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[lexbubble]

I live in Washington DC and they are starting on Thursday, July 1 that you can no longer talk on the call phone whilst you drive. Gotta have hands free. Now I don't own any hands free device...argh..and am thus annoyed. Do you guys have this where you live??? Does it drive you crazy or do you get used to it?

 

[AlphaSnake]

I live in Washington DC and they are starting on Thursday, July 1 that you can no longer talk on the call phone whilst you drive. Gotta have hands free. Now I don't own any hands free device...argh..and am thus annoyed. Do you guys have this where you live??? Does it drive you crazy or do you get used to it?

An earpiece costs like $3. We've had it in NYC for over 2 years now. It's a good law, get used to it.

 

[teiresias]

You're too cheap to buy a hands free set for your phone, hence endangering other drivers and pedestrians, you're the kind of person I hate.


*My friend was recently killed by an irresponsible driver.

 

[mrmyth]

quick tip- get off the fucking phone and drive. You're probably no more than an hour away from speaking face-to-face with the person on the phone anyway. Meanwhile I'm stuck behind your slow, weaving, oblivious ass.

[/rant off]

 

[MrAngryFace]

talking on phone while driving is only a crime under these conditions:

A.) Are a soccer mom...
B.) ....driving a minivan/SUV...
C.) ..wearing gas station sunglasses

 

[levious]

Pedestrians in DC are ornery, better not stop short in front of a pedestrian while talking on a non-hands free phone...

 

[belgurdo]

It'll make my day to see a cell phone driver drive off the side of a highway

 

[sc0la]

It is not illegal in California, but I almost never use it in the car. The few times I have has been only to tell someone I need to call them back in a few minutes. It just feels wrong, and I know I would get mad if someone was driving dumb while on the phone so...

 

[Kon Tiki]

If it is anything to improve American's horrible driving 'skills', I am all for it.

 

[Wario64]

I hate it every time I see a driver with a fucking cell phone in their hand. Bastards

 

[UtadaBarkley]

I do it all the time... I rarely pay attention to whoever I'm talking to anyway, so it doesn't distract me.

 

[Gek54]

What is the differences between holding a phone to your ear and drivng with one hand and ear peice?

Im in Texas and this law was rejected. I still feel I have to hang up if I see a cop though.

 

[xsarien]

You're too cheap to buy a hands free set for your phone, hence endangering other drivers and pedestrians, you're the kind of person I hate.

IAWTP.

Talking on a cell phone while driving has been banned state-wide for awhile, and I welcomed it with open arms. I've been almost killed too many times by idiots with a phone in one hand going 60mph. Yet, amazingly enough, they probably claim - adamently - that they can drive and talk at the same time without any problem whatsoever.

If anyone ever tells you that, they're lying. If you believe you're capable of it, you're fooling yourself. Carrying on a sustained conversation is a distraction. You can't compare it to such trivial things as changing the radio station, either. That's a push of of a button, it takes - at the most - a few seconds. Getting all chatty with your girlfriend can take substantially longer, and focusing on a dialogue with a person you're not even sitting next to takes precious neuron firings away from making sure the giant hunk of fiberglass and metal you're pushing down the freeway doesn't collide with anything or anyone.

Pull over, or, at least get a hands-free set. Although I'm not terribly convinced those are much better.

(Personally, I just turn my phone off during short trips, or ignore it on longer ones. Voicemail exists for a reason.)

 

[lexbubble]

You're too cheap to buy a hands free set for your phone, hence endangering other drivers and pedestrians, you're the kind of person I hate.


*My friend was recently killed by an irresponsible driver.

clearly i didn't mean for this to be a flaming session.

i just don't have one yet. and don't often even talk on the phone while i am driving as i take public transport to work

yikes

don't hate
i was just wondering what others thought of it where they had it...dear me

 

[lexbubble]

Pull over, or, at least get a hands-free set. Although I'm not terribly convinced those are much better.

QUOTE]

I have to agree with that..I think the converstation is more the problem. whats keeping me from paying attention when i have my hands free...not going to do that.

 

[Phoenix]

If its the conversation/activity (and not the device) that's causing the problem then we have a real issue - because drivers will continue to be distracted by all sorts of things: children, pets, food (yep I eat and drive often), swapping out CDs in the changer, trying to program their navigation systems, etc.

 

[xsarien]

If its the conversation/activity (and not the device) that's causing the problem then we have a real issue - because drivers will continue to be distracted by all sorts of things: children, pets, food (yep I eat and drive often), swapping out CDs in the changer, trying to program their navigation systems, etc.

Yes, but you can voluntarily ignore a cell phone while driving in the interest of safety. And, to be honest, swapping CDs doesn't take nearly as much time - again - as a full-out conversation on a cell phone.

You're comparing the proverbial apples and oranges.

 

[El Papa]

What kind of retarded idiot can't drive and talk at the same time? I'm completely amazed that there is a need for these kind of laws.

 

[White Man]

because drivers will continue to be distracted by all sorts of things: children, pets, food (yep I eat and drive often), swapping out CDs in the changer, trying to program their navigation systems, etc.

I think engaging in a direct conversation with another person, trying to set up plans, or whatever else, is a bit more studied and distracting than any of the things listed above. Well, anybody that spends time fudging around with his CD changer or nav system to the point of distraction is probably an ass, anyway.

And cell phones are so horrible because people get addicted to them like they're on crack. It's not just chicks that spend hours on the phone anymore. Having one of the damned things makes you want to use it constantly (for some people). I HATE seeing people constantly walking down the street using them, even though I know a lot of them must have legit reasons.

It's a potential social problem. People that use their cell phones in unnecessary situations are probably at risk for developing some sort of social dissociation. Look at it this way:

Girl A is sitting on a park bench. Boy A sees Girl A. Boy A likes Girl A. Before he could work up the nerve to talk to Girl A, she whips out a cell phone and starts talking. A social connection is avoided.

There you go, guys, cells WILL keep you from getting ass.

Then again, I've always been anti-telephone, period. . .oh well.

 

[Phoenix]

Yes, but you can voluntarily ignore a cell phone while driving in the interest of safety. And, to be honest, swapping CDs doesn't take nearly as much time - again - as a full-out conversation on a cell phone.

You're comparing the proverbial apples and oranges.

IIRC it doesn't take too long to run into the back of a car The length of time you're distracted is meaningless. A distracted driver is dangerous for however long they're distracted.

Personally I've never seen much of a difference between people holding a conversation on a phone and holding one with a person in a car. In each a driver has their attention split amongst multiple things. The biggest difference being that we can't outlaw people from holding conversations in their cars. I'd be willing to bet good money that even with hands free sets, the problem will persist.

 

[Suerte]

This is the law in the UK too, I'm all for it.

 

[AlphaSnake]

You can't adjust a navigation system while you're driving...not in any of Lexuses cars, at least.

 

[AlphaSnake]

What kind of retarded idiot can't drive and talk at the same time? I'm completely amazed that there is a need for these kind of laws.

Uh, it has nothing to do with being able to. It's an issue of distraction.

 

[MrAngryFace]

FAP

 

[CoryCubed]

I like those people that have the complete handsfree wireless things through the radio or whatever and it looks like they're talking to themselves and having a good time.

 

[AlphaSnake]

FAP

Fiersome Articulate Penis. Exactly, MAF. People should talk with their penises.

 

[Gek54]

FAP

When Mountain Dew fails, it helps wake me up if I am falling asleep at the wheel.

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

The problem isn't the holding of the phone. Hell, I barely use one hand to drive normally. It's where your mind is at. I try not to talk on the phone while I drive because I start paying attention more to the conversation than the cars around me.

If you say you don't even pay attention to the conversation, then why the fuck are you even wasting the other person's time? Let them talk to the wall.

 

[Ristamar]

Yay for laws that discourage people from driving like assholes. Two thumbs up.

 

[Gek54]

How is it different from talking to passengers? I would think you would be more likely to take your eyes off the road to look at one of your passengers talking to you. Cant ban people from talking to passengers. Might as well ban dashboard radio controls. You know there has been lots of wrecks becuase people where messing with their stereo system.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

The problem isn't the holding of the phone. Hell, I barely use one hand to drive normally. It's where your mind is at. I try not to talk on the phone while I drive because I start paying attention more to the conversation than the cars around me.

If you say you don't even pay attention to the conversation, then why the fuck are you even wasting the other person's time? Let them talk to the wall.

Both you and Phx are correct. It's not the hands. How many of you actually drive with both hands on the wheel? It's the distraction the conversation causes or the dialing of the numbers. This is the same with any in car activity. A fender bender can take seconds.

If you think messing with the car radio isn't a problem then all you have to do is look at the current generation of steering wheels with the volume, cd, and station changer embedded in the wheel.

 

[xsarien]

IIRC it doesn't take too long to run into the back of a car

The longer you distract yourself with a conversation, the better your chances of causing an accident. You're done adjusting your radio in seconds, you're probably done with your phone call in several minutes.

Now tell me which is more likely to cause an accident.

 

[Vennt]

I supported this when it was introduced to the UK, the following is an extract from the Governments "Regulatory Impact Assessment":

Risk Assessment

There is a comprehensive body of research into the effects of mobile phones and driving.

There is strong experimental evidence that engaging in a mobile phone conversation impairs the ability to react to potentially hazardous road conditions. Consistent with the experimental evidence, epidemiological research points to an association between mobile phone use while driving and an increased risk of involvement in an accident.

For example, the results of research by Redelmeier and Tibshirani (Canada, 1997) suggest that mobile phone use quadruples the risk of a collision during the period of a call and that the enhanced hazard period extends for several minutes afterwards. The authors admitted that it was difficult to compare exposures and that the baseline from which the quadrupling of risk was calculated may not have been stable. However, they revisited their work in 2001 and confirmed their earlier findings.

It would be impractical to attempt to summarise all the research here. However, the RoSPA report mentioned in paragraph 3 above includes summaries and references to relevant research. The report of April 2000 by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones4 (the Stewart Report) also contains a summary of researches (paragraphs 5.201 to 5.214, pages 86 to 90) into the risks posed by mobile phones and driving.

Options

The following options were considered:

* to continue to rely on publicity and persuasion to change driver behaviour;
* to prohibit the use of all mobile phones when driving;
* to prohibit the use of hand-held mobile phones when driving.

In the light of consultation, the Department decided that the introduction of a new offence was justified but that it would be impractical to include hands-free phones within the scope of the new regulation because of the difficulties of enforcement.

If your attention is on your phone conversation it's not on the road and you're putting others at risk needlessly, same goes for talking to the family/friends, changing CD's or having a snack in my opinion, if it impairs your concentration then you should cut it out, you're the driver, it's YOU in control, stop the kids shouting, get someone else to change your CD's and remember just how large a killer the roads and vehicles are.

Nearly everybody knows someone, or more than one person, that has been killed in either an accident or via being knocked down. I can think of 3 people off the top of my head that have been lost to a road-related accident, I can only think of one person in my history that died of cancer. Not very scientific I know, but enough of a personal experience to change my driving habits.


Freeburn.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

The longer you distract yourself with a covnersation, the better your chances of causing an accident. You're done adjusting your radio in seconds, you're probably done with your phone call in several minutes.

Now tell me which is more likely to cause an accident.

I'll be my house on the fact that change/tuning/adjusting a radio will and has caused more wrecks in the same time a cell phone has. My parents and brother are in insurance and I can get stats on that in a heartbeat.

http://4wheeldrive.about.com/gi/dyn...v.com/Global/story.asp?S=1391857&nav=168XHKci

Aug. 6) -- A new "Triple A" study shows the distractions are adding up, but the one at the top of the list may not be the one you expect.

Nowadays, when Americans take the wheel, they're multi-tasking. For instance one woman was arrested for breast-feeding while driving. And now, a new traffic study backs up the claim that roads are getting more dangerous. Participants did everything from put on make-up to read and write while driving. Triple-A says 25% of all crashes are caused by distracted drivers and the problem is only getting worse.

UPS driver Tom Hoban says "I see people reading the newspaper, doing crossword puzzles, make-up, eating, flossing the teeth."

If you're a guilty driver, you're in good company. In this week-long study, volunteers knew they were being taped, but didn't know they were being monitored for distractions. Researchers found 97% reached or leaned over to grab something, 91% tuned their radios, and 77% engaged in conversations. One surprise: cell phones, often considered the biggest distraction, were only used a third of the time.

"Drivers need to keep their eyes on the road, and their minds on driving 100% of the time. No law or regulation is going to make this happen." says Robert Darbelnet, president and CEO of Triple A.

Experts are calling for more education campaigns, like those for drunk driving and safety belts so that, when its time to hit the high road, those in the drivers seat will be in complete control.

Another interesting note: how many of you eat while you're driving? According to Triple A, 70% of the people in the study frequently ate sandwiches, pizza, whatever they were hungry for...all while behind the wheel.

http://www.hsrc.unc.edu/pubinfo/distracted_distraction_topten.htm

 

[xsarien]

I'll be my house on the fact that change/tuning/adjusting a radio will and has caused more wrecks in the same time a cell phone has. My parents and brother are in insurance and I can get stats on that in a heartbeat.

You go take care of that, Buster Brown.

Edit: Way to go, now why don't you cross reference that with the cause of fatal accidents. Some jackhammer distracted me on some side streets this weekend, didn't mean I swerved into a ravine.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

next. Seriously to you mean there is going to be an direct correlation to fatal accidents due to distractions and the type of distraction. You can't be thick enough to believe the 2% of all distractions result for 50+% of all fatal accidents.

If you want to believe the cell phones are the biggest safety threat on the planet then go ahead. You see the numbers.

 

[Scoobert]

How is it different from talking to passengers? I would think you would be more likely to take your eyes off the road to look at one of your passengers talking to you. Cant ban people from talking to passengers. Might as well ban dashboard radio controls. You know there has been lots of wrecks becuase people where messing with their stereo system.

When you're talking on the phone you are more engaged to that person than a passenger. Also a passenger can see if you're going to be in an accident, they pay attention to the road too. A person on the phone can't warn you.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

When you're talking on the phone you are more engaged to that person than a passenger. Also a passenger can see if you're going to be in an accident, they pay attention to the road too. A person on the phone can't warn you.

If you are in a heated argument the person in the car is more likely paying attention to you than the road and if you are dealing with kids in the back then they don't have the field of vision. While someone in the car does give you some advantage over someone not in the car the effects are probably marginal.

 

[xsarien]

next. Seriously to you mean there is going to be an direct correlation to fatal accidents due to distractions and the type of distraction. You can't be thick enough to believe the 2% of all distractions result for 50+% of all fatal accidents.

If you want to believe the cell phones are the biggest safety threat on the planet then go ahead. You see the numbers.

I believe that people talking on them while driving at highway speeds is a big safety issue, yes. The biggest? Certainly not, but if we follow your logic to its natural conclusion, we shouldn't be getting too worked about about drunk drivers, either. What's being argued here are distractions severe enough to cause accidents, or are you too thick to understand that?

(I like how you backed away from "I'll get my relatives who are in insurance to prove it," and moved onto one survey done by one university, linked to by about.com.)

That's class, man.

 

[Ghost]

They have this law int he UK too, i guess its a good thing, theres been a lot of press about cell phones and driving but the actual numbers arent that significant, if they to do something to help drivers, they should think up a way to outlaw rubber-necking at traffic accidents (people slowing down to survey damage on the other side of the road) pisses me off so much when im an hour late because there was an accident on the other side of the motorway.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

I never said that I wouldn't do that. I just got something quick. Either way I still stand by my claim that radio distractions cause way more accidents than cell phones.

You find me one that says cell phone are most responsible for fatal wrecks.

 

[xsarien]

I never said that I wouldn't do that. I just got something quick. Either way I still stand by my claim that radio distractions cause way more accidents than cell phones.

You find me one that says cell phone are most responsible for fatal wrecks.

There is a comprehensive body of research into the effects of mobile phones and driving.

There is strong experimental evidence that engaging in a mobile phone conversation impairs the ability to react to potentially hazardous road conditions. Consistent with the experimental evidence, epidemiological research points to an association between mobile phone use while driving and an increased risk of involvement in an accident.

For example, the results of research by Redelmeier and Tibshirani (Canada, 1997) suggest that mobile phone use quadruples the risk of a collision during the period of a call and that the enhanced hazard period extends for several minutes afterwards. The authors admitted that it was difficult to compare exposures and that the baseline from which the quadrupling of risk was calculated may not have been stable. However, they revisited their work in 2001 and confirmed their earlier findings.

Helps to read the thread, buddy. Certainly seems a lot more carefully planned out than AAA's "Stick a Camera in a Car" approach, which could let you see all the wonderful things people can do while they're stuck in traffic, throwing the results and not necessarily addressing the heart of the issue.

 

[Vennt]

Harvard Center for Risk Analysis also produced a report on the risks of cell phone use while driving, while I agree that it is possibly not the greatest risk, it is still significant, and more importantly, unlike other forms of distraction such a adjusting a radio it is a risk that can be reduced and enforced (At least for non-handsfree use of a cell phone).

Boston, MA. – A new evaluation by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis (HCRA) estimates that the use of cell phones by drivers may result in approximately 2,600 deaths, 330,000 injuries, and 1.5 million instances of property damage in America per year. But because the data on cell phone use by motorists are still limited, the range of uncertainty is wide. The estimate of fatalities ranges between 800 and 8,000, and the estimate of injuries is between 100,000 and 1 million.

Freeburn.

 

[Pachinko]

I wish people caught driving with a cellphone faced the same penatly has someone driving drunk. You know, plenty of demerits, possibly a lost liscense for a repeat offence.

The road is meant for driving folks, regardless of what you try and do while you are in the vehicle. I damn near hit a woman who failed to look to her left WHILE DOING A LEFT FUCKING TURN becuase she was too involved in her cellphone , I've been a passenger with a cellphone abusing driver a few times and it was scary as fuck, she'd speed 80 KM in a 60 KM zone and cut people off like crazy , do right turns without stopping. All while yapping away on the phone.


So yeah, to people who talk on their phones while they drive, FUCK YOU.

 

[El Papa]

Uh, it has nothing to do with being able to. It's an issue of distraction.

What? It has everything to do with being able to. If you get too distracted by talking on the phone that it impares your driving, you suck. I can't believe people are thwarted by cell phones. Maybe I have super awareness abilities or something, but I've never once had a problem talking on the phones while driving, and I've driven in some pretty crazy places. OTOH, I've almost rear-ended a car once or twice playing with the CD player or reaching over for something. Walking around dribbling a basketball seems harder to me than talking on a cell phone and driving.

 

[AlphaSnake]

What? It has everything to do with being able to. If you get too distracted by talking on the phone that it impares your driving, you suck. I can't believe people are thwarted by cell phones. Maybe I have super awareness abilities or something, but I've never once had a problem talking on the phones while driving, and I've driven in some pretty crazy places. OTOH, I've almost rear-ended a car once or twice playing with the CD player or reaching over for something. Walking around dribbling a basketball seems harder to me than talking on a cell phone and driving.

The BIGGEST reason I don't hold my cell phone while I drive is because I have to be sure my second hand is always available in case I need to make a really quick manuever. I usually drive with one hand on the wheel and keep my second hand at the bottom of the wheel where I can quickly grab onto it in case of anything. That's just me.

 

[Fusebox]

Its been illegal in Australia for a while but all the idiots still do it.

It isnt that you cant operate a phone and drive, its that your spatial thoughts are confused because you're always trying to relate to the position of the person on the other phone and it messes up brain signals.

I'm no scientist but thats kind of what the scientists said.

Or something kind of like it.

 

[DarienA]

An earpiece costs like $3. We've had it in NYC for over 2 years now. It's a good law, get used to it.

A f'n men. I applauded when that law hit NY state and I'll applaud when MD finally catches on.

Driving while talking is a distraction yes... but so is everything else Americans do in their car... driving while HOLDING a phone, and expecting to be able to react, i.e. make a quick move on the steering wheel.... that's asking for trouble. At least with an earpiece, (which hell many phones COME with now), you've got both hands available.

 

[El Papa]

I can understand it being a problem if you drive stick, but I drive automatic. When I was driving stick, I never used my cell. I usually use one hand driving automatic, lowrider style.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

plenty of people are probably perfectly capable of driving safely and talking on the phone at the same time. it doesn't automatically make you irresponsible, but unfortunately, there are far too many dumbass fucktards on the roads, and we have to pass laws for them, so im all for this.