Feds weigh ban on all driver phone use in cars

[BERIGAN]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-08/lahood-weighs-urging-u-s-ban-on-all-driver-phone-use-in-cars.html

[paul secor]

Wouldn't bother me at all. I see too many a-holes talking on their phones while driving, even though there's a law against it here. If you must talk on the phone, pull off the road and talk.

Edited October 8, 2010 by paul secor

[BERIGAN]

But this is for even hands free usage. Listening to metal on the radio has made me drive faster at times...guess we should ban radios as well.

[7/4]

It's so essential to my job, banning cell phone use in my vehicle would be a big problem.

[BruceH]

Talking on cell phones while driving causes accidents, hands-free or not.

[jazzbo]

True. I predict it would never happen though.

I can't use a phone while driving my vehicle. (Only two wheels). But I do rely on talking to my gal on her commute back and forth from work, 30 to 60 minutes one way, depending on the traffic at the time of day, and it's all hands-free on her part. And it really helps out our days.

[kh1958]

Talking on cell phones while driving causes accidents, hands-free or not.

What about talking to a passenger? That is not just as distracting?

[Chalupa]

Talking on cell phones while driving causes accidents, hands-free or not.

What about talking to a passenger? That is not just as distracting?

No.

It's much easier to hold a conversation w/ someone who is in the same room as you than having a conversation w/ someone over a phone. Have you ever been on a conference call?? While they are often a necessary part of doing business they will never take the place of talking to someone face to face. Additionally, the other person in the car that you are talking to can act as a extra set of eyes/ears - something someone on a cell phone cannot do.

I would really love to see a ban on texting while driving. That's way more dangerous than talking on a cell.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I would welcome this, but only if they put it in place at the provider level. The feds have the ability to force the wireless providers to shut off the phone if it's moving. Simply making it a federal crime would do nothing to stop it.

I have seen far too many people whipping down the highway at 75-85 mph, totally oblivious to the world around them as they chat or text away on their phones. I would love to see a return to sanity.

What on earth did everyone do back in the days before cell phones? Well, for one thing, they drove better!

[catesta]

I would welcome this, but only if they put it in place at the provider level. The feds have the ability to force the wireless providers to shut off the phone if it's moving. Simply making it a federal crime would do nothing to stop it.

I have seen far too many people whipping down the highway at 75-85 mph, totally oblivious to the world around them as they chat or text away on their phones. I would love to see a return to sanity.

What on earth did everyone do back in the days before cell phones? Well, for one thing, they drove better!

Sorry, but I'm not about to trust Verizon, AT&T or any other service provider to make the call as to whether I need the phone or not based on if it's moving. What if you're in an emergency situation?

And how would they determine if the user is just a passenger or the driver. What about on the train?

I don't disagree with a ban on texting, that's a no brainer. I'm even willing to conceed to hands free like we have in NY, but outlawing use of a mobile device in a car completely is going too far. It has become too much a part of doing business on the go.

And this is coming from someone that hates talking on a cell phone. I go out of my way not to do it but that doesn't change the fact I have to carry two and sometimes it is unavoidable.

Edited October 8, 2010 by catesta

[Big Beat Steve]

I have seen far too many people whipping down the highway at 75-85 mph, totally oblivious to the world around them as they chat or text away on their phones. I would love to see a return to sanity.

What on earth did everyone do back in the days before cell phones? Well, for one thing, they drove better!

Agree.

Dont know if this happens in your neck of the woods but one thing that really bugs me is these dimwits who drive about - like you said, really oblivious to what's going around them - while holding their phone to their RIGHT ear with their LEFT hand, so wrapping their arm all around themselves and trying to do the steering AND shifting with that remaining right hand (remember most cars here still are stick shift ), now that's indeed something that I feel really uneasy about all the time. And I try to keep my distance from these characters in traffic.

If they really are too one-sided or too dumb (or deaf?) to keep their hands on the side where they belong when seated behind the wheel then I cannot fathom they will be able to react like the should if they have to.

Time to curb that nasty habit ...

Edited October 8, 2010 by Big Beat Steve

[Kevin Bresnahan]

What if you're in an emergency situation?

And how would they determine if the user is just a passenger or the driver. What about on the train?

You stop and make the call/text. That's the safest thing to do. Look, I realize that there would be situations where this would be very bad, but face it, bans on cell phone use would do NOTHING to stop the stupidity known as "texting while driving". All it would do is make criminals of millions of people because THEY WILL NOT STOP THIS DUMB HABIT.

BTW, there is a GPS chip in every phone sold in the US since 2001. The feds required it so they can always trace a cell phone. This same circuit tells the cell phone provider where you are and how fast you're moving. It would be a simple software switch to disable certain phone features while that phone is moving faster than a certain speed.

[Jim Alfredson]

I agree with catesta. What if you're the passenger in the car? You can't talk on the cell, either?

Some people can talk and drive just fine. Some can't. Punishing everyone for the stupidity of a few is silly. Banning texting while driving is a no-brainer but how can you enforce it? Again, the method Kevin outlines can't distinguish between a driver and a passenger.

Sometimes I get really into listening to the radio, usually a talk show like This American Life and I realize that I haven't really been paying much attention to the road. So are we going to ban radios and music? Ban eating? Ban looking at a GPS unit?

This is interesting:

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which has said LaHood is focusing too much attention on distracted driving instead of other safety pursuits, released a study last month concluding laws banning handheld texting don’t reduce crashes. The study, using data from four states before and after they enacted anti-texting laws, found the overall number of crashes increased in three of the states.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which has said LaHood is focusing too much attention on distracted driving instead of other safety pursuits, released a study last month concluding laws banning handheld texting don’t reduce crashes. The study, using data from four states before and after they enacted anti-texting laws, found the overall number of crashes increased in three of the states.

This is precisely because the people who think it's OK to text are not going to pay any attention to a law making their stupidity illegal. Unenforceable laws do nothing to stop these fools.

The thing that bothers me is that everyone comes up with some reason why they shouldn't shut off texting while the phone is moving but yet they all agree that it's a bad thing. What does it take? For everyone to know someone first hand who has been killed and/or injured in an accident?

[Jim Alfredson]

Why don't we just ban cars?

[BruceH]

Talking on cell phones while driving causes accidents, hands-free or not.

What about talking to a passenger? That is not just as distracting?

No.

There you have it.

[Jazzmoose]

Some people can talk and drive just fine. Some can't. Punishing everyone for the stupidity of a few is silly.

Right. Just like some people 'drive better while stoned'.

[JSngry]

As they don't ban sex while driving, I don't care.