cell phones

[jwolf7722]

here is another driving topic.

should cellphones be banned from using while driving? if so why it should be or should not be.

my opinion is cellphones are no more dangerious than looking for a cd, changing the radio station or eating while driving.

[anastrophe]

banning them is wrong. citing drivers who cause accidents due to use of the phone, and fining them substantially, is appropriate. just as you mention, radios, cd's, even passengers are as distracting as a cell phone can be.


what's really needed though is integration into the vehicle, with voice activated dialing etc., to reduce the fumbling factor. i have to admit that i've fumbled with my phone while driving, and it can be a mighty distraction.

[jwolf7722]

ya it can be a distraction. you cant ban cellphones inless you ban cd players, food, ....

just like to see what other people think.

[Warsai]

Originally Posted by anastrophe

banning them is wrong. citing drivers who cause accidents due to use of the phone, and fining them substantially, is appropriate. just as you mention, radios, cd's, even passengers are as distracting as a cell phone can be.


what's really needed though is integration into the vehicle, with voice activated dialing etc., to reduce the fumbling factor. i have to admit that i've fumbled with my phone while driving, and it can be a mighty distraction.

Have you heard of the Maryland law that says all people driving with cellphones must have a headset? It's steps like these that need to be taken to decrease accidents due to distractions like cellphones. Voice-activated software would be cool, they should put them in car stereos as well.

[jwolf7722]

they need to make a nation wide law. here in ohio i dont think there is any law about using cellphones while driving.

[Warsai]

How many accidents have happened because of a distraction from a cellphone or a car stereo? 1 should be enough.

[jwolf7722]

i agree

[pattybug52]

I myself am very distracted talking on a cell phone-even more than changing radio, etc, however I have been driving surface streets and needed to stop to make an emergency phone call on cell to my daughter-tried to pull over but entire road I was on was No stop at any time so finally found a street to go off on about 15 min later-so I can see certain situations. But I do see and hear so many people just yackity yacking while driving when it could have been down pulling over.I have seen a lot of deadly accidents from cell phone usage when I worked at a local law enforcement-many children killed when it could have been avoided. We never saw as many deaths due to changing radio or cd player-probably cause you are listening and talking and can even not hear a horn honk.

[Bill Sikes]

Originally Posted by jwolf7722

here is another driving topic.

should cellphones be banned from using while driving? if so why it should be or should not be.

my opinion is cellphones are no more dangerious than looking for a cd, changing the radio station or eating while driving.

They already are, it is an offence to use a hand-held phone, or similar device,
when driving. The penalty is a £30 fixed penalty or up to £1,000 on conviction
in court (£2,500 for drivers of goods vehicles, buses or coaches). Drivers still
risk prosecution (for failure to have proper control) if they use hands-free
phones when driving.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/group...ty_025216.hcsp

It has been determined that it is more dangerous to use a 'phone while driving
than being over the drink-drive alcohol limit:

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992077


I don't like listening to the radio, playing music, etc. when driving, either.

[gmc]

We never saw as many deaths due to changing radio or cd player-probably cause you are listening and talking and can even not hear a horn honk.

Doing something like chaging a cd you don't really need to think about, phone calls you need to concentrate on.

One of my all time pet hates, you would not believe the number of near misses I have had with plonkers using phones or the number of shunts i have seen because aomeone was using the phone. On one occasion the driver, having just gone in to the back of somebody at a roundabout got out the car still on the phone, he seemed to think thre driver he hit was overreacting. I don't even use a hands free simply because any call I get is likely to somethimng I need to concentrate on. Ban them and any driver causing an accident because of one ban from driving.