View Poll Results: Do you think that Banning 'hands on' cell phones while driving is good

Voters
156. You may not vote on this poll
  • Yes

    123 78.85%
  • No

    33 21.15%
Page 3 of 10 FirstFirst 1234567 ... LastLast
Results 31 to 45 of 139

Thread: nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving.

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Saint Helens, OR
    Posts
    2,463
    Quote Originally Posted by David Weaver View Post
    Not into the idea of a ban of talking. Texting, yes, no problem with banning that, but we don't need more nanny laws.
    Driving is a privilege, not a right. Banning texting and cell phones while driving is about protecting the other drivers, riders and pedestrians.
    Measure twice, cut three times, start over. Repeat as necessary.

  2. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Drew View Post
    That was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a different agency, not the NTSB.
    "The NHTSA [part of the Dept. of Transportation] is charged with writing and enforcing safety, theft-resistance, etc... standards for motor vehicles."
    You're right. Passive restraints came from NHTSA. From Wikipedia, NTSB recommendations that have been adopted include:

    "Graduated drivers license laws for young drivers, age-21 drinking laws, smart airbag technology, rear high-mounted brake lights, commercial drivers licenses, improved school bus construction standards."

    If I thought about it, I could probably name more.

    FWIW, I'm just going to check out now before the thread gets derailed and has to be nuked.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Grottoes, VA.
    Posts
    905
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Friedrichs View Post
    The problem with cell phones is not necessarily that you're holding the phone - is that you're holding a conversation with someone not in the car. When you're talking with a passenger, he won't think it's odd if you pause for a minute while navigating a difficult intersection. But when you're talking on the phone, you make an unconscious effort to maintain "normal" conversation, even when you momentarily need 100% of your attention.

    Numerous studies have shown that handsfree devices do not afford significantly more safety over handheld devices.
    .

    I disagree with this. The person on the other end likely knows your driving and reacts the same way as a passenger. If not, tell them so.

    As for studies? They can easily fall into the same category as polls, and easily manipulated to produce the desired outcome to match a bias or support an agenda.

    No texting is a given. I can live with and encourage requiring hands-free devices while driving, but an outright ban on talking, NO.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Saint Helens, OR
    Posts
    2,463
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Friedrichs View Post
    The problem with cell phones is not necessarily that you're holding the phone - is that you're holding a conversation with someone not in the car. When you're talking with a passenger, he won't think it's odd if you pause for a minute while navigating a difficult intersection. But when you're talking on the phone, you make an unconscious effort to maintain "normal" conversation, even when you momentarily need 100% of your attention.

    Numerous studies have shown that handsfree devices do not afford significantly more safety over handheld devices.
    Bingo! This is the nut of the problem. A conversation with a passenger is not the same as a conversation on a telephone. Entirely different protocols.

    For those who think they can do both, try watching a hockey game on the TV and talk to an old high school buddy you haven't talked to in years. If you feel you are able to give your complete, undivided attention to both activities you are a better engineered person than I. Feel free to tailgate me during commuting traffic.
    Last edited by Greg Peterson; 12-14-2011 at 12:27 AM.
    Measure twice, cut three times, start over. Repeat as necessary.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Northern Kentucky
    Posts
    3,279
    do the driver that talk on a cell phone turn the radio off first, will this rule affect airplane pilots ?

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Grottoes, VA.
    Posts
    905
    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Peterson View Post
    Bingo! This is the nut of the problem. A conversation with a passenger is not the same as a conversation on a telephone. Entirely different protocols.

    For those who think they can do both, try watching a hockey game on the TV and talk to an old high school buddy you haven't talked to in years. If you feel you are able to give your complete, undivided attention to both activities you are a better engineered person than I. Feel free to tailgate me during commuting traffic.
    Yeah, I feel so much safer with people having conversations with other people in the car, when they are constantly turning their head towards the passenger and talking with hand gestures. If you think for one second that people having conversations in the car aren't distracted the same as those on a hands-free cell phone call, it's possible you're a bit naive.

    With 2600 (from yr 2009) deaths attributed to cell phones compared to nearly 11,773 (from yr 2008) for alcohol related crashes, it's clear where we need to focus attention most.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Lafayette, IN
    Posts
    4,563
    Keep in mind, too, that the problem with drunk driving is not that there aren't enough laws against it--it's the lack of enforcement (or selective enforcement) of the already existing laws that is the problem. So adding more laws that the police can't enforce (or do so randomly/selectively) is going to help us how?

    How many of you drive on a few hours of sleep or after a long day at work? What about while taking any medication? High risk of stroke or heart attack? Those are all huge risk factors for accidents. Truck drivers are limited to 11 hours per day and 70 hours per week on the road--how many of you always stay within those limits? (Not illegal for non-commercial drivers to exceed them, but there's a reason that CDL holders have to abide).
    Jason

    "Don't get stuck on stupid." --Lt. Gen. Russel Honore


  8. #38
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    6,976
    I voted - no - I don't do bans anymore.

  9. #39
    It's hard to back ANOTHER "Protect us from ourselves" law, but until driver license

    testing includes such things as proving you can walk and chew gum at the same time,

    it's all we got.

    And as for privilege, not a right, that may have been a good definition when people didn't

    have to commute to work, but these days driving should at least be considered a

    necessity.

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Savannah, GA
    Posts
    4,422
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Edwards(2) View Post
    It's hard to back ANOTHER "Protect us from ourselves" law, but until driver license

    testing includes such things as proving you can walk and chew gum at the same time,

    it's all we got.
    Here in Georgia you have the option to renew a driver's license by Internet for either 5 or 8 years up to age 59, then you can only renew for 5 years due to the requirement of vision testing at age 65. A lot can change in eight years. Speaking of distracted driving, I know a couple in their 60s who take their teenaged granddaughter and a friend to Disney World every summer. Both of the grandparents drive with earbuds so they can listen to their Ipods during the trip. I do not understand this insanity.

    “Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy and chivalry.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Everybody knows what to do with the devil but them that has him. My Grandmother
    I had a guardian angel at one time, but my little devil got him drunk, tattooed, and left him penniless at a strip club. I have not had another angel assigned to me yet.
    I didn't change my mind, my mind changed me.
    Bella Terra

  11. #41
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Wake Forest, North Carolina
    Posts
    1,981
    Blog Entries
    2
    My wifes car is being repaired right now. She was stopped at a red light, in line with other cars, someone hit her from behind knocking her car into the car in front of her.

    We dont know if the person that hit her was using their cell phone or smart phone at the time or not, certainly a possibility.

    I voted for the ban. The smallest lack of attention at just the wrong time could result in people being seriously injured or killed. I think the cell phone laws would probably be helpful so I'm for them.

    PHM

  12. #42
    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Peterson View Post
    Driving is a privilege, not a right. Banning texting and cell phones while driving is about protecting the other drivers, riders and pedestrians.
    If you want to protect everyone from cars, ban cars. Make everyone ride a bus, put the bus on rails so it's more safe, ban people from talking while the bus is moving.

    Ban everything that is remotely unsafe. That's the end. The line of thinking that you can just define a narrow line of thinking and action to make everyone perfectly safe from everyone else is overreaching and bordering on a disorder.

  13. #43
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Texas Hill Country, USA
    Posts
    1,967
    Quote Originally Posted by alex grams View Post
    Police can speed/run signs/lights without using sirens or lights (which i abhore that they can do so).
    Not to get off topic, but this is absolutely not true in Texas, which location shows you are in. The above actions can be done only when using a siren. The flashing lights are not legally required, but are almost always used when the siren is also being used.

  14. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Edwards(2) View Post
    And as for privilege, not a right, that may have been a good definition when people didn't

    have to commute to work
    Yeah, that's nothing but claptrap until you aren't paying taxes for roads and maintenance and such if you're not driving. It's a definition that exists as such for legal purposes more than for practical purposes.

  15. #45
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Monroe, MI
    Posts
    11,896
    Quote Originally Posted by Paul McGaha View Post
    My wifes car is being repaired right now. She was stopped at a red light, in line with other cars, someone hit her from behind knocking her car into the car in front of her.

    We dont know if the person that hit her was using their cell phone or smart phone at the time or not, certainly a possibility.
    I was the middle car in the exact same accident in 1992. Pretty sure he wasn't texting.

    Quote Originally Posted by David Weaver View Post
    put the bus on rails so it's more safe
    One word: Amtrak.


Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •