Proposed Ban. NHTSA.

[marine_devildog801]

it is illegal here to text and drive,,,600 dollar fine, but bs laws like this are way too hard to enforce...just like seatbelt laws

 

They enforce seat belt laws in CA......... Harder to enforce cell phone laws because they can be hidden. That's why I would like to see interrupters.

 

 

The only problem with cell phone interrupters or jammers is what happens in emergency situations? Can they detect 911 call signals? Stranded on miles and miles of highway wouldn't be pleasurable.

[MikeNH]

Sorry to the naysayers but people can multitask safely while driving. Using Bluetooth is absolutely safe as like anything else I think about using it before I do. If traffic is bad or the weather sucks the call can wait but in fair conditions making a hands free call is no different than paying attention to a talk show on the radio. I'd view phone jammers the same way I view red light and speed cameras (which are illegal in NH, thank god)- they'd be something to damage/disable. I will never let the government take that big a role in how I live my life, sorry.

[Portdriver]

In PA they just recently passed a no texting law and it's a primary offense. My concern with that is it leaves the door open for law enforcement to use that as a reason to stop you for anything and use "I thought the driver was texting" as an excuse. Officer wants to see your cell phone? Search warrant? Innocent until proven guilty? Wrongful search? Maybe I'm going to far with this but you know some lawyer will take it there sooner or later. For the record - I am against texting while driving

[wavery]

Sorry to the naysayers but people can multitask safely while driving. Using Bluetooth is absolutely safe as like anything else I think about using it before I do. If traffic is bad or the weather sucks the call can wait but in fair conditions making a hands free call is no different than paying attention to a talk show on the radio. I'd view phone jammers the same way I view red light and speed cameras (which are illegal in NH, thank god)- they'd be something to damage/disable. I will never let the government take that big a role in how I live my life, sorry.

 

It's interesting how one's attitude quickly changes when they see a loved one lowered into the ground as a result of such "Multitasking"

[MikeNH]

 

It's interesting how one's attitude quickly changes when they see a loved one lowered into the ground as a result of such "Multitasking"

 

 

I'm sorry for what your son has had to go through losing a friend but texting and talking on a hands-free device are two totally different animals. The only time I'll send/read a text/email is at a stoplight or something similar. A phone call over bluetooth is no more distracting than an interesting story on the radio. There is no risk from that- to answer it I push a button I can find without looking and then just listen to what the other person has to say. I'm not much of a conversationalist so if I take a call it's usually instructions/directions, no extremely deep phone calls. If something important needs to be discussed I'll take care of that in person.

[SouthCo]

 

It's interesting how one's attitude quickly changes when they see a loved one lowered into the ground as a result of such "Multitasking"

 

 

I'm sorry for what your son has had to go through losing a friend but texting and talking on a hands-free device are two totally different animals. The only time I'll send/read a text/email is at a stoplight or something similar. A phone call over bluetooth is no more distracting than an interesting story on the radio. There is no risk from that- to answer it I push a button I can find without looking and then just listen to what the other person has to say. I'm not much of a conversationalist so if I take a call it's usually instructions/directions, no extremely deep phone calls. If something important needs to be discussed I'll take care of that in person.

 

X2... I didn't mean texting or drinking while driving when I said multitasking. Your sons friend couldn't drive and text and shouldn't have but that doesn't mean I can't talk and drive. Keeping me from talking whether on bluetooth or not wont bring him back.

 

 

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[cracked_up]

Not all people can multitask, while driving you are already multitasking if you are paying attention to ALL your surroundings. How many people do you know that can't chew gum and walk at the same time?

 

So those that can't will make the ones that can pay, just like anything when you have to include the whole population.

[SouthCo]

Doesn't matter what laws they pass. People will do what the see as ok. Who always does the speed limit? Some people can multi-task and some can't. The only sad part is when someone who can't multi-task kills someone else. If they only harm themselves than it would be fine.

 

This is the most dangerous mentality out there........ I'll bet that 90% of people "Feel" (as you might) that they can "Multitask" while driving. I heard those exact same words from my 34-year-old son and told him the exact same thing...... He figured that I was of the generation that "Didn't understand".

 

 

Couldn't agree more. I think we can all agree that driving under the influence is dangerous, so just to put "feeling like" into perspective; EVERY person that I, or one of my partners, arrest for DUI that is over the legal limit of 0.08 gets asked the same question and we get the same answer:

"Do you feel like you should be driving right now?"

"I feel fine."

Just mind you, this is after we have seen them drifting from lane to lane, following too close to other vehicles, driving on the wrong side of a 4 LANE HIGHWAY, making wide turns covering two lanes of traffic, and quite often wrecking by themselves or with other vehicles.

Some of these people might feel fine physically and mentally because they drink a lot (tolerance). However, the degree to which the fine motor skills (eg. reaction time) are degraded by alcohol is not lessened by a higher tolerance. And the fine motor skills are vital to safe operation of a motor vehicle. The NHTSA established the legal limit for blood alcohol content at 0.08 because up until that point you are relatively "safe", for lack of better terms, to operate a vehicle after consuming alcohol. At 0.08 BAC the likelihood of an accident occurring skyrockets.

 

The point I am trying to make is this. You might "feel" as if you are safe to drive while multitasking or texting and driving, but in all reality you are no better than a drunk. When you are multitasking you are dividing up your already divided fine motor skills (the same as having them degraded). When you drive you are already multitasking if you think about it. Accelerating, decelerating, changing lanes, staying in your lane, turning, watching your mirrors, and most of all watching out for the idiots around you. And most of us, me included, are messing with the radio and A/C on top of all that. Why add more to the equation? You have enough to pay attention to as it is. Don't be one of the idiots the rest of us have to look out for. And don't turn into a statistic.

 

Just food for thought:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebhWD6ljZs

 

Nobody is trying to justify drinking or texting as multitasking but thanks for your spin on what I meant. Lots of people die crossing the street, let's ban that.

 

 

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[SouthCo]

Not all people can multitask, while driving you are already multitasking if you are paying attention to ALL your surroundings. How many people do you know that can't chew gum and walk at the same time?

 

So those that can't will make the ones that can pay, just like anything when you have to include the whole population.

 

So do we ban walking and chewing gum?

 

 

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[marine_devildog801]

Nobody is trying to justify drinking or texting as multitasking but thanks for your spin on what I meant. Lots of people die crossing the street, let's ban that.

 

 

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That is called Jaywalking. However, people with any common sense at all can get away with it. It is ignorant people who can't make it across in one piece. Look both ways. What is so hard?

[jro909]

they won't ever jam cell phones, for one as stated it denies 911 centers to pin point the call..and two cell phone companys would go ape shit over the intrusion into their service that customers are paying for...i do not support multitasking though while driving, i myself find it hard to stay sharp behind the wheel if i'm on the phone, texting in itself while driving is just stupid, your taking your eyes off of the road and the things unfolding in front of you to say what? "lol"?

 

heres a dilema for you guys though, if they start cracking down hard on things that people do while driving, what are they going to target next in vehicle radios? maybe hvac controls? the bottom line is people need to set aside their busy lives and technology and realise that your not only taking your own life into your hands when you get behind the wheel and set in motion a giant hunk of steel on wheels but others on the roads or sidewalks also

[unit731]

heres a dilema for you guys though, if they start cracking down hard on things that people do while driving, what are they going to target next in vehicle radios?

 

Smokers. Cigarette smokers. I'm surprised the do-gooders haven't eliminated this yet. All that 2nd hand smoke coming out of all of those cars and trucks where people smoke.

 

Oh, and what about pets? Dogs? Should dogs be in a seat belt container?

[sams819]

Hey what about all the patrol cars with the laptop computers installed? Very distracting.

[silverado_lover]

Give me a second guys I'm gonna go take a spin around town and post how this thread makes me feel whilst driving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But seriously I text and drive all the freaking time, I won't do it in heavy traffic or at higher than normal MPH (85+) but cruising down the highway I find it to be a great way to pass time. Before I got a touchscreen I could text a complete message without looking at the screen once (muscle memory FTW), like said before some people can multitask and others can't.

 

My town passed an ordinance restricting the use of cell phones driving (from what I hear) so do you know what I do when I see a cop? Put the phone down, and others will do the same if something like this were to pass

 

Hey what about all the patrol cars with the laptop computers installed? Very distracting.

 

 

I will admit using a laptop while driving was a pretty difficult task

[unit731]

Hey what about all the patrol cars with the laptop computers installed? Very distracting.

 

 

Of course, they will expempt themselves.

 

Most in my little hick town have two laptops types in car. Car radios. And of course, the municpality paid cell phone and their personal cell phone. A cup of coffee. And lately a Kindle Fire/iPad.