Car phone bill slips through Assembly New law would require hands-free devices

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 06/02/03 | Lynda Gledhill

[AbsoluteJustice]

Sacramento -- Legislation requiring motorists to use hands-free devices while making cell phone calls beginning Jan. 1, 2005, cleared a huge hurdle Thursday, squeaking out of the Assembly with no votes to spare.

Boosted by a California Highway Patrol study that found cell-phone use a leading cause of accidents involving distracted drivers, the bill passed 41-26 after languishing for more than two years without reaching a floor vote.

[MineralMan]

"Isn't driving still a privilege and not a right, or has it changed?"

Hasn't changed in California.

[Lazamataz]

I was cut off in traffic the other day by an oblivious woman talking on a cell phone. She was holding it up on her shoulder. As I passed her I yelled, "I bet you would drive a lot better if that phone was shoved up your a$$!"

Well, tell us, man! Did she?

[Consort]

Some city or state recently passed a law that required children to ride only in the back seat.

[John Lenin]

I think it's a good idea. I was almost killed by a driver on a cell phone.

[RightWhale]

It's not the holding of the cellphone that is distracting. It is forgetting that a car is being driven while talking and driving right up the tailpipe of the car in front. That is distracting to other drivers.

[MineralMan]

"Some city or state recently passed a law that required children to ride only in the back seat."

Good idea, although I'm not sure a law is needed. I still see people driving with little kids standing up on the front seat, though.

[Consort]

When a driver using a cell phone drives over your pet wallaby, then you might change your mind.

[AbsoluteJustice]

So address my question since you support Gestapo laws. Is there any unearthly reason you can think of to transport noisy kids who cause a GREAT NUMBER of accidents? What about the NUMEROUS OTHER "distractions" that create MORE accidents then do cell phones? If we are going to do this with cell phones then why not EVERYTHING else that distracts drivers? Or better yet what about only the ones that create MORE accidents than do Cell phones. I think you just go crazy when you see someone driving slow using one. This is you real beef isn't it?

[AbsoluteJustice]

BAN KIDS FROM CARS THEY CREATE ACCIDENTS!!!!

[AbsoluteJustice]

LOL

[Lefty-NiceGuy]

"The study wasn't paid for by folks who make hands-free, that's for sure."

Indeed, why pay for a study if it won't tell you what you want to hear?

No I said headsets. Those little things you clipon your ear. It seems they'd be a bit safer. Sure you'd still have to press buttons, but you won't have to hold anything the duration of the converstation. I almost thought about giving all my friends with phones them. They've got to be cheaper than building something into your car.

[AbsoluteJustice]

Sir I did it for years as that is the ONLY car I would ever own and HAVE NEVER been in one accident in all my life.

[MineralMan]

"It's not the holding of the cellphone that is distracting. It is forgetting that a car is being driven while talking and driving right up the tailpipe of the car in front. That is distracting to other drivers."

Then there are the folks who can't talk without using their hands. I watched one minivan driver the other day, talking away with her cell phone in one hand and gesturing wildly with her other hand. I guess she was holding the steering wheel with her knees. I honked and yelled at her to:

Hang up and drive!

[AbsoluteJustice]

Sure they might BUT everyone is ignoring the studies that have been done for this making it no more safer. The issue is MAKING someone do it when studies have shown that these types of accidents make up less than 1% of the TOTAL # of accidents that occur every year.

[MineralMan]

"I think you just go crazy when you see someone driving slow using one. This is you real beef isn't it?"

Nope, that's not my beef. I'd like to see the law against cell phone use expanded to include any activity while driving that requires the use of one hand, to be quite frank.

And it's not about driving slowly. It's about driving irresponsibly.

Hey, for all I know, you can drive safely while eating your lunch, trimming your mustache, and reading the morning paper simultaneously. But...I don't know that, and I don't want you doing any of those things while you're sharing a freeway with me.

Hang up and drive!

[AbsoluteJustice]

I guess since there are now smoking police we must have cell phone police out there. Cripes what is the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia have better to do then to legislate more laws? Dont they have a tanking economy to address? Crime? Gangs? I thought there was more prevelent issues to address then simplistic cell phone useage. Of which comprises a low low low percentage of national accident #'s.

[MineralMan]

"I thought there was more prevelent issues to address then simplistic cell phone useage. Of which comprises a low low low percentage of national accident #'s."

Addressing one issue does not mean that other issues cannot be addressed at the same time. Maybe you've never had a close call with a cell-phone talking driver. I've had several. Let 'em call when they're parked.

About a month ago, some idiot in a movie theater I was in answered his stupid cell phone (ringing with the opening of the 'Star Spangled Banner' of all things). He actually took the call, and was talking to someone until a guy a row back told him to hang it up and shut it off.

About five minutes later, the stupid phone rang again. This time, when the guy took it out to answer it, the same guy in the row behind him snatched the phone out of the guy's hand and pitched it at the screen. Didn't say a word, just threw the guy's phone down to the front of the theater. The audience broke into spontaneous applause.

Now, there, nobody was in danger. On the freeway, though, every stupid driver talking on the cell phone and not paying attention to the road 100% is an accident waiting to happen.

Hang up and drive!

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

When you hold a cell phone up to your head, you can only use one hand to drive. You can't use a turn signal if you have a hand on the wheel and one hand on the phone. If you want to do anything other than steer, you have to take your remaining hand off of the wheel.

Smoking, adjusting the radio, screaming at kids do not happen 100% of the time, whereas you have to hold the phone to your head if you are not hands free.

I use a hands free phone and have voice activated dialing, so I can drive and never touch a phone. I see no problem with people spending the $5-$15 to buy an earpiece and drive safely.

[MineralMan]

"I use a hands free phone and have voice activated dialing, so I can drive and never touch a phone. "

Good for you. There's no problem if you don't have to take your hands off the wheel or look down to dial. Brava!

[xfmrman]

My hands free device plugs into my lighter. I need only push one button to a number or a voice will ask me whom to call. To answer, I need only to say "Yes" when the incoming call is announced. Safe and Simple.I love it and I think that with the sound in front of you it is even less distracting than an ear plug type device...