NTSB released it's recommendation on cell phone use while driving today.

[Frank Jr.]

I have never been one to constantly run my mouth on any phone, much less a cell phone....I really don't care if there was a federal law on this. When did we get so darn busy that we have to talk or text on a phone while driving. Most cell phone usage, that I can't help but overhear in public is just useless social BS banter. I remember very similar arguments over the seatbelt and helmet laws for motorcycles riders. A vehicle is not nor should it be an extension of your office or home living room while driving.

Most of this does boil down to common sense and home training though. Something we seem to be sorely lacking of in todays society.

 

[mperdue]

A lot of misinformation is floating around on this recommendation. It only prohibits the use of portable devices that are not used for driving the vehicle. That means that the car radio and other items in the car are not affected. It also means that GPS systems, even portable ones or ones installed on your phone are OK. Specifically targeted are talking on the phone (even hands free) and texting. I've lost track of the number of times I've seen near misses and fender benders due to some idiot paying more attention to their phone than to their driving. I'm not as concerned about the hands free phones as I am the hand held ones, but I think a ban of some sort is required because most people have no common sense. Of course this also applies to women who try to smoke and apply makeup while driving too.

 

[DodgerKing]

Here is the problem with all of these bans. There is already a law against driving while distracted. There is no need to list every single possible distraction and have a law against it. If someone gets in an accident because they are distracted, regardless of what distracted them, it is then their fault.

 

[DodgerKing]

A lot of misinformation is floating around on this recommendation. It only prohibits the use of portable devices that are not used for driving the vehicle. That means that the car radio and other items in the car are not affected. It also means that GPS systems, even portable ones or ones installed on your phone are OK. Specifically targeted are talking on the phone (even hands free) and texting. I've lost track of the number of times I've seen near misses and fender benders due to some idiot paying more attention to their phone than to their driving. I'm not as concerned about the hands free phones as I am the hand held ones, but I think a ban of some sort is required because most people have no common sense. Of course this also applies to women who try to smoke and apply makeup while driving too.

I had a roomate that had to look directly at people when he talked to them, even while driving. He was more distracted by passengers in the car then he would ever be using a phone.

 

[dfergie]

Here is the problem with all of these bans. There is already a law against driving while distracted. There is no need to list every single possible distraction and have a law against it. If someone gets in an accident because they are distracted, regardless of what distracted them, it is then their fault.

This!!!!

 

[stanleyjohn]

My car directly activates my cell phone via blue tooth when i get into the car!i just need to press a button on the steering wheel then voice command a call.Will the law go as far to make that illegal??.Will you need to have this feature disabled in order not to get a ticket.I dont use my phone that much in the car but i do use it when I'm going to work or leaving if i need to tell my wife something important.I find that a small chat on a hands free while driving is less of a distraction than not being on the phone at all listening to the radio and letting my mind drift to who knows where from boredom.My biggest distraction driving is going to work at a very early time and still not totally awake (more like auto pilot)! Does this mean we should make it a law for mandatory 8 hrs of sleep at night.I think i would loose my license on that one within a few weeks. PS never had a accident that was my fault in all my life driving.

 

[diogen]

As both - Bob Dylan and Social science - claim: The Times They Are a-Changin'...

Car seat belts started being compulsory some 40 years ago.
Drunk driving (DUI, etc.) is a serious offence for even less than that.

Hockey players have to wear helmets...

And I haven't seen lately any petitions to abolish those.
I believe non-handsfree phones and especially texting should be in the DUI category.
It's just not clear how to enforce this...

Unless you make mandatory CarrierIQ software on every cell phone...

Having a black box (like on airplanes) would be not such a bad idea...

Diogen.

 

[Neutron]

My company just adopted this policy today. No more cell phone anything while driving for the company. No bluetooth either.

 

[TheForce]

I have never been one to constantly run my mouth on any phone, much less a cell phone....I really don't care if there was a federal law on this. When did we get so darn busy that we have to talk or text on a phone while driving. Most cell phone usage, that I can't help but overhear in public is just useless social BS banter. I remember very similar arguments over the seatbelt and helmet laws for motorcycles riders. A vehicle is not nor should it be an extension of your office or home living room while driving.

Most of this does boil down to common sense and home training though. Something we seem to be sorely lacking of in todays society.

Frank- that statement has me in shock coming from you. I'd be willing to bet that Law enforcement officers have and operate more electronic gadgets in their patrol cars than anyone else on the road except maybe for Scott Greczkowski I see cops talking on the phone all the time, not even using hands free and they are fumbling with their laptops mounted on a pedestal. They have radar speed detectors on the dash, camcorders mounted on the dash, just to name about 10% of all their distractions. I don't care whether its a cop , a salesman, service truck driver, UPS driver, you name it, when it comes to a mobile office, all of that is distracting. But in Florida there are no restrictions. I wonder if cops are exempt from these laws in states that have the restrictions. To state that a police car or emergency vehicle operator never is distracted by the same device while not driving in an emergency is hypocritical.


My wife is expected to respond immediately to e-mails from clients while on the road. She does not have a company car so her personal cell phone is auto BT connected but what about the BB owned by the company. They declined to get her a BT ear piece when she asked. So the company makes no provision for phone use while traveling. It's a major national company too. I'd be shocked if her company made a policy like Neutrons. She does not respond to e-mails while driving but does have to pick up the BB phone to take a call. So far all bills that would have required hands free, or bans to texting have failed to pass in Florida. Personally, I would favor a requirement for hands free phone use while driving, and no texting at all. If caught, should be punished the same as a DUI. I don't understand why anyone would have anything against hands free use. I find it actually better and makes me more free. I use the BT even while at home.

 

[mperdue]

Here is the problem with all of these bans. There is already a law against driving while distracted. There is no need to list every single possible distraction and have a law against it. If someone gets in an accident because they are distracted, regardless of what distracted them, it is then their fault.

That's true, all they need to do is enforce it.

 

[yaz96]

Here is the problem with all of these bans. There is already a law against driving while distracted. There is no need to list every single possible distraction and have a law against it. If someone gets in an accident because they are distracted, regardless of what distracted them, it is then their fault.

Yes, but what if they kill someone else in the process??? That's the problem here. I think we all agree that a person can harm themselves however they like, but we are talking about the innocent victims of these distracted drivers. And yes, dialing a phone is distracting whether hands free or not.

 

[Frank Jr.]

Frank- that statement has me in shock coming from you. I'd be willing to bet that Law enforcement officers have and operate more electronic gadgets in their patrol cars than anyone else on the road except maybe for Scott Greczkowski I see cops talking on the phone all the time, not even using hands free and they are fumbling with their laptops mounted on a pedestal. They have radar speed detectors on the dash, camcorders mounted on the dash, just to name about 10% of all their distractions. I don't care whether its a cop , a salesman, service truck driver, UPS driver, you name it, when it comes to a mobile office, all of that is distracting. But in Florida there are no restrictions. I wonder if cops are exempt from these laws in states that have the restrictions. To state that a police car or emergency vehicle operator never is distracted by the same device while not driving in an emergency is hypocritical.

My wife is expected to respond immediately to e-mails from clients while on the road. She does not have a company car so her personal cell phone is auto BT connected but what about the BB owned by the company. They declined to get her a BT ear piece when she asked. So the company makes no provision for phone use while traveling. It's a major national company too. I'd be shocked if her company made a policy like Neutrons. She does not respond to e-mails while driving but does have to pick up the BB phone to take a call. So far all bills that would have required hands free, or bans to texting have failed to pass in Florida. Personally, I would favor a requirement for hands free phone use while driving, and no texting at all. If caught, should be punished the same as a DUI. I don't understand why anyone would have anything against hands free use. I find it actually better and makes me more free. I use the BT even while at home.

Don, you shouldn't be shocked. In some respects I believe you are comparing apples to oranges. While I agree all the electronic equipment in a patrol car can be extremely distracting, most officers have a higher level of awareness and the benefit of extensive safety training that the average "Bubba or Bubbett" does not have or receive. And yes there would have to be some exemption for law enforcement, and other emergency services such as ambulance and fire departments concerning two way radio, radar and similar equipment. Individual departments should even reveiw their policies governing cell phone use. Exemptions that these type agencies have, or may have in the future put them at greater risk, liability and scrutiny than the average person. Nothing new there.

Also Don if you read my prior post you will see that I stated that "I really don't care if there was a federal law on this." While a law of this type should reduce cell phone related collisions, it probably would not be as effective as one might think. Some people would continue using their phones while driving. Just like some people still refuse to wear a seat belt.

 

[stanleyjohn]

Another article about banning hands free cell phone this mourning I'm not liking this.This law would be almost impossible in enforce if it happened.Some say develop a cell phone gun like a radar gun to catch offenders!Does this mean no more gps apps used by cell phone during driving also.I dont dont know what kind of studies they did on cell phone usage while driving but heres one thing i would like to say!I have found that most distractions from using a cell while driving is listening to the other party! Not myself talking.We might as well go all the way with this!Get rid of the talking GPS,Radio,MP3 player,other passengers who talk,OH no more little kids in the car unless you can sound proof the back seat (Hey!! what a great idea).With a car full of silence then your mind will be free to think of other things and distract you due to boredom.With this all said i guess the only real solution is not to drive or develop a robotic driver.

 

[DodgerKing]

Yes, but what if they kill someone else in the process??? That's the problem here. I think we all agree that a person can harm themselves however they like, but we are talking about the innocent victims of these distracted drivers. And yes, dialing a phone is distracting whether hands free or not.

They point I was making is that it is already against the law as doing such an act (talking on the phone) is a distraction for many in many driving situations. We do not need to add another law. Some people, like myself, are perfectly capable of talking on the phone on a hands free device without it being a distraction.

There are some drivers that cannot even talk to a passenger while driving, thus a distraction to them. If they get in a crash as a result of simply talking to the passenger in the same car, they are at fault. Should talking to passengers then be banned as well because some may be distracted by it?

 

[HIFI]

While we're at it lets tell the good looking blonde that walks every morning that it is against the law because she distracts me every morning on my way to work.

 

[stanleyjohn]

While we're at it lets tell the good looking blonde that walks every morning that it is against the law because she distracts me every morning on my way to work.

Also ban all fancy cars on the road! They can be a distraction.Also cops should not use the fancy light displays on the car! They always distract me while driving.

 

[DodgerKing]

Also cops should not use the fancy light displays on the car! They always distract me while driving.

That is the most distracting thing. Those lights force me to slow down more than any other single thing.

 

[TheForce]

We also have people hired by local businesses who stand by the road waving a sign, dressed up as some cartoon character etc for advertising purposes. Need to outlaw that activity.

Frank- You gave me a great idea. While I do not believe that LEO's are a higher form of humanoid I do agree that they have additional training in how to use all that distracting stuff in their mobile offices and therefore are above the rest of us mere mortals in skill juggling all that distraction while chasing someone down the road weaving in and out of traffic and never causing harm to anyone. So maybe we need to offer special training courses. Like- Get certified to use your cell phone while driving. Get certified to text while driving. Get certified to use a laptop while driving weaving in and around traffic. This would then put mortals on par with police officers. Do you know about the Skip Barber driving school? They put together a high school driver training course to teach kids stunt driving skills. The theory is that kids cause more accidents due to lack of skill, not age. Nice theory but I don't know how proven their program is. In the course they tech kids how to gain control of a car out of control and how to avoid collisions. I shot video for the training program which is how I know about it. You can decide where I was being facetious and where serious.

 

[televisionarchives]

I find this very distracting. Police dressed as Elves!!!!

 

[harshness]

Because even if you are alone in the car most folks are thinking of other things while driving home. Things like "do I need to stop to get gas or something at the store?" or "what am I gonna get uncle fester for Christmas"?

Having random thoughts and engaging in fully interactive conversations are two entirely different levels of concentration.