More Unintended Consequences

The Law of Unintended Consequences can be stated thus: "The law of unintended consequences, often cited but rarely defined, is that actions of people—and especially of government—always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended." Rob Norton, The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics  There are plenty of examples in the world that illustrate this effect:  We don't like X; we make a law against X.  X goes up.  

Driving while texting fits this pattern.  Everyone agrees texting while driving is stupid and dangerous.  Many states have made laws outlawing texting while driving.  It turns out, accidents might have increased in some of these states. (hat tip: Radley Balko) As counter-intuitive as this might be, a potential reason is this: if I'm committed to texting while driving, I hide the phone on my lap or at my side.  This makes my driving more hazardous.

Moral: in the future, if there's an action you detest, and think "there oughta be a law," be careful what you wish for!  While the law is not ironclad, it should play a role in your deliberations.