This morning in the Star-Ledger, one of the editorial columnists was complaining about a couple of new “traffic safety laws” our estimable governor has approved.

One is a ban on cell phone use while driving, and the other lowers the blood alcohol limit for DWI to .08.

I pretty much agree with Paul Mulshine most of the time, although he considers himself a conservative and I don’t think I am, but I have to say that I can see a bright side to these new laws.

Right now, all of our police are stationed at specific points on the road, just hangin’ out with the radar gun.

This leaves our drivers free to pursue truly dangerous driving activities like tailgating and changing lanes wildly without even a hint of a turn signal or a glance to see if there’s already a car in the space they’re aiming for.

With all the cops tied up at speed traps, the best they can do is show up after there’s already been an accident.

At least if they have to get out on the road to collar someone chatting (because someone with .08 BAC will probably not be driving erratically enough to cause suspicion) they might see and stop some of the real troublemakers.

Not that I suspect they will, of course, but every little bit helps.

When people see a police car on the road, they suddenly become exemplary law-abiding drivers.

Really slow drivers, but at least a little less aggressive.