Is It Time to Ban Cell Phone Use in Cars Nationally, or am I just being Cranky?
I've been nearly picked off 3 times by young women talking on cell phones while driving. The latest was in last week's snow. As I'm about to pull out, I spot this small foreign car traveling at full speed. I slammed on the brakes, and watched as she tried to negotiate the turn into the shopping center I was pulling out of. She looked about 12, cell phone glued to the ear, and driving like an idiot in 3 inches of snow. She missed me by about a foot, but skidded a good 300 to 400 feet pulling double donuts. She regained control and drove back and in, never letting go of the cell phone for a minute. Another rear-ended me at the lights because she was on the cell. Had her license for 2 weeks. Am I missing something here? Or should we not be on phones while driving? My phone is shut off as soon as I get behind the wheel.
-capnlucerne
We thought this was a great question, Capnlucerne, and we to hear what folks have to say. We also thought we'd add this little poll. Tell us what you think! -- The Car Talk Lackeys
I appreciate that you minimize your time on the phone. I admit that I have answered the phone long enough to say "I am driving. Let me call you back as soon as I have a chance to pull over." If only everyone would exercise the same discretion, this would not be such a hot-button issue. The true offenders are the ones who have a phone stuck to their ears the whole time, falsely thinking that it doesn't increase their probability of causing a collision.
The best we're going to do, while being practical, is hands-off phone usage. If all usage is banned, the laws will be ignored leading to subjective arrests ... the ugliest type. It allows people to be targeted because of their looks and nationality rather than because they are using a phone.
My wife's car just got hit by a 19yo idiot trying to pull into a parking place next to my wife's car using only her free hand and single brain cell. I was almost hit by a similar idiot trying to make a blind right turn entrance into a development. I have been driven off the road 4 times by similar idiots. It is scary when it happens to you. I keep a big wrench next to me at all times to bash in the head of cell phone user who finally hits me. I am too old to care about the consequences.
i think the main issue with cell phone use is an ergonomic one. drivers focusing their attention on a tiny device with little buttons. studies have shown that the act of *talking* on a cell phone is just as distracting whether one uses a headset or holds the phone up to their ear. if that's the case then simply talking with someone in your car (whether they're sitting next to you or not) should be just as heinous a crime as using a cell phone while driving. anecdotal evidence and popular opinion are the things that drive laws like these into effect. polls are useless without clinical evidence. case in point: while it was illegal to drive in california while talking on a cell phone, it was still legal to receive and send text messages (at least temporarily, until people caught on).
Lets be sure we make this cellphone use and not just talking on the cellphone. I often see drivers TEXTING on the freeway. No one can multi-task that well.
There are plenty of highways in this country where you can nearly read a book safely because they are straight and have little traffic. There should be no problem making and taking phone calls. That said, I am really annoyed by drivers holding up traffic while talking on their phones.
As of today July 29-09 Congress is seriously discussing a national texting ban. About time! A recent Virginia Tech Transportation Institute-VTTI-study found that texting while driving increases accident rates by more than 20%. I guess that still raises the question on cell phones in cars. We are all at great risk due to this technological gadget that is so prevalent in our lives now.
And...what about cell phone jamming? After some looking around the internet I found out that there are cell phone jammers out there, some are cheap. But, the FCC can arrest you for it! Its illegal to jam cell phone signals. Somehow it is not in Europe?
BTW those cell jammers can jam signals within a small radius, perfect for a car. Maybe moms and dads should buy them for thier teens??
How about if only 911 calls could go through if the phone was moving over 20 miles per hour?
I have only 24 hours in my day, just like all the people talking on cells while driving. I can wait until I stop or, occasionally, stop because I get a call. They could, and should, too.
02/24/2009 12:10:17 PM
