LaHood calls for nationwide ban on cell phone conversations, texting while driving
(Jason Getz, AJC)
(Updated 3:04 p.m.)
If it’s left up to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, no driver on U.S. roads would be allowed to talk or text on cell phones while behind the wheel.
LaHood on Thursday called on Congress to ban talking or texting while driving any vehicle on any road in the nation, according to a Reuters report.
LaHood told a group of doctors, advocates and government officials in San Antonio that the problem of accidents connected to cell phone use is a “national epidemic.” The National Transportation Safety Administration reported 3,000 traffic deaths attributed to distracted driving last year, many blamed on cell phone use.
He said he was not too concerned about people who eat or apply makeup while driving because “not everyone does that,” Reuters reported.
“But everyone has a cell phone and too many of us think it is OK to talk on our phones while we are driving,” the secretary was quoted as saying.
LaHood has been pushing for the ban for several years. His office said he remains supportive of state efforts to address the issue. So far, 37 states plus the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving and 10 states plus D.C. have total bans on handheld phones while driving.
Georgia’s law banning texting while driving took effect July 1, 2010. According to the state Department of Driver Services, there had been more than 500 convictions for violations of the law as of mid-December.
Georgia Code 40-6-241.1 prohibits people under the age of 18 from “wireless communications” (cell phone conversations, texting, sending or reading emails, etc.) while operating a motor vehicle. Georgia Code 40-6-241.2 prohibits people 18 years old or older from “writing, sending or reading text based communication” while operating a motor vehicle.
Is it time for a federal ban on talking and texting while driving?
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163 comments Add your comment
Tech '10
April 27th, 2012
11:17 am
I find it sad that we supposedly need a law to enforce what should be common sense.
Dyren Ducati
April 27th, 2012
11:18 am
If you can afford it, get a car with Bluetooth.
Sluggo
April 27th, 2012
11:19 am
Yes, Please.
Can it be enforced with real teeth? Most Georgia drivers ignore the law.
Chilly Willy
April 27th, 2012
11:19 am
NEVER HAPPEN!
Holden Magroyne
April 27th, 2012
11:23 am
You dont need a car with Bluetooth. Just buy one of those Bluetooth ear thingys for under $40! Also, most of the newer phones will voice read you emails and texts so you do not need to look at the screen. Both hands on the wheel people!!! And use those turn signals!!!!
Marilynn
April 27th, 2012
11:23 am
Unfortunately, government has to step in and regulate because we somehow have a culture of everyone is entitled to do what they want, when they want and to hell with anyone they kill, maim or emotionally torture in the process of taking a call in the car. I wish Scottie would beam all the cellphones to some unknown planet and we go back to the Green Acres way of phoning.
Motorcyclist
April 27th, 2012
11:23 am
Will the Gwinnett police write themselves tickets?
They still text and drive.
Greg from Marietta
April 27th, 2012
11:23 am
This law may be on the books but enforcement is a joke. I live down the street from a high school and you can stand in my front yard in the afternoon when school lets out and count the cars with the teen drivers talking on their cell phones as they go down the street. 4 out of 5 are driving with a cell phone stuck in their ear. But what do you expect when their parents do the exact same thing?
beebee
April 27th, 2012
11:29 am
sadly, it’s women that have made this a national epidemic. yes, some men talk on phones sometimes. but women NEVER SHUT UP!
Trixie
April 27th, 2012
11:29 am
Absolutely! and it should have the same punishment as a DUI! It’s just as dangerous!!
John
April 27th, 2012
11:32 am
Texting, yes. Talking, no. As long as I use hands free technology, it is no more distracting–infact, less distracting–to talk to someone on the phone while driving than to carry on a conversation with a passenger in the car.
richard
April 27th, 2012
11:32 am
We wouldn’t have to rebuild our roads if the people on the phones would get off them and keep moving. I see multiple idiot drivers not paying attention while talking on their phones daily.
richard
April 27th, 2012
11:34 am
John, when you are talking to a friend in teh car and something happens on the road the friend shuts up, on the phone not so much.
GBurdelll
April 27th, 2012
11:34 am
Bluetooth would be banned too…..it’s ALL phone use.
I say remove radios, dvd player, CB’s, GPS, and anything else that might “distract the driver”. Then require a 1 inch thick plexiglass cube around the drive so others in the car will not distract them. Oh, and remove the billboards and any signage not used for directions.
Bhorsoft
April 27th, 2012
11:36 am
I can always tell the cell phone users when I’m on the road because they drive like drunks. The only difference is the cell phone users have a phone to their ear (or are looking down while texting). I’d love to see a ban with teeth at a national level, but the CTIA is a very powerful lobby. It will never happen. After all, we have the best government money can buy.
Of course, if we all took personal responsibility seriously, we wouldn’t need such regulation and legislation…. Sigh.
gtcitizen
April 27th, 2012
11:41 am
What about individuals whose livelihoods depend on the ability to use a cell phone responsibly while driving (truck drivers, self-employed business-owners, etc) to and from job-sites or in route to service calls? It’s easy to make a blanket statement to prevent foolish irresponsibility, but laws like this would cause serious implications for certain professions whose businesses depend on the ability to communicate and be on the road most of the time. I am completely supportive of reducing crashes due to irresponsible behavior, but common sense should be applied as well. As a side note, I disagree with a federal ban and think that local and state governments should make those decisions.
Benny
April 27th, 2012
11:42 am
Unfortunately, when you have narcissitic people that are above the law what good are laws? Drive the interstate (or any other road) and watch the complete disdain for common sense or courtesy coupled with a complete disregard for laws covering driving. I completely agree with a complete ban but it will be ignored.
Bill
April 27th, 2012
11:43 am
Most Atlanta drivers don’t understand the need to concentrate on traffic when they are driving. DUI in south Atlanta is epidemic and not enforced. And what about the firearms going off on certain dates? APD would you please enforce this to protect my life and property? [no]
Ueeediot
April 27th, 2012
11:43 am
Ive seen Gwinnett Police texting, eating, and working off their ***dashboard mounted LAPTOP***
Its also funny to me when I see a certain officer stop in the QT and purchase his cigs and beer…
Alexander Bell
April 27th, 2012
11:43 am
I fully support the idea, but the genie is out of the bottle. And besides, it will just be one more law associated with driving that will never be enforced.
PAC
April 27th, 2012
11:44 am
What’s next you talk to the person in car or the backseat? No music or drinking (sodas). I have no problem with requiring a hands free device, but a complete band is nonsense.
bigdawg
April 27th, 2012
11:45 am
But it is ok to drive with your damn dog in your lap. Stupid.
Derwood
April 27th, 2012
11:46 am
AUGH, ONCE AGAIN OUR GOVERNING BODIES SHOW THEIR STUPIDITY. THIS IS ABOUT AS FUNNY AS IS OUR CONGRESSMEN QUESTIONING THE SECRET SERVICE ABOUT GOING WITH PROSTITUTES. ANYONE EVER HEARD THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK? I DON’T THINK A CONGRESSMEN SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPEN THEIR MOUTH.YOU CAN’T LEGISLATE STUPIDITY, WILL OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS EVER LEARN?
Wilbur
April 27th, 2012
11:48 am
As long as I can still load my gun while driving, I’m OK with it.
bob
April 27th, 2012
11:49 am
JUST STAY OUT OF THE LEFT LANE IF YOU’RE NOT PASSING ANYONE!!
dpointer
April 27th, 2012
11:52 am
Yes, it should be against the law! Half the people driving are talking on the damn phone. And you can tell it long before you see the driver with the phone up to their ear. They obviously can’t drive and talk at the same time. In my opinion, some of them are as bad as a drunk driver. Those who say it doesn’t affect their driving are liars. Unfortunately it’s some other innocent person that will pay the price.
ugaprof
April 27th, 2012
11:54 am
Yes, yes, yes. You can’t legislate intelligence, but you can at least have the penalties ready for people who behave stupidly. There should be exemptions, of course, for certain kinds of headsets and microphones that don’t require constantly holding something to your ear.
Jerome
April 27th, 2012
11:54 am
Sometimes I talk to myself. So if this law takes affect will I be pulled over? Another way for BIG BROTHER to interfere in our lives.
ugaprof
April 27th, 2012
11:55 am
What about cell-phone pedestrians? Drive through the UGA campus and dodge the people with cell phones to their ears, who seemingly can’t see the oncoming cars. I’ve even seen them put up their hand to block the view of an approaching car, as if what I can’t see can’t hit me!
bigred
April 27th, 2012
11:58 am
I agree texing and talking while driving has gotten out of hand but do we need the government to step into another area of our lives? No we do not. But unfortunately, there are those that will not hang up and drive, even if you pass a law. Another case of the minority(the few, not a race thing) making life harder on those who do try to do the right thing. And they will kill innocent people and never even get a scratch if left to their own devices. Ron White says it best. You can’t FIX STUPID!
Lary C.
April 27th, 2012
11:58 am
Yes cellphone use while driving should be banned.
Pamela
April 27th, 2012
11:58 am
I for one hope and pray this law pass. Lawmakers are ALWAYS trying to be very strict on young people (16-21) regarding use of cell phones etc…while they are driving, however every single day when I’m on the road I see a LOT of people that are well over the age of 21 talking on their cell phones, texting and driving at the same time and they always drive very wreckless. They will either go extremely slow in the passing and all the other lanes, swerve their car, cut you off in traffic without using a signal light and all sorts of things. Too many people have perished because of careless people! I pray this law pass and the local authorities ticket people who does these things.
Michele
April 27th, 2012
11:59 am
Go for it! This law is urgently needed to get the idiots where it hurts, in the pocketbook. I also think it should be a law that insurance will not pay in the case of an accident caused by the driver on the phone. I am tired of being run off the road or having to take defensive action on a daily basis because of idiots who can’t live without constant contact with someone else. Ban the phone!
Tom
April 27th, 2012
12:00 pm
As of June 1, ALL cell phone voice/text use while driving is banned in Chapel Hill, NC. Yes, that even includes Bluetooth and other hands-free technologies.
TalkativeMom
April 27th, 2012
12:03 pm
This is funny! What is this world coming too? I’ve been talking and driving for years and have never had a wreck so punish all for a few?? Whatever! Nobody will follow this bogus law if it is passed so who cares if it passes or not.
jrev
April 27th, 2012
12:07 pm
I’d rather see people ticketed $150+ for not using turn signals. I’ll never understand why people think there is no need to let other drivers know where you are planning to go. I think only about 25% of people even use them. If I were a police officer, I would spend all day giving out tickets to people who fail to use a turn signal. Sometimes I wonder if turn signals are an “option” when you buy a car because they are used so infrequently.
Alana
April 27th, 2012
12:08 pm
PLEASE!!!! I am so tired of all the mornic drivers who cannot focus on the road b/c of their gossiping!!! And seriously GA, only 500 convictions for texting & driving since 7/10???????? I SEE 500 ON THE WAY TO THE OFFICE!!!! Your phone conversation & texts can wait 20 mins. Remember when we didn’t have the option of cell phones??? Somehow we made it then, GET OFF THE PHONE AND DRIVE!!!!!!!
Joe
April 27th, 2012
12:09 pm
Will do no good until penalties are equal to that of DUI – they are equally as dangerous, but you get a slap on the wrist if caught texting.
Mike
April 27th, 2012
12:10 pm
“He said he was not too concerned about people who eat or apply makeup while driving because ‘not everyone does that.’”
Apparently Mr. LaHood is from a planet where nutrition is absorbed from the air. Everybody eats. And a percentage of people who eat do it in their car while driving. And a percentage of people who eat while driving are distracted and drive poorly and cause accidents.
In some jurisdictions that have banned texting while driving, accidents have gone up – because people who still feel the need to text are having to hide their phones so no one can see them doing it, taking their eyes off the road.
Nancy
April 27th, 2012
12:10 pm
To Talkative Mom: Ever look behind you? Kinda like Mr. Magoo, driving down the road with wrecks in his wake and hs never sees them!
Scoots Randolph
April 27th, 2012
12:11 pm
Almost got hit while on my scooter two days ago. The culprit: soccer mom on her cell phone in a school zone (!) who didn’t bother to come to a complete stop at a stop sign and just plowed right ahead. Someone like me will die because the driver *has* to talk. And it’s not gender-restricted; I see everyone on their phones. Unless you’re a doctor giving life-saving instructions over the phone to someone, is there any need for you to be talking, texting, or browsing while you drive? Let’s go one step further and ban cell phones altogether and get some humanity back.
Olivia
April 27th, 2012
12:20 pm
My daughter, for her school research project, sat in an intersections at distinct times of day for 4 weeks and during business days only. She collected data on people talking or potentially texting while drinving. In her data. It is unbeleavable the frequency of people breaking the law (!!!). Most “infractors” were women (sic !!) and “aparently” young drivers. For her presentation she even collected cartoons on the issue and the one who puzzeled her and, I should confess, me, the most for being ironic and sadly true was one of AJC (see the link).
http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/7/P/r/2/texting-while-driving.jpg
Duh.
April 27th, 2012
12:25 pm
Not enforceable.
Duh.
April 27th, 2012
12:26 pm
Police should be investigating real crime.
Rich
April 27th, 2012
12:26 pm
I am not sure that a law will change behavior. Also, rules of the road are the states responsibility. Check out the 10 amendment.
Ga Native
April 27th, 2012
12:28 pm
Most of the people in Georgia cannot drive anyway and most are transplants. Forget the phones. The driver’s test should be A LOT harder! It should include highway driving, yielding to traffic and staying in the right lane if you are OBVIOUSLY going slower than everyone else. It should also include the obstacle of driving up on a Floridiot and figuring out what to do to pass them as they are typically going 20 in a 45 or 50 in a 70. Those idiots need banned, also. You’re not at the beach anymore!
Pearl
April 27th, 2012
12:29 pm
pass all the laws you want….if they are not enforced until somebody dies in a crash then it’s useless….
Just curious
April 27th, 2012
12:30 pm
Does Mr. Lahood mean that because not everybody kills people, that would be a reason not to address issues regarding those laws? Or does he mean that if it makes good political and media “hay”, I’m happy to address the issue so long as it’s not complicated by any difficult factual issues? Whatever!
Common Since!
April 27th, 2012
12:30 pm
Leave cops out of it! Every cry baby says “but the cops do it”! SHUT UP! People who talk/text and drive are stupid! I rather you go kill yourself than hit a car full of people cause you to stupid to know you shouldnt talk/text and drive! Had a guy hit me last year cause he was to busy on his phone. The wreck put my kid in the hospital. I jumped out of my truck, pulled him out of his car and beat the crap out of him. The cops did not charge me with jack! If your talking/texting you deserve to get in a wreck!
Barry
April 27th, 2012
12:31 pm
Cell phone usage while driving utilizing hands free technology appears to be ok, I don’t think it is any more distracting than dealing with the radio and/or cds, etc. while driving.
Ned Puddleman
April 27th, 2012
12:37 pm
Just what we need, another law on the books. Give the Nazi’s another reason to stop and search you and your property.
Atlien
April 27th, 2012
12:38 pm
The cell phone ban works great in California. I bet 99% of poor lane discipline on interstates would be solved by banning cell phone use in GA. Almost everytime I see a slow driver in the left lanes on 75 or 85, the driver is on the phone.
Rich
April 27th, 2012
12:40 pm
Let’s deal with a real issue with driving. Why is it so dificult for people to use a stop sign correctly? So often, I see one person go at a time. It should be two at a time, unless one is turning.
Voice of Reason
April 27th, 2012
12:42 pm
Might as well just enact a law that says we can’t talk to the person sitting next to us while driving or have kids under the age of 8 in the car because they might talk and distract the driver because they don’t know any better.
Police cannot even enforce the no texting while driving law here in Georgia but let’s go ahead and make a federal case for a law that’s impossible to enforce.
Because, you know, all the other problems in the world have already been taken care of.
sherman
April 27th, 2012
12:42 pm
Next you can tell us where to stand – sit, if we can go to the bathroom, maybe that dude has got it right…prison planet indeed! – the officious better be good at hide and go seek…
Rick James
April 27th, 2012
12:44 pm
Let’s also ban eating,applying make up, talking to other passengers,changing the radio or cd’s,reading billboards and having kids in the backseats who may fight or cry and distract us.Let’s just ban driving period.
ed
April 27th, 2012
12:47 pm
It is indeed sad that a federal ban on driving while operating a cell phone is necessary. But isn’t that the kind of society that has evolved? For every problem haven’t we been conditioned to reflexively say: “The government needs to do something about this.” And those dictatorial bureaucrats in government have gleefully obliged. If this administration has its way a regulation will decide when we die. Then when we are born.
dave
April 27th, 2012
12:54 pm
People will not stop talking on their cells.while driving.,. they all have that mindset, that nothing will happen to me,, I am smarter than everyone else….
Obvious Troll is Obvious
April 27th, 2012
12:55 pm
But it’s still legal to get “road head” right?
WithAGrainOfSalt
April 27th, 2012
1:00 pm
What kills me (almost literally) is the fool pulling out of their driveway in the morning with a cig in one hand, cell phone, resting on their shoulder, held by their chin and looking in the rear view mirror do put on their makeup. Wake up 10 minutes earlier and do that in your bathroom!!!
Tommy
April 27th, 2012
1:04 pm
Its not needed. There is already a law covering wreckless driving. Use it no matter what’s making someone drive wrecklessly, be it the cell phone, passenger, newspaper….whatever. Leave the people alone driving safely. This would require a little more enforcement energy, you’d have to watch how people drive instead of look for a telephone or big number on the radar screen.
Too much
April 27th, 2012
1:08 pm
The statement that talking on a cell phone while driving is just as dangerous as a DUI, and therefore should be punishable in the same manner is idiotic. Try intoxicating 80% of the drivers and lets see how many wrecks occur then.
JJ
April 27th, 2012
1:09 pm
Thanks for a thoughtful reply Tommy. We dont need more laws just enforce what we already have on the books.
anne
April 27th, 2012
1:09 pm
yes Please, please pass this law. people do not have common sense anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Mic
April 27th, 2012
1:14 pm
Yes, a law is absolutely needed, needs to be enforced and the punishment severe, like drivers license suspension on the first offense. I agree with Mr. LaHood, cellphone distraction, for drivers is a deadly epidemic. I encounter these crazy people every day, on I75. They’re easy to spot, it’s the woman in the huge SUV driving in three lanes, at 40 mph. Someone mentioned “dui”, they are driving under the influence. of that contraption stuck in their ear! Another growing problem, I’m seeing more truck drivers and cops using cellphones while driving, and no, they don’t multitask well either. Yes, we do need a law, banning use of cellphones while operating a motor vehicle and the penalty should be stiff enough to get the guilty off the road….. permanently! I’m tired of being put at risk just because some crazy clown thinks they have a right to endanger innocent peoples lives.
Richard
April 27th, 2012
1:15 pm
Why not just outlaw bad driving?
Joe
April 27th, 2012
1:18 pm
@ Too Much – you may be correct about talking, but texting is definitely just as dangerous.
kuhndog
April 27th, 2012
1:20 pm
I saw this coming and it will get worse before it gets better.You know the cell phone providers and their lobbyist will fight this they will kiss congress butt, they don’t care about lives or safety only $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
No critic
April 27th, 2012
1:24 pm
Sad thing to have government stepping in what should be a common sense. On the other hand, though, we clearly see how many stupid peolpe are around us. That is the reality. And these walking “texters” – same thing. Just more of “unattached”, people talking, and texting nothing, but stupidity all the time. However, no ability to keep a normal converstion. Where is this world going?
ABC
April 27th, 2012
1:24 pm
If you can afford a car, you can afford a $20 (or even less!) Bluetooth headset.
ItsCalledBluetooth
April 27th, 2012
1:27 pm
I disagree – a complete cell phone ban is a waste of tax payer money. There are too many laws to enforce as it is. Everyone who agrees that a law is needed should research “Defensive Driving” or take a class. Protect yourself and mind your own business.
XYZ
April 27th, 2012
1:28 pm
Hate to break it to you ABC, bluetooth devices are banned as well. It is a total ban on cell phone use that is proposed.
ATL_Native
April 27th, 2012
1:28 pm
How about a law requiring ALL CARS BE MADE MORE SAFE!
Safety is a feature that’s for sale. SMH
Leroy
April 27th, 2012
1:31 pm
@Common Since: You are full of $#!*. Beating the crap out of someone because he hit your vehicle (injured child not withstanding) and the cops didn’t charge you ? What a load of crap. Try that with me BOY and you’ll wear your A$$ for a hat.
Phoneless
April 27th, 2012
1:33 pm
Why the heck can’t you just make the call before you leave or wait till you get to where you are going before making a phone call? Seriously, is it that important to keep yacking on the phone? Remember, we used to know have cell phone and we survived just fine.
Yes, please pass the law!!!!
Joshua
April 27th, 2012
1:33 pm
ANOTHER federal law…. why not ?
JimmyZ
April 27th, 2012
1:33 pm
Okay, first of all, as mentioned before, this would NOT allow you to use bluetooth. He wants ALL cellphone use stopped, period.
Now on to the fun part. Next time you walk by a police car, look inside. Between a lighting/siren control panel that looks like a mad scientist control panel, more controls for a video camera, a radar system, and the ever-present laptop, it’s a wonder they have time to drive at all.
It’s not the act of talking and driving that is the problem, it’s the fact that some people just can’t multi-task. I’d say this has a 0.000001 percent chance of passing.
Renee
April 27th, 2012
1:34 pm
If you are going to ban cell phones from use in cars, you need to ban radios and passengers/carpooling as well. One is no worse a distraction than the other.
The Man
April 27th, 2012
1:35 pm
I am always challenging myself….I like eating and texting at the same time. It sharpens your driving skills…helps fine tune them.
ItsCalledBluetooth
April 27th, 2012
1:36 pm
I think Mr. LaHood needs to figure out why gas is $4 a gallon and why the oil companies have record profits year over year. We wont be able to afford to drive if they don’t do something.
Jeff
April 27th, 2012
1:36 pm
It will be even more dangerous, because people will be even further distracted by trying to hide their illegal texting/calling…
LaHoods a jerk
April 27th, 2012
1:37 pm
GBurdell…you have no idea how close you came to hitting the head on the nail. LaHood has in fact stated if he had his way he would ban anything in a vehicle that could possibly cause a distraction. Yes, that does include your phone (handsfree or not),GPS, any form of radio (you have to fiddle with the knobs/buttons right?), even the C.B.s that truckers use to communicate with each other.
RexDogma
April 27th, 2012
1:38 pm
Banning on talking on a phone is stupid. I one night reported an erratic driver and followed him with the police on the phone until they showed up. The guy was severely DUI and who knows how many lives I might have saved by reporting this guy. He was arrested a few minutes after the police arrived. Also you could make everything else done in a car. Such as eating, arguing with children, radio or cd listening, shaving, sex and the list grows. Folks get a life!!!
real john
April 27th, 2012
1:42 pm
Another bloated government bureaucrat trying to justify their job.
Driving deaths have been steadily declining for years in the U.S. When you factor in the number of cars and number of miles driven, accident deaths are pretty low in the U.S.
I can’t remember where I read it, but that 3000 number was shot down by several researchers. Notice how it says “many were blamed on texting and talking.” Please provide proof Mr. Lahood. He can’t, its just some bogus numbers the NTSB presented to argue their case…kind of like the “saved and create mythical jobs” numbers the stimulus supposedly created
James
April 27th, 2012
1:42 pm
Maybe we should just ban driving all together, and let the government provide transportation. They seem to want to control every other aspect of our lives, so why not controll that too. Oh yea, they are starting to control that too. Socialism…!
FreshmakerGT
April 27th, 2012
1:45 pm
I don’t not being able to talk while driving. In what way does that distract anyone? It doesn’t take your eyes off the road. To me there’s no difference between using bluetooth and holding the phone to your ear. If you can’t manage to do that, you probably shouldn’t be driving anyway.
Now texting/emailing while driving should definitely be banned. That’s extremely dangerous, and causes you to take your eyes off the road to look at the phone. I am all for banning that.
Rick James
April 27th, 2012
1:47 pm
Let’s ban law enforement from engaging in high speed chases where when the suspect is caught the most serious charge is eluding police.People die from this foolishness too.
lylone
April 27th, 2012
1:48 pm
It will never pass, unless it excludes people who work for the government! God forbid that the lawmakers may have to shut up and drive!
World watching
April 27th, 2012
1:48 pm
He said he was not too concerned about people who eat or apply makeup while driving because “not everyone does that,” Reuters reported.
OK So that he does not have so many companies trying o stop him who OWN DRIVE THU DINERS IN THE USA.
To hell with Obama……………….. GOP shall return to power and dismantle these nit cases.
Ricardo
April 27th, 2012
1:49 pm
It’s about time to start enforcing the driving laws on nthe slow drivers driving in the left lane too.
Aaron
April 27th, 2012
1:51 pm
Pretty pathetic they are going to such extremes. There are more things that distract drivers other then using a phone. A little hypocritical that at the same instance Atlanta is on the verge of making “growlers” or beer to-go containers legal. WTF is wrong with people in charge?
Mike
April 27th, 2012
1:54 pm
Its not a hands-free issue here. The issue is driving while distracted. If your involved in a conversation with someone on the phone, bluetooth or not, you run a high risk of being distracted long enough to have an accident. I dont talk on the cell phone much so its no big deal to me.
FEAR
April 27th, 2012
1:55 pm
I’m 100% behind this idea!
The Quill
April 27th, 2012
1:55 pm
I’m all for this law. It’s long overdue. Unfortunately, it’s a law that will be hard to enforce. Maybe fines should be stiffer in order to have any real impact on driving behavior.
too many texters
April 27th, 2012
1:58 pm
I never realized how many people text and drive until I started riding public transportation. When you’re up on a bus looking down at the cars around you, you’ll see that more than half of all cars that go by are being driven by people texting, checking email, etc. When you’re in a regular car, you often can’t see just how much texting goes on down in the lap of the driver. I could count the number of people doing other distracting things (make-up, radio, eating, etc) on just one hand. I used to count the number of people that went by doing this because of how incredulous I was, but then the numbers became frighteningly high, and I couldn’t bear to watch. Oh, and this is all taking place on Interstate 75 during morning and afternoon peak traffic times.
too many texters
April 27th, 2012
1:59 pm
By “this”, I mean texting, not the other distracting things I mentioned.
Al Sharpton
April 27th, 2012
2:01 pm
This ain’t noting, butt rasism. Them white folx tryin’ to dissiminate us a’gehn. Gonna get Barack involved to stop this ha’rrassin’…
Kneel Borezt
April 27th, 2012
2:02 pm
Desperately needed is a law which bans from posting those who can neither write grammatically nor spell correctly.
Innocent Bystander
April 27th, 2012
2:04 pm
I support this idea 100%.
Georgia citizen
April 27th, 2012
2:05 pm
The police are the worst offenders.
R D
April 27th, 2012
2:12 pm
Do it and do it now,the latest thing I have been seeing is people driving with ear buds in
JD
April 27th, 2012
2:15 pm
BAN CHILDREN! They are the most distracting forces applied to a driver.
I can’t believe the number of you in favor of this. It’s a complete over reach by the government.
You can still smoke while driving, because holding a burning item between your lips while driving is a good idea.
Next it will be eating, listing to music, nab systems, thinking…. where does it stop.
This is just stupid.
martell knight
April 27th, 2012
2:15 pm
I live in N.J. but I’m from Atlanta. The drivers here in N.J. & N.Y. are some of the worst drivers I’ve seen. In fact they are trying to pass laws here in both states for the same reason and only blue tooth installed cars will be accepted for communication.
Shep
April 27th, 2012
2:22 pm
All I can say is that if anyone hits me while they are driving and talking/texting on their phone I plan to take them to court and sue them for everything they have.
Becky
April 27th, 2012
2:24 pm
Absolutely agree with total ban, I believe this is the case in most European countries. It may not be enforceable but get in an accident and the fine should be huge.
Road Scholar
April 27th, 2012
2:29 pm
What about people who NEED to talk while driving? Pull over to the side of the road!
Are all calls necessary? No! Aperson decides when to use a phone.
If a person talks on their cell phone loudly in a restaurant…have their car towed! Or double their bill-donate the overcharge to charity!
Easy solution: If you have an accident while operating a phone….double or triple all fines and sentences! And pay the one you hit a “disruption” fee!
wondering
April 27th, 2012
2:29 pm
I don’t know why the world has bought into the notion that all of us have to be “in touch” or “available” 24 hours a day. Driving while texting or talking is the same thing as horsing around with a loaded gun. You can’t rely on people to do the right thing anymore because all of us seem to believe that it’s “all about me.” Pass the law and enforce it! MADD should be as vigilant against this as they are against drunk driving.
Kris T.
April 27th, 2012
2:30 pm
Turn Off Your Phone, Please Watch Your Driving
If you can put your phone down long enough to negotiate a left hand curve without encroaching on my lane, thanks for visiting our town and I hope you enjoy your stay.
If you can put your phone down and manipulate the turn signal lever so that we have some idea of your intentions, thanks for visiting our town and I hope you enjoy your stay.
If you can drive on I-75 or I-285 or I-20 and stay within 10 mph of the posted speed limit, thanks for visiting our town and I pray you survive your stay.
Thank You!
dan johnson
April 27th, 2012
2:32 pm
WAY OVER DUE
brock
April 27th, 2012
2:33 pm
I agree w/ this complete ban. While you may feel you are safe using a cell and driving, statistics show this not to be the case (just like DUIs).
And for whatever reason, the accident numbers are not much different for hands-free devices. Probably something about the human mind being taken elsewhere in conversation. Regardless of what you feel, or whether we understand why, the numbers support a ban.
William
April 27th, 2012
2:34 pm
Absolutely! And singing too, listening to music and singing along kills more people than cell phones. Also, picking your nose.. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen almost kill someone when they’ve got a long one in there digging for gold. And don’t forget keeping your eyes straight ahead and hands at 10 and 2… that right ther might save dozens of lives.
I just wish the government was more involved with what people are and are not doing out here.
KyndaLynn
April 27th, 2012
2:35 pm
I am totally in agreement with this, however it needs to apply to everyone. I have seen just as many cops and ambulance drivers on phones and texting as I have civilians. This is already law for tractor trailer drivers. It should be law for anyone, public official or not.
djj
April 27th, 2012
2:35 pm
If they do I think that all conversations between drivers and passengers be banned also it should be required for someone in the car to attend to any children who could be a distraction. No adjusting radios should be allowed, no putting on makeup no eating or drinking while driving, all billboards and other advertisements should be removed so as not to distract the driver. No cb radios in semis or cars, just more liberal control it will never happen in an election year and should it happen afterward the politicians will have a price to pay….
Sparkler
April 27th, 2012
2:36 pm
Criminalizing this behavior is effective even if difficult to enforce. The major difference is that when it contributes to an accident, the penalites should be much stiffer and insurance companies should jump on this bandwagon…. Much like DUI, many do it and don’t get caught. But a person can have the same accident they would had if sober, but if they are DUI, the repercussions are much more severe. As others have said, it’s hard to legislate stupidity, but there can be consequences for it!
djj
April 27th, 2012
2:37 pm
and to all the ones above asking for me to turn off my phone while driving I say bite me!!!
dixie darling
April 27th, 2012
2:38 pm
Why limit to just motor vehicles? I once watched someone texting while driving his motorcycle down the Interstate — probably going 80 or more mph. Cell phones, i-pads, i-phones, tablets, or any other electronic device should be out-lawed from use while driving any kind of vehicle — whether car, van, bus, motorcycle, ATV, bicycle, lawnmower, golf cart, dune buggy — whatever! not moving down the road, street, or path.
Also please don’t bother others with your conversations! Communicate when you are in a PRIVATE place — not in the grocery store, waiting in line at the theatre, on the bus, etc and so forth.
TalkativeMom
April 27th, 2012
2:45 pm
I will use my phone whenever I want and don’t care what law passes. Innocent until PROVEN guilty lol
real john
April 27th, 2012
3:17 pm
If we are going to ban cell phones than I propose the following “distractions” as well.
1. No food in the car.
2. No pets in the car since they are distracting.
3. No babies in the car…what if they starting crying?? What would we “stupid, average, mass citizens” do??
4. No more radios and CD players in car.
5. No more GPS devices in the car.
6. No maps or pieces of paper that can be read in the car.
There maybe the millions and millions (oh wait 3000) people that were distracted will be okay.
real john
April 27th, 2012
3:19 pm
For that matter lets also say no talking to other passengers in the car either…
RAMZAD
April 27th, 2012
3:47 pm
I don’t care if you talk and drive. Just don’t let your talking show up in your driving.
accord
April 27th, 2012
3:56 pm
Right on Motorcyclist! All police officers talk on their cell phones/text while driving. Hell, they don’t even use their own turning signals when changing lanes…..especially the Ga State Patrol on the highways….it’s like they don’t even see the “solid double white lines” when they get in and out of them!
rojer
April 27th, 2012
3:57 pm
#2
I dont care what is passed and will use my cell as I please in my car. But… shocker… I will be careful when I do it and make sure I dont hit anyone.
DLink
April 27th, 2012
3:59 pm
Just a question out of curiosity. Who here with kids under 18 has called that child when there was a fair chance their kid was behind the wheel for any reason… And afterward reminded them to not talk on the phone while they’re driving.
This is how it is
April 27th, 2012
4:07 pm
I’ll talk on my cell while driving.. Pass the law all you want I will continue to do so.. The problem isn’t the phones themselves but a combination of stupid IDIOTS that think they have to drive 80+ MPH.. Those same people have to get over quickly into the “fastlane” soon as they enter the highway… THERE is NO EFFING “Fastlane” The effing speed limit is set for a damn reason… I drive 5 over the limit… You damn bunch of morons on I-20 think you have to shove the frontend of your car up the azz of the car in front of you then rearend eachother.. Thanks a effing lot for making me waste my gas and time sitting cause you think you are so effing speacial and think you own the road. Come on up close to my car cause I guarantee I WILL slow down more than the speed limit in which I am already doing 5 MPH over… Thanks for nothing you stupid MORONS. I have been talking on my phone for over 8 years while driving.. I have never came close to an accident because I drive like a normal person should and not like some stupid It’s all about me MORON piece of crap!!! Stupid losers!
DandT
April 27th, 2012
4:12 pm
The problem is that those that CAN’T talk and drive are the ones making it bad for everyone else. Most of the time when there is an issue with a driver, cutting in front of somebody, pulling out without looking, driving 30 MPH on the highway in the fast lane, etc they are on the phone talking.
It never fails that every single day, something happens and when I look it is someone propped up on the phone.
Sid
April 27th, 2012
4:17 pm
actually this is trivially enforced via software – the phone know if it’s moving & how fast. > 5 mph you’re assumed to be driving a moving vehicle so drop current call & don’t put through new one(s) and/or texts. want to allow bluetooth? no problem – the phone knows what device it outputting audio to. I’m not saying I WANT this (though I have & would be OK w/handsfree requirement), just that you don’t need cops to enforce it (though if you did it in software cops wouldn’t get the revenue from tickets…). granted this would hose passengers but 1) there’s probably easily a 10:1 ratio of driver calls to passenger ones (just based on single-occupancy passenger miles vs multi) & 2) government rarely cares about collateral damage anyway. (un)fortunately we don’t make these kinds of decisions in this country based on what makes technical sense so between CTIA lobbying (re: bribery) & cops losing ticket revenue I wouldn’t worry too much about that being implemented…
Kris T.
April 27th, 2012
4:30 pm
What about the 99+ wrecks the Ga State Patrol caused last year. My guess mostly caused so they could write a speeding ticket. every one of two police I have seen was talking on a cell phone. Just saying.
hotinatlanta
April 27th, 2012
4:35 pm
@beebee – it’s not just women. I’ve been behind men who are on their cells and they are the worst drivers. They are all over the road, drive extremely slow, stop 4 car lengths behind the person in front of them and they always have to lean on their right elbow. Hands free does nothing cause you still have to dial or touch your phone to answer. I think all cell phone use in cars should be illegal as well as smoking, eating & doing your hair/make-up. Problem is, if you don’t cause a wreck or get pulled over by the police no one’s the wiser that you’re an idiot behind the wheel!
DaPhoneIsBad
April 27th, 2012
4:43 pm
It’s not the phone in your hands. Most people use one hand on the wheel anyway.
It’s that most folks get distracted during the conversation on the phone and don’t pay attention to what they are doing.
Ms Safety
April 27th, 2012
5:04 pm
I believe that when someone drives while carrying on a phone conversation, they are not able to focus completely on both the conversation and the road (with its hazards and abrupt changes). I may be mistaken but it seems like the phone chat may be a distraction for the driver.
Sheltiman
April 27th, 2012
5:10 pm
What’s next from our wonderful federal government, laws to make us eat our vegetables and brush out teeth? I already have a Mom, stay out of my life.
gooch
April 27th, 2012
5:17 pm
Saw a school bus driver talking on cell phone this morning as he was driving down Ridge Road. Bus was full of children. And this idiot will still be driving next week.
This is how it is
April 27th, 2012
5:22 pm
@hotinatlanta
I bet you would want the screen door option on a submarine wouldn’t you?
reality
April 27th, 2012
5:29 pm
…and the Department of Cell Phone (DCPE) Enforcement needs to be created to monitor proper cell phone usage. This could be another great incursion into the crushing of personal liberties in this country. I am surprised by the number of republicans on this page that are in favor of MORE government.
Cooltaurus21
April 27th, 2012
5:31 pm
What about GPS systems, those monitors for your child in the rear seat, camera’s etc. When does it end. It is against the law to have ear phones in VA, this goes back to when I was in college in 1985! I wear a bluetooth! If they want to make it a law then they should fine the cell phone company’s for making the darn things in the first place!
Jeff
April 27th, 2012
5:32 pm
By all means, let’s ban having a conversation on a cell phone while driving, because that’s a distraction. Then, to follow that logic, we also need to remove radios and CD players from cars because THEY are a distraction. We should also ban Ipods, eating doughnuts, drinking bottled water, arguing with your teenage son, discussing directions with your wife, laughing at a joke, yelling at your kids in the backseat to behave, trying to change lanes, turning on your windshield wipers, fiddling with the air conditioner, sneezing, adjusting your seat belt, and burping, because all of THOSE could be distractions as well.
This is absurd. Don’t punish the VAST MAJORITY of us who are smart and capable enough to carry on a quick (and often necessary) phone conversation while driving along a wide-open 4-lane highway in broad daylight JUST BECAUSE a few moronic pinheads can’t manage to multi-task effectively. Yes, I can agree to a ban on texting because you have to look DOWN to do that, but a quick one-button dial of your co-worker at the office to get directions to meet a client — and then having a quick 2 minute conversation to confirm the address and what needs to be delivered or picked up — should NOT BE ILLEGAL.
We need to quit governing our nation on the lowest common denominator (kids who can’t pass classes, kids who can’t make the all-star team, adults to can’t handle mortgages, and jellyheads who can’t talk and drive at the same time) and start governing based on HIGH STANDARDS. Let’s let what you liberals believe in take place — in the truest sense, let’s let “survival of the fittest” rule.
This whole discussion is scary — be careful, people, before you start allowing the federal government to ban things. First it’s cell phone talking in a car, then it’s eating trans-fats, then suddenly it’s what you can view on the internet or have in your home or do in your free time. Pretty soon we are a dictatorship and you’re wondering “what happened?” Don’t let this happen. I urge you to be SAFE and be CAREFUL and not to TEXT, but my God, if you can’t talk and drive at the same time, you shouldn’t have a freakin’ license to begin with.
Rick James
April 27th, 2012
5:38 pm
When it comes to our civil liberties being threatened this is the most dangerous presidential administration in US history..
Ann
April 27th, 2012
5:39 pm
@ gtcitizen Regarding “What about individuals whose livelihoods depend on the ability to use a cell phone responsibly while driving (truck drivers, self-employed business-owners, etc) to and from job-sites or in route to service calls?”
It’s called “pulling over” to make a call. All these workers made a living (somehow) before cell phones were regularly in usage. To imply that it is not possible now doesn’t make sense. Many businesses, in fact, have policies forbidding cell phone use while driving a company vehicle or while driving a personal vehicle on business. They don’t want to pay for driver mistakes.
People who cannot avoid answering their phone while driving are simply addicted to their phone. Research has shown that people respond to the cell phone ring with an endorphin response. It is the “hope” that it will be some sort of important call, when it rarely is. They respond just like trained research rats.
Geepers
April 27th, 2012
5:42 pm
I can think of 3,000 reasons/year to ban it. Ban away.
Steve
April 27th, 2012
5:52 pm
As a Locksmith in todays world I need to be able to take calls while driving.
Delbert D.
April 27th, 2012
6:00 pm
With the new black boxes that are going to be in all new cars in a couple of years, the police will be able to determine if you were talking (on a cell phone or to a passenger, or even singing along with the radio) during the last 30 seconds before an accident.
TonyH
April 27th, 2012
6:01 pm
If this passes as a nationwide law, they need to enforce the tinted window law if there is one. How will banning and enforcing a cell phone law work if the law can’t see inside the vehicle??
BigBroEatAVerga
April 27th, 2012
6:02 pm
C’mon Feds… I am a property manager. I have to drive all over the state and TALK ON THE PHONE WHILE I’M DOING IT. I’m still a better driver on the phone than 99% of you invalids and jabberwonkies are with complete focus.
Don’t ban talking on the phone. Ban driving by people with less than a 100 IQ…. Like pretty much everyone in south Atlanta. And ban all of you idiots who drive two feet from my bumper.
3000 deaths a year!?!??!! Oh no!!! CALL in the Idiot Brigade!!!! More people than that die from being lard butts. Let’s ban food to, eh?
F-Ing Morons…
dpointer
April 27th, 2012
6:10 pm
All of you people who HAVE to drive for your job – Pull over and do your business, then get back on the road. What did your profession do before cell phones? Are you so important that an innocent persons life is just the price we pay? And anyone who says they can drive and talk on the cell phone is a liar! PERIOD
dpointer
April 27th, 2012
6:12 pm
To all of you belly-aching about your rights. Your rights stop when it endangers someone else right to live. Grow up and get over it!
Jason
April 27th, 2012
6:30 pm
While we are at it, let’s ban doing makeup while driving in the morning. Seen it way too many times. Oh and let’s tack on not allowing minivans, SUVs and old farts driving in the left lane. In fact, any car that does not have a V8 should not be allowed in the left lane on the Interstate. Also let’s take away drivers licenses from anyone that does not use a signal when making a turn or changing a lane. Also take it away if I am coming down the street and you turn and pull right out in front of me and proceed to go 20 MPH. Also, most importantly, making the legal driving age 18, not 16. Parents can cry me a river about that. Kids have no business driving.
Fed Up With Dumb Drivers
April 27th, 2012
6:35 pm
hey LaHood, what about these idiots that have their newspaper spread out across the steering wheel, driving while reading? Not enough of them either? And people, what is it with those of you who leave your home in the morning, and before you even get out of your subdivision, you gotta have the cellphone out and to your ear, driving and talking all the way to work, to the store, or wherever it is you go – can’t you make that call at home, and spare the rest of us your inability to drive the proper speed limit, or go at a green light….because you are so distracted with that necessary call? And oh yeah, while I am at it – when you go to the store, shut off your da*n phone – I don’t want to hear your conversation from one end of the store to the other – so rude.
I have a 2 great idea to prevent this S.
April 27th, 2012
6:46 pm
Actually the great, great idea is someone elses.
Todd - Lawrenceville
April 27th, 2012
6:46 pm
The national epidemic is Congress inability to work on issues that benefit all US Citizens, instead of playing politics. bPerhaps they will also consider banning talking with your passenger’s.
Jeff
April 27th, 2012
6:49 pm
To Ann, Geepers, dpointer and others — if cell phone use is responsible for 3,000 deaths a year nationwide (which is questionable — you can’t accurately determine what mistake every driver in a fatal crash makes), then are you ALSO for banning alcohol sales (because many people leave bars or parties and have wrecks because of intoxication). I don’t mean have DUI laws and penalties — I mean prohibition. Because alcohol causes a LOT more wrecks and deaths than phones EVER have.
The solution is, if a cell phone use is found at fault or to cause a wreck, then just like DUI laws, there are strict penalties for it. There is NO NEED to ban phones completely. Please refer to my earlier post at 5:32 p.m. — those of you wanting the government to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do for safety reasons had better ALSO be ready to ban food, drinks, conversations, music, and other such distractions. You CANNOT tell me, dpointer at 6:10 p.m., what I am or am not capable off in terms of driving and talking. I am a helluva lot better at it than you, apparently. DO NOT punish me and others like me who can handle a simple conversation just because your idiot neighbor who has the brain capacity of a banana smashed into a car at an intersection because he COULDN’T do it.
Folks, I will repeat: if you give the government the license to dictate your common sense and to greatly restrict your rights, it will NOT end. They will ban doughnuts because they have fat and sugar; they will ban colas because they have caffeine; they will ban pizza because of the trans-fats; they will ban certain internet content because it’s not productive or might be offensive to some people; and before you know it, we’ll be in communist Eastern Europe with no rights whatsoever.
Those of you pro-phone-ban people had better get a grip and get your rights back, because once the Feds control something and can call the shots on something, THEY DO NOT RELINQUISH SAID CONTROL.
Happy Democrat
April 27th, 2012
6:58 pm
I am happy that government programs keep me safe. The more government the better far as I’m concerned. Government almost always knows best! Obama 2012!!!
Martok
April 27th, 2012
7:08 pm
THANK YOU! BAN THEM ALL!
David Beall
April 27th, 2012
7:29 pm
Most of you are ignoring the simple math of the situation and offering opinions based on what you have been told. Here is the real truth of the matter. 2010 had the fewest number of traffic deaths in 60 years, according to the USDOT. Now, I’ve been using a cell phone for about 17 years, which is about the same number of years that cellphones have been available to the general population. In 17 years, I have never been involved in a traffic accident that was a result of using the cell phone while I was driving.
Additionally, in 2010 the traffic fatalities linked to “distracted driving” were approximately 3000. That’s 1/100,000ths of the population, or 0.00001, or .001% (1000th of a percent). This is not a statistically significant number. We do not infringe on personal freedoms for statistically insignificant numbers.
By comparison, we have about the same number of drowning deaths per year. Have there been any calls to ban swimming? More than 2,500 Americans die from heart disease each DAY. Are we going to ban bacon and force mandatory exercise?
The point is that the government cannot and should not protect you from every possible cause of death. It would be different if there were hundreds of thousands of deaths related to cell phone use. But there are not. While I do not advise texting and driving, the statistics do not even support the bans on that activity. I will use my cell phone whenever and wherever I please thank you very much!
Jennifer Zamora
April 27th, 2012
8:22 pm
Driving a vehicle is a privilege, not a right. When the use of that vehicle is done in a manner that endangers lives then consequences should be imposed. There is not an argument on this planet that can justify holding a phone in your hand while driving. Second hand smoke was rightfully utilized as an argument to ban smoking in public areas. Why then, is it such a fight to ban someone from dangerously operating a 4000lb piece of equipment at high rates of speed? Unlike second hand smoke, the act of distracted driving can instantly kill, maim or disfigure an innocent person. This is not big brother controlling our lives, this is a government reigning in an overly obnoxious, instant gratification, self absorbed society that selfishly believes that their desire to dangerously text or talk while driving supersedes my right to have my husband return home safely from a shopping trip.
Atlantaphotog
April 27th, 2012
11:46 pm
So in the two years Georgia has had a texting ban, they’ve only written 500 ticket for it in the whole state??? They should be writing 500 tickets in metro Atlanta alone PER DAY! WTH. I almost got rear ended by a lady just the other day who was texting and not paying attention. She barely screeched to a stop 1 inch from my rear in time and in the rearview mirror I saw her coming – iPhone in hand – texting away. After rolling down my window and teaching her several new phrases that all begin with “F”, she might have slightly got the point. She joins the growing list of near-misses I’ve had by texters in the last few months.
To heck with tickets – if someone causes an accident while texting I think maybe a 90 day suspension of their license and a $5000.00 fine might snap them out of it.
Charlz Wrad
April 28th, 2012
10:13 am
Truckers have been talking on CB radios for centuries but they are professional drivers. You are not. So try to concentrate on your driving because most of you need a lot of work in that department.
Ban!
April 28th, 2012
1:08 pm
the government should also ban all smoking inside cars! It creates pollution and is a safety hazard when people are lighting and holding cigarettes while driving!
Jeff
April 28th, 2012
4:14 pm
Jennifer Zamora @ 8:22 p.m. — you supporters STILL have not answered my question: WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?? What other distractions are you willing to ban? Are you willing to take radios and Ipods out of cars? Those are distracting. What about people inputting GPS stuff into their Garmin? That’s distracting. How about people eating, drinking, or reading? And the BIGGEST distractions are people either talking, arguing, laughing or otherwise interacting with passengers IN the car…. those are JUST as big a distraction. You are going down a slippery slope when you start to regulate what I am or am not capable of as an individual — you CANNOT compare my judgement to the moron down the street who couldn’t even pass his G.E.D.
Those of us who are against this ban are NOT selfish, nor are we obnoxious… we are simply NOT going to let our government start to decide EVERY LITTLE DETAIL of our lives and regulate what we should and shouldn’t do for our safety. If I can eat bacon and doughnuts and have enough common sense to balance it out with healthy foods and exercise, I should maintain that right — but in the next few years (mark my words), the Feds are going to try to ban foods with sugar, salt, trans-fats, etc. all in the name of public health and safety.
Once again, I command you — DO NOT punish me because I can carry on a phone conversation and drive at the same time and be safe just because YOU CAN’T. I will not let our nation turn into Big Brother any more than it already does. Those of you who support this ban are indeed showing your ignorance — once you submit personal freedoms to the government, YOU DON’T GET THEM BACK!!!
Please read David Beall’s comments above at 7:29 p.m. to see the proper context of this situation and why we are MASSIVELY missing the point on this issue.
Ann
April 28th, 2012
6:08 pm
@ Jeff – I am not opposed to government limitations on things that affect my safety or my expense. As stated in the article, cell phone use is far more common than some of the other driving distractions mentioned. And, it is causing many accidents. At this point, technology and police investigations are lax at tracking it. I know personally of severe injuries as a result of cell phone drivers. Those of you opposed to the ban may reconsider once you or a family member are hit by one of these phone users.
Regarding bans on eating junk food, eating poorly only affects the health and safety of the eater. It is a poor comparison to driving with a cell phone that impacts others. Eating poorly does affect, however, the “pocketbook” of others when we pay for the health care of obese and unhealthy people. Our private insurance premiums are higher as a result, along with taxes that cover Medicaid and Medicare. There is a societal function in ensuring a healthier public, so that we are not paying more than we should. How much do you want to pay each year to allow everyone to “do as they please” regarding driving, eating, etc.? Car insurance and health insurance premiums are higher as a result. How much extra do you want to pay? $500? $1000? $5000?
Will
April 29th, 2012
4:12 pm
Ray Lahood thinks that his government ought to be the solution to EVERYTHING. If we get enough laws, we will all be guilty of something and the power will be held by those who decide whether or not to prosecute you. All Power TO The State!
Robert Philips
April 30th, 2012
1:00 pm
Thank you for helping to raise awareness for distracted driving. The “Stop the Texts” texting and driving prevention campaign just conducted a survey of young adults today to identify what would encourage them to NOT text while driving.
The survey found that friends, followed by their parents, are the people who would be influential in encouraging young adult drivers not to text while driving. In light of these findings, tomorrow (May 1), we are hosting the first nationwide “Stop the Texts” Day to encourage friends and parents of young adult drivers to educate them on the risks of texting while driving.
We invite you and your readers to join us.
We’re encouraging everyone to share our status updates throughout the day to help raise awareness. We’re also conducting a #stopthetextsday Twitter town at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) with Connecticut Attorney General, George Jepsen, Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), and other campaign spokespeople to discuss how to address this issue.
You can learn more at facebook.com/stopthetexts and twitter.com/stopthetexts.
Bluto
May 1st, 2012
11:13 am
You people are pathetic! You think the cell companies would allow this or the business community? How the hell would a salesmen operate in todays world without a cell phone. Think about it idiots!
Stu Cozza
May 3rd, 2012
12:49 pm
“Do you think that we want those laws to be observed? We want them broken. There’s no way to rule innocent men.
The only power the government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them.
One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.”
-Ayn Rand