Posted on 03/01/2005 4:42:25 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper
WASHINGTON - More people than ever are driving under the influence of their cell phones, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The survey showed 8 percent of drivers, or 1.2 million people, were using hand-held or handsfree cell phones during daylight hours last year, a 50 percent increase since 2002 and a 100 percent rise in four years.
All that talking is a potential safety issue, said NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson.
"While we don't have hard evidence that there's been an increase in the number of crashes, we know that talking on the phone can degrade driver performance," Tyson said.
The District of Columbia and New Hampshire no longer allow talking on hand-held cell phones while driving, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Some communities, such as Brookline, Mass., Santa Fe, N.M., and Lebanon, Pa., require handsfree cell phones, but about a half-dozen states prohibit local governments from restricting cell phone use in motor vehicles.
Young drivers, between 16 and 24, increased their talking on cell phones by 60 percent between 2002 and 2004.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it wants all 50 states to ban those with learner's permits from using cell phones or other wireless devices while driving. New Jersey and Maine are the only two that have passed such laws.
The survey was conducted between June 7 and July 11, 2004, at 1,200 road sites across the country and, in some cases, supplemented by telephone surveys.
It only pisses me off when the morons are IN FRONT OF ME and usually in the FAST LANE! Makes me wish I had a quad .50 mounted.
They should also ban drive-throughs in fast food places, since that leads to getting food in your car, which leads to eating in the car, which leads to accidents.
They should also ban radios, since that leads to station surfing, which can lead to accidents in and of itself, or if it doesn't, it'll lead to singing along with the radio, which is, of course, distracting, which could lead to accidents.
And, of course, they should also ban thinking in cars, since if you're thinking, you're not paying attention to the road. If you even appear to be thinking while behind the wheel, the cops should be allowed to execute you right there on the side of the road.
Alright then... that out of my system, I do find driving while yakking to be annoying, in all seriousness. Unless someone in your family is dead or dying, or your house is on fire, or some other emergency is occurring at that very moment, there are no conversations that have to take place while driving. I work for a telecommunications company, and we stress to drivers that hands free kits are essential -- 1) because it does drive up sales of hands free kits, and 2) because hospitalized or dead customers don't use minutes and make us money. But it should be self-regulating. We don't need the governments to add even MORE regulations to our lives. So folks, seriously, HANG UP AND DRIVE!
Roads were a bit slick today in my neck of the woods.
I saw several people yaking on their cell phones on the way into work.
I was going to make a smart a$$ reply, thought of that 50 cal you have mounted on your car, and changed my mind!
LOL!
No, I often WISH I had a quad .50 mounted. I had a moron turn RIGHT yesterday, in front of me, from the LEFT turning lane! What ever happened to turning left and making a U Turn down the road. Thus, the need for quad .50's.
Some people are incapable of paying full time and attention when driving, with no other distractions. (You know who you are.) For others, it's no problem to multi-task with several things going on. It depends on the person, not the task.
My little Civic just doesn't make enough noise. I must get myself a diesel horn!
I use an old bag phone with the hands-free mike. Makes a big difference.
LOL..try this. Drive a log truck grossing 164,000 pounds and yak on the cell phone at the same time. Nearly every log trucker around here does it.
Feel safe?
I live in Seattle, and now that you mention it, I have always used my cell phone on the way to California, but never even think of it on the trip back.
Hummmm
This is the crap about "causes de jour" that just angers me. If you have no evidence - then how do you know. "Well we just know".
Huh? Were you talking to me? I wasn't paying attention.
Cell phones?
I've seen drivers go by me in the left lane of the Interstate reading a novel propped on top of the steering wheel.
I remember passing a guy on the Garden State Parkway who was scratching off lottery tickets.
Point is that there are any number of distracting things that people do in their cars - including talking to passengers. Have you ever gotten behind two women who are yakking away, or a couple having an argument? Jeez... Anyway, if they're posing a hazard, they should be pulled over and ticketed accordingly. As someone already said, there are laws already on the books that cover this stuff.
Making legislators' positions full-time occupations has just killed this country.
I remember when I visited L.A. last year. I was sitting at a red light when I saw two of L.A.'s finest talking on their cell phones...Drive AND Passenger....classic!
Is this on the level?
Here's a thought. When an accident occurs make having been using a cellphone at the time as serious as hitting someone from behind. It can be assumed that if you were yakking your full attention was not on driving
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