New finding shows cell phone usage in cars causes accidents.....duh!

The law sucks

I live in NY state and I even got pulled over by a state trooper for talking on the phone while driving this past summer. He said to me "I think this law sucks. Women doing their make-up and someone eating a Big-Mac are worse". Then he said just to watch myself because some cops actually will try to enforce the law. I said thanks and went and bought a small headset. IT's legal to talk on the phone if you have a headset, but not legal to hold a handset next to your face (god forbid you need that hand to do something other than shift a manual car).

The truth is, this law is bogus and his two examples are proof why. It should be up to the driver whether or not he/she can drive and talk at the same time. Get a phone with voice activated dialing and a headset and you wont have to take your eyes off the road.

Heh, it should be up to the driver...the problem is, who will admit that they can't drive with a cell phone before they wreck? Not many by my judgement. I appreciate laws like this considering all the idiocy I see on the road with those bloody things. No, cell phones don't make everyone bad drivers, but they don't ever seem to make anyone better.

Cell phones cause cell damage...

Yea would love it if people would stop talking and driving before a law is needed, but if they keep it up it'll happen.

That way drivers with cell phones won't be able to rule with their iron fists...

things are a menace, should be outlawed on the road

I almost got creamed the other day when some guy in his big ole' Expedition blew through a red light, chatting away on his cell phone. Stopped just short of my drivers side door. I don't think headsets and voice dialing help, it wasn't him fumbling around trying to dial or his phone obscuring his view, he was simply paying attention to the conversation, not the road, a headset wouldn't have helped.

As for the other things that the cop listed as worse, I think they should be able to ticket you for putting on makeup, trying to shove a cheeseburger down your throat, or reading a book while driving too. I once saw someone driving down the road take both hands off the wheel, turn to their side and talk sign to the passenger!

Just what we need, more stupid laws that'll either go unenforced or cause mass court confusion!

We have laws against reckless driving, redlight running, and speeding. If someone on a cell phone blows through a red light, is speeding, or swirving, give them a TICKET FOR THAT CHARGE. WHY DO WE NEED MORE LAWS AGAINST THE SAME DAMN THING?</rant>

Originally posted by dricci
Just what we need, more stupid laws that'll either go unenforced or cause mass court confusion!

We have laws against reckless driving, redlight running, and speeding. If someone on a cell phone blows through a red light, is speeding, or swirving, give them a TICKET FOR THAT CHARGE. WHY DO WE NEED MORE LAWS AGAINST THE SAME DAMN THING?</rant>

Click to expand...

We outlaw driving while intoxicated, the person behind the wheel doesn't actually have to run a red light or swerve, just be drunk to be arrested, it seems like the same thing. Here's why I think it's the same thing, a British study found that a person talking on a cell phone has a worse reaction time than someone legally drunk. Here is the link
http://www.wirelessnewsfactor.com/perl/story/16908.html

Originally posted by dukestreet


And why didn't they try giving the drunks a cell phone and see how bad it could really get.....

D

Click to expand...

You're right, a larger data set is certainly needed, but it does mirror my personal experiences.

When Drunks have Cell Phones, sounds like one of those Fox specials!

I think instead of making cell-phone handsets illegal to use while on the road, they should make all distractions illegal - including eating, turning around to yell at the kids, reading maps without stopping, and yes, cell phone handset usage. A separate law wouldn't be necessary for each of these - one general law would do. And what's just as important as the law is the law being enforced. This is not to say we need a million squad cars out with their eyes trained on soccer moms who might be thinking about picking up their cell phone - we just need the police we already do have to take this seriously and not let it slide.

How hard would it be for auto manufacturers to put a little headset jack into their vehicles? And maybe even include the headset with the car? And how hard would it be for cell phone manufacturers to put a little sticker on the cell phone that says e.g. "Illegal to use while driving." The problem is many Americans' hyper-individualism, which prefers streamlined laws over saved lives.

Originally posted by alex_ant
I think instead of making cell-phone handsets illegal to use while on the road, they should make all distractions illegal - including eating, turning around to yell at the kids, reading maps without stopping, and yes, cell phone handset usage. A separate law wouldn't be necessary for each of these - one general law would do. And what's just as important as the law is the law being enforced. This is not to say we need a million squad cars out with their eyes trained on soccer moms who might be thinking about picking up their cell phone - we just need the police we already do have to take this seriously and not let it slide.

How hard would it be for auto manufacturers to put a little headset jack into their vehicles? And maybe even include the headset with the car? And how hard would it be for cell phone manufacturers to put a little sticker on the cell phone that says e.g. "Illegal to use while driving." The problem is many Americans' hyper-individualism, which prefers streamlined laws over saved lives.

Click to expand...

i just wrote down that idea in my "laws to create/change in 2k16 as the pants pisser party takes over the worl... ehh, country."

the worst thing is that a good amount of the people driving while on the phone have suvs. what that means, is if they do have an accident, goodbye other car. unless it's a h2 (i just bought 5 by the way)

Re: The law sucks

Originally posted by Bradcoe

The truth is, this law is bogus and his two examples are proof why. It should be up to the driver whether or not he/she can drive and talk at the same time. Get a phone with voice activated dialing and a headset and you wont have to take your eyes off the road.

Click to expand...

I don't know about that. You still have to concentrate to talk, while concentrating on the road. It matters that your eyes will be on the road, but you will still not fully be concentrating on the road, a often fatal error.

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
i just wrote down that idea in my "laws to create/change in 2k16 as the pants pisser party takes over the worl... ehh, country."

the worst thing is that a good amount of the people driving while on the phone have suvs. what that means, is if they do have an accident, goodbye other car. unless it's a h2 (i just bought 5 by the way)

Click to expand...

I think the way the Pants Pissers Party should solve this problem is by mandating that all SUV bumpers be filled with the liposucked fat of their owners. Then whenever an SUV gets into an accident, nobody will be hurt - it will be just like bumper cars!

Originally posted by dukestreet
Ok, I was down in the gym running on the tread mill (too damn cold outside for that today) and cnn news was on the tv - they ran this story, but had some more info -

2000-3000 people die a year because of accidents caused from cell phones interferring with drivers ability to concentrate on the road.

I think this is absolutely nuts and I plan on pulling over or waiting till I stop to use the phone from now on - and there is no way you can justify using a cell phone in the car with this sort of statistic - what price is a life?

D

Click to expand...

First of all, keep up the excersise, sitting in front of the computer all day is not good.

2000-3000 is a huge number, one that could be drastically reduced if America would give up a convience for safety. I fear this will not happen until a law is made forcing people to do so.

Convenience is not worth life, those who would argue otherwise are probably the ones who are going to run a red light and kill me while I'm turning on the green arrow.

Originally posted by dukestreet


You don't need to tell me - I'm an avid ultimate frisbee player - tomorrow and thursday we have games at lunch - I just run on the off days. And it doesn't matter what the weather is like for ultimate, sometimes the worse it is the more fun it ends up.

D

Click to expand...

I know on my crosscountry team, the muddier it is the funner it is. It's fun with snow too, but a little colder and slower running than is desired.

Originally posted by diorio
I know on my crosscountry team, the muddier it is the funner it is. It's fun with snow too, but a little colder and slower running than is desired.

Click to expand...

Yes... I can understand how that relates to cell phone usage causing auto accidents

Originally posted by alex_ant

Yes... I can understand how that relates to cell phone usage causing auto accidents

Click to expand...

Hmmm, cough, cough, I meant that, my team has almost got hit by crazed cell phone drivers not paying attention, and thats on a sunny day, with no weather hazards to worry about!