Despite all the news and contraversy about motorists using mobile phones .....?

Question

I still, on a daily basis, see both men and women with the phone glued to their ear while they navigate roundabouts and the like. Are these people above the law? More important, are they fully aware that one seconds lack of attention could actually kill someone? How do we stop it?

Answer 1

One second? Not usually unless someone else does something extremely stupid, (which does happen), unless the driver is speeding (happens too often),  or unless the driver is following someone else too closely, and they slam on their brakes. However, in a roundabout, while making turns, in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, or while changing lanes, full attention should be required the whole time.

One second is all it takes to change stations on the radio, but radios are standard equipment. One second is also about how long it takes to sneeze or yawn, but people do this while driving and it isn't generally such a big deal.  Two seconds is usually more like it on a straight highway or freeway without changing lanes.  I think part of the problem is that the caller on the other end sometimes does not have the etiquette to accept "just a minute" as an answer, while the driver puts the phone down for a moment to pay attention to the task at hand. The other consideration is, someone may be talking on a cell phone on the road but you do not know it because they have hands free devices.

I think perhaps car manufacturers should start building cell phones into cars, like they do radios and cd players, so that hands-free is a given, and the ability to call out in an emergency is available. If they did this, drivers would keep BOTH hands on the wheel, and the car could transmit a picture of driving conditions to the person on the other end of the phone if the other phone had video/picture enabled. This would make it more like talking to another passenger in the car if the other person could have some idea what is going on in the road. A dial-pad and preprogrammed numbers could be available, and the dial-pad could be disabled while the vehicle is in motion (so that the vehicle must be stopped or put in neutral or park to place the call).  Likewise, drivers ed could also then include proper use of the cell phone, just like it does with proper use of the radio. Car radios are considered safe because most drivers know not to change stations at the same time they are changing lanes or making turns. Locations of the controls are memorized, so that full attention is on the road, not the controls.  

Payphones and emergency phones by the side of the road have become increasingly rare, so people need to bring cell phones with them. If they are turned on, calls can come in, and some people feel compelled to answer them, particularly if someone important (like their boss) calls. Perhaps if cellphones had a feature such as outgoing calls only mode(forwards incoming calls to voicemail) it would help.

Answer 2

There is no simple answer here.

I really don't think it can be stopped.  I even wonder if it should.  Before you click the thumbs down, bear with me on this...

Take the examples that Nickijs pointed out.  The fact that there are SOOO many things than can distract a driver that may well be worse than simply talking on a cell phone and there is no specific law about them (at least yet in most places.)  It's those kinds of examples that causes the cell phone laws to make even less sense and people not to pay attention to them.

The biggest problem with cell phones is that too many people have the things anymore.  There are bad drivers out there.  Always have been.  Now you put a cell phone in their hands and everyone sees the bad driving, then they see the cell phone and they immediately blame the cell phone for the bad driving.  It's not the cell phone's fault they suck at driving!  (Although I will concede the point that it sure isn't helping.)  But why penalize everyone else for those who probably cannot walk and chew gum at the same time?  

Communication from inside a moving vehicle has been commonplace since the invention of radios.  Would you ban a tow truck driver from having a dispatch radio to talk on?  How about CB radios from trucks?  OnStar?  Yes, all those things can cause distractions.  It's the responsibility of the driver to make sure that doesn't happen.  You have so many bad drivers out there and yes, these distractions can tend to make matters worse.  But there is the problem when you begin to try and legislate common sense.  Where do you draw the line?  You cannot 'ban' everything that causes distractions while driving.  Can you?  Who determines what's too much of a distraction?  Keep passing laws and the next thing you know it will be illegal to be seen talking to a passenger.  

If there is anything that needs stepped up it's enfocement against people that don't obey the basic rules of the road and bad driving in general.  Someone who is weaving in and out of their lane, driving erractically, going too slow or too fast, or not using turn signals needs to be pulled over and cited, cell phone or not.

Maybe, at worst, I'd have the cell phone violation be a secondary offense.  (And I know it is in some places.)

I know it's not the popular view.  But that's my 2 cents.

Answer 3

Yes, and i have also seen people pick their noses, put their make-up on etc etc.

Answer 4

Some people like to think that they are above the law.

Ja.

Answer 5

No, they're not above the law - but THEY think they are. Rather like the zero tolerance policy once adopted in New York, the police might find that by clamping down hard on small crimes such as this and letting these selfish idiots know they CAN'T get away with the little things, they may not then move up to thinking they can get away with the bigger things.

Answer 6

Like drink driving, the only way to stop it (or significantly reduce it) is to make it an offence automatically punishable by a 12 month driving ban. Most research done on the use of mobiles whilst driving concludes that it is a similar impairment to a persons concentration as driving well over the alcohol limit.

People who do this need to understand that talking on a phone while driving is a serious distraction which saps a lot of their awareness, unlike the relatively subconscious actions of eating,  smoking, or indeed picking your nose! I have watched while someone had a crash, and as they got out to inspect the damage they caused, continued to talk on their mobile! I'm no fan of excessive State interference in our lives, particularly of motorists, but some folk just shouldn't be allowed to drive.

Answer 7

i agree, i drive for a living and the amount of people still using their phones is amazing. they obviously think that it does not affect their driving !!.. i don't have a hands free, if the phone rings i just let it ring out, if its urgent they can leave a MSG.. nothings that urgent that cant wait a short while.....

Answer 8

I see the point you are making and don't see how this can be properly regulated.  To be honest I don't think this was thought through when the law was passed.  The fact is that there are so many other things people do whilst driving that are just as dangerous, if not worse than talking on the phone.  Eating and drinking, reading books and maps, putting on make up as well as fiddling with flippin sat nav systems are just some of the things i have seen and I often have to beep my horn at people who are driving and doing dumb stuff because they just are not concentrating.  Because of all this inconsistency I think it is going to be near enough impossible to enforce the law regarding using mobiles unless they include all distractions and generally impose a 'two hands on the wheel' kinda policy.  Police haven't got time to drive around looking for people with mobiles when they have gun and knife crime, drug dealers and d**n more important things to be worrying about.  And I'm sure they are trying to think of ways to use the speed/bus lane/parking restriction/picking your own nose camera's to help but personally, I think it's a lost cause. The unlucky few will get caught but its not enough of a deterrent to stop it happening. Sorry!

Answer 9

I doubt laws are the solution, just like throwing money at the school system doesn't necessarily improve education (another rant).

The problem is convenience and people and the inherent nature of people to abuse convenient devices. The ability to call anyone at anytime is the convenience.



How many of these phone calls are THAT important that they can't wait until later? I'll gamble and say maybe 5-10% and that's a stretch.

Many people simply dial while they're driving or carrying on extended conversations with incoming calls because it's a good time to chat.

After all you're captive in a vehicle with nothing else to do (except drive which anyone knows you can navigate your usual routes with your eyes closed, right?) so I might as well call Joe Blow and shoot the breeze.

If cell phones were used for emergency situations only then this problem would not be so rampant. Thanks, to the miracles of modern technology we can talk anytime, anywhere, regardless of how dangerous (or down right rude) it is.

I personally feel that this electronic craze where people constantly need stimulation like cell phones, personal stereos, personal DVD and video games, etc. is weakening our nation.

Answer 10

lol, well, i dont really know how to stop it, but what i like to do is this.

when i am beside one of them at the lights, ill watch them, and when they look down at whatever they are doing, i slam on the horn and then they freak out and drop the phone, maybe have to hit the breaks again cause they got all startled.

its hilarious. try it sometime, itll make you feel better, and maybe give them a jolt into being more responsible

Answer 11

I agree cars can become killing machines in a moment,  you can not have complete control of your car if you are on the phone, or eating, or hanging your arm out the window,  (often done while tapping along to music on the door!) what prats. Zero tolerance is needed here, police need to be far less lenient. I think on the spot fines and points on licences would work. They are not above the law just ignorant people