TheFeniX

From here
At least in NJ, it's almost half.

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ikonic

NJ is also one of the most dangerous driving places if I remember correctly.

To reply to a few posts:

Comparing cell phone drivers to gun control is comparing cats and dogs.

Yes, talking hands-free is still a distraction, but less of one compared to other methods. Note I said MINIMIZE the distraction originally, not get rid of it.

I personally use a wired hands-free device while on the road (bluetooth devices give me headaches). I just push a button, get to the right lane (if possible) and still remained focused. I have yet to get in an accident regarding my cell phone, or get even close to getting involved in one. Why? I check my speed, set it down in cruise control if possible and remained focused on driving while listening to whoever. Your "typical cell phone driver" could give a rats behind and reverses the logic. Priority on the phone, driving an afterthought. What I was getting at though was the whole "How did we get here?" scenario -- this is where I blame the companies for not originally providing hands-free to begin with. Today, we are seeing more hands-free / voice activated phones and car features such as OnStar and Sync that reduce the amount of attention while dialing/answering the phone. Text Messaging is the devil, begone Cell Phone Satan!

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Jimmy Jammer

So like that would be a good time for her to hit you up for a new car or 56" projection TV...JJ

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INSUNABULA

Simply put: how would you feel if you were driving while on the phone and crash causing the death of someone. Now if that isn't enough to stop you from doing it then your licence should be taken away on the grounds of irresponcible ethical conduct.

Lives are put at risk - it's as simple as that.

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gunjunkie

Relevant research on the subject.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/r17rwnt742w1w774/

Its pretty much proven that its the mental displacement you go through having a conversation and subconsciously placing yourself at the same location as the person you are conversing with that causes most of the bad effects of talking while driving. Hands free vs. hand held is not really much of a factor.

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ikonic

I think hands-free v hand-held is a factor, I am much more distracted hands-held than using hands-free/voice activation. I see much worse on the road: people getting dressed, putting on makeup, working on their laptop, reading the newspaper (no joke), kids in their WRX weaving in and out of traffic double the speed limit with their sound system cranked, and people pretending to be the next American Idol for Drivers. It is ridiculous to put in a law to single-out cell phone use on the road for everyday citizens. It will be a law everyone will break and will be nearly impossible to enforce due to population:Police ratio, the plethora of excuses I can come up with (My kid is sick, my wife is in labor, medical emergency, death, blah, blah, blah). What's next? Banning Truck Drivers from using their CB Radio?

There are other laws that can be used against people if they are posing a clear hazard to drivers.

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Elwenil

Well said.

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|TG-X|Elwenil

Lasko

I don't know about you all, but where I live (Canada) the driver who gets a ticket for driving while talking on a cell phone would most likely easily get off if they just take it to court. As much as I am against the whole cell phone while driving thing, I think that there are better things to spend taxpayers' money on than implimenting a law/bylaw that no one will follow and will be difficult to enforce

DrunkenPirate

Fully illegal in the UK.
Offenders face a fixed penalty notice and penalty points on their driving license.
Motorists caught driving dangerously whilst using a cellphone also face jail now under new guidelines.

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ikonic

But you drive on the wrong side of the road anyway, so i am not surprised

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ScratchMonkey

I would prefer to see a law that doesn't single out cell phones, but instead applies to all sources of distraction. If you cause an accident while fiddling with the radio or sipping your latte, you should get the same punishment as the guy with the phone.

Phones are just the latest and most visible distraction source, and blaming them appeals to those who don't use them (yet are likely guilty of being affected by other sources).

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Hambergler

Cell phones are the cinder block that broke the camels back, but I am with you. Anything distracting to a driver should be fined. In lieu of this law speed limits should be raised. Not paying attention causes accidents, speed has little to do with it.

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jazy2

There is an ad campaign here in Ireland at the minute where a wife and husband are talking on the phone while he is driving. He is saying he'll be home soon and he is driving but they still talk on. Seconds later he is in a crash......Then the punchline.


If you know they are driving "kill the conversation not the driver"

'Nuff said there.

Texting and talking on the phone (not handsfree) are for fools...give it up now while you can.

Pull in, make or take the call. Better to arrive 20 minutes late in this life, than 20 years early to the next!!

If you take it to court here and lose....the penalties are doubled!!!

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Elwenil

That's unethical. That sort of thing just discourages a person from defending their rights if they feel they were charged unjustly.

As for all distractions, that is completely unenforceable. And again, what is distracting to one driver is not to another. Take a truck driver for example, the amount of information that he has to keep track of and process would be distracting to the average commuter, but for him or her, it's a part of the job and most handle it well.

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|TG-X|Elwenil

ScratchMonkey

Enforcing against other distractions shouldn't be significantly harder than cell phones. I've got to hold my latte up to take a sip, so you can see me doing it. (I do it only at red lights. I won't answer the phone while moving, nor even at a light.)

Are you saying that truck drivers, because they can handle more distractions, should be allowed to use cell phones?

I feel very unsafe with my mom in the car, as I get very distracted, and yet she's disabled so I have to take her everywhere. I'm figuring a lot of guys shouldn't drive with any women (mothers, daughters, SO's) in the car, since they're so insistent on having your attention.

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