Ongoing History Daily: When car radios were almost banned

If you have a new vehicle, you’ll know how complicated infotainment systems can be, especially those that have dumped buttons and knobs for pure touchscreens. There’s a lot of complaining about that, especially when it comes to blaming these units for distracted driving. This is not a new phenomenon.

Back in the 1930s, both Massachusetts and Missouri were concerned when radios started appearing in cars. Lawmakers in New York, New Jersey, and Ohio, were also on the case. Why? They believed radios in cars caused accidents. They maintained that just listening to the radio while driving was dangerous. Some complained that radio stations playing soft music lulled drivers to sleep behind the wheel.

The proposed bans on car radios in Massachusetts and Missouri were never enacted. But the fines for distracted driving in those other states evolved into the laws that we have governing that today.