The laws are only intermittently enforced at the local level now. What will change about that if the law goes national??
NTSB released it's recommendation on cell phone use while driving today.
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Nothing, except for giving more law enforcement agencies another justification for pulling someone over.
No, I'm not being sarcastic. I beleive this is the only way to really fix this issue.
If you took the interpretation from the CNN reporter who seemed to be blowing a gasket over this, yes, you will go to prison if caught possessing an "other electronic device" while driving but the fact is, the NTSB is not a regulatory agency. They only make recommendations to Congress and those dimwits actually write the laws. In this case I believe it is the states who are charged with highway and local road laws and enforcement. Therefore any Federal authority passed by congress and signed into law by the President would likely get tossed out as unconstitutional. Now if your state enacts a new regulation on the basis of the NTSB recommendation, you could be held responsible, same as if you possess a radar detector in the Commonwealth of VA ( now) you can have your car impounded and you land in Jail.
Hey- my pace maker is an "electronic device"
Fumbling with the phone is probably the least demanding of the distractions. If you're concentrating on something other than driving, you should be parked.
Unless you know it has gone active, you probably don't give it a thought.
I suspect that they are after hand-held devices and anything that presents significant distraction for seconds at a time.
I would include complex automotive multimedia systems and any two-way communications devices used for purposes other than as a navigation aid.
well in that case nobody can drive. Because even if you are alone in the car most folks are thinking of other things while driving home. Things like "do I need to stop to get gas or something at the store?" or "what am I gonna get uncle fester for Christmas"?
According to your "rule" there would be nobody on the road then.
People who text while driving bother me. BUt I have no issues driving and talking on the phone if the conditions are right. If its snowing no I dont even touch the phone. But if the roads are fine then yes I do.
They passed a cellphone ban in the local town last summer, but "hands free" devices are legal and LEO's can use phones ... leave our rights alone, if someone is doing something stupid penalize them, not everyone "in the name of safety"...
exactly. But in this day and age its "a few do stupid s**t......punish everyone" rule
We had someone killed in Orlando that was hit and killed by a car when he was walking across the street while texting with headphones on. This is just common sense The bottom line is people should know better . I would like to see the accidents and the ages of the people who did it. I know they're not all young people but I can bet the majority are.
Could be . I heard a very troubling report not long ago that when they installed the Red Light Cameras in parts of Florida they changed the time the yellow light stayed on. Before the Camera it was like 6 seconds yellow, after they put it in it was like 3 to 4 . Clark Howard also talked about it.
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Seems silly to include Hands Free, no way to enforce it. We have that built into our cars.
I wonder if they can include Shopping Carts too? Would make my trip through the grocery store much safer.
I wonder if they can include Shopping Carts too? Would make my trip through the grocery store much safer.
These days!maybe its due to insurance company's maybe not!The USA has going safety nuts.Were i work there have been countless new safety features put in place,like a cross walk in the parking lot,bolted down picnic tables,lots of orange cones when the roof leaks etc.Don't get me wrong! I'm for safety but more so I'm for common sense.The cell phone issue is all part of safety and here common sense should take hold!Not just a another regulation or law put in place.IF you really want to be safe!Stay home!dont go outside or drive anywhere and hope a meteor dosnt hit your house.
While I was kidding- I have to say that some pacemakers are active 100% of the time. Like mine. My father's is designed to keep his heart rate to 66 or higher and is pacing only part time. When I suffered my cardiac arrest a few years ago I lost nerve connection to the Ventricles now, without the pacemaker my heart gets out of sync and can't pump. The pacemaker keeps that part in sync.; keeps the Ventricles pumping. If they put the pacemaker in standby, I black out within about 15 seconds. The second part of my pacemaker is a defibrillator which will zap my heart if it goes into fibrillation. I have only experienced that once and it was during a test. It puts out a beeping sound that people around me can hear. But you're right, I only worry about it when I get into a situation where it may be affected, like security metal detectors should be safe but high risk because I don't know how powerful they are. It's more of an issue where I set it off and can't go through undetected than causing me harm.
It's called multitasking, we all do it. There is no less than a dozen things going on at the same time while driving. Watching the mirrors, looking ahead, watching other drivers, the list is endless. The bottom line is how well we do multitasking, you can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time?
I work out of my vehicle, so there is always a lot going on & big chunk of my income goes to fuel. So if laws change so be it, but it will be business as usual for me. Just another task to watch out for while driving.
I work out of my vehicle, so there is always a lot going on & big chunk of my income goes to fuel. So if laws change so be it, but it will be business as usual for me. Just another task to watch out for while driving.
What I heard that triggered the NTSB into action was an accident where a 19 year old rear ended an 18 wheeler at 55 mph. His phone was analyzed and they discovered he was texting at the time of the accident. The reason why he rear ended was two-fold. He was not looking forward and the truck slowed down as the truck entered a work zone with reduced speed sign. There were no workers present. To make matters worse this accident caused a chain reaction of 38 vehicles pileup as a school bus rear ended the 19 yearold's vehicle shoving it under the trailer. Then a second school bus rear ended the first school bus and then lots of cars. Two drivers were killed. It was also determined that the school bus's breaks were defective.
I'm certainly no expert but my common sense says the cause is not just the 19 yearold texting but also-
1. Failure to maintain speed when no workers are present at a work zone by the 18 wheeler.
2. All vehicles following too close for the speed and road conditions, unable to stop in time.
3. School bus maintenance safety inspections of brakes.
Where is the NTSB in recommendation on work zone speed advisories when no workers present? Some states post signs for that, others don't. Confusion exists.
Where is the NTSB comment on school bus safety inspections?
Here's what I think. This is not about making money with another law to cite drivers. It's about the NTSB justifying their job. They have to do something or get blamed for sitting on their butts when these accidents happen. The more government agencies we have, the more government employees we have, the more in debt this nation gets, the risk of those losing their cushy jobs gets. So they will make more regulations to justify their existence. As we get into more and more budget cuts, get ready for more of these agencies popping up out of nowhere with outlandish BS for our do nothing, bickering congress to argue about.
Leaving aside the revenue part of this initiative (what very likely is the main reason),
I very much agree with the idea that something should be done.
Everybody should be free to hurt him/herself. Nobody - somebody else.
Where are the three strikes guys when you need them! Make it something like
-1st offence (caught texting/talking) - $1,000 and 1 month driving suspension;
-2nd offence - $10,000 and one year suspension;
-3rd offence - $100,000 and lifetime suspension.
And that's only if nobody got hurt. Otherwise - lifetime suspension right the way.
I witnessed two(!) serious accidents where one party was yapping on the phone.
Diogen.
I very much agree with the idea that something should be done.
Everybody should be free to hurt him/herself. Nobody - somebody else.
Where are the three strikes guys when you need them! Make it something like
-1st offence (caught texting/talking) - $1,000 and 1 month driving suspension;
-2nd offence - $10,000 and one year suspension;
-3rd offence - $100,000 and lifetime suspension.
And that's only if nobody got hurt. Otherwise - lifetime suspension right the way.
I witnessed two(!) serious accidents where one party was yapping on the phone.
Diogen.
The resounding cry on this thread is, "too much regulation" and "not enough common sense." Agreed. And, yes...we do have the basis of another Syfy movie here.....where your brain is blanked by "big brother" except for your brain's destination commands when you get in the car, then released for "normal thinking" upon stepping out at your destination. Or, has that been done yet???
Ice was right, we all think of other things while driving:
I once had the man who was my first radio manager tell me, "when you get your own station, try to keep it from going with you in the car. You'll be listening, and concentrating on business, or something at the station, and you'll come close to being in an accident by being too preoccupied." He has been right! But, that applies to ALL of us..... Anything that preoccupies us as drivers can cause crashes and near misses.
I find the concept of any suggested intervention by government with in-car/electronics/regulations kind of backwards.....because, wouldn't it be nice to APPLAUD technologies that lets us enjoy our drives (and reduce human physical involvement to operate) instead of condemning technology because of a small percentage of people? Things like voice dialing, hands-free, Speaking & voice recognition navigation, voice-operated radios and audio systems when properly used are assets, not liabilities on wheels.
My soapbox time is up. Back to your normal thread......
Ice was right, we all think of other things while driving:
I once had the man who was my first radio manager tell me, "when you get your own station, try to keep it from going with you in the car. You'll be listening, and concentrating on business, or something at the station, and you'll come close to being in an accident by being too preoccupied." He has been right! But, that applies to ALL of us..... Anything that preoccupies us as drivers can cause crashes and near misses.
I find the concept of any suggested intervention by government with in-car/electronics/regulations kind of backwards.....because, wouldn't it be nice to APPLAUD technologies that lets us enjoy our drives (and reduce human physical involvement to operate) instead of condemning technology because of a small percentage of people? Things like voice dialing, hands-free, Speaking & voice recognition navigation, voice-operated radios and audio systems when properly used are assets, not liabilities on wheels.
My soapbox time is up. Back to your normal thread......
I have driven for a living one way or another most my adult life(20+ years). Driving a 18 wheeler, local deliveries, installs (have over a million logged miles in big trucks) and basically if you rear end some one its your fault (following to close for conditions, not paying attention, etc.). Granted 19 year old was an idiot, but the bus drivers (who are supposed to be professionals) more so. I have never been in an accident that was my fault (been rear ended twice, both times sitting at stop sign). Making laws to protect the stupid and inconvenience the rest of us, is only about money not safety. I've said it b4 organizations like osha etc. exist only to make money and keep the stupid alive and let them breed, so they can have stupid babies who do more stupid things so we can make more revenue generating laws to protect them from themselves.
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