Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky writes: “As halachikly observant Jews, we go to great lengths to lower our risk of sinning. We do not climb trees on Shabbat lest we inadvertently violate Shabbat by breaking a branch. Many of us do not eat corn or beans on Pesach; lest we come to eat inadvertently eat chametz. On the first day of Rosh Hashana this year, we will actually set aside the Biblical mitzva of blowing shofar, lest we inadvertently carry the shofar through the public domain, thus violating the Shabbat. It is self-evident that our system demands that we not drive while distracted by our cellphone, lest we, God forbid, God forbid, inadvertently injure or kill someone. It’s that straightforward.”
I agree with the rabbi. On his radio show today, Dennis Prager lamented laws banning cell phone use while driving as a restriction on freedom but the statistics are clear that using a phone while driving, even a hands-free phone, dramatically increases your odds of getting in an accident and killing someone.
