Cell Phone Law rant

[autoduel]

Originally Posted by L8 APEKS

MOST people who are holding a phone to their ear do not bother LOOKING BEFORE CHANGING LANES and they DO NOT BOTHER SIGNALING.

This is where this law will make a difference

Originally Posted by Winger

2) It is the distraction of talking on the cell phone that is the real issue. The person on the other end cannot see the road and expecting instant feedback. With the poor quality of phones, any pause calls for "Are you there?". Talking to passengers, on the other hand, is different because they are aware of the surroundings and know when to shut up (mother in laws excluded). Everyone knows that driving with 1 hand isn't the issue or they'd ban manual transmissions..

There was a study in yesterday's paper that concluded that those engaged in conversations on the cell phone, handsfree or otherwise had worse reaction times than drunk drivers. Yes it is the conversation, but hands-free is in the right direction and enforceable. People are more likely to not take calls, pause their conversation to make lane changes, wait till out of their cars to make calls, and actually use their other hand and turn their heads.
If you ban conversation while driving all together, imagine the ranting we will hear then! The government restricting personal freedoms, etc. Not to mention it is impossible to enforce. It would never garner support.
I don't see a difference between conversation with an occupant or a speakerphone. You are still distracted.
Using a manual transmission is still driving.
So is using your turn signal, but people don't do it even when equipped with automatic transmission, so what's your point?

Originally Posted by Winger

3) The under 18 law about no texting is equally retarded because they made it a secondary offense. The cop can't pull the kid over without a different reason. So, as long as the kid is not breaking another law, the cop can't pull him over for texting.

It is already illegal for drivers under 18 for ANY use of a hand-held cell phone while driving? It is a secondary offense only they catch you using just a hands-free device (so take that bluetooth out of your ear when driving)

Originally Posted by katonk

It's already illegal to drive recklessly. Why do we need a law to ban behavior that's already illegal?

Which brings us to Gun Laws.......

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by mtnbikerfred

Oh, and another thing about this new BS law....

Cell phones ARE NOT the the most distracting thing to drivers. This is from a UNC study funded by AAA.

I remember that survey in 1988, back when I used to install cell phones into cars. I think the results are a bit different these days.

[drclark]

I think we need to put this into context. How many millions (billions?) of cell phone calls are placed every day while driving without causing a traffic accident? This was just something that was "easy to ban" that would let the politicians feel and act like they were doing something while accomplishing nothing.

Given the number of drivers vs the number of cops to enforce the law, this cell phone thing will rely mostly on voluntary compliance. There will be a big push to enforce this law at first but think for a minute about how often you speed vs. how often you actually get a ticket.

Now if they really want to improve driving safety.... I think they ought to make women wear burkas while out in public. I can't tell you how many near accidents I have almost caused by being distracted by some hot babe driving in a car next to me or walking down the street.....

drc

As far as politics go, keep in mind that the dems have had an iron clad claim on the CA legislature and most other state level elected positions for as long as I have lived here (14 years or so). State and local officials have more impact on your daily life than anything that the US congress or President can do. While I don't think Bush is perfect, I don't think he is any better or worse than Clinton or Carter.

[duke777]

Myth Busters have tested and everyone one the phone performed just as bad if not worse than drunk drivers in road testing.

And if Myth Buster confirms it then it must be true.

And yes hot babe in summer attire is incredibly distracting.

[eruizela]

This law is not about safety but about generating income. This state has lost alot of income mostly because of lost jobs to other states and because of globolization. Next we will be taxed for breathing air, using the pottty and thinking.

[L8 APEKS]

Originally Posted by drclark

I think we need to put this into context. How many millions (billions?) of cell phone calls are placed every day while driving without causing a traffic accident? This was just something that was "easy to ban" that would let the politicians feel and act like they were doing something while accomplishing nothing.

That's kinda like saying, "How many millions of people go through life without getting injured? Why waste money on Hospitals?"

I don't care about the ones that DON'T get in wrecks. I care about the ones that DO. And here in SoCal traffic, that's a substantial number.

Originally Posted by duke777

Myth Busters have tested and everyone one the phone performed just as bad if not worse than drunk drivers in road testing.

And if Myth Buster confirms it then it must be true.

And yes hot babe in summer attire is incredibly distracting.

Word.

They PROVED it can cause wrecks. But people are still in denial, or using the "Yeah...but" argument. Which, as we all know, doesn't dis-prove what's already been proven.

[spookydave]

L8 APEKS, are you smiling and nodding at drclark right now? lol

[drclark]

Originally Posted by L8 APEKS

That's kinda like saying, "How many millions of people go through life without getting injured? Why waste money on Hospitals?"

I don't care about the ones that DON'T get in wrecks. I care about the ones that DO. And here in SoCal traffic, that's a substantial number.



Word.

They PROVED it can cause wrecks. But people are still in denial, or using the "Yeah...but" argument. Which, as we all know, doesn't dis-prove what's already been proven.

Back up your assertion that cell phones cause a substantial number of wrecks in so-cal. Is it any more substantial than all the other possible causes of accidents. Looking at a hot woman walking down the street can and has also caused wrecks. While I was kidding about burkas, would you seriously support a law to require women wear burkas in public (or not giving men drivers licenses) if it were shown to reduce the number of accidents? What if the "hot girl" factor was 5x more significant than cell phones?

/sarcasm/ Since the cell phone law will be rarely enforced, maybe they ought to just go ahead and ban cell phones altogether... After all, cell phones have only had the effect of making people much more rude and self centered. I hate having to hear someone yapping on their phone in a movie theater or in a resturant. I think society would be better off with out them, period. /end sarcasm/

I actually do care about the numbers or percentages of the ones that do vs. don't cause problems. The reason being is there is always going to be a very small subset of people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time let alone be trusted to operate a motor vehicle (yet they still get drivers licenses or drive without them). Should we be limiting the general population's behavior and rights over a small subset of people? Since driving can kill or severly injure people, should they ban private ownership of cars and make everyone take the bus? Mountain biking has been shown to kill or severly injure people. Should mountain biking be banned? Should trails be closed to mtn bikes when only a small percentage of idiots are out there cutting new trails and nearly running over hikers?

drc

[L8 APEKS]

Originally Posted by spookydave

L8 APEKS, are you smiling and nodding at drclark right now? lol

I most certainly am!

[Code Blue]

Originally Posted by drclark

Back up your assertion that cell phones cause a substantial number of wrecks in so-cal. Is it any more substantial than all the other possible causes of accidents. Looking at a hot woman walking down the street can and has also caused wrecks. While I was kidding about burkas, would you seriously support a law to require women wear burkas in public (or not giving men drivers licenses) if it were shown to reduce the number of accidents? What if the "hot girl" factor was 5x more significant than cell phones?

/sarcasm/ Since the cell phone law will be rarely enforced, maybe they ought to just go ahead and ban cell phones altogether... After all, cell phones have only had the effect of making people much more rude and self centered. I hate having to hear someone yapping on their phone in a movie theater or in a resturant. I think society would be better off with out them, period. /end sarcasm/

I actually do care about the numbers or percentages of the ones that do vs. don't cause problems. The reason being is there is always going to be a very small subset of people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time let alone be trusted to operate a motor vehicle (yet they still get drivers licenses or drive without them). Should we be limiting the general population's behavior and rights over a small subset of people? Since driving can kill or severly injure people, should they ban private ownership of cars and make everyone take the bus? Mountain biking has been shown to kill or severly injure people. Should mountain biking be banned? Should trails be closed to mtn bikes when only a small percentage of idiots are out there cutting new trails and nearly running over hikers?

drc

Is it any more substantial than all the other possible causes of accidents. Looking at a hot woman walking down the street can and has also caused wrecks.

That would never cause Fo Shizzle to wreck. A sheep on the street....now that is a different story.

[L8 APEKS]

Originally Posted by drclark

I actually do care about the numbers or percentages of the ones that do vs. don't cause problems. The reason being is there is always going to be a very small subset of people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time let alone be trusted to operate a motor vehicle (yet they still get drivers licenses or drive without them). Should we be limiting the general population's behavior and rights over a small subset of people? Since driving can kill or severly injure people, should they ban private ownership of cars and make everyone take the bus? Mountain biking has been shown to kill or severly injure people. Should mountain biking be banned?

If it were truly a small number of people here that were affected by this cell phone phenomenon, then I would probably be in your camp.

But the vast majority of people behind the wheel are friggin morons, and the only proof I need is to ask anyone in denial of this fact to go drive around for a while and count the morons.

So then you add in the cell phone variable...and it simply exacerbates the problem. People who were already horrible, inattentive drivers (ie, the general public en mass) are now even MORE horrible and MORE inattentive behind the wheel.

Sure, this law is like prescribing ibuprofen for a severed limb...it's far too easy to get a DL here because traffic citations make money, and this, coupled with a society built on driving, outweighs the costs of accidents and deaths.

The REAL solution would be to address the larger problem and make it more difficult to obtain a driver's license.

While it sucks the root problem wasn't addressed, I am happy for this band-aid fix and I hope tickets scare a few of these dolts out of using their phone while driving.

However, since I'm not a chatty cathy and I'm not addicted to a cell phone, the fact that I'm not supposed to use one while I drive (without a hands-free device) doesn't bother me much. We got along for decades without cellular phones at all. I'm pretty sure we'll survive if we need to use a headset to talk while driving. I just don't see what all the hub-bub is about. Who cares if it's another reason to get pulled over? Don't do anything wrong and you won't get pulled over.

[Rockinthecasbah]

as for cell phones and wrecks does it contribute to some yes!! Should it be a law NO! just like helmet and seatbelt laws, My raunt is about over how we are getting to more and more of an over policed state, traffic cameras, and laws trying to control all kinds of stupid things. My bluetooth headset crap is ok, unless you get in and out of the car 10 times a day and dont want to wear a blinking runway light on your ear, its a pain to scroll through a couple menus and sinc the headset everytime you get in the car.
Do I use my phone in the car non hands free F-Yeah do i do it while shifting, eating golden spoon and settling my loose duck in the passenger seat no!! .

[spookydave]

Originally Posted by L8 APEKS

I most certainly am!

not related to this thread one way or the other but .....

I have BIG respect for drclark after watching him in action at P.V. He is one of the few that does something instead of just talking about it.

I just thought I'd toss that out there.



carry on

[freekengo]

I think the legislation should make it law that people must use common sense. I unfortunately feel that common sense is not so common these days.....

[RidetheRAAM4]

Originally Posted by L8 APEKS

If you really didn't get his point, I'm not sure if we can help you.

MOST people who are holding a phone to their ear do not bother LOOKING BEFORE CHANGING LANES and they DO NOT BOTHER SIGNALING.

I am tired of swerving out of their way because they are too lazy/self-centered/busy to signal or look.

Texting is just as dangerous, if not more so because people are looking DOWN. But I think they would have a hard time PROVING you were texting. If they see you with a phone to your ear, it's pretty obvious what you're doing.

But if they try to pull you over for texting and you didn't send the message yet, you could easily say they didn't actually see you texting - you were just checking what time it was. Even if you did send a message, you'd have time to delete it. I have a feeling that's why this didn't become a law as well.

What I am saying is this.....

I drive with one hand all the time. I never use two hands regardless of what the other hand is doing. It is just more comfortable to me. Saying that the problem is not the talking, but the fact that you don't have two hands on the steering wheel is absurd. If that was the case, then even though people are not talking on the phone driving with only one hand are bad drivers and will not turn to check the other lane before changing lanes.

It is because they are distracted by the conversation not because they only have one hand on the steering wheel.

Think about it....

Have you ever been having a conversation that gets you riled up and you are too interested in trying to make your point that you don't pay attention to what is going on around you?

[DDB@OCR]

Everyone knows talking on the phone while driving makes you a better driver. Just like 2 beers does.

Idiots.

Ever actually really take the time to SEE how 99% of people drive, w/o the distraction of a phone?

Stupidity is at an all time high. Common sense is at an all time low and getting lower all the time. Combine that with the simple fact 99.99999% of cell calls are pure and utter useless bullshit and you have a recepie for disaster. Studies? Why? That's laughable as 90% of asshats driving has no busniess doing so w/o a phone glued to their brainless heads.

Also- If you conduct 'important business' over the cell phone (Loser acting like a high-roller....'oh, 'scuse me, I gots ta take this:...hullo- yeh, uh, yeh, uh, late.' ) - get an office or pull over- don't make your distraction my hospital visit.

I'll bet I spend more time on a regular phone talking to the GP than quite possibly anyone here, and by a large margin....I take my share of calls from drivers too- it is the most idiotic and unproductive conversation ever.
Even worse than being in the store while some jack-off is cussing out his wife over what salad dressing to get.

Anyone that condones anything other than the basic oppeation of a motor car when behind the wheel is a complete and utter f***ing moron and needs to take the bus.

'Waaaaa-they made me hang up and drive.....now I can't talk about American Idle w/ my buddies and text usesless info back and forth while doing 50 on a side streeet ......waaaaaaaah'.

Oh yeh- big ol bummer....guess you'll have to go back to doing what you are supposed to do- so hang the f**k up and drive, dipshit.

Don't like it? Here's a suggestion - go on the Interweb and complain, that'll work, everyone does it!

This planet so needs to get a clue. Really, people, I mean really.

You have officially gotten me started.