Posted on 04/27/2012 6:29:13 AM PDT by Mike Darancette
SAN ANTONIO, April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called on Thursday for a federal law to ban talking on a cell phone or texting while driving any type of vehicle on any road in the country.
Tough federal legislation is the only way to deal with what he called a "national epidemic," he said at a distracted-driving summit in San Antonio, Texas, that drew doctors, advocates and government officials.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
So if I have a passenger in the car, is it OK to talk on a cell phone? Extra pair of eyes...
Waiting for them to also ban firemen, policemen, and pilots from talking on the radio while operating a vehicle.
If I see someone driving with a cell phone to their ear, I get away from them as fast as I can-they are usually gesturing with the other hand that should be on the steering wheel, too...
>>>>> "U.S. ban sought on driving while in a car" <<<<<
There is no need for this law. Any driver that causes property damage or personal injury/death SHOULD be held to the full extent of existing laws. That SHOULD be used for all negligent driving. The fact that we limit it to DUI or Texting just makes people think that other acts are not risky.
I say this as a person who has seen the results of negligent texting and driving.
RIP Mike: http://www.mbkmemorial.org/
“There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers — and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system.”
Quote by: Ayn Rand
(1905-1982) Author
Source: “Atlas Shrugged”, Part II, Chapter 3
These phony pretenders remind me of reformed smokers who are the most obnoxious, strident, inconsiderate, boobs on the planet.
Maybe they could remove cell towers on the interstate highways.
You are right on the rulers not having to follow this. Another question is who would enforce this if it is a federal law. FBI, Secret Service, ATF (whatever the call it now)? It would end up being another job for the state at the state’s expense. We have had laws being put on the books for the last 230 years. Looks like we would have enough of them by now.
If this conference had to do with distracted driving did they discuss how to ban eating, shaving, putting on lipstick, powdering your face, grabbing a 44 oz. drink from the drink holder, threatening the kids in the back seat, etc. ad nauseam? Probably not. This guy was just pandering to some group in the conference.
“There is no need for this law. Any driver that causes property damage or personal injury/death SHOULD be held to the full extent of existing laws. That SHOULD be used for all negligent driving. The fact that we limit it to DUI or Texting just makes people think that other acts are not risky.”
Exactly. Some people can talk on a cell phone and drive with no problem. Others can’t drive well with absolutely no distraction.
Don’t punish the capable because of the incompetents.
If this were to become the norm, the next push would be for “no eating while driving” laws.
Personally, I can’t wait for self-driving cars to become prevalent.
That might work, but for those of us who live in rural areas like I do-the nearest cell towers are often near those highways. The nearest one to my place is already 5 miles away, and most times I have to go upstairs and hang out the window to be able to make a call. I can’t see making anyone’s phone use more difficult because some drivers are brain dead.
“self-driving cars”
Some clueless idiot will f*** up navigating one of those too, cause mayhem and injury and there will be calls for yet MORE laws. I just don’t think you can fix stupid.
“Some clueless idiot will f*** up navigating one of those too, cause mayhem and injury and there will be calls for yet MORE laws. I just don’t think you can fix stupid.”
The very point of them is that the passenger(s) don’t affect the driving.
There will be laws in place limiting the liability of the manufacturers, since the net effect will be safer roads and more productive time.
No doubt there will be a way to switch them into “manual” mode, but of course any objections to self-driving cars don’t apply in that case.
I suppose that they might work for people who have a short attention span or trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time, but some of us-me included-don’t care to entrust our safety to an inanimate object we are not in control of-hence the “manual mode”. Give me a plain old vehicle any day-no bells or whistles-that I can operate, maintain, etc-I can actually afford one of those, too...
The federal government has no authority or jurisdiction for such a law.
Remember driving the "double nickle"? The Feds have ways.
“I suppose that they might work for people who have a short attention span or trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time, but some of us-me included-don’t care to entrust our safety to an inanimate object we are not in control of-hence the “manual mode”. Give me a plain old vehicle any day-no bells or whistles-that I can operate, maintain, etc-I can actually afford one of those, too...”
The counterpoint to that is that computers don’t get tired, distracted or drunk. Sensors can literally look in all directions at once. Plus, electronic reaction times are potentially orders of magnitude faster than our slow, chemically based nervous systems. Redundant systems will provide fallback if electronics fail.
I do think there are edge cases like icy roads that will pose a challenge for autonomous cars - however they pose quite a challenge for human drivers as well.
I don’t see these systems adding more than a couple thousand dollars to cost. We’ll see how things shake out, for sure. ;-)
(Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy driving, but it would also be nice to have “chauffeur” mode and get some work done in transit...)
This redneck, ranch-bred woman has not bought new vehicles, even when I could afford to-I use my vehicle for work, so a simple truck that I paid cash for is the most practical thing. And as a poor working widow in the Obama depression, I doubt that I’ll ever be able to afford one at any rate-”a couple thousand dollars” is the money from a little remodeling job that pays the month’s bills and buys some food and gas-I can’t look at it any other way-that is just how life is right now.
I don’t drive vehicles that I can’t at least change oil, replace spark plugs on myself, ever. I’m not comfortable being a passenger in a vehicle, never mind the vehicle doing the driving-I realize some like the idea, but I’d likely die of fright...
The last time my computer here at home got tired, drunk and distracted, I had to use money I really didn’t have to get it fixed, because I have all my work stuff on it. God forbid that I should have a vehicle like that-I’d be out of business$$$$$$$...
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