When I drive, my attitiude is the exact same as the way I trained to fly. You drive first. Period. Everything else is secondary, look around constantly while you're driving, anticipate issues before they occur. I do take phone calls when I am driving, but I do not expend concentration on the conversation. It normally amounts to "I will call you back" or "Oh hell, I completely forgot. Thanks!"

The problem with drivers is we give out licenses at 16, with absolute minimal training and no investment. I would like to see the US do something similar to what the Germans do. $3000 USD, age 21, and significant training requirements including high-speed control and emergencies. Where it takes some dedication and investment to earn and keep your license.

Our training requirements need to go up, but honestly, this is half the problem. I have friends who have gotten nailed by illegal aliens, they get arrested, and about 10 of their friends post bond then they're all out driving again. The current laws cannot even be enforced, which makes more laws and requirements pointless.

I can easily deal with a cellphone ban, but I just don't see it as the primary issue behind poor driving. It is one issue because people aren't concentrating on the road, but people do that anyway.

No - it requires no brain power. Myth Busters tested it recently and even with a co-driver talking, they scored well. Ask them to 'think' about something while talking on the phone, and they totally screwed up the course. It is the 'thinking' part that is the cause of the problems. They of course then made them drink beer and they scored much better while drunk! :up:

-S

You asked a question and I answered it. Radio shows were not part of equation.

Now that you bring it up however a radio does not require the listener to participate conversation, hence it can be more easily ignored than a person on the other end of a phone conversation.

I agree with you about driver responsibility in general though.

YES!!! Ban them from use in cars while the vehicle is moving or on the roads.

Infact, I was a passenger with someone in a truck, and we were in a line of cars about 4 vehicles long. The lead driver was on her cell-phone. She went for a turn, completely overshooting it, and instead of hitting the breaks, she pulls BACK out into the traffic. Nearly casued all of the people to slam like dominos into eachother. She continued to drive while talking.:nope:

To follow an interesting radio interview requires a fair amount of attention, for me. I think about what has been said.

I´m also the driver of a car pool, I´m new to the company and I know my co-driver for 1.5 weeks. The questions that he ask require some thinking (and vice versa), and I drive on a two-lane Autobahn that has no speed restrictions, which requires quite a bit of attention/thinking.

Just like tycho said, for me driving the car safely is priority #1, but I allow to have a conversation that distracts me a little bit. IMO a hands-free phone call is not different than having a co-driver conversation or listening to a radio interview, both can be distracting in medium/high traffic at high speed.

I'm going to go against the grain and say no, don't ban them. Driving while speaking on the phone is nowhere nearly as distracting as driving with kids in the car, or listening to a girlfriend or wife go on and on. I use the phone a lot while on the road, it's a life saver for busy people. I don't even have a traditional wall phone at home, who needs it? This isn't 1949, you know :D I don't carry a phone to feel "important", I carry it because it makes my life a lot easier. Some people can drive and talk at the same time. But I would go along with a law that stipulates if you have an accident, the investigator can check your phone records and if you were using the phone at the time of the accident, pull your license for a year and slap you with a heavy fine.

I do not see how Cell phones can be banned from use in vehicals.

It can not and will not be done...NO WAY!

Not so long as the very law enforcement themselves YACK ON THE DAMN THINGS AND GIVE YOU THE FINGER WHEN YOU BLOW THE HORN AT THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I even tried to report one of the sorry officers and was told "He needs that line of communication"........:damn: :damn: :stare: :damn: :shifty: :nope:

So I have made up my mind the next time an Officer of the law is yackin on his cell phone, and tries to run me of the road because he/ she is to busy to drive ... I'm gonna hit him with my car or truck just as hard as I can then push him off the road and have a little talk!

Dont believe me?

Keep your eyes peeled for a news report.

Other than that I got no beef with them.:up:

:sunny:

I disagree but it's a moot point really.

NO
 

A distracted driver thinking about tuesdays meeting isnt
paying attention because their mind is elsewhere not
because their hand is on the phone.

You can't ban "being distracted" behind the wheel, it's unenforceable and undefinable. I don't know why the thread's going this way. "Sorry Officer, I'm rather slow....." :p
Having one hand off the wheel/head crammed into shoulder, there's grounds for banning phones while driving.

Im kinda split in the middle
 

I think that cell phones should be banned for safety reasons very much :yep: but then also, What if there is an emergency and someone had to reach you or somethin. I think that it would be a major inconvienience for quite a few people, but my vote would be to ban them from the road just on the account of safety, which should always be top priority.

Two facts.

First, several european countries have banned cell phones in cars if handled without free-speaking device (room micro). The statistical link between free handed cell phones whiule driving and traffic accidents was found to be highly significant/valid in several independent studies which were partially run over years.

Second, in the early nineties I remember a study that was done in Germany, concerning driving and music. Music directly influence brain activities, on a neurological level, and thus it regulates temper, emotional state, mental concentration, memories, mood. Music literally rushes to your brain indeed. Everyone of us knows that from his own experience. The most distracting music style, poison for secure driving, is German "Volksmusik" (terrible music indeed), followed by, I hope I remember correctly, American country. Hard Rock and heavy stuff also was found to be bad, because the heavy rythm and often agressiveness causes massive distraction. Best music to listen while driving is from the Jazz and Swing department, it helps to envoke a state of relaxed concentration.

Just two scientific findings. so if you want to be on the safe side, always have a solid reserve of Glenn Miller songs aboard!

No-ones banning cell phones in the car, loynokid, just talking on them while driving. Well, all except Skybird :p

It's really a tough question.

We all know that some states have already banned their use. It will be interesting to see how things turn out over time.

I know it's not the only distraction, but IMO, it's a fairly severe one. There's been a number of incidents that I've witnessed where I believe the use of the cell phone was a major contributor to the accident. Now in all fairness, they'll have to ban food consumption while driving and a few other things while they're at it since the cell phone is only one contributing source.

But then again, life is a risk in itself, so lets just ban everything, just to be safe. :roll:

Actually Gizzmoe I have to disagree with you. The parts of concentration needed for talking on the phone and following a radio show are different.

The brain can more easily flick from a radio show to what is going on more quickly than a phone conversation. It is a more passive listening. I can follow a radio show without having to turn most of my attention to it. Talking on a phone, especially if you are holding it requires greater alround concentration on the phone call.

Using the argument of 'let's ban radio shows' doesn't really help the debate. It's a simplistic argument that the its ok to use a mobile whilst driving use to justify it.

To add to the radio stuff,

Now, modern cars have channel pre-set buttons. All you do is (before you drive) set the pre-sets to what stations you want, and then with one quick press of a button, you can switch stations.

It's not just only cell phones that cause people to drive poorly. Anything that distracts their attention to driving should be illegal. In other words if they drive recklessly then give them a ticket. If people know that the police are going to ticket them for erratic lane changes or erratic driving then maybe they will focus on driving better?

I agree that talking on the cell phone is a distraction and it's dangerous. But why limit punishment to just someone talking on a cell phone. What about someone that's weaving in and out of their lane because thier eyes are not on the road.

I do agree that banning cell phone use while driving would help though. I would just go much further in banning any behaviour that distracted a driver and causes more accidents. Drinking while driving, Watching TV while driving. Even listening to very loud music while driving... they can't hear approaching emergency vehicles sirens.

I agree that hands free helps. I have a head set for my cell phone. But I have yet to figure out how to dial the number without taking my eyes off the roadway while driving.

I almost ran into my boss one day as we both approached the same job site from two different directions while talking to each other on our cell phones. We both were trying to turn onto the same street at the same time. I was heading west on A street and he was heading East on A street and we both were turning South onto B Street. I am glad that we didn't hit each other. I got rid of that cell phone after about a month and the first 350 dollar bill for just one month. And that was back in the days when cell phones where as big as walkie talkies. ie brick size. I remember the first cell phones that came out that were huge and heavy. We got one of those big things while on a job site up at Indianapolis, IN one year. 1991.

What I would suggest is a higher fine if the police see you driving erraticly and in possession of a cell phone. Some police dept in some cities will give you a ticket if they see you talking on a cell phone while driving.

Now if you pull over to the side of the road to talk that's different.

I said above in another post to just ticket those who drive reclessly. If you are not staying in your lane or fail to yield the right of way and run into somone or you fail to stop in time and rear end someone then add more penality to the fines due to the use of the cell phone. You can easily look at my cell phone's log and see when it was last used and for how long. Combine that with the time of the accident and you have proof of use.

Some newer cell phones even record where you were using gps inside the cell phone.

Lol..
 

Did you read the thread or just my post. Its seems to me that I am not the only one that thinks cell phones should have restrictions when it comes to driving and talking. And also, as I stated, I think it would be a pain to not be able to use a phone while driving, but it would improve safety :yep: