NTSB proposes no cell phones including hands free

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: jcwit


Just like years ago only a couple of States had seat belt laws, now its a national law statewide. Just as hard to enforce but proven to save lives.

Unless you "don't get" the seat belt law either.


MOVE to North Korea. You would like it better there. TRUST ME.

"don't get" the seat belt law? Yea. I get it. The government telling me what is good for me. Then punishing me if i don't comply.

What kills more people in this country? Heart disease or not wearing a seat belt.

What? Should it be against the law to eat two double cheese burgers?!?!?!?!?!?!?

The seat belt law is a slap in the face to what the USA is.

If I choose not to wear a seat belt, I should be able to. Just like if I choose to climb a mountain or go deep sea diving.

If I choose to take that risk, it's my choice. NOT THE GOVERNMENTS.

What kills more people? Smoking and drinking alcohol or not wearing a seat belt.

Hmmmm. Why are the first two allowed and the last one is not?!?!?!?!?

Perhaps because the first two are taxed heavily and the government only cares about bringing in cash.

Well, hmmm. Perhaps the seat belt law was put in place to bring in money. . .

Perhaps the government does not care about anything or anyone unless they can profit off of it.

My local government and the feds have been trying to find the right time and way to get a "sugar and fat" tax passed on unhealthy foods for years.

HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO LET IT GET OUT OF HAND?

Do me a favor, and move yourself and your like minded friends to North Korea. You will find there way of doing things (they know what you need) much better.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp

What? Should it be against the law to eat two double cheese burgers?!?!?!?!?!?!?

The seat belt law is a slap in the face to what the USA is.

Note to self.."write off rg200amp for such a na'ive comparison."

I would be happy to write off morons that don't wear their seat belt if when they are in the emergency room they are costing me money bc of increased insurance or lawsuits.

As was mentioned driving is a 'privilege'..not a Constitutional 'Right'. ..maybe you somehow missed that. If you want to drive to drive..you pass a test, buy a license, obey traffic signals, obey speed laws, obey seat belt laws..etc. Get it?

 

[91344George]

@rg200amp:

If the negligence only inflicts death, injury, and destruction on the immediate person BEING NEGLIGENT fine, go right ahead and ignore common sense and your best interests, HOWEVER when the negligence inflicts those damages on innocent by standers you are darn right I am going to clamp down hard on irresponsible idiots.

 

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc
"An estimated 3,092 traffic fatalities in 2010 were blamed on distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than one in six drivers send text messages while driving, and nearly half of drivers less than 25 years old are doing it, according to a NHTSA survey released last week.


Since there are many distractions on the roads and in our own cars, how many of the 3,092 were attributed to hands-free cell phone use? Seems you are making a potentially erroneous assumption that distraction equals cell phone.

If you look at how the distraction numbers are reported to the NHTSA, you'll see how terribly imprecise they are. They rely on police reports with little uniformity in reporting from municipality to municipality, let alone state to state. The NHTSA relies on answers to a survey they send out to determine percentages of the various destractions and then apply them to the number of distraction fatalities. We all know from Consumer Reports how reliable such anonymous surveys are, don't we?

The NHTSA lists numerous distractions including not only texting and cell phone use, but driver fatigue, looking at scenery, other passengers/children, adjusting car audio/HVAC, eating, weather, etc. How exactly can you use this statistic to support a ban on all cell phone usage when it is so inherently imprecise and potentially misleading?

I'm also unsure if your hot button is texting alone or all cell phone use. A big part of the argument on this issue is the insinuation that texting and talking on a hands-free device are one and the same. They are not. One involves taking your eyes off the road and at least one hand off the wheel, the other does not.

I'm against texting as much as anyone. However, the majority of states already have laws to ban texting. How do more laws solve this problem?

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: Al


As was mentioned driving is a 'privilege'..not a Constitutional 'Right'. ..maybe you somehow missed that. If you want to drive to drive..you pass a test, buy a license, obey traffic signals, obey speed laws, obey seat belt laws..etc. Get it?


Hey! Here's an idea!

Try educating yourself for a change and stop rolling over like a trained dog.

It's PUBLIC road ways paid for by MY and YOUR tax dollars built for and maintained for the PUBLICS cars.

The car I drive BELONGS to me and is MY PRIVATE PROPERTY.

Where does the "privilege" come in at???

http://thecountyguard.org/right-2-drive-1.html

http://educate-yourself.org/cn/drivingisrightnotprivledge07apr05.shtml

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: pottymouth

I'm against texting as much as anyone. However, the majority of states already have laws to ban texting. How do more laws solve this problem?


There does need to be a total ban on using phones/ texting while driving because studies show that they are as dangerous or more so than drunk drivers.

That being said strict enforcement and SEVERE penalties including the loss of driving privileges need to be imposed on these negligent and irresponsible people.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: pottymouth
Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc
"An estimated 3,092 traffic fatalities in 2010 were blamed on distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than one in six drivers send text messages while driving, and nearly half of drivers less than 25 years old are doing it, according to a NHTSA survey released last week.


Since there are many distractions on the roads and in our own cars, how many of the 3,092 were attributed to hands-free cell phone use? Seems you are making a potentially erroneous assumption that distraction equals cell phone.

If you look at how the distraction numbers are reported to the NHTSA, you'll see how terribly imprecise they are. They rely on police reports with little uniformity in reporting from municipality to municipality, let alone state to state. The NHTSA relies on answers to a survey they send out to determine percentages of the various destractions and then apply them to the number of distraction fatalities. We all know from Consumer Reports how reliable such anonymous surveys are, don't we?

The NHTSA lists numerous distractions including not only texting and cell phone use, but driver fatigue, looking at scenery, other passengers/children, adjusting car audio/HVAC, eating, weather, etc. How exactly can you use this statistic to support a ban on all cell phone usage when it is so inherently imprecise and potentially misleading?

I'm also unsure if your hot button is texting alone or all cell phone use. A big part of the argument on this issue is the insinuation that texting and talking on a hands-free device are one and the same. They are not. One involves taking your eyes off the road and at least one hand off the wheel, the other does not.

I'm against texting as much as anyone. However, the majority of states already have laws to ban texting. How do more laws solve this problem?


O wow! Someone with sense!

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: pottymouth


I'm also unsure if your hot button is texting alone or all cell phone use. A big part of the argument on this issue is the insinuation that texting and talking on a hands-free device are one and the same. They are not. One involves taking your eyes off the road and at least one hand off the wheel, the other does not.

I'm against texting as much as anyone. However, the majority of states already have laws to ban texting. How do more laws solve this problem?


I don't have a "hot button" on either. But like others I am tired of seeing how bad people drive while texting. IF people can drive and talk on the cell phone SAFELY then what do I care? (Frankly though I think there are very few people who can do it and I suspect some here are not as good at it as they think they are! But that's speculation on my part.)

But I'm tired of avoiding people who are texting and talking on the cell phone while driving. I don't have anything against cell phones - I own one and so does everyone else in my family and we have for about 20 years or so.

But no matter how much of a 'superman' type driver anyone here THINKS they are - the simple truth is that texting is extremely dangerous and some studies suggest talking on a cell phone is as bad or worse than drunk driving. While many may not agree with this - in my experience (driving many miles every week through out various parts of this country) IT IS TRUE! Frankly I don't see it getting any better - it is only getting worse.

People like to think that passing laws will not help the situation any. If that is true - then I say we should abolish all DUI laws too. For that matter - why not just do away will the entire vehicle code book?

But I would agree with you - in some cases this may be a moot point since many states already have laws about texting and driving and/or cell phone use. In which case the existing laws need to be enforced. I remember when California first enacted the law that said you must use a hands free device. I had jury duty and they announced that by 11:00 that morning, the CHP had written about 400 tickets in the San Diego area for violation of the law.
http://santee.patch.com/articles/chp-tickets-629-san-diego-drivers-for-cell-phone-use-2

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp


O wow! Someone with sense!


That's definitely a matter of opinion!

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
Originally Posted By: pottymouth

I'm against texting as much as anyone. However, the majority of states already have laws to ban texting. How do more laws solve this problem?


There does need to be a total ban on using phones/ texting while driving because studies show that they are as dangerous or more so than drunk drivers.

That being said strict enforcement and SEVERE penalties including the loss of driving privileges need to be imposed on these negligent and irresponsible people.

Now THERE is someone with some sense!

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
@rg200amp:

If the negligence only inflicts death, injury, and destruction on the immediate person BEING NEGLIGENT fine, go right ahead and ignore common sense and your best interests, HOWEVER when the negligence inflicts those damages on innocent by standers you are darn right I am going to clamp down hard on irresponsible idiots.


Wow..can't believe I'm agreeing with you for a change. Just had to mention that.

 

[jcwit]

What rg200amp fails to take into consideration is that no man is an island. If because of his lack of common sense causes him to have an accident whether life threating or not causes his family to lack income or worse yet asttending his furnal.

But when discussing something such as this with an individual with an attidude such as his what can one say. Only concerned with himself. Another of the ME generation.

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: Al

Wow..can't believe I'm agreeing with you for a change. Just had to mention that.

We may differ on some things but a lot of people still understand what it takes to make a society tolerable to live in, as both of us do.

A huge problem as well is the "culture" of thoughtlessness, and blatant disregard for others in our society, it has become epidemic over the past few decades or so.

Me, me, me....I detest this trend in our country.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp

Try educating yourself for a change and stop rolling over like a trained dog.

It's PUBLIC road ways paid for by MY and YOUR tax dollars built for and maintained for the PUBLICS cars.

The car I drive BELONGS to me and is MY PRIVATE PROPERTY.

Where does the "privilege" come in at???


Do you have automatic access to these roads, or do you have to sit a proficiency test, have a licence, have motor vehicle standards and registration ?

That makes it a privilige...

There's a fundimental misunderstanding between freedom and Liberty...Liberties are things that are granted by a higher authority, and driving is a conditional privilige.

As to your rant on seatbelts, everyone else is paying for the clean-up, so I don't see that telling you that you have no right to drive while tanked, or telling you to wear a seatbelt is stopping you from living a fruitful life of catching the bus, train or cycling...you can always drive your heart out belt free on a track day...oh wait, you can't.

WRT you choice to go mountain climbing, caompletely false analogy, and I for one wish that the idiots who go bushwalking, mountain climbing , rock fishing etc. had to personally pay for their rescue when they stuff up.

 

[65cuda]

Trust me I've harped at the daughter for her using the cell phone when she is driving, but like I've said before she is married with 2 kids so I don't really have any say so with what she does. So you can stick that point up where the sun doesn't shine. I've told her exactly the same as I have said here and she is just as much an idiot. As for the facts I believe that I have posted links already and if you can't figure out how to use them then it makes what your posts have been understandable.

 

[UNC036]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
There does need to be a total ban on using phones/ texting while driving because studies show that they are as dangerous or more so than drunk drivers.


What studies? Post up a link please...

 

[91344George]

http://www.unews.utah.edu/old/p/062206-1.html

Using cell phone while driving makes driver as dangerous as drunken drivers.

 

[65cuda]

George don't expect Astro to figure it out. He will ignore the study like he did the links I have posted and come up with some dumb excuse about why it isn't valid.

 

[rshaw125]

Hysteria. If this was so dangerous the roads would be getting more dangerous. Where as they are continuing to get safer.

 

[KrisZ]

This thread is just hilarious. Ontario already has a ban on hand held devices, any guesses how is that working out?

On my way to work, every single day I can spot several morons looking down while driving, sitting at red lights or in heavy traffic, they are abviously texting or doing something on their phone. The law has done absolutely nothing to change people's behavior.