Driving with Cell Phones

[HappyCCRVr]

Originally Posted by oatmeal

One way to be proactive is to refuse to be part of a conversation with anyone who is talking on the phone while driving. The first thing I say when a call is initiated is, "Are you driving?" If yes, then I say, "I'm hanging up. Call me back when you're not driving."

It occurred to me that if someone I'm talking to crashes into somebody, or god forbid kills someone, I would feel guilty beyond belief, as if I were a party to the crime. Not to mention that I would probably HEAR it and have to suffer the mental repercussions from that.

Yeah, I felt kind of like a pig snout when I first started doing it, but it's getting easier because I really believe I have a right not to be put in that position. If you want to do dangerous things, I can't stop you. But I can refuse to participate and at least protect myself, and maybe some innocent pedestrian who you might actually notice if you're not on the phone with me.

I resemble that remark!

[HappyCCRVr]

Originally Posted by KSCRUDE

The only way they will ever stop this cell phone crap, texting, talking and hands free talking is to make all phones disabled when moving over 5 mph. We have the technology as all phones have gps and this would just take a software update. This would save more lives then outlawing assault rifles and high capacity magazines. Because people will still kill people whether they have a six shooter or AK 47. Stop all cell phone use while moving and they will save countless hundreds every year. And talking hands free on the cell phone is distracted driving, matters not if your holding the phone or just talking into a speaker, its still distracted driving. You mind is not on the road, its on your conversation. And texting is even worse. I see young girls passing me all the time, both hands on the phone texting with their thumbs and driving with their knees. It is just as risky as driving drunk, the statistics have proven.

Wow. and public opinion reigns! My mother won't even talk with me from the passenger seat when I'm driving. When I asked her why she was so quiet, she said because I want you to concentrate on your driving.
She is 82 yo and has driven since she was 21 and has never had an accident!

[HappyCCRVr]

Originally Posted by Mrjim

Too many fans here of imposing your will upon others, scary, the self righteousness.

Haha, the 'self righteous' love to share their reasons why, don't they?
Not much of an argument in favour from 'the other side' so far.....

[HappyCCRVr]

Originally Posted by fishinjim

Forget making unenforceable laws. Put the emphasis on the insurance. Have an accident and cellphone records indicate texting, etc at the time means the insurance co can deny payment for you.

And double the payment to the victims.

[HappyCCRVr]

Originally Posted by sc3283

Jim, do you really think your solution will fix anything? How many people drive without insurance now...without a cell phone infraction on their record. What if you were the person that got hit by that person using the cell phone???

Making laws that do nothing is NOT a remedy nor is making laws the screw the innocent

See above ^^^^ That way, innocent will not be penalized.

[HappyCCRVr]

Originally Posted by Possum

I noticed that too. I don't ext at all unless I am at someplace where I can put my reading glasses on. I can't see anything within arms length with any amount of clarity. I have a blue tooth thing that connects when the phone rings and disconnects when the caller hangs up. Just what the hell we need another bunch of safety nannies infringing on the rights of everyone just because they believe themselves to be correct. The "We'll protect the world whether or not the world wants protecting" types really get to me because when new penalties and costs are forthcoming from their demands they plead ignorance to causing the increases.

Every right comes attached to a responsibility. If every single person respected those responsibilities, would we need all these laws?

[HappyCCRVr]

Originally Posted by Caveman CBB

I'm not defending the cell phone use while driving. But, you all seemed to have not noticed that the motorcycle driver was going 85 MPH. I don't believe in 55 but, 85 is wound up purty tight don't you think.

That's why we have laws against speeding, but people don't heed them. Even the most careful drivers believe they have the 'right' to go 10 mph over the speed limit So, we conclude that one person talking or texting along with one person speeding equals a bad crash that kills them all.

[Possum]

I seldom use my cell phone and my CB is used only sporadically when we travel with friends. I really could give a ratzz rectum what your eightysomething mother does while you're driving. It has pretty much nothing to do with the rest of the world. If you can't drive and talk then don't, but don't foist your shortcomings on the rest of the world. Damn, I despise people who believe their right to something supersedes everyone elses rights not to want that same something. You don't need to have countless inane bureaucrats pass more unenforceable traffic laws just to make you happy about your shortcomings.

[HappyCCRVr]

Originally Posted by Possum

I seldom use my cell phone and my CB is used only sporadically when we travel with friends. I really could give a ratzz rectum what your eightysomething mother does while you're driving. It has pretty much pizzall to do with the rest of the world. If you can't drive and talk then don't but don't foist your shortcomings on the rest of the world. damn I hate people who believe their right to something supersedes everyone elses rights not to. You don't need to have countless inane bureaucrats pass more unenforceable traffic laws.

Pretty much pizzall, except for she is one that pays attention, making her much less of a risk to others on the road. (and that she doesn't even have a cell phone).(and she's never had an accident in over 60 years of driving) I wouldn't' call it a shortcoming, it's basic common sense that when multitasking, you are dividing your attention between two or more things and cannot give 100% to one of those things. Maybe you don't care, but maybe someone else does

Your right to swing your fist ends just before it hits my face.

Hating people reflects more on you than on them.
Our right to drive on roads without distracted drivers should indeed supersede the perceived right of those who think they have that right to put others in danger whether through ignorance or rebellion to common sense.

With this logic presented, it appears that we do need to have "countless inane bureaucrats pass more unenforceable traffic laws" Pity.

[topdownman]

Interesting story, and while parts of it appear to be true, there was no cell phone use mentioned anywhere in this story when it first appeared years ago:

Motorcycle Inside Volkswagen Accident Photographs

It would be just as relevant to say excess speed of the motorcycle was a major contributing factor.

The graphic display was placed at the Stockholm Motorcycle Fair by the Swedish Police and Road Safety Department. The sign above the display noted that the rider had only recently obtained his license.

The Honda rider was traveling at such a "very high speed", his reaction time was not sufficient enough to avoid this accident. Swedish Police estimate a speed of ~250 KM/h (155mph) before the bike hit the side of the slow moving car at an intersection. At that speed, they predicted that the rider's reaction time (once the Volkswagen came into view) wasn't sufficient enough for him to even apply the brakes.

The car had two occupants and the bike rider was found INSIDE the car with them, along with the motorcycle itself.

The Volkswagen actually flipped over from the force of impact and landed 10 feet from where the collision took place. All three involved (two in the car, plus the rider) were killed instantly.

[HappyCCRVr]

Interesting. It does not say cell phone use was not involved, it only says that it was not reported in that article.
Here's the important part:
Of course, it cannot be disputed that the use of cell phones while driving can be a major, and potentially deadly, distraction to drivers. Cell phone use has been implicated in many fatal accidents around the world. Using a cell phone while driving has now been banned by authorities in a number of jurisdictions and can result in hefty fines and other penalties. But the claim that the accident depicted in these images was the result of cell phone distraction is doubtful. The motivation for highlighting this particular accident at a motorcycle fair seems more likely to have been to convince motorcyclists to slow down by showing them the potentially fatal results of excessive speed.

Speeding is dangerous indeed. Excessive speed will more likely kill in a crash.
Cell phone use while driving can cause accidents due to inattention.
Speeding and inattention are both contributors to road fatalities.
No hoax on that.

[HappyCCRVr]

Cell Phone Accident Statistics and Texting While Driving Facts

[HappyCCRVr]

From the National Safety Council:

NSC estimates 1.6 million crashes caused by cell phone use and texting

Washington, DC – The National Safety Council announced today that it estimates at least 28% of all traffic crashes – or at least 1.6 million crashes each year – involve drivers using cell phones and texting. NSC estimates that 1.4 million crashes each year involve drivers using cell phones and a minimum of 200,000 additional crashes each year involve drivers who are texting. The announcement came on the one-year anniversary of NSC’s call for a ban on all cell phone use and texting while driving.

Don't even need photographs, but they do get more attention than posting links that people don't read.

[DonDee]

Originally Posted by topdownman

Interesting story, and while parts of it appear to be true, there was no cell phone use mentioned anywhere in this story when it first appeared years ago:

Motorcycle Inside Volkswagen Accident Photographs

It would be just as relevant to say excess speed of the motorcycle was a major contributing factor.

The graphic display was placed at the Stockholm Motorcycle Fair by the Swedish Police and Road Safety Department. The sign above the display noted that the rider had only recently obtained his license.

The Honda rider was traveling at such a "very high speed", his reaction time was not sufficient enough to avoid this accident. Swedish Police estimate a speed of ~250 KM/h (155mph) before the bike hit the side of the slow moving car at an intersection. At that speed, they predicted that the rider's reaction time (once the Volkswagen came into view) wasn't sufficient enough for him to even apply the brakes.

The car had two occupants and the bike rider was found INSIDE the car with them, along with the motorcycle itself.

The Volkswagen actually flipped over from the force of impact and landed 10 feet from where the collision took place. All three involved (two in the car, plus the rider) were killed instantly.

x2. I recall this when it happened. 2005? ish