Talking on the phone and driving....
Go Beavers
Posts: 9,618
The National Transportation Safety Board is urging states to ban talking on the phone while driving, even with hands free devices. No states have an outright ban as they allow for hands free usage. What do you think?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/technology/federal-panel-urges-cellphone-ban-for-drivers.html?_r=2&hp
A federal agency on Tuesday called for a ban on all cellphone use by drivers — the most far-reaching such recommendation to date — saying its decision was based on a decade of investigations into distraction-related accidents, as well as growing concerns that powerful mobile devices are giving drivers even more reasons to look away from the road.
As part of its recommendation, the National Transportation Safety Board is urging states to ban drivers from using hands-free devices, including wireless headsets. No state now outlaws such activity, but the board said that drivers faced serious risks from talking on wireless headsets, just as they do by taking a hand off the wheel to hold a phone to their ear.
And Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the N.T.S.B., an independent federal agency responsible for promoting traffic safety and investigating accidents, said the concern was heightened by increasingly powerful phones that people can use to e-mail, watch movies and play games.
“Every year, new devices are being released,” she said. “People are tempted to update their Facebook page, they are tempted to tweet, as if sitting at a desk. But they are driving a car.”
The agency based its recommendation on evidence from its investigation of numerous crashes in which electronic distraction was a major contributing factor.
Ms. Hersman said she understood that this recommendation would be unwelcome in some circles, given the number of drivers who talk and text. But she compared distracted driving to drunken driving and even smoking, which required wholesale cultural shifts to change behavior.
“It’s going to be very unpopular with some people,” she said. “We’re not here to win a popularity contest. We’re here to do the right thing. This is a difficult recommendation, but it’s the right recommendation and it’s time.”
The agency’s recommendation is nonbinding, meaning that states are not required to adopt such a ban. And it will likely be frowned upon by state lawmakers makers who are loath to infuriate constituents who have grown accustomed to using their device behind the wheel.
But, the recommendation may also provide cover for legislators, safety advocates and others who support such a broad-based ban. Many polls show that while people continue to use their devices behind the wheel, they also widely consider such behavior to be extremely dangerous.
The ban is also noteworthy because it is the first call by a federal agency to end the practice completely, rather than the partial ban that some legislators have put in place by allowing hands-free talking.
State Senator Joe Simitian of California, who succeeded in getting a law passed in 2006 that bans drivers there from talking on a hand-held phone, called the board’s recommendation “a wake-up call about the dangers of distracted driving.”
Yet, he also said he doubted it would achieve the desired result because it was unlikely that legislators in California or elsewhere would be able to pass such a ban. Mr. Simitian noted that he spent five years trying to push a ban on hand-held devices, and faced intense opposition from the phone industry.
“It’s a political nonstarter,” he said, adding that he would not attempt to propose a total ban on drivers using their devices. “I don’t believe you’ll see such a ban in my lifetime.” For all his skepticism, though, he acknowledged that political winds could shift. “A decade ago, people didn’t think we’d have a hands-free law in California. Only time will tell.”
Nine states now ban the use of hand-held phones, and 35 states ban texting by drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state traffic agencies. The group’s executive director, Barbara Harsha, called the N.T.S.B. recommendation “courageous” and said it would prompt the group to reconsider its policy, which calls for banning drivers from texting but not talking on the phone.
“People may not be ready for that,” she said of such a ban. “But there will certainly be discussion about it.”
Many mobile phone companies dropped their opposition over the last decade to any restrictions on the use of phones in cars, and have in recent years joined calls to ban texting while driving. In a statement, CTIA, the cellular telephone industry trade group, said it deferred to states about whether to enforce such bans.
A complete ban on phone use by drivers would have enormous impact on many car makers that are offering integrated hands-free, voice-activated systems that allow drivers to talk and do other tasks, like calling up their phone directory.
The Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group for the industry, said in a statement that it was reviewing the N.T.S.B. recommendations. But it also defended the integrated systems, saying they allow drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road while they remain connected.
“What we do know is that digital technology has created a connected culture in the United States and it’s forever changed our society: consumers always expect to have access to technology; so managing technology is the solution,” the alliance said in a statement.
Ms. Hersman, the chairwoman of the N.T.S.B., said the safety concerns were not just about keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, but also about making sure people focus on the act of driving.
“It’s about cognitive distraction. It’s about not being engaged at the task at hand,” she said, adding: “Lives are being lost in the blink of an eye. You can’t take it back, you can’t have a do over, and you can’t rewind.”
The issue is gaining greater internationally, too.
Last year, Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, called for an end to the culture of multitasking behind the wheel. Already, 30 countries have some limitations on the use of phones by drivers, including complete bans in Germany and Portugal, said Bella Dinh-Zarr, road safety director of international road safety with the FIA Foundation, a road safety advocacy group.
Because of the growing research and concern about the issue, she said, “More and more countries are going to be looking at it.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/technology/federal-panel-urges-cellphone-ban-for-drivers.html?_r=2&hp
A federal agency on Tuesday called for a ban on all cellphone use by drivers — the most far-reaching such recommendation to date — saying its decision was based on a decade of investigations into distraction-related accidents, as well as growing concerns that powerful mobile devices are giving drivers even more reasons to look away from the road.
As part of its recommendation, the National Transportation Safety Board is urging states to ban drivers from using hands-free devices, including wireless headsets. No state now outlaws such activity, but the board said that drivers faced serious risks from talking on wireless headsets, just as they do by taking a hand off the wheel to hold a phone to their ear.
And Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the N.T.S.B., an independent federal agency responsible for promoting traffic safety and investigating accidents, said the concern was heightened by increasingly powerful phones that people can use to e-mail, watch movies and play games.
“Every year, new devices are being released,” she said. “People are tempted to update their Facebook page, they are tempted to tweet, as if sitting at a desk. But they are driving a car.”
The agency based its recommendation on evidence from its investigation of numerous crashes in which electronic distraction was a major contributing factor.
Ms. Hersman said she understood that this recommendation would be unwelcome in some circles, given the number of drivers who talk and text. But she compared distracted driving to drunken driving and even smoking, which required wholesale cultural shifts to change behavior.
“It’s going to be very unpopular with some people,” she said. “We’re not here to win a popularity contest. We’re here to do the right thing. This is a difficult recommendation, but it’s the right recommendation and it’s time.”
The agency’s recommendation is nonbinding, meaning that states are not required to adopt such a ban. And it will likely be frowned upon by state lawmakers makers who are loath to infuriate constituents who have grown accustomed to using their device behind the wheel.
But, the recommendation may also provide cover for legislators, safety advocates and others who support such a broad-based ban. Many polls show that while people continue to use their devices behind the wheel, they also widely consider such behavior to be extremely dangerous.
The ban is also noteworthy because it is the first call by a federal agency to end the practice completely, rather than the partial ban that some legislators have put in place by allowing hands-free talking.
State Senator Joe Simitian of California, who succeeded in getting a law passed in 2006 that bans drivers there from talking on a hand-held phone, called the board’s recommendation “a wake-up call about the dangers of distracted driving.”
Yet, he also said he doubted it would achieve the desired result because it was unlikely that legislators in California or elsewhere would be able to pass such a ban. Mr. Simitian noted that he spent five years trying to push a ban on hand-held devices, and faced intense opposition from the phone industry.
“It’s a political nonstarter,” he said, adding that he would not attempt to propose a total ban on drivers using their devices. “I don’t believe you’ll see such a ban in my lifetime.” For all his skepticism, though, he acknowledged that political winds could shift. “A decade ago, people didn’t think we’d have a hands-free law in California. Only time will tell.”
Nine states now ban the use of hand-held phones, and 35 states ban texting by drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state traffic agencies. The group’s executive director, Barbara Harsha, called the N.T.S.B. recommendation “courageous” and said it would prompt the group to reconsider its policy, which calls for banning drivers from texting but not talking on the phone.
“People may not be ready for that,” she said of such a ban. “But there will certainly be discussion about it.”
Many mobile phone companies dropped their opposition over the last decade to any restrictions on the use of phones in cars, and have in recent years joined calls to ban texting while driving. In a statement, CTIA, the cellular telephone industry trade group, said it deferred to states about whether to enforce such bans.
A complete ban on phone use by drivers would have enormous impact on many car makers that are offering integrated hands-free, voice-activated systems that allow drivers to talk and do other tasks, like calling up their phone directory.
The Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group for the industry, said in a statement that it was reviewing the N.T.S.B. recommendations. But it also defended the integrated systems, saying they allow drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road while they remain connected.
“What we do know is that digital technology has created a connected culture in the United States and it’s forever changed our society: consumers always expect to have access to technology; so managing technology is the solution,” the alliance said in a statement.
Ms. Hersman, the chairwoman of the N.T.S.B., said the safety concerns were not just about keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, but also about making sure people focus on the act of driving.
“It’s about cognitive distraction. It’s about not being engaged at the task at hand,” she said, adding: “Lives are being lost in the blink of an eye. You can’t take it back, you can’t have a do over, and you can’t rewind.”
The issue is gaining greater internationally, too.
Last year, Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, called for an end to the culture of multitasking behind the wheel. Already, 30 countries have some limitations on the use of phones by drivers, including complete bans in Germany and Portugal, said Bella Dinh-Zarr, road safety director of international road safety with the FIA Foundation, a road safety advocacy group.
Because of the growing research and concern about the issue, she said, “More and more countries are going to be looking at it.”
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
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How silly,
Rather they should make getting a 'Drivers License' much more difficult, like really make the driving test hard. If they implemented something like that, it would no doubt solve many future driving issues. Mainly by keeping drivers without the skill to handle a car off public roads.
Banning talking on cell phones while driving? That's hardly a remedy for safer roads. It's not even the number one main cause for accidents.
--0 -
In oz we cannot drive whilst talking through the handset, but can using hands free
That's cool with me
Far too many texting accidentsAUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE0 -
Securities for liberties.
If you'd give up the latter for the former, you don't deserve either.
I can't support it. I do support educating people about the dangers of both texting and talking on the phone while driving, however.RC, SoDak 1998 - KC 2000 - Council Bluffs IA 2003 - Fargo ND 2003 - St. Paul MN 2003 - Alpine Valley 2003 - St Louis MO 2004 - Kissimmee FLA 2004 - Winnipeg 2005 - Thunder Bay 2005 - Chicago 2006 - Grand Rapids MI 2006 - Denver CO 2006 - Lollapalooza 2007 - Bonnaroo 2008 - Austin City Limits 2009 - Los Angeles 2009 - KC 2010 - St Louis MO 2010 - PJ20 Night 1 - PJ20 Night 20 -
WaveRyder wrote:Securities for liberties.
If you'd give up the latter for the former, you don't deserve either.
I can't support it. I do support educating people about the dangers of both texting and talking on the phone while driving, however.
I know eh, in many cases people don't understand the danger of simply NOT looking at the road ahead.. It's really just common sense, You got it, or you don't.Post edited by Idris on0 -
i refuse to text and drive. to me no text is more important than me getting somewhere safely.
i have 2 cars. one is an old blazer and one is a 2008 acura. i bought a bluetooth earpeice for use in the blazer, but that thing is so unreliable i stopped using it a few years ago. so i just don't use my phone in the blazer at all. i only use the blazer for my band gigs anyway so it is easy to drive that car 30 times a year with my phone off. the acura has bluetooth in the car that comes through the speakers. all of the controls (all 2 buttons) are on the steering wheel where the thumb overlaps the wheel. any numbers i would dial are saved on a voice command. i drive down the street, push a button with my thumb and say "call andy" and the phone rings from there. most times i do not make calls, but if the phone rings, i feel safe enough to push a button with my thumb to answer it.
i think the people that want a ban on all phone use have their hearts in the right place, but i don't even see how this is enforceable unless there is an accident and it is found that someone was on the phone at the time. or if someone drives past a cop and the cop sees them holding up a handset or something.
i think everyone needs to just be very responsible and very careful if you choose to talk on the phone and drive."You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."0 -
Helmet laws exist because insurance companies don't like paying for brain injuries and subsequent care. It ain't because big brother is looking out for you. Texting while driving laws are likely born of something similar. $ > "personal liberties"."First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win ."
"With our thoughts we make the world"0 -
the thing with banning ALL phone use in cars is it isnt realistic. whats the difference betwen using hands free and having an animated convo with the peeps in the car? what the difference between having a hands free convo and singign along with a song???
i seriously think these days people are just too cavalier behind the wheel. just the other day here in sydney we had a fatal car crash where the mother swerved to avoid a slow moving street sweeper that was in her lane. she struck a car in the adjacent lane, bounced back into the street sweeper and now one of her daughters and the childs grandmother are dead. its very sad that this happened but i see too may people doing stupid things on the road.
i recall travelling along one of our motorways at 110km/h and a 4 wheel drive in the adjacent lane was acting irratically. finally got up the nerve to pass it and when i looked across the stupid idiot driver was txting. a short while later she came zooming up behind me and i thought youve got to be kidding f you think im gonna move over for you... i was already a couple of kms over the speedlimit. i just looked at it as saving her fool life by getting her to slow down for a bit.
anyhoo dont drive and txt, the distraction isnt worth it. and it certainly isnt the only distraction one faces while driving.hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say0 -
markin ball wrote:Helmet laws exist because insurance companies don't like paying for brain injuries and subsequent care. It ain't because big brother is looking out for you. Texting while driving laws are likely born of something similar. $ > "personal liberties".
and what about my personal liberty NOT to sideswiped by some idiot whose total attention isnt on the road and whats around them as it should be? driving isnt a right, its a privilege.. people need to know that...and appreciate it.hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say0 -
markin ball wrote:Helmet laws exist because insurance companies don't like paying for brain injuries and subsequent care. It ain't because big brother is looking out for you. Texting while driving laws are likely born of something similar. $ > "personal liberties".
that's factually inaccurate.RC, SoDak 1998 - KC 2000 - Council Bluffs IA 2003 - Fargo ND 2003 - St. Paul MN 2003 - Alpine Valley 2003 - St Louis MO 2004 - Kissimmee FLA 2004 - Winnipeg 2005 - Thunder Bay 2005 - Chicago 2006 - Grand Rapids MI 2006 - Denver CO 2006 - Lollapalooza 2007 - Bonnaroo 2008 - Austin City Limits 2009 - Los Angeles 2009 - KC 2010 - St Louis MO 2010 - PJ20 Night 1 - PJ20 Night 20 -
catefrances wrote:the thing with banning ALL phone use in cars is it isnt realistic. whats the difference betwen using hands free and having an animated convo with the peeps in the car? what the difference between having a hands free convo and singign along with a song???
The theory on the difference between talking to someone on the phone and talking to someone in the car is that the person in the car is incorporating the task of driving along with the conversation. They allow for pauses and shifting in focus depending on what's going on in the road. They also are going to point out things going on in the environment. If your going through an iffy intersection or you're not sure to go left or right, they aren't going to ask you at that point to make a commitment with regard to something at work, etc.0 -
Idris wrote:How silly,
Rather they should make getting a 'Drivers License' much more difficult, like really make the driving test hard. If they implemented something like that, it would no doubt solve many future driving issues. Mainly by keeping drivers without the skill to handle a car off public roads.
Banning talking on cell phones while driving? That's hardly a remedy for safer roads. It's not even the number one main cause for accidents.
--
I agree that getting a license should be more difficult. In '09 it was estimated that 24,000 people were injured in cell phone as a distraction car crashes (in the U.S.) and just under 1000 people died. These are likely lower than actual, too, because the number is from it being reported that a driver was distracted by talking on the phone.
It's not the main cause for accidents, but still significant.0 -
Idris wrote:WaveRyder wrote:Securities for liberties.
If you'd give up the latter for the former, you don't deserve either.
I can't support it. I do support educating people about the dangers of both texting and talking on the phone while driving, however.
I know eh, in many cases people don't understand the danger of simply NOT looking at the road ahead.. It's really just common sense, You got it, or you don't.
That's part of the problem. People think it's "other drivers" that suck, and therefore they think they're skilled enough to talk on the phone/text.0 -
WaveRyder wrote:Securities for liberties.
If you'd give up the latter for the former, you don't deserve either.
I can't support it. I do support educating people about the dangers of both texting and talking on the phone while driving, however.
Do you lose liberty because it's illegal to drink and drive? It's just as dangerous to talk on the phone and drive. There's plenty of laws surrounding driving, and this would be one more to adapt to new technology.0 -
Here in Ontario we have a handset ban...you can use a hands free device. I fully support the ban but think the penalty should be as severe as careless driving.I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon0 -
Go Beavers wrote:WaveRyder wrote:Securities for liberties.
If you'd give up the latter for the former, you don't deserve either.
I can't support it. I do support educating people about the dangers of both texting and talking on the phone while driving, however.
Do you lose liberty because it's illegal to drink and drive? It's just as dangerous to talk on the phone and drive. There's plenty of laws surrounding driving, and this would be one more to adapt to new technology.
AgreeI have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon0 -
Go Beavers wrote:WaveRyder wrote:Securities for liberties.
If you'd give up the latter for the former, you don't deserve either.
I can't support it. I do support educating people about the dangers of both texting and talking on the phone while driving, however.
Do you lose liberty because it's illegal to drink and drive? It's just as dangerous to talk on the phone and drive. There's plenty of laws surrounding driving, and this would be one more to adapt to new technology.
technically, yes.RC, SoDak 1998 - KC 2000 - Council Bluffs IA 2003 - Fargo ND 2003 - St. Paul MN 2003 - Alpine Valley 2003 - St Louis MO 2004 - Kissimmee FLA 2004 - Winnipeg 2005 - Thunder Bay 2005 - Chicago 2006 - Grand Rapids MI 2006 - Denver CO 2006 - Lollapalooza 2007 - Bonnaroo 2008 - Austin City Limits 2009 - Los Angeles 2009 - KC 2010 - St Louis MO 2010 - PJ20 Night 1 - PJ20 Night 20 -
WaveRyder wrote:Go Beavers wrote:WaveRyder wrote:Securities for liberties.
If you'd give up the latter for the former, you don't deserve either.
I can't support it. I do support educating people about the dangers of both texting and talking on the phone while driving, however.
Do you lose liberty because it's illegal to drink and drive? It's just as dangerous to talk on the phone and drive. There's plenty of laws surrounding driving, and this would be one more to adapt to new technology.
technically, yes.
New Hampshire should update it to 'Give me Liberty AND give me death'!
0 -
WaveRyder wrote:Go Beavers wrote:WaveRyder wrote:Securities for liberties.
If you'd give up the latter for the former, you don't deserve either.
I can't support it. I do support educating people about the dangers of both texting and talking on the phone while driving, however.
Do you lose liberty because it's illegal to drink and drive? It's just as dangerous to talk on the phone and drive. There's plenty of laws surrounding driving, and this would be one more to adapt to new technology.
technically, yes.
I'm a fervent advocate of civil liberties, but that's just silly.
When people are operating 3000 lb death machines, there has to be rules.
That said, I don't think it should be illegal to use a phone when driving. Texting/facebooking, etc... that's just stupid and should be illegal.Everything not forbidden is compulsory and eveything not compulsory is forbidden. You are free... free to do what the government says you can do.0 -
Why do find it necessary to be on the phone 24/7?
I hate being on the telephone. I dont get it. People with shit in their ears like bluetooths and the like.
Im like any insane person could nowadays walk around with a dead cellphone and speak into it, nobody would know.
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WaveRyder wrote:markin ball wrote:Helmet laws exist because insurance companies don't like paying for brain injuries and subsequent care. It ain't because big brother is looking out for you. Texting while driving laws are likely born of something similar. $ > "personal liberties".
that's factually inaccurate.
So what's the story, morning glory?"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win ."
"With our thoughts we make the world"0
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