Could Drivers Face Total Cell Phone Bans? »
Posted By Newperson 10 months, 2 weeks ago in News
To many Americans, driving a car without being able to talk on a cell phone might seem like a trip back to the dark ages. But that's what the National Safety Council would like to see -- a ban on all cell phone use by drivers.
In this file photo, a woman talks on her cell phone while driving in Los Angeles. The National Safety Council would like to see a ban on all cell phone use by drivers.
(AP Photo)Today, the safety group is launching a nationwide effort to try to persuade businesses and state legislatures to forbid drivers from using any cell phone -- hand-held or hands-free -- while behind the wheel.
"The science tells [us] when [we're] on the phone while driving, it is a high-risk activity -- very, very risky," said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. "But most people don't understand that."
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Newperson
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Newperson10 months, 2 weeks ago
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UnusualSuspect10 months, 2 weeks ago
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In NY they're banned while driving, not that it's enforced by any means.
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I'm a strong believer in driving safely...if I'm driving and I expect a call at a certain time or within a certain time period, I'll pull over and answer it. If I'm not expecting a call, I don't answer the phone at all while driving but will wait until I pull over or return to home or business. I'll also pull over to make a call (as much as I don't like to).
All states should have laws prohibiting cell phone use while driving... -
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Charlson10 months, 2 weeks ago
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I never talk on a cell phone while driving, too much of a distraction and dangerous too. I've seen a few instances of drivers on their phones not paying any attention to their environment and causing accidents. Accidents while talking on cell phones should carry a higher penalty and should be a citable offense.
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CajunChamp10 months, 2 weeks ago
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I actually pulled over on the shoulder to make a call and a cop gave me a ticket for driving on the shoulder without it being an emergency. I took it to court where it was thrown out and the cop given a really good tongue lashing by the judge.
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rightfromwrong10 months, 2 weeks ago
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I see it all the time and most people are not only distracted but they tend to a)not put on their blinker b)drive in the wrong lane c)looking at other things on the car at the same time d)go through lights which have turned yellow and they should stop for.
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I'm all for heavy fines and demerit points -
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FrauBlucherComment removed: Retracted by user
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Beau789010 months, 2 weeks ago
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On the one hand, I agree that drivers conversing on their cell phones are a hazard. We've all seen it distract people.
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On the other hand, I have to wonder...how is speaking on a cell phone with a hands-free headset different from having a conversation with a passenger in terms of the amount of distraction?-
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Newperson10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Hey Beau Thanks for the comment I use to agree with that but I don't think people will abide by the rules. Alot of people don't even buckle there seat belts.
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I have seen people get in accidents trying to grab a seat belt strap when they is a police officer going by. -
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willottica10 months, 2 weeks ago
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When speaking to passengers in the car, the passengers are an additional source of information about what is going on. You are distracted by them, but they can in turn provide additional warning to you.
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Also, if an emergency situation comes up, your passenger can stop speaking to you and causing a distraction, the person at the other end of the phone will not know to do the same. And politeness (and years of training) dictates that you not hang up on someone on the phone without warning, whereas a passenger will not need an explanation or be offended if you suddenly shut up to avoid a collision.
In my own experience, there is also the matter of focus. When talking on a phone, your attention is directed to a very small object. You must concentrate your hearing and your speech to a very small area. In a one-on-one conversation, when you speak, the other will hear, you don't have to speak up into the mouthpiece, nor strain to hear past static. This may explain why hands-free sets have been shown to be almost as distracting as physically holding the phone. The exception to this is when the hands-free set is directly in front of the speaker. This also fits the theory, because the focus is then directed forward, in the direction of the road. -
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CajunChamp10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Actually more of a distraction talking to the passenger because most people have to look directly at who they are talking to thereby taking their eyes off the road when doing so. It also depends on the nature of the conversation on the hands-free. Idle conversation, not too bad, arguing with the other party, bad!
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lvrofwolves10 months, 2 weeks ago
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I agree, ban them. The other day this stupid woman was at a red light in front of me, talking on a cell, she didn't notice the light turned green, I waited about 5secs and gave her a little beep, 5 more seconds..she still didn't move, I gave her a full beep, she tore off like a bat out of hell...still talking away. I try and keep my distance from those I see on a cell, most just don't pay attention, like they're the only ones on the road.
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ELISHEVA110 months, 2 weeks ago
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Wow, I thought we were the last place in the world to FINALLY ban cell phones while driving. Of course, the legislature is soft meaning that GPS devices and ear pieces are 'fine.' (I thought we were in the dark ages! People need to pressure their local government for this kind of change. The problem is in the way the brain is engaged while talking. Many 'don't agree' but they are not brain experts. The response time is slower - than the usual time for an given individual, for everyone! Stat's like that and no laws to ban them completely?? Maybe the communication companies have more influence than is good for our health - again.
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Ciera-Marie10 months, 2 weeks ago
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No Shana children aren't more distracting than cellphones. I know more parents who will pull over and stay put until the children are done.
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I've seen too many PARENTS of both sexes either a. drive way to slow, then honk at you when you try to pass them b. drive way too fast while talking on the cell phone.
I've seen a driver of a SUV talk in the cellphone, while reading a book and smoking and yes they were in the driver's seat.
I worked with a woman who a. has epilepsy and takes meds for it, b. smokes c. went out drinking every night after work and would brag about how sick she got and on the first day of driving brand new Volkswagon Beetle rear ended the car in front of her and couldn't understand why she was in trouble and her insurance would go up. She was talking on her celll phone in rush hour traffic, dropped it and while driving bent down to pick it up.
A manager would talk on cell phone, check and reply to his e-mail at the same time. He was driving with his knees and was a single father of driving age teens at the time who were in the car with him at times.
A relative who works for Sam Brownbeck does the same thing in the DC area even though there is a ban on doing so while driving.
Cell phones / hands free / head seats / driving while texting for any age should be banned in all 50 states and all US territories. Except for emergencies when the driver of said car is on side of rode with motor off.
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lvrofwolves10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Driving shouldn't include multitasking. Nanny 911 did a show about kids being distracting while driving, she said pull off the road whenever it happens and attend to your children, it's not worth risking their lives and others who are on the road.
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My Dad would just calmly pull off the road and beat our butts with a hair brush, didn't take long for just a glance in the rear view mirror to work, I'm not suggesting beatings, but if you know your kids are distracting, it needs to be dealt with. -
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BillieMaxer10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Most people who want a ban are the same ones who still use them while driving.
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Try this next time you are on a cell phone while going home, say chatting with your spouse for the 5 to 10 min trip home.Once you get home try remembering if you had any red lights or any green lights on your path home. Fact is almost everyone who is talking on the cell on the way home can not remember if they had any stops or not.The phone seems to have its users in a trance.Your attention is not what so ever on the road, only your reaction is, which means your reaction does not happen from advance attention of whats around you or ahead. Also while one has a hand held at the side of their head and making a turn at a main intersection, they do not have a full radius of the surroundings as if you would without the phone and arm stuck to your ear, try it, if you haven't already.People should not have their cell up to their ear while turning.My new truck has a built in phone, all voice activated, its more like talking to someone in the passenger seat. You will see them in all vehicles shortly. -
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BillieMaxer10 months, 2 weeks ago
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I think Its a little different jordan. You don't have your passenger stuck on the side of your head. A phone on your ear seems to have one in a trance while they are chatting. You seem to pay more attention to the person on the phone than you would to the person in the other seat. Not saying you can't be distracted with a passenger. Just not the same.
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lvrofwolves10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Pretend you're at home watching a movie with a friend, you're talking to each other, it's a little distracting.
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Then pretend instead of a friend being over with you, they call on the phone, you answer it, try and watch the movie and concentrate on what the caller says on the phone. Most people pause the movie, or say I'm watching a movie, I'll call you back, or they don't answer.
It sure seems VERY different.
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shrimpet110 months, 2 weeks ago
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In our state you are permitted to use hands free phones, although I CONSTANTLY see people with the phone plastered to their ear. I constantly see police cars with the police officers on their cell phone! This is no joke, don't they have a two way radio?
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I don't see any problem with hands free. If you see a problem with hands free then we shouldn't also adjust our interior climate settings, touch the radio, turn our wipers on/off, talk to our passengers, smoke, drink, chew gum (some people can't chew gum and talk at the same time), or drive with our KIDS in the car.-
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gasp789010 months, 2 weeks ago
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CajunChamp10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Next to impossilbe to enforce, yes. If a cop pulls you over for talking on your hands-free, then ask how he/she knows that. Because your mouth was moving and no passenger to talk to. But officer I was singing to myself along with the song on the radio ... Now what? :-)
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pgroot10 months, 2 weeks ago
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I have seen a driver who turned her head to talk to the passenger. She passed me and continued straight, yakking away. Too bad the road curved left. She crossed my lane and hit parked cars, then ricocheted across the road into a vacant lot.
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I also narrowly missed a girl who made a U-turn in front of me while on the cell. First time the anti-lock brakes got a workout. She didn't seem to notice how close I was.
I have been hit from behind twice with serious damage. The first one, the driver was yelling at another driver and failed to notice that I was stopped. The second time the driver could have been on the phone going full speed and traffic was stopped on the freeway. -
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skeptic27110 months, 2 weeks ago
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Okay, let's say talking on a cellphone while driving is as dangerous as you're saying it is. What would we expect the change in the rate of traffic accidents per 100 million miles driven to be compared to 1983 before cell phones were introduced? The NTHSA's statistics indicate they've gone down by a whopping 40% and in 1983 we had the national 55 mph speed limit! In going from 0 cell phones to about 150 million cell phones we've lowered the accident rate in spite of driving more miles at higher speeds. The statistics just don't bear out the propaganda. If cell phones are really so dangerous, why don't the statistics bear that out?
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What really happens is when we see somebody do something stupid while driving and see that he's using a cell phone, we attribute his stupidity to his using the cell phone whether it is or not. When we see someone do something stupid while not using a cell phone, we don't rember that it was done in spite of not using a cell phone.-
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BillieMaxer10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Read this cell phone accident stats, so why not add more chances to have an accident, that makes sense, why not make an excuse for something that doesn't help the situation, but enhances it.
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http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_C... -
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wtagg10 months, 2 weeks ago
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The trouble with applying such statistics to one contributor is that you have no way on knowing the cell phones impact due to so many contributors. Have cell phones actually prevented a larger decrease than what actually occurred? You cannot answer that question.
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CajunChamp10 months, 2 weeks ago
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I've been rear-ended TWICE by a driver having to look down at their cell phone to dial a number. The stat for me is 100% due to cell phone useage as I've never been rear-ended otherwise. However, I DO understand your point. Cell phones are not the cause, the driver is. The cell phone is simply attributed to being an additional distraction.
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