving: Bootleggers and Baptists

This article from CNET News does a (perhaps unintentionally) brilliant job of describing the Bootleggers and Baptists forces behind California’s new law banning using cell phones while driving, unless using a hands-free device. The first paragraph sums it up perfectly:

A good number of Californians think the state’s new hands-free cell phone law will bode well for public safety, if a random sampling of consumers by CNET News.com is any indication. But gadget retailers have their own reason to cheer–they’re reaping the cash benefits.

Mike Masnick writes an excellent post at TechDirt about the folly of such a law. Why single out particular unsafe driving practices, instead of just banning unsafe driving in general? Maybe because Bluetooth manufacturers have a strong incentive to legitimize using their devices while driving…