[ilgipper]

nannystatism at it’s finest.

[CSI007]

I live in my car. I never text while driving but use hands free and talk ALOT.

Can you imagine the traffic jams as people pull over to take and make calls on the side of the roads?

[Chickensoup]

Lets see
Insurance companies benefitted from 55 mph speed limit and federal highway dollars were tied to change in speed limits.

Insurance companies benefitted from having seat belts legislated and the Feds wanted it and tied state seat belt laws to highway funds. In our state it is a ticketable offense to be beltless.

Insurance companies would benefit from cell phone bans and how long do you think it will take for federal highway funds to be tied to state legislation banning cell phone use

[old curmudgeon]

Texting is stupid.

But I have seen drivers on the interstate reading the newspaper.

So as the saying goes, you can’t fix stupid.

As for using the phone, I there is no doubt in my mind that the phone has prevented far more wrecks than it has caused.

Those of us who have done a lot of driving know that the greatest danger to the motoring public is drowsiness; falling asleep at the wheel.

How many drivers have been kept awake by a phone call?

And the interesting thing is that during the period of time that the cell phone has become indispensable, the fatality rate per 100,000 miles has fallen and has done so in every one of those years.

So one could just as well argue that the cell phone has made driving more safe.

I won’t go that far, but I will say that when you take the cell away from a bad driver, what you have left is still a bad driver.

[Rodm]

Yes I can understand not doing chit chat and facebook but a lot of us earn our living getting pages, service orders and sell orders on the blackberry or iphone.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I guess the 10th Amendment is null and void in Washington.

[Smokin' Joe]

I like having the freedom to answer my phone while driving. That said, some of the most boneheaded stunts, worst driving, and frankly, accidents urgently looking for a place to happen were going down the road with a cell phone stuck to the side of their face or looking down at the screen.

If people aren't going to use some common sense, there'll be a law, whether we like it or not.

[HiTech RedNeck]

In principle your eyes are supposed to be on the road when your car is moving on it, not on a radio or a map or a cell phone screen or keypad. I don’t mind if you choose to risk your hide over that text which just can’t wait, but please don’t risk mine too.

[ozzymandus]

I’ve had to slam on my brakes many times to avoid some idiot on his phone. I can’t believe the number of posters here who think they have a right to drive and talk on their damn phone.

[supercat]

I wish people would wake up to the real purpose behind these bans: to increase the gap between "real" people, who can afford chauffeurs, and pæons. While it's true that some of the people who are real morons behind the wheel also seem to have cell phones glued to their chin, many such people would be morons behind the wheel with or without cell phones.

Further, since none of the proposed bans on "text messaging" while driving make any allowance for possibilities which would allow one to receive short messages and reply with even shorter messages (e.g. "Yes", "No", etc.) with less distraction than would often be posed by billboards, street signs, or attractive people on the sidewalk, there's little incentive for companies to work on developing them.

[1FreeAmerican]

If you are in your car hurling a 4klb to 8klb hunk of steel down the road you need to be mentally in the car. I stopped talking on my cell while driving when I realized that if I'm talking to someone who is not in the car with me then I'm not in the car mentally. As a contractor I too often would be trying to visualize installation issues by “picturing it in my mind”. After a couple of close calls I instituted the “no phone while moving” policy.
I constantly see drivers seriously distracted by cell phone use. My two fav’s - the one when the guy dumped his van into the ditch when he “reached for the phone when it rang”.

The other is when the lady clipped the bicyclist when rounding a right hand turn. After about five minutes (she had stopped) she got out of her car and said “I'm sorry I was talking to my son”.

[FreedomOfExpression]

Aren’t there already laws on the books for reckless driving?

[gunsequalfreedom]

My cell phone is set up so that talking while driving is no different than talking to a passenger.

I can text while I drive just by speaking. I can listen to text messages.

The phone tells me of an incoming call by saying, "Incoming call, answer or decline." I say, "Answer" and then talk. Call hangs up automatically.

If they are going to ban cell phones while driving then they need to also ban this....

This...

and this...

[a fool in paradise]

The same crap that permits the Federal government to impose 0.08 blood alcohol content on states (headed downward to 0.03 from 0.15 not even a decade ago) and federal speed limits will make this the law of the land.

“But I haven’t hit anyone” doesn’t matter to a sequence of formality laws that already exist when it comes to driving.

Same way the dopers who laugh at cigarettes and beer think they will be able to buy or toke anywhere, anyplace, anytime will find themselves hoisted on their own petard for saying how evil drinking and tobacco are.

First they came for applies here. And I’ve been hit by cellphone driving idiots. Also anytime it’s daylight and I see someone on the highway weaving in a lane and driving 5 miles under the limit, they have a phone in hand.

They pose a threat even if they haven’t hit anyone yet. Shall we junk all such precautionary laws? Punish those who cause the accidents. My driver didn’t even get charged for running into my stopped car at 40MPH. Cop didn’t want to deal with paperwork so it just went to the state for statistical purposes (aka NOT MY JOB).

[VeniVidiVici]

Zero Tolerance. Another fine idea brought to you by Progressive Democrats. Known the world over for being, well, Progressive Democrats.

[djf]

If anyone supports the free, unrestricted use of handhelds while driving then if they have an honest bone in their body, they should support repealing all the drunk driving laws.

It has been shown time and time again that handhelds are far, far more dangerous than a couple beers.

And you are MUCH more likely to have someone driving near you that has a handheld than has had a six pack.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

If states can ignore immigration laws the why not Federal Laws on cell phone use?

[broken_arrow1]

Next Step, Fed bans:

Talking to passengers while driving;
Looking in rear-view mirror at infant in car seat (while driving);
Putting on makeup using rear-view mirror;
Shaving with electric shaver by driver;
Eating a sandwich while driving;
drinking coffee while driving;
eating ice cream while driving;
drinking anything while driving.

[Paradox]

Texting and driving should be banned. Yeah, I’ll say it. Not sure how such a law could be enforced. That said, Siri might help...

[oust the louse]

I purchased this for my 2 teen drivers cell phones...it works extremely well and I have piece of mind. A small price to pay for such important things in my life....

http://phoneguard.com/default.aspx