How will this affect us? End of cell phone use!

[greg334]

Well this should be moved into the soap box forum.

With that said, the deaths on the road that are claimed to be cell phone related are not really all about cell phones/texting or what ever, they seem to be related to still the same old thing, inability to control a vehicle, speeding and poor driving habits.

I will always go back to the basic premise - we do not force people to learn to properly drive but rather set them loose with no experience at all then make excuses when they get killed or kill someone else.

I like Germany's driver's license program, it is serious and it is not what I can consider trivial and stupid like we have ...

What is this sign? --> picture of a stop sign

a - stop sign
b - store hours sign
c - where to buy tickets
d - none of the above

 

[LDB]

Cellular conversations are less of a problem than talking to passengers. The majority of drivers look at their passenger when talking to them. Their eyes are back and forth on the road and passenger. It's as if their voice doesn't reach the person unless they look at them. People talking on a cell phone don't have the other person there to look at. Their eyes can be on the road 100%. If they want to do something constructive then make a device or whatever that disables texting and all other functions except cellular calling when a vehicle is in motion. Passengers will just have to live without texting or games via phone when in moving vehicles.

 

[jjoerger]

Isn't it amazing that they always want to go after the professional driver that has had additional training and experience, yet leave the average Joe in a 4 wheeler to do as he pleases.
I believe in the use of a hands free headset with voice dialing. Push the button and say the name you want it to call. No taking your eyes off the road necessary.
What's next, no more car stereos? Isn't changing a CD distracted driving?

 

[cheri1122]

The biggest distraction I've ever had to deal with as a driver was my children: wailing babies & arguing for years after that. Ban them?

 

[Bruno]

Next thing you know they will say that music causes accidents. What is next? I thought was lived in the land of the free. More like China and Cuba everyday.

 

[RLENT]

God listen to all of you, Liberal this and Liberal that... It seems you don't get that conservative mindset is the same thing, just the polar opposite of the issue.

The "control mentality" is not limited to liberals.

I used to think that it was, but the Bush administration and several people on this board have disabused me of that. The only difference which group in power makes is which set of rights are being stolen.

Three very astute and highly accurate observations (IMHO)

Kudos gentlemen.

 

[moose]

The biggest distraction I've ever had to deal with as a driver was my children: wailing babies & arguing for years after that. Ban them?

i had 2 bees getting into my truck at an O.K toll booth .
no law ginst that ...yet.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Can't agree, Danny. The killer habit isn't cellphones, it's distracted and/or inattentive driving. Focusing on phones is not a responsible approach, it's the easiest one, [because phones are visible, and records of usage are obtainable.]
Like the issue of speeding: it's not what causes accidents, [aggressive driving is], it's just what LEOs can see and prove.
LaHood is another 'take the easy way out' idiot who will cause more harm in the long run.
Focusing on alcohol related crashes and drunk drivers, and stressing the many ways of driving while distracted would do a lot more to promote safety than banning cellphones. For commercial drivers, no less - as if the rest are safe enough already.

Absolutely! Truckers are the same way. We are responsible for 1/4 of all truck/car accidents; but the scapegoat factor raises that much higher. We're more visible... just like the cell phones.

 

[RLENT]

Cellular conversations are less of a problem than talking to passengers. The majority of drivers look at their passenger when talking to them. Their eyes are back and forth on the road and passenger. It's as if their voice doesn't reach the person unless they look at them. People talking on a cell phone don't have the other person there to look at. Their eyes can be on the road 100%. If they want to do something constructive then make a device or whatever that disables texting and all other functions except cellular calling when a vehicle is in motion. Passengers will just have to live without texting or games via phone when in moving vehicles.

LDB,

Thank you for providing the libertarian view of what action the government should take ....

I think that now that you have prepared us all, we, the people are ready to hear about the remainder of your solution:

..... muzzles for all in the car, and a nice form-fitting neck brace for the driver, to keep him from taking his eyes off the road .....

 

[cheri1122]

They better fix the radios, too, so they play only weather & traffic - I see drivers singing along to the music, and you just KNOW they aren't paying enough attention to what's going on around them, right?

 

[2ligit]

I am an auto claims adjuster and we get the first look at all the studies they have done on cell phone use.

So far this year

32% of claims--cell phone use,texting exc
15% of claims--natural disaster-(this has been a slow year)
29% of claims--drunk driving or driving under the influence
16% of claims--stupidity
3% of claims---sleeping ,tired
5% of claims---speeding,reckless driving

They have done alot of studies and it rates the same as drunk driving. I personally would love to lose 32% of claims for something that is totally avoidable.(I would like to lose most of them but that will never happen) Too many people getting hurt for nothing.

BUT,we should not be putting another law on the books limiting it. We,as Americans, have absolutely no common sense anymore. Some do,most don't. We cannot wait the 30 minutes to get home to make the call about what just happened at the mall.

Get this....I work for an insurance company that gives us all the info and statistics on how dangerous it is but if I do not answer my phone while on the road(wireless),I get written up

 

[cheri1122]

Welcome to EO!
Could you elaborate, please, on the 'stupidity' category?

 

[moose]

I am an auto claims adjuster and we get the first look at all the studies they have done on cell phone use.

So far this year

32% of claims--cell phone use,texting exc
15% of claims--natural disaster-(this has been a slow year)
29% of claims--drunk driving or driving under the influence
16% of claims--stupidity
3% of claims---sleeping ,tired
5% of claims---speeding,reckless driving

They have done alot of studies and it rates the same as drunk driving. I personally would love to lose 32% of claims for something that is totally avoidable.(I would like to lose most of them but that will never happen) Too many people getting hurt for nothing.

BUT,we should not be putting another law on the books limiting it. We,as Americans, have absolutely no common sense anymore. Some do,most don't. We cannot wait the 30 minutes to get home to make the call about what just happened at the mall.

Get this....I work for an insurance company that gives us all the info and statistics on how dangerous it is but if I do not answer my phone while on the road(wireless),I get written up

Then a person in your honorable position can surly point us to a link where a study show how often a professional trucker with more then one million mil is likely to be involved in an accident .and that cell phone use was the main cause .
actually ,in the transportation industry ,this have nothing to do with safety ,and a lot to do with Washington lobbying , big money influence ,and the control freaks.
the motoring public can't practice common seance ,and professional truckers gets the stick .
unlike anyone else ,we spend the majority of the time driving .and big trucks ,simply cannot pull over to make a call ,at least car drivers have the option of doing so .
BTW ,a POI will be the way new trucks design in EU for the last 2-3 years ,addressing that same issue ,taking a 180* approach .very interesting .they are solving it by drivers training ,monitoring ,and integrated technology .
and Welcome to EO...

 

[moose]

Welcome to EO!
Could you elaborate, please, on the 'stupidity' category?

In trucking that would be the revolving door phenomena .

 

[CharlesD]

"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good
of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live
under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.
The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may
at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good
will torment us without end for they do so with the approval
of their own conscience." C.S. Lewis

 

[Turtle]

I believe the question was, "How will this affect us?"

My answer is, I don't think it will affect us very much, even if implemented. The DOT generally has to show supporting data for their rulemaking, and even though their own data shows cell/text use is highly age-biased and highly biased towards cars and light trucks over commercial motor vehicles, they may "massage" the data to support a federal ban, in the hopes of them being able to put pressure on the states to do the same bans for non-federally regulated vehicles, since the DOT cannot ban cell phone use in non-commercial vehicles. If implemented, we'll make an easy adjustment, or simply be more crafty with the use of hands-free technology. So I don't see it affecting us very much one way or the other.

As to all those who completely ignored the question and hijacked the thread, instead of starting your own, shame on you.

 

[2ligit]

Moot---no data like that available to me but after 1000's of claims I have done,2 involved a truck.One we backed into,the other we went under the tandems on the trailer.Both no fault of the trucker.
Your right when you say the truckers get the stick.I know numerous police that consider trucks cash cows.They pull them over for no reason but find something to site them for.

Cheri---how about backing a brand new jag into a closed garage door,from the inside or better yet,getting into the car next to it,opening the other garage door,stopping half way back to survey the damage on the jag,then closing that door on top of her husbands benz. That was too funny.

 

[cheri1122]

Moot---no data like that available to me but after 1000's of claims I have done,2 involved a truck.One we backed into,the other we went under the tandems on the trailer.Both no fault of the trucker.
Your right when you say the truckers get the stick.I know numerous police that consider trucks cash cows.They pull them over for no reason but find something to site them for.

Cheri---how about backing a brand new jag into a closed garage door,from the inside or better yet,getting into the car next to it,opening the other garage door,stopping half way back to survey the damage on the jag,then closing that door on top of her husbands benz. That was too funny.

No insurance claim for this one, but I backed into the garage once, too, and it was my ex husband's fault- really!
I'd asked him a million times to turn the radio volume down after he drove my car, [I didn't like the music he blasted, especially when half asleep], but he rarely bothered. One morning, I started my car at 0400 to go to work, and the sound was like a bomb going off. When my ears stopped ringing, I jammed the go pedal to the floor before remembering that he also never bothered to straighten the wheels....KABAM!
PS Turtle: I did reply to the question, first....

 

[LDB]

A muzzle or two might be a good idea however the complete solution to this particular issue that's already been given will suffice without text being put into my input.

 

[vadim]

Cause of a horrible accident... recently, a friend of mine was killed in a car accident when he was t-boned in an intersection.... the woman who hit him said she didn't notice the red light. She had her two year old in her LAP. I feel as though I'd be offending stupidity by calling her stupid. So i won't. A half second idiot will cause a lifetime of pain.

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