Cell phones while Driving

Does this drive anyone else nuts.

I know most of us are guilty of it (except me since I don't drive lol but my husband is)lol

Does anyone else think this should be TOTALLY against the law? So many stupid accidents happen or almost happen because people can't drive and talk on the phone at the same time. Today a soccer mom type almost back right into a tractor trailer.... luckily the TT was able to slam on his brakes and stop in time. She just backed right out of her driveway while on the phone without even looking.

My husband almost got rear ended at a red light by some stupid girl talking on her cell phone. she came flying up behind him and slammed her breaks on just in time. She had to swerve slightly to miss our car.

I am so fed up with morons on their phones while driving and acting like they own the road. NO wonder I never want to get a license.

I wish they would make some sort of mechanism that would jam the cell phone signal while the car is running. there is NO reason to talk on your phone while driving. If you must take the call.... pull over and sit at the side of the road while you talk.

Anyone else experience this type of stupidity?

Quote:

---

Anyone else experience this type of stupidity?

---

Oh yes. Smashed back bumper when a young woman on a cell just couldn't stop in time when I stopped for a red light. Interestingly, her SUV didn't have any damage...

I just read a study about this. It said that talking on a cell phone reduces the reflexes and reaction time of a twenty year old to that of an eighty year old! :eek:

It should definately be against the law. PULL OVER and make the call. I'm sorry, but NO ONE is soooooo busy that they can't take an extra two minutes to pull over and be safe. How did all the millions of "too busy" people ever possibly survive a decade or so ago, before cell phones were available?

And what about all the teenagers out there who TEXT while driving?? YIKES! :eek: My son says "all" his friends text and drive. Scary.

I agree that it's not a good idea and probably should be banned. There's a law out here that will require at least a hands free device, but it's been proven that people are just as distracted even with hands free.

That said, I do make calls while in my truck. My commute consists of 1-2 hours of driving and most of that time is spent going less than 5 mph. When I'm not in traffic the phone gets tossed in the cup holder and only answered if absolutely needed. It’s still a bad habit and I wouldn't mind if I get told that I can no longer use it at all while moving in the car.

On the lighter side of accidents, if there is such a thing, a couple of employees that I work with were in an accident when one rear ended the other; they were emailing back and forth to each other on blackberries when it happened. :rolleyes:

I do think it should be illegal. In fact, I have had - more than once - pedestrians on cell phone walk out into the street into the path of my car because they were distracted by their conversations. Hello? If you cannot safely work your own two FEET while talking on a cell phone, why should you do it behind the wheel of several hundred pounds of metal?

It is illegal some places.

It is definitely one of the more annoying and dangerous cell phone faux pas people make.

It is illegal here in NJ.

While I have been guilty of it in the past, lately when I drive, the phone is off or I don't answer it. I have voicemail for a reason. :)

I agree that cell phones shouldn't be used while driving. More so since I was hit by a girl who was yakking and not paying attention.

Witnesses say she never even yielded or looked before pulling right out into traffic and slamming her car into the side of my car. :rolleyes: :(

And she was STILL on the phone when the police officer showed up and she didn't even get a ticket. :eek: :mad:

I think talking on a cell phone while driving should be illegal.

If the call is so important, then people should pull over to the side of the road and talk.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sparks19

Does this drive anyone else nuts..........

My husband almost got rear ended at a red light by some stupid girl talking on her cell phone. she came flying up behind him and slammed her breaks on just in time. She had to swerve slightly to miss our car.

---

:mad: Don't get me started on this topic. Living in Toronto, population 3 million, it's a daily occurence. Now that winter is added to the mix, we're always on the watch for bad drivers.

Rob's dad was in a very serious car accident. Similiar to your husband's story above, Rob's dad was hit at a red light. A girl was driving a SUV and talking on a cell phone, but didn't realize ( :mad: ) that there was a red light in front of her. Therefore, she didn't slow down! She basically 'sandwiched' his dad's car between the taxi in front of him and the girl's car. His back was injured and he's been in therapy for the last while. He's retiring next year and now has to worry about back problems.

Lucky I wasn't there. I would have ripped that girl apart. She shouldn't have a drivers license and Rob's dad is now paying the price because of her stupidity.

I think it is downright stuipd! 10 years ago we lived our lives and did just fine without cell phones and suddenly, there are people who can't live without them? Sorry, but I don't think anyone is so important that they need to be reachable every minute of every single day. In the car.... Let it ring! It has called ID and you can return the call as soon as you stop! NOBODY needs to know where you are 24/7/365! I have sat in parking lots, one time for a hour and a half to take a long distance call to talk from someone I hadn't heard from in ages and I could have been home in minutes.. I only have my cell phone because of how I work or I would not have one... I HATE phones and always have and I don't like talking on them... Ha! The first 5 years I had one, it was only turned on when I was at work and stayed in a drawyer turned off the 28 days I was off....

LOL. Some of you may recall I am vehemently opposed to anti-cell phone legislation. I have used a cell phone since 1996, religiously (he he he). I have, in that same time span, had 2 accidents. Neither of them had anything to do with the cell phone. I wasn't on the cell phone at the time, nor distracted by it in any way. I simply had 2 accidents. Both my fault, both, thank GOD, minor- no injuries.

I see accidents, near accidents, etc., happen all the time (I drive alot). They are caused by sloppy, inattentive driving, even rubbernecking. Cell phones are like any other distraction in the car- children, the radio, CD player, activites on the sidewalk, looking for an address, whatever.

We have had accidents WAY longer than we have had cell phones. Cell phones do not cause the accidents, inattentive driving causes the accident (well, and sometimes, there is no 'cause'....accidents happen even with all the care in the world emphasized. Black ice comes to mind.)

Maybe, some people shouldn't use cell phones while walking, driving, or multi tasking at all. Some people are just clutzy. Some people are just bad drivers. Some people are just more accident prone than others.

I love my cell phone. :o

:) Thank you Karen = took the words right out of my mouth..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Karen

I do think it should be illegal. In fact, I have had - more than once - pedestrians on cell phone walk out into the street into the path of my car because they were distracted by their conversations. Hello? If you cannot safely work your own two FEET while talking on a cell phone, why should you do it behind the wheel of several hundred pounds of metal?

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sparks19

Anyone else experience this type of stupidity?

---

Every day on my commute to and from work and while driving in San Francisco. I've even witnessed idiots trying to parallel park while on the phone! :eek: My friends know that if they call me and I'm driving, I will not answer the phone.

My car cost me money and I want it to last a while. It would seem silly to damage my car or take a chance on endangering another driver or pedestrian because of a stupid phone call.

One of the best bumper stickers I have ever seen said:


HANG UP AND DRIVE!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gini

One of the best bumper stickers I have ever seen said:


HANG UP AND DRIVE!

---

Ha ha...that's a good one!

Quote:

---

Anyone else experience this type of stupidity?

---

Oh gosh yes. This has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to bad driving. I can't tell you how many times I've witnessed accidents and near accidents because of people talking on their damn phone! :mad:
I don't have a problem with people who can talk and drive at the same time, but unfortunately there are scads of people who can not. In fact, only this week, someone talking on their freaking phone has caused a near accident with me because of their stupidity. There was one guy would completely turned left when his light was red. This was a SOLID red too because the traffic with the green light was already going through the intersection. This idiot was completely oblivious! :mad: I had another person practically run me off the road in their bloody SUV while talking on their phone. Just because someone has a bigger car than mine, and can't concentrate while talking on the phone doesn't give them license to run me off the road! :mad:

Something equally annoying is women putting on make-up while driving. WTF? This is just as bad as talking on the phone IMO. These women are looking in their rear-view mirrors to apply mascara...and not at the road. That is just too frightenting. It's not worth risking a life to do something so stupid. Either get up earlier and do make-up at home, or do it when you get to work...but not while driving!!! :eek:

Sorry, this is just a very sore spot for me because I see it too much.

*sigh*

its illegal in some places to do so.

The problem is 99% of on-the-phone-while-driving seem to think yapping on the phone is way more important than watching the road and not getting into an accident. They HAVE to answer a ringing phone no matter what. I cannot count the number of times I've been almost rearended or been hit broadside because of these 'people'. If you are merging concentrate on the ROAD!

The other pet peeve with this is driving while on the phone in the left/passing lane. They are going 5-10 miles under the speed limit in a passing lane. :mad:

I've got a cell, and the ONLY times I'll answer is if it is my fiancee, mom, dad, or brother. The rest get voicemail until I'm at a stop light or parked. With my mom and dad I'll tell them I'll call them back cuz I'm driving. My bro I'll talk to real quick and mention I'm driving let me get back with you when I can concentrate on the call. My fiancee I'll answer and talk to (I'll actually get into the far RIGHT lane if I'm not already), but he knows I'm concentrating more on the road than the call.

Ooh that felt good :)

Once again, I have to agree with Johanna. It's not the phones that are the problem...it's idiot people. I have not had an accident since I have owned a phone and I use it a lot when I am driving. I also make sure that as I am talking I look in all the mirrors and to my side.

I know people who can be doing nothing but driving and still not have a clue as to what is going on around them...

Sparks19, you said it all!

10 years ago we learned to make our calls before or after we drove. We did other stupid things while driving, but phone calls weren't one of them. Yes, we had accidents, but now we've increased the probability.

When you are behind the wheel, you should be doing only one thing---driving!

I've always wondered why they couldn't fix either the vehicles or the phone so they won't operate while the transmission is engaged. There are 'zappers" that will disable cell phones, but their use is illegal. I'd love to get my hands on one anyway.

I've seen the bumper stickers "Hang up and Drive". I want one on each bumper and I want to put them under ever wiper blade I see.

I have more problems with people putting make up on as they drive or yelling at their kids in the back seat (even so far as to be turned around yelling) than people on cell phones (although the oblivious ones make me nuts).

It's true that there are some people who can drive and talk on the phone simultaneously without having an accident, but it would seem that many people cannot safely operate a car and a cell phone at the same time.

It's also true that some people can drive with an alcohol level that's over the legal limit without getting into an accident. But that's not a very good argument in favor of eliminating the drunk driving laws.

If cell phones are frequently identified as a factor in causing accidents, then their use while driving should be banned.

Yesterday I was on the interstate. Five lanes wide and moving at about 65 mph. In the center lane was a pickup. Two guys in it. One of them was flipping through an atlas and reading the various maps. Unfortunately, it was the same guy who was driving.

I have seen people on this interstate eating cereal while driving, putting on makeup and turning around to converse with the backseat occupants. I have seen woman in a hot little sports car with her parrot sitting on the dash.

What I want to know is.....who are all these people talking to? Really, at 7:00 in the morning...WHO are they talking to????

The phones I don't mind as much as the peole who really try to multi-task.

I see people talking on the phone, eating and (supposubly) driving. I see them drive with their knees, their elbows, I see them with computers on their laps. :eek: Typing away! :mad: :( And most of this is on the highway! You don't see it so much in town... :confused: I see them with headphones on their ears, (which I know for a fact is illegal) I see them with those little TVs on, I see them with magazines open. I see people doing their hair, their make-up. It just... URG!... Seems like we are having less and less responsible drivers out there by the day.

[rant over]

It drives me bonkers, too.

Another road pet-peeve of mine is people passing on the wrong side of the road. I see this all the time

Example: Car 1 is turning left. Car 2 is TOO DAMN BUSY to wait 2 seconds for car 1 to finish turning, so Car 2 decides that it would be a good plan to make an illegal right-side pass. :mad:

People are becoming worse and worse with driving. Who knows if it's because of thier cell phone.

One thing that bothers the heck out of me about cell phone users is when they come thru my drive-thru at work and tell ME told hold on because they need to finish their conversation. I have to sit at the window register waiting for them to order while listening to their conversation reguardless of wether I wanted to or not.

And then when they come to the window talking on thier cell phones and pay NO attention to what I am asking them and I have to repeat myself 10 or so times to get an answer from them.

Yeah, thanks for wasting my time, holding up my line, and giving me more work!

I think it honestly comes down to being just plain rude and irresponsible. I don't blame the cell phones themselves, as has been pointed out above that accidents have happened because of inattentiveness (whether or not a cell phone was involved).

Some people think they need to have a cell phone glued to their ears and be rude to cashiers, drive up window clerks, doctors (we had one client brought a dog in and we never did get to talk to the owner, he was on the cell phone the ENITRE time and never even acknowleged us!!).

This behavior whether on cell phones, driving in general, shoving past people in a store, lack of 'please' and 'thank you's' or (my worst pet peeve) 'my little child couldn't have possibly done anything wrong''; all stems from the same causes: rude and irresponsible behavior, lack of ethics, morals, and plain and simple curtesy!

As long as the courts continue to let people sue for their own stupidity (ie. spilling hot coffee on yourself, getting fat eating fast food, etc.) and as long as the general public allows or excuses the behavior, then this will all not only continue, but get much worse. Just in my lifetime (and I'm not that old) I've seen a DRASTIC change in how people interact with other people whether in public or their own families.

Lets face it, the days of 'Little House on the Prarie' and the 'Waltons' is history, simply a fond memory, gone with the wind!


***and for the record, the only time I'm on my cell phone while driving (and that isn't often) is if I'm on a straight, low traffic road and not making any turns/parking etc. Otherwise, my voicemail can get it, I'm busy!***

The State of Connecticut has a "hands free" law which requires you to use an ear piece while driving. Personally, I like the ear piece. It let's me chat away while keeping both my hands on the wheel.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary

...What I want to know is.....who are all these people talking to? Really, at 7:00 in the morning...WHO are they talking to????

---

LOL LOL you know, I've always wondered that too! What is so bloody important, you know?

Oh my gosh Kay, that is incredibly rude! People should be curteous enough to get off the freaking phone for 2 minutes to order food if they drove up to a drive-through window. *sigh* I have to agree that people in general have become so much more rude than they used to be. It's rediculous that you would have to wait for them to finish their stupid call, and worse yet...that they TELL you to wait! :mad: WTF? Ugh! I would almost consider not waiting on them and tell them to keep going if they can't shut their yap for two seconds to order their food. *sigh*

catlady, good points...all. It is so true. I have to agree that rude and irresponsible behavior, lack of ethics, morals, and plain and simple curtesy is the source of the whole problem. It's sad that in just a few short years, people have become this way, but I've really noticed it this year. I really miss the days when people were more considerate. Now everyone is so self-involved...that nothing but them matters. :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mruffruff

Sparks19, you said it all!

10 years ago we learned to make our calls before or after we drove. We did other stupid things while driving, but phone calls weren't one of them. Yes, we had accidents, but now we've increased the probability.

.

---

I was going to say exactly the same thing LOL. I mean seriously, we had car accidents before cell phones so it doesnt matter if they are happening more frequently because accidents happen anyway?! I just can't see justifying something that has OBVIOUSLY caused a lot of problems for a lot of people. Yes there are accidents without cell phones but there are just too many that involved cell phones to simply ignore that it might be a problem, IMHO.

CatsinDenver, you also make a very good point. Just because some people have been lucky to have not been in an accident that involved a cell phone does not make it OK for others who are incapable of doing so to endanger peoples well being. Like it was pointed out before, a vehicle can be a very dangerous thing when you are fully concentrating. Why are we trying to promote adding in a distraction that could possibly impair your judgement and reactions? it has been pointed out on this thread that people have been involved in accidents without distractions. obviously we have difficulty with our vehicles and other drivers as it is. We don't need cell phones to make it a more frequent occurance.

I'd like to see it made a secondary offence, enforced like seatbelt laws used to be in Mass.

An officer could not pull you over for not having a seatbelt on, but if he was giving you a ticket for another offense (speeding, etc) and you weren't wearing a seatbelt, it was an additional fine on top of the speeding ticket.

So, if you got into an accident while talking on a cell phone, or were weaving lanes, or committing another moving violation while talking on a cell, the officer could add to the ticket. However, if you were driving in a sane manner but talking on a phone, the officer could not pull you over for that alone.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary

What I want to know is.....who are all these people talking to? Really, at 7:00 in the morning...WHO are they talking to????

---

Calling the Highway Patrol to report the idiot who cut them off for driving while talking on a cell phone.

I think cell phones are part of the distraction, But really the distraction is conversation! wheather it be on the phone or in person.
The human brain can only do so much at a time...

I remember when it was against the law to eat or drink coffee while driving.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by moosmom

I remember when it was against the law to eat or drink coffee while driving.

---

Probably still is, it's just not enforced anymore. That's the sad part with law, we don't need NEW laws, just the ones we have enforced.

And then theres always those weird laws that are still on the books in places which are definately not enforced or have new laws overriding them.....

In our area there is still a law stating that it's illegal to bathe in the town square after 9pm (apparently it's ok to do so before that?) but that one is superceded by the indecent exposure law. Then theres the law about not tying your horse up directly in front of the business' to use the provided posts instead. I'm still wondering if you ticketed an illegally tied horse, where do you stick the ticket :eek: , they don't have windshield wipers??!~ :D :p ROFL