Somersworth Police Conducts Hands Free Law Sting [OPINION]

Even as someone who generally supports the hands free law and gets really annoyed when people drive around with their phone next to their ear, I'm not down with this Somersworth Police Department sting.

According to NH1.com, the department had a person stand by an intersection with a sign that said "Repent now. The ends is near." Some people who caught sight of this spectacle pulled out their camera to take a picture, leading them to be pulled over down the road and ticketed for violating the Hands Free Law.

I have no problem with officers enforcing the law at intersections (or elsewhere for that matter). I'd actually like to see it better enforced, to be honest, as it really is a dangerous practice

Creating a spectacle for the specific purpose of inducing drivers to take a picture, however, strikes me as both unnecessary and unsafe. What if the sting-related distraction had actually led to an accident? Given that we all see people regularly violating the law without the need for introducing an unsafe situation, I don't see the need for sting operations related to this cause.

Don't remember what the basics of the Hands Free Law and need a refresher? We've got that covered for you. Just don't watch it while actually driving.