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Get Rid of the Hand Helds!

Johneli

Johneli

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Yesterday I took my wife to the airport. On the way home I happened to look in the rear view mirror and saw something pretty unbelievable. This guy behind me was on his hand held, but he was one of these people who couldn't talk without gesticulating with his other hand. (I was ahead of him at a redlight.) When the light changed, rather than grab the steering wheel with his gesticulating hand he began steering with his knee so that he could keep doin what he was doin.

I, FOR ONE WILL BE VERY HAPPY (AND FEEL A LOT SAFER) WHEN HAND HELDS ARE FINALLY BANNED. IT'S RIDICULOUS HOW MANY ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY THESE ATTENTION-DIVERTING DEVICES.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS VERY UNSAFE PRACTICE?
 
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I think there are a lot of bad drivers regardless of what they are doing.
 
I took a car into NYC recently and my driver was an off-duty cop from a town in NY state. NY has a hands free law. He told me that they are not supposed to spend time stopping drivers for using handheld devices. If they stop them for something else, they can ticket them for that as well, but the initial stop shouldn't be for that. I think this is probably the case in most places and drivers know it.
 
I'm an excellent driver.

dustin_hoffman_rain_man1218236383.jpg
 
Get rid of all the "bad" drivers, which would include all those drivers who are multi-tasking while driving. The one's that make me cringe are those women who are putting on their eye make on while driving, looking into their visor mirror. It's not so much they are not paying full attention to driving (few drivers do), it just the idea they are working with "tools" nears their eyes. :bomb:
 
A car is driving in front of you...keeping up with the traffic. Everything's cool. Then you see that same driver pick up his/her cell phone and their speed immediately decreases by 20mph! These are a few of my favorite things......:at-wits-end:
 
I like the driver who has the sports section draped across the steering wheel while he is drinking a coffee and eating a muffin. :banghead:
 
barruda said:
I like the driver who has the sports section draped across the steering wheel while he is drinking a coffee and eating a muffin. :banghead:
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So you've seen me on my way into work? j/k I can talk on my phone and drive at the same time. It's not that difficult. Not anymore difficult than talking to the person right beside me. Like Diane said most places won't pull you over for talking on your phone if you are supposed to be using a hands free kit. Until they make it a point to start pulling over people for doing this then no one is going to follow the law. Same thing with the seat belts. In Ohio for as long as I could remember they couldn't not pull you over for not wearing your seat belt. It was a ticketable second offense but they had to pull you over for a headlight/taillight out or something else to give you the seat belt ticket. They have since changed that law and they can pull you over for the lack of a seat belt.

For the hands free thing to really take off I think the phone companies need to kick in a hands free kit or really reduce the price on the headsets.
 
barruda said:
I like the driver who has the sports section draped across the steering wheel while he is drinking a coffee and eating a muffin. :banghead:
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I can't help it if I'm a multi-tasker! :clapp:
 
Requirement of a hands-free device for drivers starts in Oregon in 2010. It's not soon enough.
 
Diane said:
I took a car into NYC recently and my driver was an off-duty cop from a town in NY state. NY has a hands free law. He told me that they are not supposed to spend time stopping drivers for using handheld devices. If they stop them for something else, they can ticket them for that as well, but the initial stop shouldn't be for that. I think this is probably the case in most places and drivers know it.
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In CA the police just finished a "crack down" on people talking or texting on their cell phones. The law passed a little over a year ago but people are ignoring it. They pulled people over specifically for using their phone.

The problem is the size of the fine. It is only $20. Which is essentially meaningless. If you drive in the carpool lane by yourself it is a $280 fine but talk on your phone risk peoples lives 20 bucks. Doesn't seem right.
 
mchepp said:
In CA the police just finished a "crack down" on people talking or texting on their cell phones. The law passed a little over a year ago but people are ignoring it. They pulled people over specifically for using their phone.

The problem is the size of the fine. It is only $20. Which is essentially meaningless. If you drive in the carpool lane by yourself it is a $280 fine but talk on your phone risk peoples lives 20 bucks. Doesn't seem right.
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Shoot it's $20 for parking at an expired meter. Increased fines would probably help put a stop to it.
 
The other thing that might work is to have obscene sentencing if you cause an accident. No penalty for driving with a phone, but if you are talking on a phone and cause an accident, welcome to jail for five years and if someone dies in the process, make that 20. People might think twice then.

I read something once that suggested that your concentration is impaired if you're talking on a phone to the same extent as if you're something like twice the legal drink drive limit. I hate seeing people talking on their phones while driving. They banned it in the UK about 4 or 5 years ago. Not too soon.
 
Ty_Webb said:
The other thing that might work is to have obscene sentencing if you cause an accident. No penalty for driving with a phone, but if you are talking on a phone and cause an accident, welcome to jail for five years and if someone dies in the process, make that 20. People might think twice then.
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Or donate all your organs a la "Seven Pounds".
 
For me, the most annoying are definitely the phone users. Either they're wedging the cell against their shoulder, so never look before changing lanes. Or they're texting while not paying attention to the traffic around them.

I don't text while driving and either have my bluetooth earbud w/voice dial or a SYNC-equipped vehicle. Just drop the >$50 and get a bluetooth if you don't, much easier to deal with than trying to hold a phone.

*edit* Funniest car-distraction I've ever seen a driver using:
Spoiler

Was at a stoplight here in town at night, and the guy next to us had a portable dvd player sitting on the center of his dash watching a porno flick. We laughed for at least 20 minutes after seeing that!
 
I guess I will just have to be one of the multi taskers....
Do I talk on the phone while driving?? yes
Do I text/email while in the car?? yes..at stop lights
I have a BT, but it is currently not able to be found....
Have I ever caused or been in a wreck because of it?? No
Do I slow down while on the phone?? nope...I keep up with the rate of traffic...

I am sorry, but the job I have, the one I want to keep in this economy, requires me to be available about 16 hours per day...That means via email and phone...

That is just my life in a fast paced society....:call-me:
 
While hand-free devices free people up to put both hands on the steering wheel, they don't fix the underlying problem, which is inattentive driving. Holding a conversation distracts you from the road and decreases your ability to react quickly if needed.

Now, if only people could be convinced not to tailgate, especially while talking on the phone, a lot of accidents could be avoided.
 
bama said:
I guess I will just have to be one of the multi taskers....
Do I talk on the phone while driving?? yes
Do I text/email while in the car?? yes..at stop lights
I have a BT, but it is currently not able to be found....
Have I ever caused or been in a wreck because of it?? No
Do I slow down while on the phone?? nope...I keep up with the rate of traffic...

I am sorry, but the job I have, the one I want to keep in this economy, requires me to be available about 16 hours per day...That means via email and phone...

That is just my life in a fast paced society....:call-me:
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Sorry Bama, but really, just because you haven't caused an accident yet, doesn't mean you should go on without a BT headset, or continue texting while driving, IMHO. There's a first time for everything.

C'mon, the Plantronics BT headset I have cost me <$25.

You don't think you're slowing down, but I bet you're not as fully aware of (or can see) all the other drivers and conditions as you would be if you weren't holding that phone up to your ear.

Everybody's busy in this day and age. Those of us who still have jobs have to work harder than ever, and more hours than ever. Believe me, I'm in the same boat as you are, having to be available 24/7/365 as a manager in Support, but I don't think being in demand is a valid excuse for not using a headset. My two cents.
 
D-Rock said:
While hand-free devices free people up to put both hands on the steering wheel, they don't fix the underlying problem, which is inattentive driving. Holding a conversation distracts you from the road and decreases your ability to react quickly if needed.

Now, if only people could be convinced not to tailgate, especially while talking on the phone, a lot of accidents could be avoided.
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I agree, it's not that you're holding the phone it is the fact that you're not paying full attention to the task at hand.

I was just reading today that the Missouri General Assembly passed a law making it illegal for any one 21 years of age or younger to send or read text messages while operating a motor vehicle. Apparently it doesn't apply to me as I am older than 21.:confused2:
 
I see people driving holding the cell phone and searching through papers..scares the heck out of me.Don't know what they're steering with.Pulled up along side a guy that was reading a magazine.. women putting their makeup on... others eating and talking on the cell phone and this is all on the interstate
 
I use my TomTom as my hands-free device. I usually know where I'm going but I always have the GPS with me just for the bluetooth.
 
I know that a lot of accidents are probably caused by phones and distractions..
But so are a lot of other things....
not wearing seat belts
how many people actually drive with their hands at 10 and 2?
old people getting renewed licenses without tests....Old people driving
people listening to music too loud

the list goes on and on....
i could probably be more attentive driving while talking on the phone then a soccer mom disciplining one of her kids...

It all comes down to personal responsibility....If you feel you are not in control by constantly missing green lights or almost ramming into people, than stop whatever your doing that is distracting you....
 
bama said:
I know that a lot of accidents are probably caused by phones and distractions..
But so are a lot of other things....
not wearing seat belts
how many people actually drive with their hands at 10 and 2?
old people getting renewed licenses without tests....Old people driving
people listening to music too loud

the list goes on and on....
i could probably be more attentive driving while talking on the phone then a soccer mom disciplining one of her kids...

It all comes down to personal responsibility....If you feel you are not in control by constantly missing green lights or almost ramming into people, than stop whatever your doing that is distracting you....
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Failing to wear a seatbelt doesn't cause accidents, it just makes them worse when they happen.

And just because you are more attentive than a soccer mom disciplining her kids doesn't make it okay. You're less attentive than you are when you're not on the phone. That's a fact. And that tenth of a second that you lose might be the difference between someone (maybe you) living and dying. I doubt it will ever come to that and I sincerely hope it doesn't, but it might. It's all too easy to assume it will never happen to you, but it happens from time to time to someone and next time it might be you.
 
I am guilty of using a cell phone while I drive. I do use a bluetooth device to do it, but I still believe I have to be diligent to avoid being distracted by the call I am on. I check e-mails on the same phone, but limit it to stoplights only, or I pull off to read/reply. Same goes for text. Especially for text. Normally, that is a very short conversation, so pulling over isn't a great inconvenience. I am just not in that big a hurry to die. I can lose a couple of minutes if it means I am not going to kill myself or someone else.
 
Make everyone drive a 1960's Willy stick shift, or even something older w/o power steering etc or has the stick shift on the steering column........?:D

Seriously though I will talk for very brief periods if it is important/emergency otherwise I just plug in the ipod/satellite reciever and away I go. IMO I have made it this far by God's grace and it would be sad to buy the farm on the road for nothing, I would prefer to buy it for something but that is just me!
 
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