Those Damn Phones.

[Cal Price]

At last on Mon Dec 1st using a hand-held mobile phone in a car is illegal here eight years after the first death. About time! I hope all the school-run mums and the biz types all get the message. They amaze me when they come out with crap like "I wouldn't use it but I had to answer it" It always seems to happen as they pull out of junctions. Eventually we might get round to outlawing people throwing cigarette ends out of the windows too.

[JeffD]

Yup,  I talked on the phone in my car(when I had one)  one time, and I can not believe how distracted I was just being on the phone.  Granted it was only for 1 or 2 minutes, I cant see how people drive for hours on the phone.  Why someone can't just pull over and talk for a couple minutes, or just tell them you'll call them back,  I dont know.  And cigaretts irritate me to no end, when I walk behind my apartement and I feel like I'm walking through an ash tray because all the stupid college students just chuck them off of their balcony and onto the grass.  Grrr....

[ashman]

I can see the reasoning behind it but I have no problem talking on my phone and driving. I perfer to on long highway trips so I dont get so bored or to help me stay awake. I'm able enough to talk on my cell and drive, some people are just bad drivers and it doesnt matter if its a cell phone or radio, putting in a new cd or fooling with their kid. Eaither way their going to be distracted. And if it comes down to it where i need all my concentration on driving then my phone conversation turns into, yeah huh what? yeah, wait what? sorry i wasnt listening.  Becuz i'm paying attention to the ROAD NOT MY CELL CONVO! But when i'm on my cell my eyes are on the road and checking my mirrors. What about the people that listen to talk radio and actually voice their opinion back to the radio or those that sing w/ music or talking to a passenger. Thats running along the same lines. No more singing to the music you'll be distracted and run over a kid.
come on.
-ash

[john]

I also like to use the cell phone to talk if I get tired after long highway riding.  It is still a distraction and dangerous in my opinion,

[Blueknyt]

i wouldnt have a problem with folks using handsfree rigs, that should be writen into the laws, cuz CB radio isnt much differnt but your not holding the speaker to your head. im gonna superglue a cell phone to my helmet and write on back "LOOKS STUPID dont it?"

[pantablo]

I wish they'd outlaw stupidity instead of legislating cell phone use.

[Cal Price]

The law here now is you can't use it if you have to pick it up, if its mounted on the dash, and consquently you only have to touch it with fingertips it's OK. This seems odd to some but puts it on a level par with CDs & radios etc,. This applies if the engine is running even when stopped.

[dmp221]

The latest studies I have seen (to my recollection, done within the last year in the Boston area) conclude that talking on a cell phone and driving drunk have about the same accident probability,  and,  it's not the phone, IT'S THE CONVERSATION.  For hands-free devices, the accident rate is only a percentage point or so lower.

Pablo's got it right.  Outlaw stupidity.  That, along with natural vehicular Darwinism ought to free up the roads for the rest of us!!

[jiggersplat]

I wish they'd outlaw stupidity instead of legislating cell phone use.

word.

[96gs]

hell yes. me and my dad wrecked cause some jacka%$ b#$&* cut in front of us without a blinker and slammed on the d#@$ brakes. and yes she was on one of those cell phones. pissed me off. so the first chance we got we got beside here and revved up (for me about 8-9k) and took off. my dad just sat there and looked at her till our road ended and took off and did the same thing to her. stupid a%$ b*&#%. any similar experiences folks?

[dsmirnov83]

Hey there. I work for a pool company in the summer, comuting all day, pool to pool and I'm on the phone constantly. At first it's a distraction, but then you learn that driving is the main thing and the phone is second to all of that. Anyway, With three months worth of practice driving while talking I now don't see the difference between talking to your friend in the car or on the phone.

It's like riding, you learn to do many things at once while keeping it rubber side down. Just make sure the concentration is on the driving...

It's not the cages it's their drivers and 1% of bikers.

[paui]

i have no trouble at all talking on the phone and driving...problem comes around when i have to look for a number or dial it out...just picking up the phone is easy

[Woz]

IT'S THE CONVERSATION. For hands-free devices, the accident rate is only a percentage point or so lower.

So if that is true, how long before passengers are outlawed?  How often do you see drivers looking at a passenger while chatting?  At least with a phone you have nothing to look at but the road.

Don't get me wrong, I do actually agree with this legislation and if it saves one life etc etc.

But where will it end?

[crmeyer]

I resently saw that car crashes related to cell phones eclipsed drunk drives!