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Ahhhh ... thank goodness the government can save me from myself. You've heard the latest, right? The National Safety Council is calling for a NATIONAL ban on cell phone use while driving. Those of you living in my neck of 
the woods are aware that Chicago has a cell phone law in place. You cannot use a hand-held phone while driving, but hands free devices are encouraged. And text messaging while driving? Not covered in the law.
There are six states - California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington - and the District of Columbia - that currently ban the use of hand-held cell phones behind the wheel. Seventeen states - and the District of Columbia - restrict or ban cell phone use by newly licensed drivers (click [HERE] if you are unsure about laws in your state). I'm good with this, but a national ban? I don't think so!
I had this discussion with husband this weekend, mentioning that I felt it was ridiculous there was even consideration for this ban at a national level. Husband reminded me that we have a national seat belt law. I reminded husband that helmet use, while riding a motorcycle, is determined by state law and not nationally mandated.
I have no doubt that cell phone use while driving increases the likelihood of being involved in an accident, whether the use is on a hand held or hands free device. Laboratory experiments using simulators, real-world road studies and accident statistics all confirm driving is compromised when talking on a cell phone. In fact, studies show that drivers talking on a cellphone are four times as likely to have an accident as drivers who are not - the same level of risk posed by a driver who is legally drunk.
Anyone who commutes in a fairly large city can recite tales of driver distraction. We've all seen it - women putting on makeup while driving - men shaving while driving - people reading the newspaper while caught up in traffic. Do we begin legislating these? Even better, kids in a car are
EXTREMELY distracting - let's ban children in vehicles. I'm sure that would save lives (and parental sanity).
Here's the deal. This should be a state/local municipality issue. Again, this country seems to have forgotten the principals of our founding fathers. The reason this country is composed of fifty states is not so that we can collect all of the quarters, it's so that we could allow states to govern themselves and make our own residential choices based on what is best for us as individuals.
Hold on ... my cell phone is ringing and I can't type, drive and talk on the phone at the same time.
the woods are aware that Chicago has a cell phone law in place. You cannot use a hand-held phone while driving, but hands free devices are encouraged. And text messaging while driving? Not covered in the law.There are six states - California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington - and the District of Columbia - that currently ban the use of hand-held cell phones behind the wheel. Seventeen states - and the District of Columbia - restrict or ban cell phone use by newly licensed drivers (click [HERE] if you are unsure about laws in your state). I'm good with this, but a national ban? I don't think so!
I had this discussion with husband this weekend, mentioning that I felt it was ridiculous there was even consideration for this ban at a national level. Husband reminded me that we have a national seat belt law. I reminded husband that helmet use, while riding a motorcycle, is determined by state law and not nationally mandated.
I have no doubt that cell phone use while driving increases the likelihood of being involved in an accident, whether the use is on a hand held or hands free device. Laboratory experiments using simulators, real-world road studies and accident statistics all confirm driving is compromised when talking on a cell phone. In fact, studies show that drivers talking on a cellphone are four times as likely to have an accident as drivers who are not - the same level of risk posed by a driver who is legally drunk.
Anyone who commutes in a fairly large city can recite tales of driver distraction. We've all seen it - women putting on makeup while driving - men shaving while driving - people reading the newspaper while caught up in traffic. Do we begin legislating these? Even better, kids in a car are
EXTREMELY distracting - let's ban children in vehicles. I'm sure that would save lives (and parental sanity).Here's the deal. This should be a state/local municipality issue. Again, this country seems to have forgotten the principals of our founding fathers. The reason this country is composed of fifty states is not so that we can collect all of the quarters, it's so that we could allow states to govern themselves and make our own residential choices based on what is best for us as individuals.
Hold on ... my cell phone is ringing and I can't type, drive and talk on the phone at the same time.
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28 comments:
Next thing you know, they'll be legislating my lesbian bedroom.
Oh wait, they already do.
Don't even get me started.
Hi Dana,
LOL your so right I don't think regulating common sense has ever worked. So glad I can get on your blog now.
Thank You
(Sox Yes)
how about eating or smoking while driving or unrestrained pets???? Slippery slope!
Again, doesn't the government have better things to do??
Yes, the law sounds good in theory but really, where will the common sense regulating stop?
I'm bad about talking and texting while driving, I need to work on that.
Good Morning Dana,
Learn to steer with your knee, it will free your hands up for all sorts of multitasking activities;)
My taxi drivers talk on their radios all the time. Will that be banned too?
The saddest part is that people don't have enough common sense to drive safely and they are endangering everyone on the road with them. Lets just ban motor vehicles.
Oy Vay!! I hate these kind of edicts.
Many people are incapable of talking on a cell phone and driving safely, and they shouldn't do it. However...
I don't think it should even be a local level debate. I hate it when govt. on any level tries to legislate against stupidity.
I don't like seatbelt laws, or helmet laws. Stay out of my bizzness. Do you hear me legislators and ninny-state groups!?
And this is coming from a full on Liberal. Mind your own Damn Buisness!! Let people screw up on their own.
Okay, I feel better now.
Cheers Dana!!
As a salesman I think I saw it all.. People eating two-handed meals, shaving, smoking, drinking, talking on the phone (or themselves!), reading, watching TV, and once I even saw a guy getting head on the freeway going 70...or 69 if you prefer... a cell phone on hands free or speaker phone is far safer than all of the above- and no law is in place for any of that- with the exception of indecent exposure!
Dana,
Where others see problems? I see Opportunity. We have two problems here that I see. First, Government is trying to regulate our lives...this makes me nervous. I came from a communist country and I don't want to go back to one.
Second problem? The Automakers are hurting for money.
Why can't the automakers employ bluetooth technology into the cars so that your phone (which most are Bluetooth enabled) captures your cell phone and when a call comes in, it comes in over the speakers? Completely hands free. If the big three make this standard equipment it would make their cars more attractive and solve a legislative problem at the same time....
In Georgia trucks are exempt from the seat belt law. there is a price to pay for that as they lose some Federal transportation funds. To get some more money they will probably make that mandatory this year. Also in Georgia they don't read the paper while caught up in traffic. They do while driving on the interstate.
There's a great post on this over at Cheerio Road - she suggests adding things like, knitting, reading braile, needlepoint, stir fying and repotting your plats to add to the list. It's very funny. I'd add changing clothes too. That's a whole lot of laws for someone to get paid to make don't you think?
I like Gallagher's old idea. Instead of having a set of traffic laws. supply everyone with a dart gun and a set of idiot darts. When you see someone doing something stupid while driving, just shoot their car with an idiot dart. When a cop sees a car with a few of these darts, they simply pull them over and give them a ticket for being an idiot!
I don't really care if a state or city outlaws cell phone use while driving, but this definitely does NOT rise to the level of a national law.
But, one big downside to them passing that law is it make impossible my dream of having every person's license plate numbers be their cell phone number. That way I could call them up and tell them what crappy drivers they are.
Or call up the babes and say "How YOU doin'?" ;-)
Sorry about calling you. Hehe. As long as the state doesn't ban me from texting, I'm good to go. I kinda miss the days when you could REMEMBER every square inch of the route you drove, both ways. Now, I "blank" out the majority of the routes. Hmm.
Ha! I love the idiot dart idea!
I very rarely talk on my cell while driving. I don't like phones in general much. I am annoyed by people you can tell are not paying attention to the road while talking. I need one of those dart guns!!!
The real problem here is common sense.
I mean, would you give someone else a loaded gun, ask them to point it at you, and then forget if their finger is on the trigger or not?
Not many folks would.
Yet they'll climb into a ton of metal and plastic, buckle themselves to it, and the pay attention to everything else but what's directly in front of them!
I know stories about drivers who watched DVD movies while driving, played cards online, used two cell phones while talking conference call on a third, and other crazy stuff.
While driving, hang up the phone, and pay attention to the other traffic.
Why?
Because the passenger in that other car that you wreck could contain my children, and I don't think you'd want me to come hunting you down.
Those a-holes in Washington cannot do what they NEED to do--like manage our tax dollars correctly to provide infrastructure etc so they pull out some 'hot' social issue and muck about with something that will get them press. Because as we all know it truly is about getting your ass elected every 2-4 years
For Flyinfox-satx:
Many of Ford's 2008 (and even more of their 2009) models have this exact thing with their SYNC technology. It's pretty cool. Phone rings and your radio turns off and the call is broadcast through your cars speakers. I'm pretty impressed by it.
-Jill
Aren't some states considering "distracted driving" laws that go beyond cell phone use to any sort of activities that a person probably should not be doing while driving? I don't know, it still comes down to behaviors that could possibly hurt someone else. But should we really need the government to tell us that?
Or people could just, you know, STOP DRIVING LIKE A-HOLES. ;-)
I'm screwed...I better start saving my money for tickets....
RLL, I kind of like getting you started!
Anon, I thought changing the comment options might do it for you!
Karen, some people can't drive without distractions - you'd think they'd be smart enough (yes, I actually said that) to realize that adding another task to the mix is just asking for disaster.
M, put the phone DOWN! Hell! You scared me just driving *wink*
Karl, you know, being 6' tall and having long legs makes that knee steering not even a little challenging.
Knight, I've often thought there were far more dangerous PEOPLE out there than dangerous actions.
Matt-Man, your liberal roots get a little conservative at times, don't they?
Buff, I once gave a guy ... ummm ... never mind ...,
Flyinfox, this national edict is NO CELL PHONE - not hands free - not hand held. The issue isn't the physical action of talking on the phone, it's the fact that one cannot focus on two taxing MENTAL tasks at the same time.
Howard, the newspaper trick is a Chicago favorite as well!
Lee, I'm on my way to visit Cheerio Road!
Jeff, I think I might invest in a new small business venture!
Jay, an idiot dart and a phone number license plate ... hmmmm ... I think the two could be combined!
NV, put the phone down - NOW! I think there is a 12-step program for texting.
FF, I'm not a phone person either - the concept of spending more time talking on the phone than paying attention to my driving just baffles me.
I don't believe that the federal government should be legislating that level of detail. I think that the idea is sound, I agree that it should be a state specific law.
"Seat Belts Save Lives"
So do roll cages and crash helmets. But I don't foresee those being mandated in passenger cars anytime soon.
I think the order of natural selection should be allowed to work it's magic.
in upstate NY, 5 girls were killed in a fiery crash last summer. The driver of the vehicle was busy exchanging text messages with occupants in the car behind them. The two vehicles (9 girls total) were traveling together to one of their parents lake cottage for a last weekend together before college.
Anyhow - as a result, NY is now legally banning texting while driving as of this summer. Hands on operation of a cell phone has been illegal for years, but you can't tell by looking at folks who are driving. Too tough to enforce.
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