Should cell phones be banned while driving?

[oly884]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28627708/

What's your take? Should cell phones be banned while driving?

My take, NO (surprise, surprise...)

Cell phones don't make people bad drivers, they were already bad drivers. The cell phone is not what caused the accident, the driver did. A responsible and good driver knows that talking on the cell phone on a twisty road, in heavy traffic, etc is a bad idea. However, driving on a big, flat highway during the day, keeping your eyes ON THE ROAD, is probably not going to hurt anyone.

Now, I'm not against increasing a fine if the driver caused the accident due to being distracted by a cell phone. But banning them all together? Come on, we have more common sense than that, or do we?

It's always sad when a person is hurt or killed in a car accident, especially when it could have been easily avoided in the cases of people simply not paying attention due to cell phones, gps's, etc. But, is it necessary to penalize everyone? I have not taken cell phone calls several times (even with a stupid bluetooth) due to road conditions, traffic, etc.

What is worse is that if this passes, what is next? Do we ban radios/CD players because those distract people? Where does it stop, or does it stop? It's a slippery slope folks.

[slosurfer]

Yeah, I think they should stick with what they have now in CA, which is no texting and no handheld. A ban on hands free is rediculous.

What is the difference between talking on your bluetooth and talking to your passenger? Pretty soon you'll be banned to driving by yourself so there are no distractions.

[oly884]

What is the difference between talking on your bluetooth and talking to your passenger?

I heard the argument that the person you're talking to "isn't aware of what is going on around you"

Meaning: The person on the other end of the line can't see where you are, if there's traffic, etc.

Which makes a case, but once again, it's taking the blame away from the driver. 100% of accidents caused by someone talking on their phone could have been avoided had the PERSON not picked up the cell phone. The cell phone did not cause the car to swerve, or the car to not hit the brakes, the PERSON did those things because they were distracted.

The more the government tries to prevent idiots from doing idiotic things, the more we will loose our freedoms. Laws can't fix stupid.

[mYnAmEiSmUdD]

The more the government tries to prevent idiots from doing idiotic things, the more we will loose our freedoms. Laws can't fix stupid.

Is it just me or does it seem that a lot of legislature negates responsibility from stupid people?

I agree with ya Oly. It seems pointless to punish the masses on account of a few dumbasses...

(on a side note i saw you downtown pulling out of a parking lot on 7th a few weeks back. I knew that rig was familiar... )

[oly884]

The more the government tries to prevent idiots from doing idiotic things, the more we will loose our freedoms. Laws can't fix stupid.

Is it just me or does it seem that a lot of legislature negates responsibility from stupid people?

I agree with ya Oly. It seems pointless to punish the masses on account of a few dumbasses...

(on a side note i saw you downtown pulling out of a parking lot on 7th a few weeks back. I knew that rig was familiar... )

Haha, yup, that was me. Were you the one who made the comment when I was pulling out?

[mYnAmEiSmUdD]

Roger roger.

I was about to stop and ask you if you were on UY but decided against it.

It would have been rather awkward (butchered spelling... wow more coffee anyone?) if it had not been you....

/hijack:

What is next? I won't be able to smoke while driving?

[Good Times]

No no the next thing they'll ban is eating and drinking. Or maybe even using the gps navigator or hell the radio/ac controls!

They might as well implement auto pilot/driver technology so these stupid laws can get removed!

I tell ya we have way too many laws as it is. I can bet that we're all breaking something we don't even know... how lame is that?

[oly884]

For those of you who say yes, please offer explanations as well. I'd like to hear your views on this matter.

[Nuthuts96]

Is it just me or does it seem that a lot of legislature negates responsibility from stupid people?

I agree with ya Oly. It seems pointless to punish the masses on account of a few dumbasses...

"few" would be a stretch... in all honesty, i think the perception of safety (for me, anyway) went up after the ban in june. one of the scariest scenarios i saw myself involved with (time and time again!) was a little old lady on a phone. usually 5-10mph under the limit on SB I-5 between exits 169-165. i don't care who you are, that is SCARY.

since august i've been in burlington, vermont, land of the ban-free phone laws. BUT, i've seen more close calls/rear ends with phone users than anything else (can't comment on the hands free). granted, i haven't been in the area for that long to objectively account for their driving habits alone, from what i've seen so far, another distraction (phone, baby crying, changing the radio station...) is not something the average vermonter is equipped to handle, imo, of course.

the point- i support hand held phone bans. i found that using a hands free device that wasn't already in your ear/ready to use with the push of a button problematic. like the wired single-ear headphone that i had to find dangling from the phone, insert in ear, push the button to answer the call, all the while dodging little old ladies gabbing away, intruding on my lane...

after that, shore up the slippery slope with some rebar and 2x4s! cheers to the left coasters

[oly884]

Is it just me or does it seem that a lot of legislature negates responsibility from stupid people?

I agree with ya Oly. It seems pointless to punish the masses on account of a few dumbasses...

"few" would be a stretch... in all honesty, i think the perception of safety (for me, anyway) went up after the ban in june. one of the scariest scenarios i saw myself involved with (time and time again!) was a little old lady on a phone. usually 5-10mph under the limit on SB I-5 between exits 169-165. i don't care who you are, that is SCARY.

since august i've been in burlington, vermont, land of the ban-free phone laws. BUT, i've seen more close calls/rear ends with phone users than anything else (can't comment on the hands free). granted, i haven't been in the area for that long to objectively account for their driving habits alone, from what i've seen so far, another distraction (phone, baby crying, changing the radio station...) is not something the average vermonter is equipped to handle, imo, of course.

the point- i support hand held phone bans. i found that using a hands free device that wasn't already in your ear/ready to use with the push of a button problematic. like the wired single-ear headphone that i had to find dangling from the phone, insert in ear, push the button to answer the call, all the while dodging little old ladies gabbing away, intruding on my lane...

after that, shore up the slippery slope with some rebar and 2x4s! cheers to the left coasters

I will agree that bluetooth devices don't necessarily help if it's not already in your ear (and we all know how great they feel to leave in your ear...)

However, bad drivers will be bad drivers. Once again, I point out that had the driver of an accident, caused by distraction, not picked up the phone, it would have been avoided. It's not an easy issue to deal with, but an outright ban on cell phones while driving won't really 'fix' the problem.

A dumbass who is distracted by a cell phone will only be distracted by something else (radio, food, baby, pet, other person in car, make-up, shaving, etc.)