Hand held cell phone ban while driving

I don’t get this half measure attack. Studies have concluded there is no difference in distracted driving when it comes to hend held cell phone devices and hands free cell phone devices. As of now this bill has past 1 committe and it awaits to be scheduled to the public saftey committe docket.
I just have a simple flip phone and not sure if it can be used as a hand free device.
I did hear a report a single ear piece connected to your phone would be considered a hands-free device.
Why do our legislators waist there time on such half measures?
I’m not advocating for a ban on cell phone use or not, what good does it do pass a bill into law that does no good at all other than making it inconvenient to make a phone call?

I’d love to see the stats on how many tickets are even written for texting and driving. As the law stands today, can they actually pull you over for texting?

I am trying to remember if you could get pulled over for a seatbelt violation, I thought there was some law that you couldn’t be ticketed for unless you were pulled over for something else. In other words a secondary offense found after the fact?

Seldom are tickets written for texting while driving. It’s too hard to prove. Inattentive driving what would be looked up.

Last I recall, driving with one ear bud is just as illegal as using two.

Cell phone signals should be terminated once the tower knows he phone is moving faster than 20 MPH. The software is out there. Just a matter of time.

-J.

@mplspug1, you can be pulled over for texted and seatbelt as a primary offense. At least in MN. Surprising I’ve probably cited more people over 30 for texting while driving than under.
DT

Cant wait till this happens. Ban the use of the phone in a car if driving hope this happens sooner than later.

It would be very unfortunate if cell phone use is ever banned in a moving vehicle.
I listen to a scanner every night and countless drunk drivers and other offenders are called in on by the general public.
Not to mention medical emergencies and accidents are called in immediately by passing motorists.

To think of a complete ban would be ridiculous.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Cell phone signals should be terminated once the tower knows he phone is moving faster than 20 MPH. The software is out there. Just a matter of time.

-J.

And what if you’re a passenger in the car? How about using the phone for turn by turn directions? Both things I very frequently do and I don’t even touch the phone while driving.

Almost every cell phone manufactured in the last 10 years has Bluetooth connectivity so that it can connect with a wireless earpiece or with a vehicle’s internal speakerphone system. A wireless Bluetooth headset costs about $15.

Not talking on the phone is safest, but having the added distraction and vision-blocking of holding a handset while talking is certainly worse than talking hands-free.

The more people that get pulled over and fined for texting, the better. But I’d like to see this as part of a general crackdown on just plain bad driving. Bad lane discipline, blocking the right lane, turning without signaling, etc.

Grouse

I would think a ban would be the use of said device as comincation device not a ban on the other features of the device. Though, just like a gps device you still can be cited for distracted driving punching in an address while driving.
I would not be terribly upset if banning the use of a cell phone while driving became law. I wouldn’t push for it but I would not stand in the way either.I have survived the dark ages before cell phones I think I can survive the time to pull over to a safe area to return a phone call.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

The more people that get pulled over and fined for texting, the better. But I’d like to see this as part of a general crackdown on just plain bad driving. Bad lane discipline, blocking the right lane, turning without signaling, etc.

Grouse

Ok there is no reason to bring all the Somali taxi drivers into the discussion.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Not talking on the phone is safest, but having the added distraction and vision-blocking of holding a handset while talking is certainly worse than talking hands-free.

Grouse

I have not found one study showing where holding a phone was significantly more dangerous than using hands-free. If anything its been shown they are equally dangerous.
Logic says dialing a phone than holding the phone to head should be more dangerous but in reality the cognative skills lost while on a cell phone outway handheld or not.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Cell phone signals should be terminated once the tower knows he phone is moving faster than 20 MPH. The software is out there. Just a matter of time.

-J.

Others beat me to it, there are way too many holes in that one.

deertracker wrote:

@mplspug1, you can be pulled over for texted and seatbelt as a primary offense. At least in MN. Surprising I’ve probably cited more people over 30 for texting while driving than under.
DT

Interesting. I am actually surprised to at that number (higher than I thought). So did you pull them over after observing they were texting or was it because they were driving poorly or another reason?

saugeye-steve wrote:

Ok there is no reason to bring all the Somali taxi drivers into the discussion.

I’m glad to see there isn’t another person afraid of making that observation. The old joke for me was, “Oh look, an accident. Oh look, a somali. Oh look how I am not surprised”. Now it is, “Oh look, an accident. Oh look, that smashed car has a Flogrown sticker. Oh look how I am not surprised”.

…I guess you had to be there.

I don’t think phones are anymore dangerous than a Big Mac or a radio. The problem is how much a person does it in their car. People just can’t stop looking at their phones.

The wife just traded in the lease for a 2017 Jetta. You can plug in the Android or iPhone and I can tell you it makes you a little safer. Still not as safe as driving in dead silence with an undivided attention to the road. But at least now I can hear texts coming in and respond with voice commands, as well as play music, navigate or make a call.

Banning wont help significantly. They must be disabled or most of us will use them anyway.
When it comes to hands free that only applies to incoming phone calls if you have controls on your ear piece or steering wheel. Touching the phone in any way, whether its to accept a call, dial someone, view a text/email or check the weather is all the same thing. It should be all or nothing.
And then considering GPS. The genie is out of the bottle. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Just the other day, I saw a car coming up behind me on the highway – swerving all over the place. As it passed me, I noticed it was a teenage girl texting away while driving. By the time I caught up to her at the next stoplight, I was so angry that I rolled down my window and threw the remaining half of my beer at her car……

Timmy wrote:

Just the other day, I saw a car coming up behind me on the highway – swerving all over the place. As it passed me, I noticed it was a teenage girl texting away while driving. By the time I caught up to her at the next stoplight, I was so angry that I rolled down my window and threw the remaining half of my beer at her car……

You magnificent ba$tard.

Wow, not the normal cabin fever we see on IDO. This year you guys got some good humor flowing.

mplspug wrote:

Jon Jordan wrote:

Cell phone signals should be terminated once the tower knows he phone is moving faster than 20 MPH. The software is out there. Just a matter of time.

-J.

Others beat me to it, there are way too many holes in that one.

Mandatory disabling will not be passed as a law by politicians. The courts will force it eventually. There will be a class action lawsuit in the future where a jury finds the cell phone companies liable. (Liable for a crash/crashes that kills someone) Sued for millions or billions in damages essentially forcing them to comply or go out of business. Like I said, just a matter of time. Actually surprised it has not already happened.

-J.

saugeye-steve wrote:

It would be very unfortunate if cell phone use is ever banned in a moving vehicle.
I listen to a scanner every night and countless drunk drivers and other offenders are called in on by the general public.
Not to mention medical emergencies and accidents are called in immediately by passing motorists.

To think of a complete ban would be ridiculous.

All of what you mention can be accomplished AFTER one pulls to the shoulder to use their phone. There is ZERO need to use a phone while driving.

I hope your wrong Jon. That is a slippery sloap that would have huge ramifications if it were successful through the courts.
Not just for cell phones.

Cell phones have turned into the many decades ago drunk driver.

Sure penalties help to deter the morons, but it’s really gonna take a movement such as MADD did years ago to really change public perception that this is really a huge problem and it’s more so up to each individual to change their behavior.

Don’t even get me started on taxi drivers

1hl&sinker wrote:

I hope your wrong Jon. That is a slippery sloap that would have huge ramifications if it were successful through the courts.
Not just for cell phones.

Remember, driving is a privilege. Not a right. No one has the right to drive distracted. Not sure what huge ramifications there would be? We survived just fine without cell phones in our cars.

-J.

While they are at it they can ban speeding. That’s dangerous too.

I agree with Jon on this one. Once you’re moving they should shut down. Cell phone distraction is way worse than eating french fries. Case in point….I come up to a intersection that has traffic lights. It turns yellow so I slow down and stop. There are three cars on my right, all young women and all staring intently at something in their laps. The light turns green for them, and nobody moves. No horns, nothing. Eventually the light turns yellow and then red and then it’s green for me and I’m on my way. ALL THREE OF THEM SAT THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIGHT AND NEVER KNEW IT. I’ve seen that happen with cell phone several times now. I’ve never seen that happen with French Fries.

We all managed to stumble through life without cell phones, I don’t think they’re absolutely mandatory now.

SR

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>1hl&sinker wrote:</div>
I hope your wrong Jon. That is a slippery sloap that would have huge ramifications if it were successful through the courts.
Not just for cell phones.

Remember, driving is a privilege. Not a right. No one has the right to drive distracted. Not sure what huge ramifications there would be? We survived just fine without cell phones in our cars.

-J.

Not arguing against the concept just the precident that would be set if settled in the courts. Think “gun lobby”.
jury finds the cell phone companies liable. (Liable for a crash/crashes that kills someone

Texting while driving should be treated as harshly as drunk driving regarding fines, jail, license revocation, etc.

We all have the freedom to choose what laws we want to abide without being forced to comply. Speeding, etc, etc. That’s what liberty and freedom means to me.

Steve Root wrote:

There are three cars on my right, all young women

SR

That alone is lucky you survived, add cell phones to the mix I suggest you go get a lottery ticket.
I hope that one does not come back to bite me

I’ve spoken with car manufacturers and they’ve all said that soon the car will jam the signal from any phone rendering it useless while in motion. I believe it will still be able to use GPS and mapquest but it will disable all other cell phone functions. I’m not sure but it might actually be a government mandate. One of those fine print ones they staple to every bill.

Reaching for that rogue French fry at the bottom of the bag is the same as reaching and dialing that phone. Same exact thing…RR