Cell phone driving nitwits

[snowbound]

Today, i almost got into an accident for the upteenth time with a person talking on a cell phone will driving.

IMHO this activity should be outlawed. It has caused some horrendous acidents where i live. IMHO, most people are oblivious to what is going on around them while yakking on the phone. I have seen them go through stop signs, red lights and changing lanes without even a look. Last year a man and his daughter were killed when he seemingly didn't notice train crossing lights and got t-boned by a freight train. Later it was found out he was talking on the phone at the exact time of the accident.

How many people have to be hurt or die before something is done about this....

BTW, i own a cell phone but never use it while driving.

Rant over.


snowbound

[ronjor]

They are working on it here.

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2005/02/01/TopStories/Cell-Phone.Use.Driving.Could.Become.Illegal-847641.shtml

[mikel108]

Snowbound, I am with you 100%

[snowbound]

-{ Quote: "They are working on it here.

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2005/02/01/TopStories/Cell-Phone.Use.Driving.Could.Become.Illegal-847641.shtml" }-

I'm happy to see something is being attempted in your state Ron.

Here, it seems it has fallen on deaf ears.

@ mikel108

Hopefully enough people will speak out on this issue so it will be ignored no longer...


snowbound

[hayc59]

They are all fools!! But they dont know it!!

[beetlejuice]

I'd like to see the laws where ever, go to the point of making it illegal to even have one in your possesion while driving. And for the people who will say that they need it in case they have an emergency or get stranded, then some company needs to make a cell phone for "Emergency Use Only" with only 2 buttons on the phone. 1 and 9. Easy enough to make a 911 call with those two buttons.

[Sugabella]

they do make phones that are only for 911 and 411 I know i say it some where on the news. I also think that life was easier before the cell phone I always forget mine at home.To me it's that your mate can find you faster. or some one needs something. My daugter calls if I'm 5mins late from getting home from work. I know it sometimes a good thing but we have pay phones if you are out and about and need to call some use a pay phone :D ;D

[INTOXSICKATED]

-{ Quote: "I know it sometimes a good thing but we have pay phones if you are out and about and need to call some use a pay phone :D ;D" }-
what's a pay phone? ;)

[slammer_JvA]

-{ Quote: "Snowbound, I am with you 100%" }-

Me too!

As a professional driver (daily 250 mi./400 km), everyday I see (possible) havoc resulting from this "MOBILE MADNESS"
Overhere in Holland, cell phone use while driving has already become illegal some 3 years ago, and hands-free devices have become mandatory.
Fine is equivalent of appr. $ 190.00 if one gets caught overhere.
Still, plenty of nutcases are challenging death and disaster by only paying attention to mostly unnecessary yakking....

KEEP YOUR EYES (AND EARS!) ON THE ROAD AND YOUR HANDS UPON THE WHEEL !!!

[Firecat]

-{ Quote: "what's a pay phone? ;)" }-
A pay phone is one of those public phones on the streets, where you pay a bit of money for making calls :)

[bigbuck]

Ditto for Oz (well Queensland anyway). Illegal to use without a hands-free device. About a $200 fine here. Only came in last year I think. Maybe we're not so backward down here!! ;D
....but what about the idiots that send SMS text messages whilst driving (http://www.jaconline.com.au/legalstudies/hot-topics/002-tech-n-law-reform/criminal.html) ?

[Rita]

Every one you see anywhere now has a cell phone glued to their ear,I wouldnt want one.The phone at home is nusiance enough in my opinion.I like to be where no one can reach me at all "at times" just the loner in me I guess ;D surely wouldnt want one to yak on when driving.I'ts hard enough to keep from being in an accident when paying attention!

[Cochise]

It's against the Law here in the UK to talk on a cell-phone whilst driving....trouble is there's no Police really interested in enforcing it...too much trouble and paper-work.....like everything else here, we've got loads of New Laws produced recently butno enforcement!!....you could drive around all day gabbing on your phone without even seeing a policeman.....our local Newspaper drove around Grimsby and Cleethorpes for 4 hours during the day and never saw one Officer either on foot or in a car!!.....the place is Lawless........... ;D The Chief Inspector was quoted as saying "All our Officers were busy during that period".....but he didn't say doing what!.. ;D



Cochise, 8)

[steve1955]

Hi
Im an HGV driver in th UK:- mobile phone use whilst driving over here is already illegal(you can use hands free)but that doesn't stop people(idiots!) using them,the problem is the police dont catch or see drivers using them!
(if the police drove round in an artic I'm sure from that vantage point more would be caught/seen:-you'd be suprised what you can see going on when your looking down on cars from about 12' in the air!)
I agree they should be outlawed everywhere but in all honesty I cannot say that I have witnessed an accident/near miss that can be blamed on phone use,and I drive about 700/800 k per day so when I hear car drivers saying they were in/nearly in an accident caused by someone using a mobile I wonder how they can be sure(unless they are the ones who were using it!)

[snowbound]

-{ Quote: "Hi
Im an HGV driver in th UK:- mobile phone use whilst driving over here is already illegal(you can use hands free)but that doesn't stop people(idiots!) using them,the problem is the police dont catch or see drivers using them!
(if the police drove round in an artic I'm sure from that vantage point more would be caught/seen:-you'd be suprised what you can see going on when your looking down on cars from about 12' in the air!)
I agree they should be outlawed everywhere but in all honesty I cannot say that I have witnessed an accident/near miss that can be blamed on phone use,and I drive about 700/800 k per day so when I hear car drivers saying they were in/nearly in an accident caused by someone using a mobile I wonder how they can be sure(unless they are the ones who were using it!)" }-

Living in a city of 4 million as i do, u see this activity everywhere, constantly..... I have learned to drive very defensively because of this(and other things)
knowing that at any time one of them could do something very unexpected.

It also contributes to the horrible "road rage" problem we have here.

IMHO, no phone call is that important that can't wait a few minutes for someone to find a safe place to pull over and respond to it.


snowbound

[Sugabella]

-{ Quote: "what's a pay phone? ;)" }-
Your funny ;D

[steve1955]

-{ Quote: "Living in a city of 4 million as i do, u see this activity everywhere, constantly..... I have learned to drive very defensively because of this(and other things)
knowing that at any time one of them could do something very unexpected.

It also contributes to the horrible "road rage" problem we have here.

IMHO, no phone call is that important that can't wait a few minutes for someone to find a safe place to pull over and respond to it.


snowbound" }-
By law in the UK unless you are hands free you are supposed to stop and turn the engine off to use a mobile but this never seems to happen!The main problem ,I think, is that the type of person/driver who disregards this law is probably a poor driver anyway:-you know the type selfish with a "me me me me" attitude(normally drive 4x4's or bmw's or would like to!) and probably disregards most other motoring laws as well,as for road rage I thought we led the world in that its becoming endemic over here but seems to be bad almost everywhere!

[snowbound]

-{ Quote: "By law in the UK unless you are hands free you are supposed to stop and turn the engine off to use a mobile but this never seems to happen!The main problem ,I think, is that the type of person/driver who disregards this law is probably a poor driver anyway:-you know the type selfish with a "me me me me" attitude(normally drive 4x4's or bmw's or would like to!) and probably disregards most other motoring laws as well,as for road rage I thought we led the world in that its becoming endemic over here but seems to be bad almost everywhere!" }-

I think u have hit the nail on the head.

The selfishness of some drivers, here anyway, is phenomenal.

They care nothing of others on the road and think all should be accommodated for them....

I fear it will take more tragedy to finally open the eyes of the powers that be to finally act on this, but it always seems to be too little to late.


snowbound

[CartoonBoy]

-{ Quote: "Ditto for Oz (well Queensland anyway). Illegal to use without a hands-free device. About a $200 fine here. Only came in last year I think. Maybe we're not so backward down here!! ;D
....but what about the idiots that send SMS text messages whilst driving (http://www.jaconline.com.au/legalstudies/hot-topics/002-tech-n-law-reform/criminal.html) ?" }-

New South Wales is the same ;) Needs to be hands free. Still alot of people yapping away without a care in the world, and never hard to pick, they are ALWAYS the ones that slow down....speed up....don't indicate....pull out in front of you....leaving a trail of oil slicks and thumbtacks behind them >:(

It's a shame they are so ignorant, otherwise they would be able to read my lips :-\

Glad you're o.k Snowbound ;)

[snowbound]

-{ Quote: "

Glad you're o.k Snowbound ;)" }-

Hopefully we all will be CartoonBoy. ;) ;D

Thanks. :)


snowbound

[bigc73542]

On the rare ocassion that I need to use or answer the cell phone in the car I hit the speakerphone button and I have it set to dial on voice command so it is just almost hands off operation. it just sits in the seat and I just talk at the windshield or at the side windows or where ever I need to look to continue driving safetly. Works much better than an ear piece.

bigc

[Sugabella]

Allday my cell phone was off.I forgot to charge it lol so no one could call today. But I know people who only have a cel phone and not a home phone what do you think of that it does save money .


I'm at 400

[Marja]

Hey Suga! For a minute I thought you were talking about Poker winnings! ;D
You sure are at 400! :)



It's not just hands free that will help, some people get to talking and forget what they are doing! You can't tell them that, but, you can follow them in the car and know their MIND is not on driving!

So, hands-free might help a little, but, even those who pride themselves on being great multi-taskers aren't that great when they are driving and listening to someone SOMEWHERE ELSE - on the phone! It's just not the same as talking to someone right in the car!!

I guess I am just not a phone talker, but, I listen to the one-sided conversations in the store and other places and think, "Is that all you have to talk about? How boring!" LOL! Most of them are inane conversations anyhow, certainly not important enough to run someone off the road!!

That's my 3 cents! ;D

[beetlejuice]

-{ Quote: "It's against the Law here in the UK to talk on a cell-phone whilst driving....trouble is there's no Police really interested in enforcing it...too much trouble and paper-work.....like everything else here, we've got loads of New Laws produced recently butno enforcement!!....you could drive around all day gabbing on your phone without even seeing a policeman.....our local Newspaper drove around Grimsby and Cleethorpes for 4 hours during the day and never saw one Officer either on foot or in a car!!.....the place is Lawless........... ;D The Chief Inspector was quoted as saying "All our Officers were busy during that period".....but he didn't say doing what!.. ;D



Cochise, 8)" }-

If it's like here in the US, they were all at the donut shop.

[davef]

-{ Quote: "Hi
Im an HGV driver in th UK:- mobile phone use whilst driving over here is already illegal(you can use hands free)but that doesn't stop people(idiots!) using them,the problem is the police dont catch or see drivers using them!
(if the police drove round in an artic I'm sure from that vantage point more would be caught/seen:-you'd be suprised what you can see going on when your looking down on cars from about 12' in the air!)
I agree they should be outlawed everywhere but in all honesty I cannot say that I have witnessed an accident/near miss that can be blamed on phone use,and I drive about 700/800 k per day so when I hear car drivers saying they were in/nearly in an accident caused by someone using a mobile I wonder how they can be sure(unless they are the ones who were using it!)" }-

I'm a HGV driver too here in the UK, down in the South of the country and the amount of times I have been close to hitting another vehicle because they were on their mobile phone beggars belief. I deliver to farms and 99% of the time it is down small country lanes and yes you are right it's the morons with the big 4X4's who are the worse.

[SexIsGood4U]

Hi ya all (& snowbound),

Don't like to classify people or groups in that matter. It's like meeting one asian dude and his a loser and you call all asians losers. Or anything or anyone as a matter of fact. Hey, I own 2 (4x4 or 4 wheel drive) and drive one (the crappy one of course ;D ) most of the time while me gf drives the other (new, got all the goodies ;) ).

The crappy model does not have a phone system and I do not use headsets (only if i'm running or walking). But, neither do I talk on the phone when driving. If the phone rings, I just let the bloody thing ring, cos I don't give a crap. If, or who ever it is calling is so important, they will call back soon... ;D

But I got two points to make out of this.
ONE;
People live off certain things or objects "TOO" much these days. (not all people) Most of you guys & gals out there would know atleast one person that live off their mobile phone. They can not remove themselves from their mobile less than a day. That I must admit (without judgement) is a very sad life.

TWO;
I very wise man that I knew once said to me "common sense is not so common these days". That I believe so much, it's not funny, but sad. :'(

Best thing now is that I run my own business and LUV it.
As to people on the phone while driving, I just abuse the crap out of them (for fun and their stupidityness). I have even abused one of my friends and later he she called me and said she was stupid and should not be on the phone while driving....... I AGREED WITH HER THEN SO MUCH ..... HAHAHAHAHA :P

This has nothing about road rage, but people with lack of common sense and a lot of stupidity between their ears. ;)

I hope and wish that nothing happens to any of us here cos some twack was on the pone while driving. Take care guys & gals..... :D

YOU ALL ROCK 8)

[~*Nat*~]

-{ Quote: "






I very wise man that I knew once said to me "common sense is not so common these days". That I believe so much, it's not funny, but sad. :'(


As to people on the phone while driving, I just abuse the crap out of them (for fun and their stupidityness). I have even abused one of my friends and later he she called me and said she was stupid and should not be on the phone while driving....... I AGREED WITH HER THEN SO MUCH ..... HAHAHAHAHA :P

This has nothing about road rage, but people with lack of common sense and a lot of stupidity between their ears. ;)

I hope and wish that nothing happens to any of us here cos some twack was on the pone while driving. Take care guys & gals..... :D

YOU ALL ROCK 8)" }-

I think you rock !

I like your post. Opinion said about this matter with pure style and grace. ;) ;D

I was wondering if you could give me some wonderful tips on how to 'abuse' someone that is careless and lacks control of the wants of his /her desires, at all costs. http://img72.echo.cx/img72/8681/fies8tw.gif
That includes not only yacking while driving, but also driving under the influence, and playing with people's lives at the same time. http://img72.echo.cx/img72/6919/drinkanddrive0mw.gif - (And please don't run your mouth and drive - doh )

A family member was in a crash automobile accident last August, because of the carelessness of the other - and almost died.


I keep seeing women, guys driving and steering their wheel with only one hand, while the other must of course hold the receiver to the ear to hear whats so important about girlfriends new hairstyle- yack yack yack. Blah. >:( These kind of individuals make me ill in my stomach to be very honest. Sorry for the rant, but things like that I get very upset about.


Loved your post SIG4U !!

You have a mouth & brain that seems to have some sense... ;)

[~*Nat*~]

-{ Quote: "Hey Suga! For a minute I thought you were talking about Poker winnings! ;D
You sure are at 400! :)



It's not just hands free that will help, some people get to talking and forget what they are doing! You can't tell them that, but, you can follow them in the car and know their MIND is not on driving!

So, hands-free might help a little, but, even those who pride themselves on being great multi-taskers aren't that great when they are driving and listening to someone SOMEWHERE ELSE - on the phone! It's just not the same as talking to someone right in the car!!

I guess I am just not a phone talker, but, I listen to the one-sided conversations in the store and other places and think, "Is that all you have to talk about? How boring!" LOL! Most of them are inane conversations anyhow, certainly not important enough to run someone off the road!!

That's my 3 cents! ;D" }-

Agreed to all you said Marja.
Especially, the last sentence...
Nothing else to add to this smart post of yours. :)

[steve1955]

I would have thought with the technology today it would have been possible to make mobiles that dont work when moving above a certain speed(10mph?) using a gps system to monitor its motion unless they are attached to some form of hands free kit(if this stops them working on public transport that would be an added bonus!)

[Cochise]

Well if we are going to talk about Mobiles on the move, what about these direction finders.....how do you see where you want to be and still keep your eye on the road??....another small thing that makes me smile when I see it is, why do peeps hold the phone to either their left ear with their right hand, or their right ear with their left hand??....what's that all about??....Mind you, during the time I spent driving, I've seen people eating their breakfast, pouring drinks from a flask, reading Maps, reading unloading destinations, Newspapers, looking down at something at their feet, trying to find a particular music tape to play etc., etc., the ones I like the best are the Mothers, who, whilst driving over the limit cos the kids are late for school, is trying to reach into the backseats to whack one of her Kids.....Ya Just gotta laugh...... ;D ;D



Cochise, 8)

[ssgtmax]

I was once cruisin' along I-405, near Wilshire Blvd in LA (the cell phone capital of the world). Glanced over to the see the driver on my right using one hand for the cell phone and the other hand to pick his nose.

Frankly, I didn't wanna KNOW how he was steering the car.... :lurking: ;D ;D 8)

[ronjor]

Thanks. I needed that. :D

[Cochise]

-{ Quote: "I was once cruisin' along I-405, near Wilshire Blvd in LA (the cell phone capital of the world). Glanced over to the see the driver on my right using one hand for the cell phone and the other hand to pick his nose.

Frankly, I didn't wanna KNOW how he was steering the car.... :lurking: ;D ;D 8)" }-

I guess he would be pretty much OK just as long as he didn't forget which hand was doing what!!...... ;D


Cochise, 8)

[snowbound]

Using a hands-free telephone device in an automobile does not necessarily improve safety, according to a recent study. A motorist who holds the phone up to his or her ear and one who uses a headset while driving both are four times more likely to get into a crash.

http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050712/NEWS/535

Why am i not surprised.....



snowbound