US calls for ban on in-car phone use ... even with Bluetooth

[cal04]

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/13/9418504-us-calls-for-ban-on-in-car-phone-use-even-with-bluetooth

The government's transportation safety experts recommended Tuesday to ban all American drivers from using portable electronic devices — including cell phones, even if you use a hands-free device.

The recommendation, which isn't binding but which is likely to influence the decisions of Congress and state legislatures in writing new safety laws, makes only two exceptions: You could still use GPS navigation devices, and you could use your cell phone in an emergency.

Besides calling for government action, the NTSB also urged consumer electronics manufacturers to figure out a way to "disable the functions of portable electronic devices within reach of the driver when a vehicle is in motion."

"No call, no text, no update, is worth a human life," Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at a news conference in Washington.

[Enrique]

1. duh

I think we're going to look back on video of people driving while talking on the phone the way we now look back on clips of people smoking on TV.

[gratuitous]

2. Ridiculous that we even need to say it

But there it is: We can't even figure out for ourselves that if you want to drive, drive. If you want to yak on your phone, yak on your phone. But don't do both at the same time.

I despair for the future of a species that can't figure out this basic survival skill.

[The Straight Story]

4. Bet this won't apply to many government employees

(cops/etc).

[GoCubsGo]

33. Cops maybe, but not most.

Using a cell phone while driving a government vehicle will get you fired in most state and federal agencies.

[nadinbrzezinski]

65. Cops don't use phones, they use radios

many of those radios are now headless... and they are trained to do that.

If there are TWO officers in the same car, passenger handles all communications.

The same goes for EMS.

We had a rule. Driver uses the radio to acknowledge the call, if stopped, otherwise the copilot did.

Driver or passenger told Dispatch arrival time.

Driver informed dispatch of hospital to take patient.

Driver told dispatch when arrived, after full stop.

While en route all communications was handled by the passenger.

I can speak with authority. Why did I WRITE this protocol? Yes, that was me... twenty years ago, after a Hartsons Ambulance got totalled in Tijuana. I got to do the investigation... hence all my EMTs got training in communications as well. Yes, it was written in blood.

[TheMadMonk]

101. But they're all like: "Aw shucks honey, hunerets an' hunerets of times...

...an' nuttin' happen 't all."

Much like the veteran whore. It never happens to them. Until of course it finally does.

And then it's. "Your Honour. my client will have to live with what they've done for the rest of their lives. A custodial sentence would be excesive punishment."

[nadinbrzezinski]

102. Actually you diagnosed one type of emergency worker

And that is one I refused to partner with.

.

[MicaelS]

114. This proposal might be written in blood...

But so was Alcohol Prohibition. So has Drug Prohibition, as well as Gun Prohibition.

"But if it saves one life it's worth it!"

Guess what, you can write as many well-meaning laws as you want to save as many lives as you think you can, but if people want to engage in the behaviour, no matter how illegal, they are going to do so.

Americans are used to the personal freedom of being in instant touch with whomever they choose. You think a nationwide law like this will pass? Just wait until the ordinary person's backlash.

[nadinbrzezinski]

115. The number of people getting killed

While using cells nationwide is close to DUI deaths. We don't let people get behind the wheel drunk either.

Also it's a proposal, NTSB has no law making capacity.

[MicaelS]

116. I'm well aware NTSB has no law-making authority...

And I predict this proposal will go right into file 13, no matter the death toll.

As far as not letting people get behind the wheel drunk, we don't put breathalyzer interlocks in everyone's cars to prevent drunk driving. Only those of repeat offenders.

Or are you in favor of breathalyzer interlocks in everyone's cars, too?

[nadinbrzezinski]

122. For those convicted of DUI absolutely.

[MicaelS]

125. You dodged the question...

What about everyone else who is NOT convicted of DUI? Do you want to put breathalizer interlocks in their cars?

Are you willing to penalize everyone because of the misdeeds of a few?

Because you just change it to cell phones, and it's the exact same mindset.

[nadinbrzezinski]

126. Let's make this crystal

if you are convicted by a court of driving under the influence, or in this case, of crashing while distracted... ABSOLUTELY, and I do not mean serial offenses either. ONE CONVICTION is enough for me... and far more effective than licence revocation and all that.

[rustydog]

136. wanna bet? I had a cellphone conversation with a police officer two days ago

the officer was on duty, alone in the patrol car, told me, wait, I have to pull over to write down the serial number.
Police officer pulled over, wrote down the information and said she'd see me in a few minutes with the information. She drove to the hospital and advised me the item I recovered wa snot stolen.

This happens often as I have regular contact with law enforcement.

Police officers are seen regularly on cell phones while driving. Just because a policy-protocol was authored by you does not mean it is followed. Hell, it is against the law to drive andhave a cell phone to your ear in Washington State.
People do it every single day. Even police people!

[zappaman]

141. I see cops on their cell phone quite often too.

If this rule goes into effect, will it apply to them?

[RC]

3. This is over kill. What if a front seat passenger is using a cell phone?

"Besides calling for government action, the NTSB also urged consumer electronics manufacturers to figure out a way to "disable the functions of portable electronic devices within reach of the driver when a vehicle is in motion." "

More bullshit in the Land of The Free to separate you from your money and maybe jail you besides.

[nadinbrzezinski]

67. They mean the DRIVER...

not the PASSENGER.

Here is a fun fact. If you crash and you were using the cell phone, EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE my local cops will assign P1, that is responsibility to you.

[RC]

84. Reread my post again.

How are they going to do that when the passenger is sitting next to the driver with the cell phone maybe a foot away?

[nadinbrzezinski]

86. I wrote DRIVER, using a phone

You have a passenger, the passenger can tweet, facebook, internet google, and call all at the same time if he has that many devices.

[Mariana]

107. The passenger can't do any of those things

if the devices are disabled when the vehicle is moving. That is what the NTSB wants.

[nadinbrzezinski]

109. And as a former medic

If that is it, fine by me.

The stats are out there. It is the new DUI.

I am sure though that a technological solution can be found.

Oh and it is a suggestion. It is not binding. But I am sure none reads this non binding part.

[Ter]

121. I'm glad not all Democrats are in such support of big government regulations

Or I would have joined the Libertarian Party years ago.

[nadinbrzezinski]

124. I hope you are not like the libertarian

Last edited Fri Dec 16, 2011, 05:25 AM - Edit history (1)

We met the other day. The contradictions in one sentence were astounding.

As is, after you got to pronounce a kid in the field due to a drunk, or a distracted driver it changes that attitude...

Oh and thankfully I am an indie, not a partisan.

[Earth_First]

5. I depend on communication in the field...

I need communication with crews who are on projects while I am not on jobsites.

I need communication with our office while I am in the field.

Often, I need to capitalize on the opportunity to make those calls; yes, while driving via bluetooth.

I would be interested to see numbers/figures on vehicle accidents that are the result of an individual in the engineering/construction/landscape (etc) industry who were on a call during an accident.

I'd be willing to bet that it is a relatively low number in relation to motor vehiclce accidents that ocurr while updating Facebook or making plans for shopping, dinner, etc.

[ixion]

15. Yeah, I'm in the same spot

I depend on road time to get client calls out of the way. It's not really distracting if you're using a headset, in my opinion. It's like you're talking to someone in the seat next to you.

[TheMadMonk]

64. Making notes? Sorting notes? Finding the right notes?

FFS, bloody pedestrians become roadkill bopping away to their music players, or arguing with their SO as they cross the street. And driving is a far, far more complex task than walking.

There's a song (chorus) that every bloody driver on the road should take heed of:

[ixion]

97. or none of the above, actually.

I'm a paperless office. If I have to make a note, it's on a computer, and it's not while I'm driving.

[MadHound]

61. Then pull over and make those calls,

I'm tired of damn near getting killed on my bike by some idiot talking on their phone, be it a hands-on or hands-free model.

[U4ikLefty]

105. I work for a major engineering frim & there is a strict no cell phone rule (bluetooth included)

while driving. The reason is that we know the studies that show an increase in accidents form cell phone use while driving. That includes use of hands-free.

If you need to talk with your crew then pull over & talk to them....problem solved.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. Stupid. Not everyone drives alone.

I travel with my SO. It would be nice if he could make a phone call when we are on the road. We already have to pull over to have the passenger program/change the GPS - thanks to Ford's idiot proofing attempts.

[nadinbrzezinski]

69. as a passenger you are free to make as many calls as you want

and as many facebook updates as well. This is only the DRIVER.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

78. I was referring to THIS part:

"the NTSB also urged consumer electronics manufacturers to figure out a way to "disable the functions of portable electronic devices within reach of the driver when a vehicle is in motion."

As I mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I wouldn't be opposed to a system that could be tied in with the air-bag sensor that senses when a passenger is in the right seat.

I already have to deal with the stupidity of a Ford GPS system that can't be programed by the passenger when the car is in motion. A tie-in to the air-bag weight sensor would have fixed that.

Ford could have made a simple fix but they opted for the total kill option. That's my fear of further regulation - the hand-wringers, in their zeal to protect everyone, will force legislation to disable ALL devices regardless of who is using them. "In reach of the driver" is pretty broad and unnecessary.

[nadinbrzezinski]

79. Again, they mean the driver...

not the passenger. Granted, stupid manufacturers could screw this one... but... they mean driver.

And the stats are clear, it's up there with drunk driving... actually right now, probably higher.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

83. "In reach of the driver." What does that mean to you?

[nadinbrzezinski]

87. That means NO PASSENGER, and your cell phone is in the passenger seat

I have been known to do that. These days I have it in my pocket and many a times it is OFF.

[Occulus]

103. No, it means that the signal sent by the device is in reach of the receiver

because neither the device nor the lockout system knows which person is using which device.

Good God. Do you NOT get that any automatic lockout system will by necessity lockout ALL devices present, just in case?

[nadinbrzezinski]

104. And I am fine with that personally

Having seen the early wave of accidents. It is exactly like DUI.

My only concern would be 911 calls.

[GreenStormCloud]

7. Will talking to your passenger be banned also? N/T

[Cali_Democrat]

27. That's what I don't understand

What's the difference between talking to your passenger and talking on a bluetooth headset?

[TheMadMonk]

66. Quite a lot. Passengers are aware of your shared environment...

...and hopefully know when to shut up, or even provide some necessary feedback.

Your pissed off SO on the other end, may well be screaming in your ear, "DON'T YOU FUCKING IGNORE ME!" at the exact moment a ball bounces into the street.

[ProfessorGAC]

36. Or Listening To The Radio

Or discs or iPod's, or a book on tape, etc.

Distraction is distraction, right? Seems like overkill to me, especially if someone is hands-free.

[Mariana]

110. I wonder why CB radios didn't cause the same problems.

Seemed like everyone and his brother had CB's in their cars and trucks for some years. All of my family's cars had them and most of my friends did, too - you know, "for emergencies" in case we got stranded and there wasn't a pay phone nearby, we could try to call for help on Channel 9. Naturally, we used them to talk to our friends whenever we (and they) were out driving around, to figure out where to meet up. We had code names for dozens of locations all over the county.

Maybe the CB's were shown to cause the same problems and I just don't remember it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

112. My theory, having used the mike in the ambulance

Where you need to place them to talk, and the mike is much lower, so you din't need to strain to hear a conversation. We also accidents go down once the cops started giving tickets for it. Mind you cops liked the bill as well since it's a relatively no argue ticket.

[GreenStormCloud]

131. The CB craze in the 70s was very short-lived

Now it is a rare car that has a CB. Mostly only truckers have them. Having been an over-the-road long haul trucker I can state that most of us rarely used the CB. There was too much annoying garbage chatter on it. In fact I kept mine off most of the time, and turned it on only if I wanted to ask about traffic conditions or weather or something like that. I never worried about cops as I stayed legal.

[nadinbrzezinski]

132. We have one still

But was just addressing the distraction meter. And don't get me wrong, they are... just less.

[GreenStormCloud]

138. You're rare. But everybody knows that.

BTW - That's a compliment.

[nadinbrzezinski]

139. It came wiht the husband and his now twenty year old truck

[ProfessorGAC]

111. What?

I have no idea? How would you possibly know that?

[ProfessorGAC]

127. Not Even Close To What I Was Talking About

You said that i have no idea of the pressure the telcom companies were putting on legislatures.

I asked you how you could possibly know that I HAVE NO IDEA! I certainly do have knowledge of that.

So, you went way over the edge in claiming i didn't know. That's what i was talking about.

Your reply didn't even begin to address your insult toward me.

[pipi_k]

68. And what about

Parents distracted by their kids who are fighting in the back seat?

Or a baby crying back there?


Oh, and I can't even count the number of times I've been in the passenger's seat with someone driving who is swatting and shoo-ing a bee that's buzzing around, almost going off the road in the process.

[City Lights]

134. One of my aunts is famous for taking off her shoe while driving and swating at whatever

kid she could reach in the back seat.

[Cigar11]

8. Too Late …

I have one and I’m going to use it!

If people have Radio’s, they will talk on Phones

[B Calm]

9. Starting Jan 1, 2012 any CDL truck driver caught

driving and using a cell phone anywhere in the country without a handsfree bluetooth device will get 30 points on their driving record and subjected up to a $2,750.00 fine.

[Earth_First]

11. "*without* handsfree bluetooth device" n/t

[B Calm]

14. That's what I said. Myself I been

using a handsfree device for over two years. I wouldn't talk and drive without one. I do think they should make it the law for everybody and not just truck drivers.

[sarcasmo]

23. 30? In the state of Michigan 11 points and your license is revoked.

[B Calm]

28. CDL has a different point system. They

came out with it this year and no one knows how many points you can have before your license are revoked.

I do know that one serious violation combined with another serious violation in a two year period and your license are revoked for sixty days. The new law in January will make talking on a cell phone a serious violation, just like following to closely or running a red light.

[sarcasmo]

89. Show me the link for that in which you speak.

I have had my CDL since 94. The point system has always been the same. 11 points and you loose your license. Why make stuff up?

[A HERETIC I AM]

100. I have a feeling the poster above is referring to the new "CSA" program, but it does nothing...

like what B Calm is suggesting.

Sarcasm, you are correct. The new CSA program does not allow for revocation of a CDL. It is looking for an entirely different set of data.

Q. What kinds of driver safety performance data is
CSA looking at?
A. The program focuses on driver enforcement for serious rule
violations, such as:
• Driving while disqualified
• Driving without a valid commercial driver’s license
• Making a false entry on a medical certificate
• Committing numerous Hours-of-Service violations

From;

http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/Documents/CSA2010_DriverFactSheet.pdf

FWIW, I have held a CDL since they came in to being in the late 1980's and have had a commercial license since 1978.

[sarcasmo]

117. Thanks for that link.

Sounds like a new way to take money from CDL drivers.

[woodsprite]

10. I agree that people drive like nuts when talking on the phone and shouldn't do it,

but how is using blue tooth for hands free convo any different than having a conversation or argument with the person in the passenger or rear seats?

They should also ban driving with the newspaper or map in your lap or draped over your steering wheel, and applying makeup, fixing hair or shaving while in driving. I've see those also, many more times than I can count.

[Whisp]

52. This may be why...

when you are talking to a passenger, that passenger understands your pauses in conversation while turning corners, avoiding a misshap, etc., while you are driving. You can talk and stop mid sentence, attend to whatever you have to as a driver, then continue on - the passenger clearly sees and understands this.

but if you are talking on the phone, you get a different sense - at least I do. The driver - who doesn't want to leave the listener thinking he/she hung up or is not paying attention (when traffic needs attention) may feel rushed or possibly a little more careless just to attend to the phone.

And altho people like to believe they can do two things at once with equal concentration on both, that is just not true.

[Cronus Protagonist]

12. But let's keep the in-dash DVD players!

lol

[ikri]

13. Countless studies

Have shown that talking on the phone whilst driving, even hands-free, is extremely distracting. Some studies have shown that it's worse than drink-driving (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1885775.stm & http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6090342-7.html) with hands-free driving not rating much better.

The normal signals a passenger might get to shut up and allow you to concentrate aren't available whilst you're on the phone, the conversation ends up taking precedence over driving.

[B Calm]

31. Sometimes, like last night

I had to drive all night with very little sleep. I use my cell phone to talk to other truck drivers. It keeps me awake and from falling asleep. I think their studies are biased and not showing you the whole picture.

[MadHound]

62. Great, so you were a double hazard on the road,

Suffering from lack of sleep and distracted talking on the phone. Glad I wasn't on the road with you around.

[Lionessa]

16. Good. It isn't the hands-on or hands-free that's the problem

It is the distraction from driving. Hell, one woman in Boise was so distracted by a heated phone call with her mother, that she forgot to drop her baby off at the daycare, and proceeded into work only to find her dead baby cooked to death in her black SUV in the summer later in the day.

Though part of the blame for her mistake is due to the new laws requiring all children to be in a back seat where they could be forgotten if they fall asleep. Clearly the phone call was a big distraction as well, regardless of hands on or off.

Some say, well how is it different from talking to someone in the car, and the answer to that is that usually someone in the car is aware of the activities in and around the vehicle and will usually adjust to accommodate what a driver might need to adjust to accommodate situations.

Just my two cents. I don't expect anyone these days to agree to the idea that they don't need to be attached to their phones 24/7.

[bl968]

17. If we do this....

When are we gonna ban vehicles from carrying more than one person, people from having makeup in the cab, people from eating, drinking, changing the radio station, looking out the windows, etc. People who are prone to distracted driving will still be distracted drivers, and driving while texting is already illegal.

[TheMadMonk]

77. Changing a radio station/CD can (and should) be defered until the driver...

...is certain of a clear few seconds on the road ahead AND are tasks with very short durations.

Applying makeup, eating, texting, reading maps, long distance arguments with SO's, are mile(s) long tasks offering up multiple opportunities to kill others with your lack of attention to the world outside.

Here in Aust, probationary liscence holders are in fact banned from carrying more than one passenger except under certain limited circumstances, because far too many accidents were caused by their mates acting like yobs in the back seat.

[nadinbrzezinski]

106. And applying makeup

And crashing, like texting or talking on cell makes the driver p1 in any accident...fun fact.

[SoCalDem]

18. Car ignitions need to send a signal that blocks all electronic devices

need to chat or text?..PULL OVER & PARK IT.

[sylveste]

21. meh,

if lewis hamilton or seb vettel can talk on a radio flying through eau rouge, i think i can handle a cell phone at 30 mph.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

22. Or have your spouse do the talking, texting and GPSing. That's what we do.

Under your plan, responsible adults get penalized too.

[GoCubsGo]

37. Only if that signal reaches beyond the driver's seat.

If they can make a device that disables the ignition when electronic gadgets are being used, they can make a device that disables it for devices used within a set range.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

49. We were just on a road trip bitching how our Ford GPS doesn't allow programing while driving.

My partner and I drive as a team. One person drives while the other works the map, GPS and phone if needed.

One solution we thought of was to allow operation of the GPS and other devices if there is a person in the passenger seat. It could be tied to the air-bag sensor.

While not fool proof, I could accept that as a reasonable attempt at allowing a passenger operation of electronic devices while maintaining some degree of fail-safe. Sure, the hard-core idiots will defeat the system - but we have police and law enforcement for them.

[lindysalsagal]

24. Agreed except that passengers should be able to talk and text so I don't know how you'd pull it off.

But I would love to see people put down the phones.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

54. How about when I'm desperately trying to reach my husband?

Wide open empty roads around here. We farm. Things happen quick on a farm....a real farm with lots of great big tractors, irrigation pumps and cattle. How do I call the mobile vet clinic?

Sometimes life has grey areas.

I guess we'll have to go back to radios. No hands free with those though.

[SoCalDem]

59. pull off to the side of the road , put it in park and then dial

takes all of 2 seconds

[Boudica the Lyoness]

74. As I explained in my other post;

My husband is on the road....in the middle of nowhere ... meanwhile back at the ranch (lol) I have a life and death or emergency situation concerning the cattle, irrigation pumps etc. Now, explain to me how I pull over and make those calls? How do I reach him?

Calling emergency services, repairmen and vets etc is out of the question. We have to deal with everything ourselves. I will have the vet come out with his mobile vet clinic if it's a horse and the vet is close by right then).

Life is complicated. Not everyone lives in the city.

[SoCalDem]

75. If either of you is in the vehicle on a road, it's not that far to the side of the road

to receive or make a call

but then you know that

you two are in a unique situation where traffic or driver-distraction may not ever be the issue.

gotta think macro..not micro

[Boudica the Lyoness]

80. How do I call him if he's driving though?

He can't pull over every few miles to see if all hell has broken out back home. I have so often reached him just in time for him to turn around and come to the rescue. And rescue he does! A regular bloody hero can be.

Cell phones have made our life so much less stressful. lol, I have even used my phone while riding herd.

I think people driving in certain high traffic areas, or cities, should be stopped from using their cell phones. I worry about the a device that shuts down cell phones when a vehicle is running.

BTW, I really like your use of smileys in your post. I was ready to because I'm in fight mode most of the time...being Boudica and all.

[SoCalDem]

81. phones ring when there's a call

In my perfect world, they would ring, but you could not talk while the ignition was on

[Boudica the Lyoness]

85. Not if there's a device in the rig that shuts the

cell phone off when the car/pickup is moving. How does the fucking phone ring then? Maybe I should blow smoke out of my arse like you do...you know smoke signals.

[SoCalDem]

90. Talk/text feature is disabled..not ring/vibrate..n/t

[Boudica the Lyoness]

92. That is news to me.

From what I understood the phone was off/dead as long as the engine was running.

How many people could ignore a ringing phone? How many people would pick it up to see who was calling?

Kind of defeats the purpose.

[DesMoinesDem]

19. So when will all talking be banned?

If it is the talking that is distracting, the logical conclusion would be to ban all talking in cars. Why are they limiting the ban to phones? And it sounds like many people here would be in favor of a complete talking ban. Utterly ridiculous.

[rustydog]

140. Good point. There are already ticketing offenses...DISTRACTED DRIVING!

why clutter the lawbooks with unnecessary laws?

[kestrel91316]

20. Fine with me. As a pedestrian, most of my near-misses with drivers have been when an electronic

device was obviously in use.

Well, there was that very close call last night, but it was after dark and raining and I was in the crosswalk with a "walk" signal so you can hardly blame the poor guy as he stomped the accelerator and barreled straight toward me in his left turn, and me with a bright red umbrella. Which I hit his car with, lol.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

56. I think about the cows I have kept alive

by reaching my husband on his cell phone while he's been driving in the middle of nowhere. I can't pull a calf by myself.

How do I reach the mobile vet clinic to get him to swing by when my horses are colicky and I need help? His office wont be able to contact him either it seems.

Soon as life gets less stressful the government interferes.

[MadHound]

63. Pull over and make those calls, d'uh. n/t

[Boudica the Lyoness]

73. Okay...think about this.

My husband is on the road....in the middle of nowhere ... meanwhile back at the ranch (lol) I have a life and death or emergency situation concerning the cattle, irrigation pumps etc. Now, explain to me how I pull over and make those calls?

Stop going d'uh and think about this.

Calling emergency services, repairmen and vets etc is out of the question. We have to deal with everything ourselves. I will have the vet come out with his mobile vet clinic if it's a horse and the vet is close by right then).

[MadHound]

76. Well don't think that you're the only one down on the farm.

Pulling a calf isn't a "life or death", neither are the irrigation pumps shutting down, at least not "life and death" to the point where you can't take a couple of minutes to pull over to the side of the road and make a call.

Don't think that you're the only one in this kind of situation.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

82. If you don't pull a calf out in time the calf can die.

Sometimes both can die, so it is life and death. As far as one of the pumps breaking down...when we are irrigating we need to be running all the time. Emergencies happen on a farm/ranch that can be devastating and dangerous and knowing I can reach help, even when that help is driving, is a wonderful thing. You want to take that from me and it pisses me off. You want to make my life harder and that really pisses me off.

Did you really need to tell me I am not the only one on a farm? We are isolated, but not that isolated. lol I hope I'm speaking for every rural person who depends on cell phone communication.

[MadHound]

88. Don't be so condescending, like I said, you're not the only one down on the farm,

Nor are you the only one who has pulled calves, foals, or helped with the birth of other livestock. I also don't need instruction in what the loss of irrigation pumps can do, etc.

But the fact of the matter is that these are not situations that require you to call while you are driving. You can take a couple(2) minutes to pull over and make the call. It isn't so desperate that the vet can't pull over, look at his message and then drive?

I ride a scooter through the back woods of rural Missouri, and I'm getting damn sick of idiots like you, so intent on your own business, pulling out in front of me, damn near running me over, definitively running me off the road a couple of times, all the time with a goddamn phone stuck in their ear. Sorry, but your cow is only worth a few thousand dollars, my life is irreplaceable.

What the hell did we ever do down on the farm before cell phones? Oh, yeah, managed to live, thrive and survive. Get over yourself.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

94. I wasn't talking about calling while I am driving.

I'd like to be able to reach my husband when I am alone on our ranch/farm.

No, the vet is not going to pull off the road every time his cell phone rings. That would be pretty silly.

We can drive 50 miles here and not see another vehicle, so the chances of us plowing our rig into your scooter is pretty slim. Our conversations, while we are have our phone "stuck in our ear," consists of "Come home quick, we have a breech (birth) going on". End of call.

No, I don't chat on the phone while I am driving, but I want to be able to call someone while they are driving when I have an emergency back at home. We need to make a living and will continue to do so.

Before cell phones we used our 75' transmitter on our high bluff.We used radios before we had cell phones. In the mid 1980's we had a car phone in the car and radios in the pickups and trucks. We can again because we are survivors. We make do very well. We are not the idiots here.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

120. I remember before there were cell phones. Face it, people DO NOT pay attention when they are driving

[SecurityManager]

25. Driving in Chicago I agree with this!

Almost everyday I see people holding up traffic lights, weaving, blowing traffic lights, even pulling over to use the phone most seem so distracted with the conversation they can not get the vehicle clear of traffic well.

I depend a lot on my cell also but it is turned off in the truck.

Fully supported with me.

[Richard D]

26. Driving and drinking . . .

. . . Coffee. Very dangerous. Crazy people hyped up on caffeine.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. Simple solution. Stop car. Step outside of car. Yak away.

[B Calm]

32. That's the last thing we need is more

vehicles parked on the shoulder and causing wrecks! People are not smart enough to get off the highway and park.

[GoCubsGo]

38. Better than having them moving.

I'd rather have them on the shoulder, stopped, then have them rear-end me at 55 mph.

[B Calm]

44. and you are probably driving a little

four wheeler with more room between the lines in the highway.

[GoCubsGo]

45. Yes, and that is why I would rather have them stopped.

Loads of F-150s, 250s, 350s, Suburban/Excursions/Escalades, etc., here. I would rather their drivers stopped on the shoulder to take a phone call, than take it on the fly and smack into me.

[B Calm]

47. Wouldn't it make more sense for them

to park on the shoulder of exit ramp or get on ramp? If they're not on an interstate they could park in any parking lot. There's no reason to be on the shoulder unless it an emergency. Back in the old days they called it the emergency lane.

I drive I-94 Chicago area everyday and I do know first hand your concerns on other drivers. You gotta keep your eyes open. Man there are crazy drivers everywhere, and not just in Chicago Land.

[GoCubsGo]

48. Yes, certainly it makes more sense.

But, I live in a smallish town (roughly 30 K people) in a mostly rural state. There are no exit ramps within 20 miles of here, and not always a parking lot nearby. Hell, most of the roads here don't even have a paved shoulder. On top of that, the idiots in charge of my city's and county's development allow businesses to slap shit up wherever they can find space, regardless of how congested traffic already is in that spot. It's a fucking nightmare to drive here as it is, with out having to deal with people who are more concerned with their phone concentrations than they are their driving.

I can bitch for hours about the drivers in these parts. I don't know how the hell half of them were allowed drivers licenses.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

43. Well if they're too stupid to park, they're sure as hell too stupid drive and yak.

In fact they're too stupid to drive or be allowed near sharp instruments.

[Donnachaidh]

30. Having found myself behind a young woman with kids in the back and her TEXTING while driving

I say it's about time!

Y'all can whine all you want about headsets, etc.,-- you ARE distracted from driving. It's a hazard. And I'm thrilled they are doing it.

[B Calm]

34. This post is not about texting, it's

about not being able to TALK on a HANDS FREE cell phone while driving.

What about all the people I see playing with laptops while driving? Being up high in an eighteen wheeler I see everything. Hell state cops go down the road with their lap tops open on the seat next to them. I agree with you on the texting, but come on, they are talking about banning hands free talking while you're driving! This is INSANE!

[SoCalDem]

60. It's about the brain being maxxed out

people are not as good at "multi-tasking" as they think they are

911 should be the only number available while the ignition is on

[Bennyboy]

35. It's the dialing that is distractiing.

Nt the talking. Figgger out to make every phone have voice dialing and a good part of the problem is solved.

[GoCubsGo]

39. Nope. It's the whole conversation.

I can't tell you how many times I passed someone in the left lane who was going half the speed limit, only to see that they had their hand plastered to their ear. I also see them running stops signs, failing to yield the right of way, and speeding through residential areas on a daily basis. I have come close to head-on collisions with cell phone yakkers on my own street, because THEY were too busy with their conversation to notice that they were driving on the wrong fucking side of the road. They weren't dialing their phones. They were blabbing on them.

[B Calm]

41. Cell phone or not, they are probably just

bad drivers to begin with.

If not not for a cell phone it would probably be somthing else distracting these idiots. Take away their cell phone and they'll just play with their laptops.

My cell phone keeps me awake and alert when I have to drive all night long.

[GoCubsGo]

42. You are in the minority.

It's a shame that people like them have to screw things up for people like you. But, there are way more of them than are responsible people like you. And, unfortunately, the minority usually has to suffer because of them.

BTW, laptops are part of the deal.

[B Calm]

40. The new CDL law coming out in January

says you can hold the phone long enough just to make a ONE press phone call from your contacts list. You are not allowed to dial a number in.

So the problem can be easly solved.

[Hubert Flottz]

46. I have a gold tooth so

I ain't worried about it!

[George Glass]

50. Ah...The Blue Tools...

I thought that one would have bitten the dust by now but no, there are still people addicted to yakking who wear those silly things.

[Dawson Leery]

51. Next they will ban car audio systems?

That would be the natural progression.

[Capitalocracy]

53. Banning cell phones makes sense. But banning hands-free doesn't make sense...

unless you're also planning to ban all conversation in the vehicle. And radio, can't have that nasty distraction either.

[RZM]

58. I think alot of studies have shown that hands free isn't really any safer

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/transportation/july-dec09/driving_07-28.html

[GreenArrow]

55. Land of the free,

home of the brave.

[Pab Sungenis]

57. Banning hands-free use of cell-phones because an idiot TEXTING while driving caused a pileup

is like banning bicycles because some idiot kid rode down the wrong side of an interstate, hands-free, no helmet, with another kid on his axle pegs playing the violin.

Texting is MORE DANGEROUS than even hand-held talking because you have to take your eyes off the road for an extended period.

[Xithras]

71. My car has built-in hands free Bluetooth.

I can answer, make, and carry on telephone conversations with the same ease as a discussion with a passenger in the seat next to me. It's hard to imagine how THAT is unsafe.

[Ikonoklast]

135. Funny how the ban is only called for 'portable' devices, not built-in devices.

A portable MP3 player is bannable, but not an in-dash unit.

And what difference is there between one and the other?

Wonder who lobbied hard for *that* little exemption?


Your built-in unit is exempt.

Carry one on, and you gets a ticket.

[TBF]

72. As long as I can check messages at a red light I'm good with it. nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

91. Careful, in some states, you are driving while at a red light.

[TBF]

93. Ugh. Ok, thank you for that warning ... nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

95. Actually, it's most states.

IIRC, the case I read was a California appeal where the driver was ticketed for talking at a light. California is one of the few states that DOESN'T use the term "operating a vehicle" so the driver was appealing the case based on a drunk driving precedent where a driver beat a DUI case because he wasn't "driving" (In his case, he was passed out in a street parking space). In most states, "operating" is the operative phrase - which means in the driver's seat with the keays in the ignition.

[TBF]

96. So if you pulled off the road, but key was still in ignition, that wouldn't be enough either?

I'm in Texas so I know I can't have my phone out in a school zone, but this is good to know for when I travel.

Here is a chart I just found for anyone reading this who is interested (lists by state what is prohibited):
http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx

[Hassin Bin Sober]

99. That's a good question.

As I recall, the California driver lost on appeal because he was cosidered, by the appeellate court, to be "driving" while at a light.

So, in California, passed out drunk in a parking spot on a city street is not "driving" but stopped at a light is "driving" - one of the few states that doesn't use "Operating" as a standard.

"Operating" states might say you are guilty - even pulled to the side of the road.

I wonder if there are any DU lawyers around?

[MineralMan]

118. Lately, I've noticed a lot of drivers at red

lights talking on their phones. I can see them doing it. When the light changes, they don't see it, don't notice it, or don't care. I'm a pretty patient guy, but after about 10 seconds, they get the horn in a brief toot. Then they give me the finger. It's a lovely world we live in these days.

Hang up and Drive!

[TBF]

119. Gotta agree with that -

I'm actually not a fan of phones - I've never felt that you have to answer a phone just because it rings. If I've got a visitor the calls go to the answering machine until I have time to sit down and go through them.

I'm much more likely to check email or texts in the car, but that's a good point about getting engrossed even with those and not seeing the light turn. I can see how that could happen and annoy the other drivers.

[Generic Brad]

98. Would we still be able to sing in our cars?

I would hate to have someone mistake my poor singing for a conversation carried out over blue tooth.

[LadyHawkAZ]

108. From the perspective of the motorcycle rider in the next lane

IT'S ABOUT FREAKIN' TIME!

Turn the damn thing OFF and pay attention to the road!

[EnviroBat]

123. Driving a motorcycle has become more dangerous than ever lately.

I found myself surrounded by morons blathering away on their fucking phones while they are driving, and I can tell you from experience, they are NOT paying attention to the world around them. I hope this thing becomes a federal law.

[justiceischeap]

128. I have no problem with the banning of cell phones, even bluetooth while driving

It's already against the law to listen to headphones while driving because it drowns out the noise around you... it pisses me off to see people with their phone to their ears, hand barely on the wheel, not paying attention to their surroundings and when they swerve into my lane, get all pissy with me because they're acting like the idiot.

Cars are deadly. If you NEED to talk on the phone that badly, pull over and do so. It wasn't all that long ago that we got through our days without being constantly connected to our phones. Nothing, NOTHING, is so important that you put your life or others around you at risk by talking on the phone, or texting while driving or reading, hell, putting on make-up.

[sarcasmo]

129. This is the type of stuff the Republicans will be on board with

a jobs bill? no way, because it makes the President look good.

[Matariki]

133. I'll bet there are some who want a way to "disable portable electronic devices"

especially phone cameras and video.

[gulliver]

137. This seems to be largely emotion-driven.

"No call, no text, no update, is worth a human life." Well, of course not. But neither is an unnecessary trip to Buffalo Wild Wings. Is your wing craving more important than someone else's life?

The ban also covers iPods. I would like to know whether smoking, sunflower seed eating, talking to the radio (I assume I'm not the only one), and eating big meals before driving are next.

How is this going to be enforced?

And are people going to be safer if their phone rings, and they have to exit traffic (possibly in unfamiliar areas) to find a parking lot in order to have the conversation? How will that affect traffic patterns? Will it cause accidents? Are we going to see hundreds of cars parked in parking lots near the highways? Signs saying "No Parking for Phone Conversations?"

I don't know. I just think this may be one of those countless "risks of living" we all face and create for others every day.

[PeaceNikki]

142. I dunno... that Mango Habenaro is pretty darn good!!

Kidding, but you make excellent points.

[JVS]

143. "Is your wing craving more important than someone else's life?"

Yes it is!

[Shankapotomus]

144. Does this include police, fire and ETM's?

What about CB's and anyone who uses them while driving? Are politicians exempt from this law?

[Chipperjones]

145. Spam deleted by CaliforniaPeggy (MIR Team)