Driving drunk is illegal, shouldn't driving with cell phones also be?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ Feb 21 2007, 12:40 PM) [snapback]394113[/snapback]</div>

I'd rather take my chances with a few of those people than an overwhelming government any day!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Devil's Advocate @ Feb 21 2007, 05:17 PM) [snapback]394227[/snapback]</div>

I think the issue is what constitutes a happy medium. I'd prefer the government to not get involved too much which means people need to act more responsibility.

 

My biggest problem with most modern laws are that they solve problems that don't really exist, only in the minds of control freaks.

I used to get calls about kids playing in the street. I would ask if any cars got near them or if they would not move...the answer was usually no, but it COULD happen. Leave them alone.

Cell phones grew exponentially over the past few years, yet crashes aree only on a gradual rise more attuned to the increase in cars.

It is no where near proven that talking on cell phones in cars creates crashes. Are some people on phones when they crash, no doubt, but A+B does not always equal C.

Simple solution in my book....if a person is at fault in a crash and a phone is present at the scene then there should be an automatic right of the police to get a copy of the phone record for THAT day and at THAT time. If driver on phone , penalty doubled or tripled or something higher. THAT would get the message across.

We are NOT all born equal in SKILLS. If you cannot drive and talk...DON'T!!!!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Feb 23 2007, 09:29 AM) [snapback]395170[/snapback]</div>

I'm very comfortable with that plan of action, and getting technology to do it in a cost-effective way. Very much so.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Feb 23 2007, 07:29 AM) [snapback]395170[/snapback]</div>

I like this idea. I think there are more accidents caused by driving and talking on cell phones than are reported judging by the huge number of near misses I have witnessed. I have personally been in an accident caused by the other driver who was on her cell phone. NY is a pioneer on this front, even banning other devices while in the street. Put it this way...it can't hurt.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(burritos @ Jun 30 2006, 07:51 AM) [snapback]279108[/snapback]</div>

People should be allowed to drive while carrying cell phones, but just not be allowed to use them while driving.

It is sort of like driving with guns. I usually am carrying 3 guns with me when I drive my Prius. Two are stored in the car: a .357 Magnum revolver stored up front where I can quickly reach it, and an AR-15 Assault Rifle with collapsible stock so it can fit in the hidden storage under the back cargo area. I also usually have a small .40 caliber automatic pistol hidden on my person, since I have a concealed carry gun permit.

However, while I have all of this firepower on board, I never handle or shoot any of my guns while I am driving my Prius. The same rules should apply to cell phones.

My .357 Magnum only holds 6 shots, But my .40 caliber Taurus automatic holds ten shots, and I carry a spare magazine with another 10 shots for it. If I get into anything really serious, I have two extra magazines for my AR-15 with it, for a total of 80 rounds of 6.8 mm armor piecring ammunition.

Hopefully I will never have to enter into battle with my Prius. But if anyone ever does shoot at it, I intend to shoot back.

Be sure to check your local state laws before carrying guns in your Prius. For example: I can only carry all of the above loaded firearms in my Prius because I have a concealed firearms permit here in Oregon. Without it, I would have to have my guns all stored in the back cargo area, and unloaded.

Lance in OryGUN

 

I think there are some things that haven't come up yet in this debate:

1.) Cell phones are different than other distractions such as drinking coffee or changing CDs, in that a cell phone conversation can last the entire trip, meaning that a hand (if not hands free) and mental concentration are diverted off the road for long periods of time, whereas changing a CD requires only a few moments. While changing a CD may even be more distracting than a cell during that breif time, the cell phone is distracting for a much longer period of time. Additionally, other distractions can occur on top of cell phone usage (such as something falling out of a cupholder, etc, so while a cell phone might not be the sole cause, it adds to the problem.

2.) I would wager to say that there are many accidents that occur where the driver who was on the cell phone did not admit to being on the cell phone on the accident report. If no one witnessed it, the accident wouldn't be reported as a cell phone caused accident. Sure, they could determine if the person was on the phone at the time from cell phone records, but how often is that checked for after the accident? I doubt that the official cell phone accident numbers are really all that accurate.

3.) Stiffinging fines while keeping handheld cell use legal may not have much of an effect. If people don't think of it as dangerious, they aren't going to stop doing it because they don't expect to ever get into an accident. There are times, unfortunally, when laws are required to prevent people from doing things that would harm other people. We had to create laws to prevent people from driving drunk, driving without insurance or driving without functioning headlights / taillights. Laws can prevent accidents before they happen because police can pull people over for drunkenly weaving in/out of traffic or not having lights and eventually they lose their ability to drive.

4.) Drivers have a responsibility not only to the passengers in their vechicle, but to everyone else you pass on the road. Putting in a CD, changing the radio, driving drunk or talking on a cell phone are all putting other people's lives and wellbeing at risk. If someone choose to do something that puts themselves at risk, thats their decision to do so, however, when they put someone else's life at risk, thats when this becomes a real issue.

I was almost killed on January 18th by a driver who was picking up her cell phone. I had been stopped waiting for traffic to make a left turn for 5-10 seconds (plus the brake lights were on an additional 5-10 seconds before that slowing down) when she rear-ended me going a full 45 mph, throwing me into oncoming traffic where I got hit head on by an SUV going 45-50mph. The driver came over to make sure I was OK and said she had gone to pickup her cell phone and when she looked back at the road, she didn't have time to avoid me. I might add that the accident did not get recorded as a cell phone related accident because she didn't tell the police the same thing she told me after the accident.

 

On the topic of drunk driving, It reminds me of a true story back in 1988 I was a Vol. Firefighter and a call came in for a single vehicle accident in an interstate hwy. We responded and astate police officer was first on scene. He said he walked up to the car and the drver was passed-out behind the wheel & the car was buried up to the frame in muck. The officer tapped on the window and the driver sat up rite and was acting like he was driving he then loked over in horror to the the officer standing next to the car. the driver looked at the speedo then back at the officer in amazment :blink: ... The guy rolled down the window and the officer told him to pull over & the driver made the motions to pull-over. the officer let us check him out and then took him to jail. poor driver all he could talk about at the jail was how fast the officer could run... It was very funny. :lol: :lol:

We had another accident on the interstate where a drunk decided he was too tired to drive, so he crossed 2 lanes of traffic and parked on what he thought was the emergency lane. The lane he was in was the FAST LANE! he caused a 8 car pile up, and some how drove 2 miles after having the rear of his car that was now in the back seat. It was a front wheel drive car.... He was fine but was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injuries & one death..

Most idiots think hey Ive had 6 beers Im fine, but Ill wait a cpl of hours so it will be out of my system.. WRONG ANSWER, by that time its pulsing through your viens and your drunk.. Here in Fla if you refuse a pee or blood test for DUI you lose your license....

I have watched people using cell phones they are just dangerous they should make it so if you get a call you have to shut the motor off before the call can be taken.... These people will change lanes with out looking, run red lights while on the phone and never realize they ran the light. I had one lady drive into a retention pond because she dropped her phone on the floor and she was retrieving it.. Expencive Bill on that one.

We stopped a guy for DUI one nite as he was all over the road, what we found out was he had dropped his whopper in his lap but instead of pulling over to retrieve it he continued to drive and fish it out that way...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Feb 23 2007, 10:29 AM) [snapback]395170[/snapback]</div>

excellent idea! sorta like taking the extra risk and speeding in a construction zone, the conditions at the time of the accident cause the fine to go up.

 

A few years back the realtor selling my house told me a story. She had just recently been released from a long stint in the hospital. She said she was driving her new beautiful red Cadilac in a 50 mph zone on our local Tramway Blvd while talking on her cell phone. The conversation became so dynamic that virtually all her concentration was going into that call. To make a long story short, she drove right through a red light and T-boned another car. The injuries were massive. She now believes strongly that no one should talk on a phone, handheld or not, when driving. Concentration needs to be focused on the task at hand (driving).

We've all driven down the road and found ourselves around someone who drifts out of their lane or alternately goes fast, then madenly slow, and finally we discover what we already knew based on experience, the driver was involved in a lively cell phone conversation.

That said, I don't believe any cell phone ban will keep people from driving while using theirs. What I want is active ECM in my car that will jam all cell phones that are in my vicinity. I think that's against the law but it may be the only solution. My guess is that local government will ultimately discover that the only way to address the problem is to create a condition where cell phones don't work in cars that are driving on our roads.