SOUND-OFF, Cellphone Use While Driving

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"Cellphone Use While Driving, Should They Ban It?"

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Cell Phones and Driving

Increased reliance on cell phones has led to a rise in the number of people who use the devices while driving. There are two dangers associated with driving and cell-phone use, including text messaging. First, drivers must take their eyes off the road while dialing. Second, people can become so absorbed in their conversations that their ability to concentrate on the act of driving is severely impaired, jeopardizing the safety of vehicle occupants and pedestrians.

Since the first law was passed in New York in 2001 banning hand-held cell-phone use while driving, there has been debate as to the exact nature and degree of hazard. The latest research shows that while using a cell phone when driving may not be the most dangerous distraction, because it is so prevalent it is by far the most common cause of this type of crash and near crash.

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(1) [CALLER announces that this is for the "Sound-Off" segment] "Sound-Off- Cellphone Use While Driving"

(2) [CALLER announces his/her members name] "My name is Semper Fortis.. My name is Mary Lou Retinour"

(3) [CALLER begins their recorded "Sound-Off on the subject] "I think it's stupid to ban Cellphones..." or "I think it's a good thing because.... (These are just examples, please in your own words share your thoughts).

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CURRENT & PAST LINKS ON THE SUBJECT OF DRIVING AND CELLPHONE USE

Senator that fought for cell phone driving ban rear-ends car while talking on Cell Phone!

States Ban Driving Distractions

Johnny

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[edit on 8/28/2008 by Dave Rabbit]

Yes, I believe there should be a total ban on using a cell-phone whilst driving with massive penalties and loss of licence for those unwilling to obey such a ban. Shred the licence. Gone. Kaput. No more. Idiots have to walk. Although even walking and using a cell-phone would probably stretch their abilities to the limit.

The disruption to concentration caused by use of a cell-phone whilst driving has already been conclusively proven.

I won't enter discussion with those who might choose to defend the use of cell-phones whilst driving. To my mind, such people are similar to -- or possibly the same as -- those who defend driving and drinking.

Most people are not terribly intelligent to begin with. And their concentration span has shortened considerably through a lifetime of watching pap tv-shows liberally interspersed with idiotic commercials.

Those who run into you with supermarket-carts are the same people who share the streets and freeways with you.

What do they say when they crush your ankle or slam your hip with their supermarket-cart: ' Duh ... uh .. Sorree '. As if it's somehow YOUR fault for being in the way or even in the same aisle. The petulance and self-righteous sense of victimhood contained within that insincere 'sorry' says it all. It typifies the sense of entitlement rife within much of today's society.

And it's the same inexplicable attitude of entitlement which is responsible for people with stock-standard IQ and diminished power of concentration deciding it's ok if they use their trendy little cell-phone to chew 'Hiya .. wotcha doin ? Errrrrrrrrrrr. Mmmmmmm. Me? Nothin much .. just on the freeway. Wotcha doin t'nite ? '

Inanities such as the above are responsible for the loss of other's lives: men and women heading home from work to their waiting families. Grandparents heading to a grandchild's birthday party. They may have an unblemished driving record forty years long. Now dead because some Jennifer Anniston wannabe decided concentrating on traffic was just too bor-ring and sought distraction and instant ego gratification via that stupid little status symbol ... the cell-phone.

My question is why hasn't it been baned, and why doesn't it carry a heavy fine or even jail time?

Studies show it surpresses the reflexes at least, if not more than driving drunk.

I want to know why drunk driving carries such a high penalty, yet in most places, there is no recourse for a person talking on, even texting on the phone while driving?

It's a heck of a double standard, if you put something in your body that changes your reflexes, that's moraly reprehensible, but if you hold something against your body that changes your reflexes, that's okay.

I am a cell phone user and often have received calls while driving. I pull over to the side to take the call. If I am in the city and concentrating on intersections and traffic then I won't answer the phone. I feel it is dangerous and don't want to chance it. I've nearly had a number of accidents in the city because other drivers have been on the cell phone concentrating on their calls instead of paying attention to the road and other drivers. A person has to be responsible and use proper judgement. If they can't, then turn them off while driving.

Now I don't live in the city. Most of the highways and roads are often bare for miles so it is not risky to take a call. But in the city it can be dangerous. I would be concerned if there was an outright ban for everyone everywhere. City limits differ from other areas. Esp out here in the prairies!

I also think there should be a total ban on the use of cell phones while driving. Not only is it distracting to the driver mentally, but people using cell phones seem to have trouble making corners with one hand held up to their head, and they also seem to choose not to signal turns and lane changes for the same reason. Right hand on the wheel, left hand to the ear.

And those reasons do not even touch on the eyes off the road problem when they are dialing or answering calls, or texting. Its just all around bad news. And, I am with the other posters who have pointed out that most of the cell phone conversations I overhear, (whether I want to or not) tend to be inane. "I am at the grocery store, what are you doing?" Who the hell cares. Since when did such a large percent of the population become so utterly co-dependent that they cannot go more than 20-30 minutes without telling someone what they are doing and where?

[edit on 12-10-2008 by Illusionsaregrander]

Here's a good idea:

Aegis Mobility, a Canadian software company, announced Monday that it has developed software called DriveAssistT that will detect whether a cell phone is moving at car speeds. When that happens, the software will alert the cellular network, telling it to hold calls and text messages until the drive is over.

physorg

I've been run off the road by someone in a car talking on a cell phone three times in the last three years. In the thirty years prior to that, I can only recall it happening once when a drunk was on the wrong side of the freeway.

On all three occasions it was a middle aged person in an expensive new vehicle. In other words a supposedly mature person.

Every time someone dies as a result of cell phone use while driving, everyone who does this bears part of the responsibility. If your kids are doing this, you may as well give them a bottle of Vodka to chug while they drive.

FYI-I dont drive.(its cheaper, less stressful, and help aid me from becoming impatient) I think its fine the way it is though, we should just have some awareness training in drivers courses. Why I think this, is simply because, people will not obey the law. They will try to get away with it, by texting in their lap instead of in the same hand as the steering wheel, thus allowing you to kinda see the road at the same time rather than look down in your lap. As for just cell phone use, I think hands free sets are fine. I would like to say ban the things, but Im all for personal freedom and as little number of laws as possible.
Maybe if you have a cell phone, you should be required to take a harder form of the driving test, where you have to drive a simulator while responding to several text messages, and you lose points on bad driving, as well as bad texting skills. lol I cant believe I just said any of that, I cant stand texting lol


Edit to add: I wonder if I was still a driver, if I would feel differently. I just know a lot of people who do business in their cars, its like their office, I dont see how a law would change anything when people have to work. Reading the previous post, it trips me out to think people cant talk and drive at the same time, but then again, I have a few friends who when talking to even just the passenger while driving, they actually turn their head towards you and talk, all the while Im watching the road freaking out, "dude yer swerving, DUDE YER SWERVING!" I would say ban the things, but I just coudnt sleep at night if I asked for any more laws. People just need to wise up and use common sense. I can just imagine, a device for "trunk" drivers that wont let the car start if it senses SMS messaging or a cell phone signal lol

[edit on 10/13/2008 by psychedeliack]

Control freak myth.

Former taxi driver here.

When people talk on a phone while driving, they tend to go in to a kind of static holding pattern. They slow down. They follow the car in front of them. This behaviour can be dangerous to an extent - if the car they are following is an aggressive, inexperienced or drunk driver, or one who doesn't indicate, they MIGHT make the same mistakes - but on the whole I'd regard it certainly as much much less dangerous compared to aggressive, competitive, inexperienced, drug or alcohol affected or rapid acceleration/impatient/road rage driving.

In many ways it's actually less distracting than having a passenger in the car who you are - for example - arguing with.

Around 50,000 people are killed on USA roads every year. About 4 times as many (200,000) are seriously injured or disabled.

Most of those deaths and injuries have at least two of three factors involved:

1. Alcohol
2. Aggression-speed
3. Inexperience/poor judgement

Bring on the computer controlled antigrav cars where you get in and sit at a table with a computer gaming and movie console!

Here in the UK it has been illegal to use a mobile whilst your driving for some time - technacally hands free is fine(ish) but you don't wan't to get seen driving with the phone in your hand, even if your just picking up the call - £80 fixed penilty I think!

Any way I hate people who have phones stuck to their heads where ever they are - and when they are driving I just want to smack them... (the self important t****rs )

BTW I only ever drive when I need to, I prefere the m/cycles - does anyone know how hard it is to reply to a text message while you are trying to avoid serious injury from all the drivers talking on their mobiles?? Sheesh

Originally posted by undermind

In many ways it's actually less distracting than having a passenger in the car who you are - for example - arguing with.

Thats a good point. I always keep my distance from minivans too. I cant count the number of times I have seen a parent swerving all over the road because they are trying to yell at some kid in the backseat.

Originally posted by undermind
When people talk on a phone while driving, they tend to go in to a kind of static holding pattern. They slow down. They follow the car in front of them.

Good post - I'm sure the above is true for the majority of drivers, but around my way you can see a lot of younger drivers (usually after dark) driving all over the place with the back seat full dropping people to town and back, racing their mates - probably texting to meet up to race with cars full of girls and all that crap... That I think is the most potentially dangerous side, it combines the noisey passengers, driving erratically at speed and the mobiles. I read about too many accidents in the local rag.