Without cell phones, how can my wife call and tell me about all the horrible drivers she is constantly dealing with???
ok.. so in the liberal states, where they ban all forms of communication devices while in the car, i would expect them to hold all people to this standard. this would include cops, who have been using radios in the car since the 40s. today, they have laptops alongside the full comms gear. the libs would have to do this to the police... unless the cops in lib states are above the law.
of course, since the police cannot use any communications... it might be difficult to respond to any calls... giving the criminals free reign to tear apart the libs states.
sounds like a good idea to me.
I’m OK with banning cellphone use in cars. Whole lot of retarded conversations going on for no point or reason other than killing time. And it is clearly a distraction for many people.
I never heard of a summons being issued for failing to comply and I refuse to wear that stupid thing in my ear.
I keep my calls short and to the point usually and can walk and chew gum at the same time...so I have no problem with negotiating doing both.
I have no problem with a ban of hand held cell phones, and the use of crackberries while driving.
None.
Hands free, voice controlled cells...no problem, but then again while I have one, I rarely if ever use it.
Had a young woman kill several of her juvenile friends in the Cincinnati region not to long ago. She was ‘texting’ while going sixty on a winding county road...about 30 mpg over the speed limit.
Pretty sure four died, two seriously injured.
Let's simplify things and cut to the point. Surrender to the control freaks and nanny staters who will then issue a list of allowable activities and prohibit everything else.
Personal responsibility is hereby prohibited, since the common people do not have the judgement to proceed on their own.
There are lots of things that serve as “distractions” while driving - radio, eating, smoking (I had a classmate killed because he was trying to light his cigarette and missed a turn), other people in the car, kids, etc. Should they all be banned?
On the flip side, I’ve actually had cell phone use make me MORE alert while driving. I have a long commute and can get road hypnosis very easily, especially this time of year when it’s dark. On more than one occassion I’ve needed to get someone to talk to to break it or I would easily be on the side of the road or into another car.
I do keep hands free though.
“People talk on the cell phone all the time while driving. Even in states that outlaw it, talking on the cell while driving is common and safe.
That is proven by the fact that cars aren’t piled into one another or into bridge abutments all over the place. Tens of millions of Americans talk and drive safely every day.”
Can’t say I disagree with the overall gist of this piece, but the above is faulty logic. I dare say that tens of millions of people drink and drive every day, and most of them get where they’re going safely - that doesn’t mean that drinking and driving is a smart thing to do.
I even noticed it in myself - normally a good driver, alert to what’s going on around me, that when yacking into the phone, especially if I’m not using the hands free, that my attention wanders, I’m slower than usual, and miles go by without me being particularly aware of it. I never noticed this when I drove a work car with a 2-way radio, though. I’ve certainly noticed that if there’s some idiot driving 10 under the limit in the fast lane, barely keeping in his lane, when I pass them they’ve almost always got a cellphone held to their ear.
Go for it. The love of the government will diminish even further. There will be complaints about a nanny state. This interferes with commerce as many people have come to rely on drive time as work time, not down time. If this pisses off the masses adequately, we will be looking at a freedom to communicate issue. It will be one more nail in the coffin they are building.
No problem, so long as anyone involved in a fatality accident while talking on the phone is executed on the spot.
Around here, A blonde in a SUV yakking on the phone is just an accident that has not found a location.
Why not ban GPS devices? Looking at TV maps while listening to directions is very distracting....while they’re at it they can ban radios. I’ve found myself screaming at mine while listening to liberal radio on a number of occasions.
Why haven’t these dumb azzes at the National Safety Council been screaming to ban CB radios?
I’ve read that flying in an airplane is safer than traveling in a car. Thus, driving should be banned, at least for long distances. It’ll save lives and taxpayer money.
Come to think of it, flying is not that safe either. Let’s limit transportation to foot travel. And only by designated, licensed walkers. Everyone else stays home.
I’ve read that most accidents occur at home, though...
There was a thread on this subject the other day:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2163165/posts
I’m on 24 emergency call as the chief operator of a public utility(Public water supply). I’ll get an exemption if this bs passes. Probably another sticker on my plates will identify my need to be in communication with the water plant. I don’t take any other types of calls when I’m driving anyway.
Used to be that someone driving too slow and/or weaving out of his lane was drunk. Now, better than half the time, he has a cell phone stuck in his ear.
I do believe that talking on cell phones while driving (DWC - Driving while celling) can be dangerous. So can those who are constantly digging around in their car looking for something or trying to read a roadmap...etc. Same principle is in effect.
Still some can do this if they are responsible and know what they are doing. The same way some can drink (coffee or sodas of course) while driving and even eat their fast food safely.
So I propose legislation requiring licensing. That is, allowing people to take a course and become licensed to use a cellphone in their vehicle while driving. Not only would it be a new source of revenue for cash-starved governments, but would educate people on safe-celling. Remember, Safe-Celling is no accident.
(BTW, for those who don’t get it.../sarc)
For those who argue that conversations with passengers should be banned as distractions also: ALL activities that require higher thought and concentration (conversations, reading, searching for something) are distracting to a driver. However, when a driver is talking to a passenger in the same vehicle, he as the advantage of another pair of eyes to notice danger.
By Peter Piepper
In the 90s, paying attention behind the wheel is taking a back seat.
If you do any commuting at all, you've seen them in action: the guy reading the newspaper while driving his car at 60 miles an hour on the freeway or the woman applying her eye makeup while trying to pilot her sport-utility around town. Sure, multi-tasking isn't just the craze these days; it's a necessity as we're confronted with more to do and less time to do it in, but I'm one of the old school who feels that drivers should actually pay attention to driving. After all, each of us who drives is in command (one hopes) of a missile weighing a ton and a half, a missile capable of producing a great deal of death and destruction if used improperly. I'm afraid many of us are so comfortable with driving that we forget this fact.
But there is no denying that a lot of people are doing a whole lot of things while at the wheels of their vehicles. And this hasn't escaped the notice of some people who have more than a passing interest in keeping those of us who drive cars from careening into each other on a semi-regular basis, namely Farmers Insurance Group. Those fine folks recently commissioned a national survey to determine what other activities drivers participate in while they're commuting. And the results would be funny if they weren't so frightening.
For example, 5.5% of men and 2.1% of women admit to shaving while commuting. Frankly, one might think with electric shavers so prevalent these days the figure might be higher for men, but more than 2% of women shave on their way to work? That must take some dexterity.
Apparently cross-gender fair play is alive and well behind the wheel, too. According to the survey, 18% of women apply make-up in the car, a figure that isn't too surprising, but what might be surprising is that 1.3% of men also admitted to applying make-up in the car. Also in the name of vanity, 8% of men and women style their hair on the way to and from work.
These mundane side activities might not seem life-threatening, but there is a substantial human cost.
"Busy lifestyles have resulted in drivers making the most of their idle time in the car," says Diane Tasaka, director of corporate communications for Farmers. "The problem is that these distractions make the driver inattentive and greatly increase the chance of a collision."
Tasaka is not just talking through her industry-colored hat either. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), inattentive driving resulted in 3,960 fatal crashes in 1997 (the most recent statistics available) and even more fatalities (4,474). NHTSA ranks inattentive driving as the fourth highest contributing factor relating to fatal crashes.
Nearly 35% of Americans drive less than 15 minutes to work each day, yet drivers across the country are squeezing plenty into their daily commutes. In addition to applying make-up and shaving, Americans are performing a wide variety of tasks while, at the same time, attempting to control their automobile.
The survey shows that one out of every ten people on the road admit to reading newspapers or books while driving, while 5.6% admit to changing their clothes. Boredom might account for the high figure for reading, but one can only speculate why people feel the need to alter their wearing apparel while at the wheel.
Closet musicians seem to abound in the United States. The survey found that 21.7% of the American driving population drums on its dashboard or steering wheel. That, of course, could be very disturbing to the 30.6% who talk on their cellular phones while driving.
Many drivers attempt to use their commutes for self-improvement or family togetherness. Nearly 56% of the population use drive time as a brainstorming session or for mental organization, i.e. they think while they're driving. I'm not sure what the other 44% are doing upstairs as they motor along. Nearly one third of drivers (32.7%) meditate, and 15% find their commutes to be quality, non-interrupted time with their children. Some 16% take advantage of the extra time to listen to books on tape.
Interestingly, the lower the driver's income, the more likely they are to read newspapers and books on the road. Nearly 22% (21.7%) of drivers with household incomes less than $25,000 admit to reading the newspaper and books, while only 5.2% of drivers with household incomes over $100,000 read while driving.
On the other side of the coin, the more money drivers make, the more likely they are to listen to books on tape. Over 21% of drivers with incomes over $100,000 listen to audio books, while only 10.8% of drivers with incomes less than $25,000 listen to them. In essence, the more affluent drivers can afford to have someone read to them, while the less affluent need to read to themselves.
People with money also are enthusiastic about playing along to music. Some 29.2% of drivers with $100,000-plus incomes are dashboard bangers, keeping the beat by playing imaginary drums on their dashboards and steering wheels. Only 19% of those with incomes less than $25,000 admit to dashboard drumming. Perhaps they prefer air-guitar.
Despite all of the self-imposed distractions, the American driving public gives itself high grades. A little over 48% of the driving population see themselves as excellent drivers and 41.4% claim to be good drivers. The older the driver, the more confident he or she is. More than 40% of 18-34 year olds rank themselves as excellent drivers, while 64% of people 65 years and older say they are excellent drivers. Only 1% of the population admits to being poor drivers. (And one could guess they're really lousy.)
Farmers' national survey was conducted with a sample of 1,000 consumers nationwide and has a margin of error +/- 5%.
While we all have a lot to do these days, except perhaps for those reading this on-line in stir, safety experts agree it pays to remain focused on driving and traffic conditions at all times. Though your parents might not have told you this, it is good policy to prepare for your day (shaving, make-up, hair, going to the bathroom, etc.) prior to leaving for work. Driving is too vital an activity to be confused with other pastimes. As James Dean once said, "The life you save may be mine."
Peter Piepper is a freelance writer who frequently examines safety issues
http://www.drivingtoday.com/features/archive/distraction/index.html
I think banning non-handsfree cell phones makes some sense. If you have a blue tooth on, how is it different than having a conversation with someone sitting in the seat next to you?