Nationwide Cell Phone Ban?
 

I know the UK has some serious restrictions on cell phone use while driving and I don't know about down under, but I think it is about time we come up with a national policy here in the US. This is a long slow process in the US to get these kind of changes as it was with infant car seat use. We need to do something.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...011101959.html

Just what we need. More government control. Maybe they could let us use our phones only on the days they allow us to wear colored underwear.

Eh, I thought about that. I am totally against more government in most cases. I would not say there should be a total ban, but mandate hands free use only. Most people should be able to deal with that.

Studies say that hands free is safer but still very distracting. Don't have time to find a link. Gotta go to work.:bolt:

I would expect it to be less distracting than someone in the passenger seat, where you might be tempted to divert some of your attention to their body language as part of the conversation.

I bet passengers pay attention to the traffic subconsciously and change their conversation style during stressful traffic situations so they are less of a distraction. (Not counting kids in back seats.)

people make stupid decisions all the time and some people are just bad drivers. the same people who pay more attention to their phone than the road will still be fumbling with CD's, Ipods, cigarettes, etc.

Cell phone bans are ridiculously unenforceable and just give the cops another reason to randomly pull people over. if someone blows a red light or is driving dangerously cite them for the driving, not an item they may or may not have been speaking into.

I see your point LO but the UK enforces theirs. And I remember from some of the reports that 6 states and all Federal Property already has an enforceable ban in place. I know if you are seen talking on your phone on post the MP's will pull you over in a second. When we were in the UK the people we were with were pretty strick about it and that was over 2 years ago. I think it is a safety issue that needs to be addressed.

As first glance, this makes a lot of sense, but couldn't you also say the same thing for drinking and driving? That you should be able to drive drunk, and cops should only pull over those who are sloppy drivers?

i do say that about drinking and driving.

although i feel it is a foolish act I feel the big push on it has more to do with revenue than safety. I would much rather see police patrolling the streets and pulling over people driving in an unsafe manner rather than setting up roadblocks in bar districts and arresting anyone with a sniff of alcohol. I believe they'd probably arrest just as many drunks and they'd certainly get more idiotic behavior off the roads.

Eh...I don't see a realistic solution for this problem because the you cannot prevent the cause or properly enforce it.

Problems occur when the driver becomes focused on something other than driving whether that be a phone conversation, radio channel, or the two kids in the back seat that are hitting each other. And since there is no limit to the amount of potential distractions a driver can have and its extremely idealistic to assume that people will follow these rules, attempting to eliminate the distractions would prove a failure.

Thats why I agree with Lookout123 and would prefer to see driving rules enforced based on a reactionary basis instead of preventative. If a person is swerving, pull them over. If a person is not swerving, don't.

Although, if cell phones (regular or hands free) do prove to be a larger problem, like drinking and driving, and there are statistics to back it up, this law wouldn't be bad even though it is naturally idealistic. You will not prevent all people from driving and talking on their phones and you will not prevent all crashes relating to it, but you might be able to lower the amount.

The statistics exist to support a ban on anything but hands free.

Lots of bad/dangerous drivers out there, with and without cell phones and other distractions. We don't need more laws we need better drivers. Make the damn tests harder.

I agree with Jinx. Tired drivers are the worst though.

IMO - if you make it against the law for people to drive and call, or drive and text - yes, TEXT - some fruitloops in this country think that's okay! - then if you catch them you are already catching dangerous drivers.

I'm not being holier than thou, but I saw some dreadful driving practices towards other drivers when I had a car, and have obversed many more that put cyclists & pedestrians at risk (I am sure we have FAR more pedestrians here in this country) since not driving.

My Mum admitted seeing my sister driving and texting. I was so shocked. My MUM who gave me a dressing down today about going to an appointment a day too early (why didn't you check? you could have been a day too late and then where would you be? put them on the calendar in future! I suppose I have to check up on you like I do your Dad etc etc) let her older daughter drive and read and send texts.

There was a recent report that said driving and texting was more hazerdous than drinking and driving. I believe it. I'm sure I'll be shouted down, but personally I think if you love your children, you'll concentrate on the road.

What? And lose the minorty vote. Never happen. Not here anyway.

Hands-free is already state law in several places.

You're not allowed to drive and text or talk on a mobile phone unless it's handsfree over here. The cops can and do pull people over and book them.

I support this move because I know it's distracting when you're on the phone and driving. I don't care how good you are at driving, if you're talking on the phone and you get into a situation, you firstly can't have instant control of your vehicle with both hands, and secondly, you wont notice as much because you're always going to block part of your periferal vision if you've got a phone pressed to your ear.

I'm glad we have these laws, but it still doesn't stop some people.

I agree 100% on the texting issue. But talking? Come on... if you can't hold a little cell and talk while you drive then talking to a passenger, singing along with the radio, etc. will prolly affect your focus also. Some people just can't multitask. At all.

My bro used to be able to drive a car with his knees whilst rolling a cigarette....is that wrong?

I've seen news reports on studies that say that talking on a cell phone is more distracting than talking to a passenger in the car. I imagine it's because when you talk to someone that isn't there, you use up some portion of your brain to make that person seem real to you. You focus on them more than if someone in the car is talking.

It doesn't really matter to me how many times someone tries to tell me they're not distracted when they're on the phone, I'll never be convinced. Multitasking is fine, but you're still not applying all your attention to one task and in my opinion, driving is a task which requires all of ones attention in order to avoid death.

I support a national ban and going with hands free only. I have seen way to many distracted drivers not doing anything but talking first and obviously driving second. Sure many people can multi-task, but many cannnot. I say we go after the non-multi-tasking portion of drivers. Maybe if you can pass your driving test, written and driving portion, while talking on the phone you could get a special permit. I bet most people would fail that.

You're not allowed to eat whilst driving either in the UK. It's not just using mobiles.

Next you'll tell us that road head is outlawed.

One indication of a better driver: when approaching a dangerous situation while talking to passengers, he suddenly stops talking to deal with potential threats. Passengers recognize the threat and don't interrupt or don't try to keep pushing the conversation. Same is not true in cell phone use.

TheMercenary's citation is based in studies that confirm this problem. However the studies typically don't say why - only note the problem clearly exists? Offered is one reason why talking on a cell phone encourages a driver to concentrate too much on the conversation and not concentrate on many cars in a potentially dangerous intersection.

Do you look for the eyes of other drivers when approaching an intersection? Another technique routine for safety (especially when on a bicycle). Drivers on cell phones tend to be more distracted and do not look twice. Just another example of why a cell phone distraction is so strong as to increase the risk.

In one example, the lady almost drove over me while making a left hand turn. But I was watching her eyes (which were difficult to see because she held a phone that blocked her left side vision). She only looked once which explains why she did not see me. Some studies looked at this to identify cell phone talkers as more distracted. Good (and not distracted) drivers always look twice.

Studies also suggest that teenagers (newest drivers) with loud music are more distracted. An older driver will tend to 'tune out' the music that never really required much concentration anyway. Whereas music can be easily ignored with practice (one probably already knows the words), an important cell phone conversation cannot/typically is not ignored.

@ UT: Don't be silly. That's perfectly legal, as long as one party is wearing a scandalously short maid's uniform.

:lol2:

Does it matter which party? Just asking.

I agree with everyone.......

Some people can do it and some can't. It's not just a matter of being able to multitask, it's also a matter of being able to distinguish when road conditions allow you to attend to other things as well as driving. Few would deny that there's little danger from holding a phone conversation while driving on an interstate in Nebraska. (or in fact setting cruise control, climbing into the back seat and getting it on....)

Unfortunately, like so many things, the people who can't are the ones who most think they can...

So targetting only those drivers who are being dangerous would seem sensible except that.....it's usually too late. sure you'll catch some, and maybe prevent them from causing accidents, but most will dial up, start chatting, and have put someone in hospital before the cops can dust off the sugar and turn on the disco lights.

So you prevent them by ticketing all drivers seen near a cell phone.... but wait, we still don't have laws in some parts of the US to effectiely stop people who aren't wearing seatbelts unless we warn them it's a seatbelt enforcement zone.... we are probably jumping the gun to be worrying about making cellphone laws national....

Classic case of why some people should never touch a phone when they're driving:

Driving home yesterday, we were in a 110km/hour zone, and pulled into the passing lane to go around a truck. As I came along side, there was a car in front doing less than 100km's (in the passing lane remember). I cruised for a couple of minutes, and these were the things I noticed.

several small children in the back jumping about although properly seatbelted. Someone in the passenger seat (presumably mother to the rugrats). The driver of the car was a woman probably in her 60's. During this time she not only answered her phone after rummaging around for it in her bag, she then passed it around the car, took her eyes off the road for several long periods to look into the back (at which point I started flashing my lights at her) and was swerving all over the lane (remember she's beside a very large truck).

Eventually she moved out of the lane and I cruised past with my carload of kids who all started whooping as we went past when the woman driving gave me the finger! What a stupid old cow is all I could say to the kids.

She should have been booked for any number of offenses, the least of which was talking on the phone while driving imo.

One of the guys I work with got T-boned on the way home last week. The woman in a minivan, chatting on her phone, ran a flashing red light at 60 mph. Fortunately for the my man, she was being followed by a retired NJ state trooper who gave a statement to the police.

I think the biggest effect a national ban would have, is the legal ramifications. Your phone records could be examined by court order, in establishing blame or denying insurance payment, after an accident.

It also starts to get more complicated in legal terms when you consider the person on the other end o fthe phone. I'm not sure, but I think over here, if you knowingly talk on the phone to a person who is driving and they crash, you are an accessory to that crime...i think. I remembr seeing something like that used in a drama...but don't know if it actually applies in law.

DC has a cell phone ban in cars. They set up sting operations with cops hiding behind trees with binoculars and such. Most of them are right before the bridges exiting the District so as to catch all the Maryland and Virginia drivers as they are leaving.

Maybe they outa get all the crack dealers off every corner of nearly every street first and then tackle this issue. I think more lives would be saved this way.

The UK does it. We can do it. The MP's do it, everyone else can too. It would not take long before the word got out. Same thing happened with child car seats. It took a while but everyone got on board with it and now it is an accepted norm. Drive with unrestrained children and you get a ticket.

Woman. Minivan. Cellphone.

Yep.

Not being sexist against my own sex. Sometimes the stereotype fits.

My older brother used to chew my mom and I out for talking and driving. He totalled his recently bought truck reaching in his pocket to get his cell phone. The irony.
My mom tends to answer her phone for anything at anytime. Thank goodness she finally got a bluetooth.
I will talk and drive but I judge the situation I am in and if I can drive responsibly and talk. I eat, drink (non-alcoholic), text, change music, reach in my purse...all while driving. The eating is really the most distracting, I can forego all the rest, but if I'm hungry and I've got food nearby, I can't resist.
Some people can multitast and drive, some can't.

The most involved thing I do when driving is sing along with the radio. While I am sure it is an offense against good taste, it does keep me awake for the long stretches of interstate.

I'd love a 'driving mode' on my phone -- it would ring once, then immediately put the caller through to my VM with a statement that I was driving, I'd call them back soon...

Thats easy, just turn your phone "off" and thats what happens.

I slammed on my brakes because I couldn't tell if this lady on her cell phone was paying attention the other day. As it turned out, she wasn't....And then she gave me one of those, you'll forgive me because I am smiling and being cute now, thanks for not killing me...and I could see her giggle in her car.

Just so you guys know, other women drivers don't neccessarily fall for your cute act in place of basic driving procedures....In fact that annoys me even more than if you had acknowledged the seriousness of your actions and had just given a wave.

The fact that she also had trouble getting her act together after the incident in question and remained on the phone really, really, annoyed me. Then it leads to thoughts about how some people even manage to live to that age.

If you know you can't use your phone and pay attention hands free or not, don't do it. It's that easy....

The fact that so many people don't get that and a law has to be made about it just sucks all the more. The fact that we are incapable of moderating out own usage is the burn. That's the rub.

I am much more acutely aware of it when I am on my bike. Drive like everyone is trying to kill you. Ladies on the cell phone in an SUV are the worst.

Well that's who she was. To be fair, I have seen guys on their cell phones screw up and not even give a shit enough for an acknoweledgement..In their work-trucks...

Then I am usually forced to stare at all the dangerous looking pipes or equipment stored on the bed of their truck...

No doubt, dudes are at fault as well.

Yes, but I won't hear it ring. So I can't see that it was my mom, and I better pull over rsn to check what she wants, or there will be hell to pay.

Can't you just set your phone to go to message after 1 ring?

But it's like a gazillion key-strokes to get it back to vm-after-5-rings. I want a shortcut. </whine>

I'm sure your mom will be ok with the "I'm just trying to be safe" rationale.

You don't know Mom! :haha:

Once I realized our dependence on our cell phones, and the completely impulsive feeling that we have to respond to them immediately, I quit.

I would hear the ring and hop to!

Now I put it on vibrate. When I check it, is when I check it. I am not going to be a slave to a f'ing phone.

It stays in my bag and I check it a couple of times a day. That's it.

I have to admit that is what I do as well. I like my crackberry so I can check my personal em from work, something they blocked last year, and now I only turn it on when I want to make a call or check mail. Other wise I keep it off more than on. Drives the wife crazy.

Maybe this should be another thread (forgive me) but when is someone going to notice the video screens on everybody's dashes? Cheese&rice! Talk ABOUT a distraction.

Those things are illegal here. They can only be installed in the back.

ETA: Cheese risotto is delicious!

Are you talking about GPS navigation screens, Cap?
Those are getting more common.

Maybe I am. I thought I was following a dude the other day while he was watching a movie. He was all over the road.
Damn. I need to get out more.

You're allowed GPS screens in the front, but not DVD players etc. We have a GPS system. It's pretty helpful sometimes. It lives in the glovebox though till we're going somewhere and we don't know the way.

I was taught to be a defensive driver (drive like no-one else knows the rules of the road).
It wasn't a big shock for me - I grew up a pedestrian, and you had to assume that the driver had not seen the red light at the crossing, had not seen you on a zebra crossing (where pedestrians have right of way) had not bothered to signal before they turned into the road you were crossing etc etc.

I was always very pedestrian conscious as a driver, simply because I had been one for 24 years. It also made me healthily conscious of other drivers.

I am not perfect. The first day I drove alone - day after I passed my test - I was reading a text message while waiting at lights. Not only did I fail to notice the light change, I also left my handbrake on when I tried to pull away. Another time I was changing the station on the radio while waiting to pull out into traffic, I saw a cyclist at the last minute and reversed - into the front of a car that wasn't there when I last checked the mirror. But I learned.

The truth is, it doesn't matter how familiar the road is, how great a driver you are, how well equipped with safety features your car is - there can be an idiot driver, a stray child, an animal, an old person... the unexpected. Wtach the road. Concentrate. Then at least it won't be your fault if it does happen. And it does - to millions of people a year.

:runaway: "Concentrate. Then at least it won't be your fault if it does happen. And it does - to millions of people a year."

I just think about baseball.:blush:

NYPD CELL PHONE CRACKDOWN

Well thats a start.

That sort of approach usually works in my experience. Like with the seatbelts. We had a crackdown on seatbelts recently in my area. Started out with police patrol vehicles staioned strategically about the place, pulling drivers over and making sure they are aware of both the law on seatbelts, and the reasons for that law, give them a verbal warning, let them go on their way. Big signs about the place reminding people to use their seatbelts, schools all doing stuff about it to get the children to be aware of, and therefore able to press for, safe ways of travelling in the car. Loads of stuff in the local press. General amnesty for anyone caught during this brief period. The signs counted people down to the end of that amnesty at which point the zero-tolerance crackdown began.

Apparently the numbers of drivers being seen without seatbelts has reduced. As has the number of cars with children not properly seated and secure.