Using your cell phone while driving

Today voters in Bowling Green here in Ohio are deciding on a ban of cell phone usage in vehicles unless you have a hands free set up installed.

I'm ambivalent about it. While I dislike more laws to restrict people I have had three incidents over just the last year where I was crossing at a light, with my 7 year old with me, and was almost run over by drivers gabbing on their cells phones. It does concern me especially with teenagers and them driving while constantly talking on the cell or texting even.

So what's your take on this issue?

I live in AZ, and we have this law to a degree. You can use your phone but supposed to be wireless, cant text ext. But i see people all the time doing it. i totally agree with the law some people cant drive then you put a cell phone in the mix and it can end really bad. Just my thoughts

I honestly doubt that it will stop most people from talking on their cell phones anyway. IMO, some people are able to multitask better than others. I do agree that there are some accidents caused by people talking on their cell phones, but think of how many people talk on their cell phones and don’t get in accidents. I talk on my cell phone while driving, but I don't talk long. I will get my point across to whoever I am talking with, and then let them know that I will call them once I get to where I am going. I have never been in an accident, or even a close call, while talking on my cell phone.

Well in B.G. they are looking at a $150.00 fine for using your cell without a handsfree set up or texting while driving. Also it will be a primary driving offense type of ticket so they don't need another reason to pull you over to issue the fine. Considering that it looks like it only costs about $50.00 or less to buy the handsfree stuff, I don't know why more people wouldn't go for that option, even if a law doesn't make them. Whether you can multi-task well or not, using a cell phone does tie up one of your hands that you might need during an emergency road situation so why not go the safer route?

Maybe I'm just behind the times but I don't get why so many people are so addicted to constant cell phone/texting use anyways - especially when they should be attending to their driving. I have a cell for emergencies, very few people even have the number and quite honestly I like it that way.

We've had (in NY) such a law for a long time now, first in line to pass such a law! There are a lot of counties now that are passing texting laws as well, I don't believe that is a state law (yet).
You can use your cell but it has to be hands-free, no big deal since most phones are bluetooth capable and it certainly is pretty cheap to pick up a headset. The fine is around $100, cheap headset is around $40 yet I am amazed at how many people still drive and hold their phone! I don't think the cops actually pull anyone over for it, just like they seem to ignore no seatbelts or kids not in their car seats.
I don't have a problem with the law, I just think it should be enforced. Based on the number of yakkers I see every day it would be a huge money maker for the state!

They have that in DC already, although I'm not too sure what the fines are. Its tricky, cuz some people are fine without the headset and some are 1000% worse drivers.

I have a feeling it will eventually become a law everywhere and car manufacturers will eventually have Bluetooth (or whatever the technology at that point is) built into the cars and they will automagically connect to your phone so you have no option but to drive hands free.

More laws do suck, but there has to be a happy medium between citizens' comfort/freedom and everyone else's safety. Gun laws are another good example.

This really grinds my gears. Research has shown that cell phone use while driving causes more deaths in this country each year than drunk drivers. In fact, talking on the phone while driving has been proven to be more dangerous than being intoxicated while driving. Massachusetts tried to pass legislation banning cell phone use while driving and the bill failed. Seems law makers like to talk on the cell phone while driving too.

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Originally Posted by Jenn

This really grinds my gears. Research has shown that cell phone use while driving causes more deaths in this country each year than drunk drivers. In fact, talking on the phone while driving has been proven to be more dangerous than being intoxicated while driving. Massachusetts tried to pass legislation banning cell phone use while driving and the bill failed. Seems law makers like to talk on the cell phone while driving too.

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Well just my personal experience but I haven't been almost run down while legally crossing at a light with my child lately by any drunk drivers (well unless the cell phone gabbers were also drunk that is). :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Today voters in Bowling Green here in Ohio are deciding on a ban of cell phone usage in vehicles unless you have a hands free set up installed.

I'm ambivalent about it. While I dislike more laws to restrict people I have had three incidents over just the last year where I was crossing at a light, with my 7 year old with me, and was almost run over by drivers gabbing on their cells phones. It does concern me especially with teenagers and them driving while constantly talking on the cell or texting even.

So what's your take on this issue?

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I will be happy when they pass this law everywhere.I am getting tired of being behind some idiot thats jabbering on his/her phone and to stupid to drive there car properly :mad:.I have almost been run over by them also when they try to turn into your lane without looking first :mad::mad:.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Well just my personal experience but I haven't been almost run down while legally crossing at a light with my child lately by any drunk drivers (well unless the cell phone gabbers were also drunk that is). :rolleyes:

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I know what you mean. How wrong is it when the public would actually be safer if cell phones were banned, and it was legal to drive drunk!!!

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Originally Posted by Jenn

I know what you mean. How wrong is it when the public would actually be safer if cell phones were banned, and it was legal to drive drunk!!!

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Nope driving drunk doesn't cut it either but I get your point.

Hence the "wrong" in my post.

Honestly, I think that there are enough laws and regulations as it is. I do not agree with making another law just because some people can not talk on their phone and drive at the same time. To me, this law is just another way for the city to make money.

I scream at people everyday to get off thier cell phones. I use mine when i drive though but i pay attention and drive the speed limit.

I agree it is sad that laws have to be passed because people can not recognize there own limitations. As stated before some people can multi-task and others CAN NOT. I don't think that making those people go hands-free is going to help them any. They still will not be able to fully concentrate on the road, regardless.


**EDIT**

I don't, however, think that anyone should be allowed to text while they are driving.

Every study I have seen shows that people are just as distracted while talking on a headset as they are while talking on the phone. I don't think it will make a bit of difference.

That law has been in place here in NJ for about a year. It is a stoppable offense and carries a $100 fine I believe. I still see people driving and talking on the phone all the time, so I wondered if the police were even enforcing it. That was until I found out that my fiancee's ex has been ticketed twice for it in the past year.

I'll tell you what bugs me though is when I'm driving down the highway and I glance over into the lane beside me and find someone drinking a coffee, talking on their phone and using hand gestures at the same time... Umm, who's driving again?

Normally I would side with those who said there are enough laws, rules and regulations governing our day-to-day lives, but I FULLY support laws that protect me and my family from other people too self-absorbed to worry about the OTHER people their actions may affect...

I agree that using a cell phone while driving should NOT be allowed unless on a handsfree system. There are plenty of people in the population who cannot drive on a normal basis and do not need the extra distraction of gabbing on the phone or worse texting. This kind of rule/law/regulation is beneficial to society as a whole, same as the drunk driving laws. will there be idiots who break them..sadly, yes. Best we can hope for is the lessening of accidents from those said idiots talking on the phone.

If it's illegil to use a cell phone without a hands free device, then when will they make it illegil to prop your chin on a hand? Or maybe take a drink? Or scratch your nose?

Talking on a cell phone with a hands free device is just as distracting IMHO. After all, if I wear a bluetooth headset and talk on the phone, then I prop my head up with my hand, then it's the same as if I had the phone in my hand!

I think the law is stupid, and the study about it being just as dangerous as driving drunk? BS!!! You can hang up the phone, you can't stop being drunk! When you are drunk, you have slower reflexes, your judgement is impaired, and your senses are dulled. When you talk on a phone, you're distracted. I see more people nearly causing wrecks while searching the front seat for something, than distracted by a cell phone, and I commute an hour each way, five days a week.

People cause wrecks because they don't pay attention to driving. Not because of a cell phone, a soda, or a itchy knee. Cell phone use is just the latest rage in "Look how responsible I'll be for you!" in legislation.

California has that law already. For a while it was still ok to text while driving, but illegal to talk on the phone. Recently, there was a terrible accident here involving a tour bus. During the coverage of that, they played footage of a different incident where a bus driver was texting for a long time (think they said he was looking at the phone for 6 min) before plowing into the traffic in front of him. I guess he didn't realize there was a security camera filming him the whole time?

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Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

I don't, however, think that anyone should be allowed to text while they are driving.

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I agree with this. Texting can be pretty demanding while driving, especially if your unlucky enough to have one of those touch screen phones (i have an lg dare).

I don't think there needs to be a law that bans talking while driving. I personally use one hand to drive at all times on the phone or off.

Think about it really thought, those of you that do use your cell/text while driving. Of the last say 20 calls you placed, honestly were any of them really, really that important? Were any of them worth even the smallest added risk to those around you? Or were they just gabbing to somebody to pass the time? Calling home to see if you were out of milk? Seriously, yes it's about your rights but a driver's license comes with responsibilities too.

If talking distracts you, then what about having a passenger? Where do you cut off "the government makes it safe for everyone everywhere", even if they were never at fault in any accident?

I drive 2+ hours a day, and the ONLY time I've been at fault in an accident, I didn't even have a cell phone in the car, or a passenger. I was looking over at the truck seat, and the truck rolled forwards slightly at a light and bumped the car in front.

Two other times I've been hit in the rear by a distracted driver, non-cell phone related, and hit by someone not paying attention who pulled into me against all traffic laws, again, non-cellphone related.

So tell me again, how is talking hands free so much better? How is talking on any phone different from talking to a pasenger, or talking with a cell in your hand different from taking a drink of a soda?
Big brother can butt out, I don't need to have someone blunt my toenail clippers so I won't risk nicking myself. Punish people who have screwed up, and leave those of us that haven't screwed up alone.

I've never said it's only about getting distracted actually. I'm as concerned with the mechanics of having a driver's hands busy holding or texting on a cell phone when their job should be control of the wheel. Yes most of us drive one handed, but having your other hand free should be, in my opinion, just a bit of common sense.

As far as a person that cannot stay focused on the road whether they are using their cell hands free or not, well then that person needs to just not be using a cell phone in their car. It's not a right for heaven's sakes, it just a method of communication that funny enough society, and drivers, did very well without for a pretty long time.

Again, I do not get why having the right to gab all day on your cell phone while driving at highway speeds or on busy city streets is all that more important than the possibility of increasing the safety of those around you.

Well, if it's enough to say that those that can't focus while using a hand's free unit can just not use the cell phone, why isn't it enough to say that those that can't use a cell phonei tself can just not use it if they get distracted?
Then you have people who have to sit in rush hour stop-and-creep traffic for an hour a day. They can't use a cell phone while sitting in a road that's virtually a parking lot?
What about those that drive daily as part of their job? Getting calls about where to go next, or details about a upcoming place?
It's not a cut-and-dried thing, to say that a hand's free unit will solve ANYTHING, and if you're going to go onto the slippery slope, you might as well be prepared to slide all the way into the padded safe spot with the government parenting our every move.