Cellphone talkers as bad as drunk drivers: study

[Ban Hammer 13,619]

Tiredness is one of the main killers on the motorways. Do we propose a law that says "You can only drive on the interstate if you've had 8 hours of sleep or more in the last 24 hours"?

I might be mistaken but aren't there already laws of that nature in place for truck drivers?

Studies have been done on how talking on the phone distracts people's driving - hands free kits are an improvement but still not ideal, and while someone making a quick call to get their bank balance might still drive competantly I don't think you can say the same for someone having a blazing row with their SO over the phone.

Up until a year or so ago it was still legal to drink and drive in Montana - needless to say that state had some of the worst statistics for RTA fatalities. So personal responsibility is all well and good - but if you kill someone as a result of being distracted there must be some consequences.

Drivers have a responsibility to others around them - that's ultimately why you have licensing standards.

Incidentally my wife's parents were almost killed last year (the crash wrote off my wife's car) by a driver in an SUV, talking on the phone and with a yip-yap dog on the front seat. That's not an accident - that's negligence.

probably the best example i've seen of talking on a cell phone and driving was by some woman in a suv in oklahoma that came onto the highway via the onramp right in front of an 18 wheeler. almost made the 18 wheeler jacknife because she was not paying attention - almost had the 18 wheeler in her trunk. then she proceeded to drive 55 in a 70 zone..........

and yes, when i passed her, i noticed she was blonde

[Alex+R 0]

I was rear ended at a stoplight by a soccer mom on a cell phone. Grr.

Whenever I see someone driving slowly or swerving, it usually proves to be because of a cell phone. Frankly, I think the big problem is using a hand. Handheld phones shouldn't be that big of a deal.

[ChristinaM 0]

People have blazing rows with their SOs when they're in the car with them. People make foolish mistakes all the time when they drive, whether they're on their cell phone or not.

Licencing standards in the US are weak, to say the least. Perhaps a tightening up of those and not letting 15 year old kids on the road would also help...

Yes, anything that distracts you from the road is bad. So turn that radio way down, set the AC the way you want it before you start driving, choose the one radio station or CD you're willing to listen to for the next four hours, have every cigarette prelit, leave your windows in a semi-open position, ensure you take a 20-minute power-nap before you drive, make sure your nose is snot-free, memorise your route so that you don't have to read directions or look at a map, silence that talking GPS device, gag your spouse, make sure you're not going to need to eat or drink anything en route, pack the kids in the trunk, muffle the dog and whatever you do - don't even think about making a cellphone call.

Let's be reasonable here. I personally think cruise control is a pretty dangerous tool in the wrong hands because it breeds complacency and a lack of attentiveness to surroundings. But I also think it's a case of personal responsibility and common sense, and to legislate for those things is not right for everybody.

Edited June 30, 2006 by clmarsh

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

People have blazing rows with their SOs when they're in the car with them. People make foolish mistakes all the time when they drive, whether they're on their cell phone or not.

Licencing standards in the US are weak, to say the least. Perhaps a tightening up of those and not letting 15 year old kids on the road would also help...

Yes, anything that distracts you from the road is bad. So turn that radio way down, set the AC the way you want it before you start driving, choose the one radio station or CD you're willing to listen to for the next four hours, have every cigarette prelit, leave your windows in a semi-open position, ensure you take a 20-minute power-nap before you drive, make sure your nose is snot-free, memorise your route so that you don't have to read directions or look at a map, silence that talking GPS device, gag your spouse, make sure you're not going to need to eat or drink anything en route, pack the kids in the trunk, muffle the dog and whatever you do - don't even think about making a cellphone call.

Let's be reasonable here. I personally think cruise control is a pretty dangerous tool in the wrong hands because it breeds complacency and a lack of attentiveness to surroundings. But I also think it's a case of personal responsibility and common sense, and to legislate for those things is not right for everybody.

Drink driving... How is this different?

Edited June 30, 2006 by Fishdude

[Ban Hammer 13,619]

gag your spouse,

[ChristinaM 0]

Drink driving... How is this different?

Drink driving physically impairs your body for a period of time. Being distracted is an instantaneous thing - and you can be distracted by many things at any given time. Hell, I nearly drove into the back of someone yesterday because I was PO'd with my boss and not thinking about my driving, but I was not on my cell phone and did not have the radio on.

You can stop people being drunk and getting behind the wheel. It is impossible to stop people being distracted by something when they're in their car. You can't ban all distractions; it's just not viable. You can make it so that the only legal way to use a cell phone in a car is hands-free though, and I'm in full support of that.

[brtlmj 0]

Tiredness is one of the main killers on the motorways. Do we propose a law that says "You can only drive on the interstate if you've had 8 hours of sleep or more in the last 24 hours"?

There is such a law for airline pilots. Also, I believe that truckers can only work for a certain time without a period of rest.

I believe that while being drunk impairs everybody's driving abilities, using a cell phone does not. My fiancee can talk and drive just fine. I cannot. In general, I think that women are better at multitasking.

B.

Edited June 30, 2006 by brtlmj

[one...two...tree 2,762]

People have blazing rows with their SOs when they're in the car with them. People make foolish mistakes all the time when they drive, whether they're on their cell phone or not.

Licencing standards in the US are weak, to say the least. Perhaps a tightening up of those and not letting 15 year old kids on the road would also help...

Yes, anything that distracts you from the road is bad. So turn that radio way down, set the AC the way you want it before you start driving, choose the one radio station or CD you're willing to listen to for the next four hours, have every cigarette prelit, leave your windows in a semi-open position, ensure you take a 20-minute power-nap before you drive, make sure your nose is snot-free, memorise your route so that you don't have to read directions or look at a map, silence that talking GPS device, gag your spouse, make sure you're not going to need to eat or drink anything en route, pack the kids in the trunk, muffle the dog and whatever you do - don't even think about making a cellphone call.

Let's be reasonable here. I personally think cruise control is a pretty dangerous tool in the wrong hands because it breeds complacency and a lack of attentiveness to surroundings. But I also think it's a case of personal responsibility and common sense, and to legislate for those things is not right for everybody.

Drink driving... How is this different?

How about making someone criminally liable (negligent homicide) if it can be determined in court that they were distracted talking on their cell phone without making it illegal? Drinking and driving - you're judgment is already skewed. At least with a cell phone, all you gotta do is hang up and you're sober again.

[mawilson 2,133]

Drink driving... How is this different?

Talking on your cellphone while driving is actually dangerous

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

As I said, my parents in law were almost killed by a woman in an Escalade, on her cell phone and attending to a dog on the front seat.

That's criminal negligence, - every road user has a responsibility to ensuring their safety and the safety of others on the road. If you cause a fatal crash through distracted driving - it stands to reason that you should be punished for it.

Edited June 30, 2006 by Fishdude