NTSB & cell phone

I agree with everything except the using hands-free part. That's just silly, and will cause people to violate the law. BT, and speaker-phones are pretty safe.

Here's an intresting site regarding cellphone and texting laws.

http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx

They are talking about anything that may distract a person. This implies everything down to and including the radio.

I don't text, period. I don't talk on the phone in the car either.

What can be more distracting than screaming kids in a car?

Just more Big Government!

As long as CNN's coverage of the proposed law is accurate, then it only includes cell phones, not GPS, or radios. I agree that outlawing hands free talking is ridiculous. It doesn't outlaw systems that are built into the car. They're just recommendations any, its up to the states to adopt them.

But the one I read, as mentioned, said that GPS and radios are exempt from this. The holding of a handset is what the NTSB is trying to outlaw. One of my biggest pet peeves is women trying to apply make up while driving. This is just as bad as texting. I have been using a bluetooth earpiece for years. Finally got one that connects to both of my phones at the same time. I can make hands free calls on it also but only through the phone that was paired first. One button puts the current caller on hold while answering the second phone at the sametime. Another touch of the button and the callers switch. Couldn't be easier and the calls are clear at both ends.

The government needs to get out of our lives.

As I've stated time and again, if people do not self-regulate, the government will be happy to do it for them.

Even then, they don't care, nor give a damn. They'll do what they want.

If what you are doing in your life can end your life then the government need to stay out.

If what you are doing in your life can end mine then the government needs to get involved.

Multitasking:
http://bit.ly/um8Sse

I see the NTSB's reasoning behind recommending that hands-free also be banned. You're not paying total attention to the road if you're having a conversation with a headset. I personally do not have a problem with the recommendation. Even though I have a bluetooth headset, I do not use it. I do not touch my phone while driving, and only answer if I'm pulled over to the side of the road or in a parking lot.

There is nothing so important that I need to take a call while driving. It's just that simple.

This is only the first step. Once they can regulate this they can move on to things like eating and make-up. Once they set a pecedent for driving distractions, there will be no end to what they will ban.

How do you know there will be no end to what they will ban? Do you have some sort of inside information? Do you have other examples of where this has occured?

False generalization is one of the first things you learn not to use in debate.

@robert5733: You seem to not realize that you no longer live in a free country. That country died last week and only the few who had awakened from their long slumber mourned its passing. What you see here is but the smallest taste of what is to come. Expect far worse.

P.S. My saying earlier that I have no problem with the recommendation is because I already do what the NTSB recommends, not because I support government entities.

From what I can tell, NTSB found texting to be the cause, dismissing anything else (like the faulty brakes on both school buses) that might have increased the severity of the accident.

Never mind the third school bus sent to pick up the kids caused another crash later from faulty brakes. But NTSB never mentions all school buses should be checked for brakes.

Yet, NTSB concluded that all electronic devices should be banned based on one texting driver, though how they went from texting to everything else is beyond me.

A local editorial opposed this idea, calling NTSB of overreacting.

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_19541081

Well, I hope this also means getting rid of those billboard signs. Those things are distracting, especially the illuminated versions. Get rid of them.

controls built in to Steering wheel, autolinks cell when we get into vehicle. Works through radio, mutes radio on making or recieving call, can use Radio Volune controls to turn up call volume. Real handy to have.

...which means it could lead to a law that bans cellphones. Or it could spark enough public debate about the issue that different action is taken.

I don't think it is quite time to cry out "Big Brother is Watching", but if things start to go that way, I have faith that the laws can be changed to meet the needs of the citizens.

They can only make recommendations. In the article I read the closest they came to actually making a law was the seat belt law. Pretty much every state has a law that you have to wear your seat belt when in the front of the vehicle. They do not all read the same. This is because it is state controlled. Each state controls their own driving laws. This is why you do not go to a "federal" court for traffic violations. Maybe a federal building but the judges are county and state hired.

Back to the beginning. The way the seat belt laws came about is the NTSB refused assistance for road repair unit the state had a law for seat belt use the the NTSB like. NTSB did not make the law but "coerced" the states into passing one.

Stiffer fines fail to stop motorists using mobile phones at the wheel
Stiffer fines are failing to stop motorists using hand-held mobile phones while driving, figures out today show.

As the Brits have learned, making laws does not insure compliance.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8949598/Stiffer-fin...

Maryland already mandates hands free only. But, just about every day I see cops in their cop cars, on their cell phones. Are they going to give themselves a ticket. I don’t think so.

This is just BIG BROTHER at work again. You can not legislate stupidity!!!!!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/01/030129080944.ht...

Would you miss Fire Protection?
or Police Protection?
or National Defense?
or Mail Delivery?
Or Clean Water?
(just to name a few)

Can you name a country which has the level of government you are advocating?

that one cannot legislate ["away" "against", etc] stupidity. Certainly, some legislation is badly flawed.

BIG BROTHER also forced seat belts - I think that was smart. Perhaps we can find some way to reduce distractions from phones.

That was 2003... Just curious.

Sorry, I meant to say you can not legislate "against" stupidity.

If hands free phones are not allowed then talking to someone in the car with you should be stopped as well. Total quite while driving would be fine with me(when the wife is in the car), but this will never happen.

I agree with the entire proposal, but want individual states to legislate the matter.

I recall a TV program, maybe on the Science Channel, which demonstrated by objective tests how distracted drivers talking on hands-free phones are. They even advertised and recruited as subjects drivers who considered themselves excellent multi-taskers. Everyone of those subjects' test results were poor or worse.

The tests involved a range of activities starting with carrying on a simple, social conversation to those in which drivers were obliged to remember contact information or solve math problems. In every instance the drivers were simultaneously confronted with an unexpected, but common, driving situation (a road block, a ball rolling into the street, a tight curve, etc.

Regards,
Bill

Are there any who would oppose a complete ban on texting while driving? If so, on what basis would you be opposed?

Unless you're pulled over to the side of the road. Even at a stoplight, people hold up traffic because they're too damn involved to notice the light is green.

We have too many 'celebs and rock stars' in the world it seems. Dey be im-'potent...

What ban? How would you enforce this?

Drivers are texting, on the phone, eating, applying makeup, etc. etc. They have no clue what is happening around them.

I went by a driver the other day and I swear he was looking at a laptop (or something) on the passenger seat. He had both hands on the wheel but kept looking at the passenger side (there was no passenger).

The police can't stop the texting or talking without a handset. They can't ticket unless they catch you. Many drivers put the phone down when they see a cop. They will ticket you if they can prove you were on the phone or texting and it created an accident.

Again, How would you enforce it?

When driving anytime your eyes leave the road to look at something that does not concern the safe operation of that vehicle, you are wrong.

I'm not talking about GPS, though that can be dangerous also.

If you are looking at a computer in the passenger seat you are wrong.

If you have to look at your radio to adjust it you are wrong. Being your car you should know where the knobs are, though generally this is usually a very quick look.

To "text" is wrong. Just too much looking at the phone to see those keys. I have tried and stopped. Granted I do not like to text anyway.

Using a hands free device is a lot less distracting then holding the phone. You can keep both hands on the steering wheel like you should. Now if you get into a conversation that distracts your driving, just like a normal in car conversation, you should pull over off the road. Because even an in car conversation can get too distracting for driving.

I think it is hard to legislate common sense but I do not believe it is always dangerous to talk on cell phones while driving. I have pulled over before to take a call because there was heavy traffic and the call was work and required me to concentrate. I also talk on the phone while on long interstate drives, with light traffic, and feel completely comfortable doing it. If I get into a situation where I need to concentrate on the driving I tell my caller that and they always agree to a pause.

But how do you write a law that says "use your brain". I disagree completely that while I am just cruising along with nothing to do other than stay in my lane the phone is too much of a distraction. But I agree completely that there are times when it IS too much of a distraction.

I also agree a teenage new driver doesn't need ANY distractions. Most feel they are invincible and over estimate their ability. A ban for them makes total sense to me. Really learn to drive first.

Texting or emailing while driving requires more than momentary concentration on the phone and is wrong. I can't say I've never done it but I don't think I ever should. It's hard just to stay in your lane doing this. If your phone does not take voice commands, however, you are pretty much in the same mode while placing the call. It doesn't take long but I am more comfortable using the Garmin for this. At least it is up where you can still see the road some and the touch screen does not require me to push the tiny keys of my phone. I prefer my voice controlled 885t, however.

Jim

But does this mean I have to put my wife on the curb with my BlueTooth device? She can talk my ear off while sitting next to me.
BT device or chattering wife, NTSB can you please explain the difference to us?

I think what we have here are a handful of people that interfere with lives of many, and these are the folks that need to be squelched, not my Wife or anyone in my car that wants to have a conversation, or even my BT device.