Feds Want No Cellphone or Texting In Vehicles

Maybe it's just me, but this is a states rights issue.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47197722/ns/us_news/

 

Yup. Just like seat belts.

 

I think if you're using a headset, it should be okay. Texting, or holding the phone to your head, while driving should be illegal. And I'd be okay with that as a Federal Law. But to completely say no talking and driving is horse shit.

There are so many times I'm on the road for hours on end that if I had to pull over for every single call, I'd never get to my destination. And there are times when talking while driving actually helps keep me more focused/alert/awake.

 

I also have no problems with hands free blue tooth. To me, it's no difference that talking to a passenger.

 

Exactly. In fact, I'm more distracted having passengers in my car than merely talking on my phone, hands-free.

 

Studies (no link but was widely report a year or so ago) show that talking on a cell while driving was just as dangerous as driving drunk. I agree it should be a state's rights issue, but it should be illegal.

The difference between talking to a passenger and talking on the phone is that you can talk about subjects that don't upset/distract you with a passenger. I.e., talking about the movie you saw last night with your passenger is different than talking to a ranting ex-wife who is saying she's taking away your visitation rights to see your kids. Also, a passenger can help you watch for danger while talking with you, the person on the other end of the phone has no idea if they should hang up until you are in a safer place.

Just my two cents. I don't really see it becoming illegal.....just follow the money.

Go Blazers

 

I read that study, but I believe it involved holding your cell phone, NOT hands-free. I could be wrong, but I believe that to be the case. If I am correct, that makes things way different.

I see people arguing in the car. I see people arguing on the phone. I don't see, or really agree with, your point. Except that passengers can help you spot hazards. But having kids in the car is by far more distracting, IMO, than talking on the cell phone.

 

And really.... let's talk about the bigger problem: there are a lot of ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE drivers on the road.

 

Mostly women.








OK, OK, I had to say it.

 

That's because people are retarded and still talk with their phone to their head while they drive. I see so many people every single day with the phone to their head while driving. And they're all driving especially shitty and/or slow. The safety belt law wouldn't save lives if people didn't fear the consequence and continued to not wear the safety belt. They fear the consequence, and thus, they were the belt. With phones, I think people, one, don't fear, the consequence; two, feel they can toss their phone away if they see a cop; and three, don't believe that they're driving shitty while talking.

Peoplez iz ruh-tarded, yallz.

 

I'll echo blazinggiants, in my Vancouver to Milwaukie commute on both freeway and city streets I have seen a zero drop in people talking on cell phones or texting. In fact I would say it's a daily occurrence I see or am involved in a near miss accident due to it.

 

Texting should 100% be illegal. There's no way to text and safely drive.

Talking on your phone I disagree with. The problem is that it's a grey area. Some people are better at talking and operating machines than others. After years and years of gaming while talking on vent/teamspeak, I have zero problem talking on the phone while driving. I've never had near misses, nor have I felt that I was distracted. If anything, I'll tune out the conversation if I need to focus on the road.

It's you old folk that aren't used to multi-tasking that can't drive and talk on the phone safely

 

That's the problem - not everyone has that ability, so like everything else, when too many people suck at something, we are ALL put on restriction. Don't you know that's how democracy works?

 

What if the DMV tested people for the ability to talk on phones while driving? Kind of like a commercial license.... this would be a special permit as well.

 

Hey man, I don't care what the hell people do when they're driving, as long as they're alert and driving safely (hell, I have friends who drive better after a few beers than they do stone-cold sober). So I'd be fine with something like this. The problem is it becomes a slippery slope. People will argue that there are people who are able to drive like this while really focused on it, but they won't pay as much attention when they're not being tested. And for something already being deemed as sooo unsafe, that's potentially a big issue/liability putting someone in a car to evaluate driving while the driving is doing something unsafe.

Like I said.... not arguing the point.... I can just see the hurdles and arguments that will come down the road. I don't care what people do, as long as they drive safe and are attentive. There are too many idiots on the road.

 

As a practical matter, this is whack.

 

Before cell phones, can't we ban the idiots that drive with a dog or cat on their lap? How is THAT not a law, but a cell phone that can actually be useful to conduct business or get you to where you are going, or, as mentioned above keep you awake, is?

 

The short answer is that we have lap dogs, lap dances, but not lap phones.

Therefore, we ban the phones.

 

How about the people that read while driving? WTF is that about? You're holding up a book to the steering wheel and reading a book for the duration of your commute?? Ever hear of books on tape/CD/mp3?

It's the epitome of an oxymoron: "Look at me - I'm so smart and talented, I'm driving and reading at the same time!!"