Safety Council: Ban Cell Phones While Driving

Safety Council: Ban Cell Phones While Driving
http://wjz.com/local/safety.council.cell.2.905514.html



Meanwhile, Mr. Balls Walls thinks differently:

John Walls, vice president of CTIA-The Wireless Association, a cell phone trade group, objected to a complete ban.
He said there are many instances where the ability to make a phone call while driving helps protect safety.
"We think that you can sensibly and safely use a cell phone to make a brief call," Walls said.

I dunno... I think I would be against a complete ban... to me cel phone use while driving is not more distracting than the radio, or a conversation with a passenger, or turning around to give the kids a good solid "dont make me pull over."

That's not to deny that driving while talking on a cel phone increases your liklihood of paying less attention, however it's like a lot of other things. I often hang up when I'm driving because I feel particularly distracted by it. It gets perticularly distracting when you are holding a cel phone and smokeing a cigarette, changing your shoes and drinking coffee, you suddenly run out of hands for the steering wheel and in your distracted state fail to notice...

Nutshell... some drivers have no business driving, let alone using a cel phone at the same time. Other drivers of the more careful bent have no issues. Again, it's legislating against stupidity.

pez wrote:I dunno... I think I would be against a complete ban... to me cel phone use while driving is not more distracting than the radio, or a conversation with a passenger, or turning around to give the kids a good solid "dont make me pull over."

That's not to deny that driving while talking on a cel phone increases your liklihood of paying less attention, however it's like a lot of other things. I often hang up when I'm driving because I feel particularly distracted by it. It gets perticularly distracting when you are holding a cel phone and smokeing a cigarette, changing your shoes and drinking coffee, you suddenly run out of hands for the steering wheel and in your distracted state fail to notice...

Nutshell... some drivers have no business driving, let alone using a cel phone at the same time. Other drivers of the more careful bent have no issues. Again, it's legislating against stupidity.

Don't forget about shaving!

I agree with you Pez. While I'm not a fan of cell phone talking while driving, I find myself doing it at times. But I think you just have to be smart about it (your legislating stupidity is perfect!). Talking on the cell phone while the kids are screaming and you're in stop and go traffic...not such a bright move. Talking on the cell phone on the open road with no traffic around and nobody else in the car...eat your heart out. And really, I think the most dangerous part of any cell phone talking while driving is when you are actually looking down at your phone to dial or search for the person's name in your address book while the car is moving. Save that for a stop sign/light.

I don't care much for the idea of a ban either, for reasons that have already been stated. Plus, I just think as a society we tend to pick a scapegoat for everything and overblow it until it becomes THE sole problem. Kind of like how people who drive SUV's are supposedly the reason for high gas prices, or soft drinks are why kids are obese, and so on. I try to avoid being on the cell phone while driving, but when I have, I have never felt distracted except for one time I was merging onto the interstate in traffic. And then I simply said "Gotta go, I'll call you back".

I gotta disagree with this one. I think there should be a complete ban against handheld cellphone use while the car is in motion. If that law gets passed, the stupids are the ones who will be ticketed because they use them ALL the time. I have noted several times cars traveling along side mine when on my way to work are on the phone nearly the entire trip. I have noted weeks where I've had to escape 4+ close calls because the other driver was not paying attention while on the cell phone.

From what I see, it will do great things.

I could see getting a hands free speakerphone for the car (now price competitive with the dorky bluetooth earbuds) and much safer too.

Remember back in the day when business was actually conducted in an office? A secretary/ans machine/voicemail takes a message then you can call them back later? It's like these options are completely forgotten as of late.

They will have to pry my cold dead hands from my cell phone ... I only feel like I am taking a real risk when I am trying to text while driving and maybe drinking my latte from Starbucks with the NY Times spread out on the passenger seat for my reading.

Bman wrote:They will have to pry my cold dead hands from my cell phone ... I only feel like I am taking a real risk when I am trying to text while driving and maybe drinking my latte from Starbucks with the NY Times spread out on the passenger seat for my reading.

Don't forget about you trying to pay attention to your Magellan as you're navigating the avenues of Aboite...

for the ban. yea its a matter of legislating stupidity..just like the potential fat tax starting with sugarey pop...just like probably every law on the books was considered by some as legislating stupidity when they passed

The other law I detest is the seatbelt law ... I don't like being forced to wear my seatbelt, heck I almost always refuse to wear it ... our cops should have more hardened criminals to go find than to pull someone over for not wearing their seatbelt. As for the cell phone, don't make it illegal but add to the fine if you cause an accident and are cited, add on an additional fine for using the cell phone while causing an accident, but don't stop those of that can handle walking, talking and chewing gum at the same time.

Bman wrote:The other law I detest is the seatbelt law ... I don't like being forced to wear my seatbelt, heck I almost always refuse to wear it ... our cops should have more hardened criminals to go find than to pull someone over for not wearing their seatbelt. As for the cell phone, don't make it illegal but add to the fine if you cause an accident and are cited, add on an additional fine for using the cell phone while causing an accident, but don't stop those of that can handle walking, talking and chewing gum at the same time.

Well said Bman. The open container law is another one that needs to be tossed into the dumpster.

Funny that a billboard company legally gets paid for advertisements in which the sole purpose is to grab and keep your attention, hence distracting the driver. And yet they are trying to make it so my wife can't call me and ask me to pick up something on the way home. Hey, come to think of it, this law is sounding better.

Seriously though, I bet if you asked, the majority of cops wouldn't want this to be a law. They have enough to do already. And it's another one of those hard-to-enforce laws. "No, officer. I wasn't talking on my cell phone. I was singing with the radio and had to scratch my ear." And speaker phones would be almost impossible to enforce. They may be a bit safer, but as I understand, being engrossed in the conversation is where most drivers get distracted, not having their hand up to their ear.

I'm actually for the ban. While it might be legislating against stupidity. It seems that the majority of the stupid cell phone drivers seem to be around me when I am on the road. I can spot them a mile away doing something stupid or watch them slam on the brakes behind me from them not paying attention, they are always on the phone.

Markwes wrote: Well said Bman. The open container law is another one that needs to be tossed into the dumpster.

When I first moved to Texas back in the mid-eighties, you could drink while you were driving. Drunk driving was illegal, of course, but it was legal to drink alcoholic beverages and drive. I did enjoy drinking a beer while sitting in traffic......

Scooby01_98 wrote:I'm actually for the ban. While it might be legislating against stupidity. It seems that the majority of the stupid cell phone drivers seem to be around me when I am on the road. I can spot them a mile away doing something stupid or watch them slam on the brakes behind me from them not paying attention, they are always on the phone.

Well said. I guess it's only you and I that notice these chumps.

I don't see anything wrong with anti-stupidity laws. They remind us all that, at times, we can be... well... stupid. Or at least they remind us that at times, other people are far more stupid than we, at that moment in time.

meta4 wrote:

Scooby01_98 wrote:I'm actually for the ban. While it might be legislating against stupidity. It seems that the majority of the stupid cell phone drivers seem to be around me when I am on the road. I can spot them a mile away doing something stupid or watch them slam on the brakes behind me from them not paying attention, they are always on the phone.

Well said. I guess it's only you and I that notice these chumps.

I don't see anything wrong with anti-stupidity laws. They remind us all that, at times, we can be... well... stupid. Or at least they remind us that at times, other people are far more stupid than we, at that moment in time.

So then in your guys' world, you will fine/arrest the guy talking on his phone while watching the road. But, you will let the trucker talking on his CB go. And you will let the guy doing crosswords while driving who looks up every once in awhile go. And you will let the guy who fiddles with the radio every 10 seconds go. And you will let the gal putting on makeup while driving go. Or are you going to come up with a law that covers every possible distraction? Because if not, it seems you are picking and choosing based on your observations.

Markwes wrote:

meta4 wrote:

Scooby01_98 wrote:I'm actually for the ban. While it might be legislating against stupidity. It seems that the majority of the stupid cell phone drivers seem to be around me when I am on the road. I can spot them a mile away doing something stupid or watch them slam on the brakes behind me from them not paying attention, they are always on the phone.

Well said. I guess it's only you and I that notice these chumps.

I don't see anything wrong with anti-stupidity laws. They remind us all that, at times, we can be... well... stupid. Or at least they remind us that at times, other people are far more stupid than we, at that moment in time.

So then in your guys' world, you will fine/arrest the guy talking on his phone while watching the road. But, you will let the trucker talking on his CB go. And you will let the guy doing crosswords while driving who looks up every once in awhile go. And you will let the guy who fiddles with the radio every 10 seconds go. And you will let the gal putting on makeup while driving go. Or are you going to come up with a law that covers every possible distraction? Because if not, it seems you are picking and choosing based on your observations.

Crosswords, reading; yeah ticket them also. Don't remember too many conversations on the CB, especially deep in thought. Radio...most cars now have the radio controls on the steering wheel, I never have to touch the radio in my car. Makeup why not at the stop lights, when she is driving slam on the brakes and maker her look like the joker

They had a report on NBC news tonight cell phone conversations are the equivelant of drunk driving.

Markwes wrote:

meta4 wrote:

Scooby01_98 wrote:I'm actually for the ban. While it might be legislating against stupidity. It seems that the majority of the stupid cell phone drivers seem to be around me when I am on the road. I can spot them a mile away doing something stupid or watch them slam on the brakes behind me from them not paying attention, they are always on the phone.

Well said. I guess it's only you and I that notice these chumps.

I don't see anything wrong with anti-stupidity laws. They remind us all that, at times, we can be... well... stupid. Or at least they remind us that at times, other people are far more stupid than we, at that moment in time.

So then in your guys' world, you will fine/arrest the guy talking on his phone while watching the road. But, you will let the trucker talking on his CB go. And you will let the guy doing crosswords while driving who looks up every once in awhile go. And you will let the guy who fiddles with the radio every 10 seconds go. And you will let the gal putting on makeup while driving go. Or are you going to come up with a law that covers every possible distraction? Because if not, it seems you are picking and choosing based on your observations.

Amen Mark.

Wow, since November 4th. I think Mark and I have been agreeing way too much. lol

Markwes wrote:Seriously though, I bet if you asked, the majority of cops wouldn't want this to be a law.

Why would they be against it? I've seen many many cops slide through an intersection on the cell phone. Yet they'll turn around and arrest a driver who's had 2 beers - because that's illegal. Same effect, two different situations, one is punishable, one is not.

That's not justice.

Plus, how much more aware of their patrol area and especially activity within their line of sight can they be?

Yep, ban them even for cops because they aren't above the law.

meta4 wrote:

Markwes wrote:Seriously though, I bet if you asked, the majority of cops wouldn't want this to be a law.

Why would they be against it? I've seen many many cops slide through an intersection on the cell phone. Yet they'll turn around and arrest a driver who's had 2 beers - because that's illegal. Same effect, two different situations, one is punishable, one is not.

That's not justice.

Plus, how much more aware of their patrol area and especially activity within their line of sight can they be?

Yep, ban them even for cops because they aren't above the law.

Meta, I *think* you missed Mark's point. I think Mark was alluding to the fact that cops have more pressing chit to do than enforce this law along with the stupid seatbelt law.

Bman wrote:

meta4 wrote:

Markwes wrote:Seriously though, I bet if you asked, the majority of cops wouldn't want this to be a law.

Why would they be against it? I've seen many many cops slide through an intersection on the cell phone. Yet they'll turn around and arrest a driver who's had 2 beers - because that's illegal. Same effect, two different situations, one is punishable, one is not.

That's not justice.

Plus, how much more aware of their patrol area and especially activity within their line of sight can they be?

Yep, ban them even for cops because they aren't above the law.

Meta, I *think* you missed Mark's point. I think Mark was alluding to the fact that cops should have more pressing chit to do than enforce this law along with the stupid seatbelt law.

Neg, I got his point. A slight tangent after the mention of the word "cops".

Fixed the quote... who are we kidding anyway? Did we forget the FWPD is one of the highest paid police departments around? That they've got a cruiser take home program to enhance the appearance of "presence" as opposed to genuine presence. And they consume half the US doughnut production every day...

Some cops specialize in alcohol related arrests, and at times in recent past, have earned as much as the mayor or more. Why wouldn't they see this as another opportunity to generate income for the system?

Markwes great post on the cell ban Damn I agree with the guy!!
California is doing somethings also

http://dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/

Mort wrote:Markwes great post on the cell ban Damn I agree with the guy!!
California is doing somethings also

http://dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/

I know! Who woulda thought! And Bman too. I'll have to mark this day down on the calendar.

Interesting link describing California's law. You can see the FAQ is already pretty big, and I could think of a ton of other questions too.

Markwes wrote:

Mort wrote:Markwes great post on the cell ban Damn I agree with the guy!!
California is doing somethings also

http://dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/

I know! Who woulda thought! And Bman too. I'll have to mark this day down on the calendar.

Interesting link describing California's law. You can see the FAQ is already pretty big, and I could think of a ton of other questions too.

See this shows that you are not ALWAYS unreasonable and wrong.

Maybe we should ban unlocked guns in a household where a 4 year old might be able to shoot their babysitter.

pez wrote:Maybe we should ban unlocked guns in a household where a 4 year old might be able to shoot their babysitter.

Holding a gun does not produce the same cognitive diminishing effect as talking on a cell phone while driving.

I say we make it legal to carry and brandish firearms while driving - because some people can do it just fine, but others are "challenged".

Hey, it's not all of our collective fault that some people are given walnut-sized brains.

meta4 wrote:

pez wrote:Maybe we should ban unlocked guns in a household where a 4 year old might be able to shoot their babysitter.

Holding a gun does not produce the same cognitive diminishing effect as talking on a cell phone while driving.

I say we make it legal to carry and brandish firearms while driving - because some people can do it just fine, but others are "challenged".

Hey, it's not all of our collective fault that some OF US people were given walnut-sized brains.

There ... corrected your posting.