Don't the recommendations also call for banning hands free devices as well? That part is where it gets ridiculous.

How many accidents are caused by being distracted while talking to a passenger or parents trying to control a kid? At some point you have to stop trying to condemn everything and simply rely on promoting safe driving and deal with the risk. That being said I agree that texting while driving is awfully dangerous.

The tag gives it away

MayoSlather: At some point you have to stop trying to condemn everything and simply rely on promoting safe driving and deal with the risk.

Yup.

The world is a dangerous place. Deal with it.

We can't ban all distractions, so what is the point in banning any?

MayoSlather: Don't the recommendations also call for banning hands free devices as well? That part is where it gets ridiculous.

How many accidents are caused by being distracted while talking to a passenger or parents trying to control a kid? At some point you have to stop trying to condemn everything and simply rely on promoting safe driving and deal with the risk. That being said I agree that texting while driving is awfully dangerous.

They've done the studies. Talking on a cellphone, handsfree or not, is objectively much more distracting than listening to the radio, talking to passengers, etc.

The main problem with America is that everyone tries to base their decisions on gut instincts, even when those instincts are wrong.

Example study.

Just because your state doesn't have its own tag doesn't mean that it will follow the NTSB's suggestion, either.

MayoSlather: Don't the recommendations also call for banning hands free devices as well? That part is where it gets ridiculous.

How many accidents are caused by being distracted while talking to a passenger or parents trying to control a kid? At some point you have to stop trying to condemn everything and simply rely on promoting safe driving and deal with the risk. That being said I agree that texting while driving is awfully dangerous.

Dead on. They want to get rid of everything, which will never happen.

Then again, stopping trying to condemn everything and simply rely on promoting safe driving and deal with the risk means taking responsibility for your actions and that is totally and completely unamerican. Even suggesting it can get you sent to Gitmo.

Here's a link to the article about the accident that started all this NTSB cage rattling. Summary: a 19 year old kid was possibly texting when an accident occurred, therefore we should ban all cell phone use while driving. That's not only ridiculously unenforceable, it's just plain ridiculous. Of all the drivers on the road at any given moment, probably 75-80% of them are using their cell phone in some manner. And I don't see people flying off overpasses or jumping lanes into oncoming traffic. Banning all cell phone use because of one isolated incident is akin to banning all Middle Eastern men from air travel because a few bad apples caused an accident. Why not ban women from driving as according to the NTSB's own data, they are responsible for over 70% of all accidents. The NTSB should stick to regulating the speeds of covered wagons because they're about as in touch with modern life as an Amish guy is up on X Factor.

jagec: MayoSlather: Don't the recommendations also call for banning hands free devices as well? That part is where it gets ridiculous.

How many accidents are caused by being distracted while talking to a passenger or parents trying to control a kid? At some point you have to stop trying to condemn everything and simply rely on promoting safe driving and deal with the risk. That being said I agree that texting while driving is awfully dangerous.

They've done the studies. Talking on a cellphone, handsfree or not, is objectively much more distracting than listening to the radio, talking to passengers, etc.

The main problem with America is that everyone tries to base their decisions on gut instincts, even when those instincts are wrong.

Example study.

And American's think they aren't the one causing the problem, it's everyone else.


/notice we're moving closer to the "nobody around here knows how to drive in the snow" season.

Electronic devices caused 2,218 crashes in Florida this year through October, state records show. Another 685 were related to DVDs and similar devices. Texting contributed to 145 crashes. That adds up to 1.8 percent of all crashes, though it may underestimate the problem because police rely on drivers to admit they were using a cellphone.

Seems like it would make more sense to make watching DVDs illegal.

Oh . . wait . . . it already is.

Well then, give them the death penalty for doing it.

Oh . . wait . . . some already died in those DVD-related crashes.

Let's make DVD players and cell-phones illegal and confiscate them. After all, if it saves just one life . . .

JustGetItRight: Then again, stopping trying to condemn everything and simply rely on promoting safe driving and deal with the risk means taking responsibility for your actions and that is totally and completely unamerican.

It should be legal for me to drink and drive, then. "I swear, officer, I have everything under control!"

You know I came to argue that texting while driving was horrible but, making more laws so cops can stop you and then check for insurance and make sure you are belted up and then search you and everyone in the car, is not a good idea.

Everybody has at least one story. I was in a near-fatal crash 5 years ago. Dude ran a red light at highway speed and T-boned me. He was arguing with his girlfriend on his cell and didn't notice the light was red. I used to email and talk while driving but quit doing it even before this crash. I realized I was missing exits, running stop signs, swerving and drifting and one day just though "fark it". Nothing I do is so damn important it can't wait a few minutes. Everyone that knows me knows I don't answer my phone while I drive. If it's an emergency - call me twice. That's my clue. Otherwise, I'll get back to you. The truth is, most car accidents are avoidable. Like Demetrius says above, kids are a distraction. So is smoking, eating, reading, mp3 players, sleepiness, drugs, alcohol, insects in the car, etc. All these things cause accidents every day. It comes down to personal responsibility. I know I suck at driving if I'm on a phone, so I don't do it. Good luck legislating it. Just another source of revenue because it will not stop people from doing it. I'm pretty sure sex is illegal while driving, but if my wife ever decides to play the skin flute while I'm driving - I'm breaking the law and that is that.

Texting while walking should also be banned.

What would all the female students at the University of Florida do, if they could not text while driving? Talk on the phone instead.

I swear, most of the girls there, have phones implanted in the side of their heads or on the ends of their fingers.

I think it's called Darwinism.

California as well. They'll protect us from exhaust emissions, but my last two times being rear ended were from texting drivers. There's no profit to be made in controlling behavior, only in selling us something.

Fark that, LO

The NTSB has no business issuing these recommendations. They are interpreting their mission a bit too broadly. I think all states should ban texting while driving. But banning the use of any cell phone, even with a handless headset is going a bit too far. Drivers have used radios for decades and we never heard too much about the safety of them. I agree that I am a tad distracted, when I'm on the phone, but I understand this and take extra precaution. If what is being discussed is too distracting, I'll pull off the road. But I have to participate in an early morning conference call every day. I usually do this while driving to work. If it is illegal for me to do this, I will have to rearrange my day to arrive at the office earlier or later. If I choose later, I will put myself into the thick of Atlanta's horrible afternoon rush. If I choose earlier, I put myself into he think of the morning rush. lose = lose.

Also the cops cannot possibly hope to enforce this, nor do they have the time to do it. Also, how can they prove a driver was talking on a cell phone? "No officer, I wasn't talking on my cell. I was singing along to the radio."

Lawmakers will make a special exemption for politicians and government employees. Then give themselves a raise and a three week vacation for doing a great job.

spentmiles: Summary: a 19 year old kid was possibly texting when an accident occurred, therefore we should ban all cell phone use while driving.

Except "emergency use"; so you can still drive distracted while calling 911, and the police can still drive distracted as long as they or their department claims it was official business.

I want a law that forbids non emergency driving with a BAC of .08 or higher:
-Driving drunk? Jail. Oh, it was an emergency, you were taking someone to the hospital? Well that's OK, carry on. Didn't mean to interrupt your buzz.
-Cop driving drunk on duty? No more badge for you. Oh, you were engaging in official business at the time. Never mind, carry on officer.

So, talking/texting while driving is just as dangerous as being drunk while driving which is why it's banned for everyone...except police/fire/ambulance workers on official business or average citizens using it in an emergency. Makes perfect sense.

jagec: The main problem with America is that everyone tries to base their decisions on gut instincts, even when those instincts are wrong.

Case in point:

spentmiles: Of all the drivers on the road at any given moment, probably 75-80% of them are using their cell phone in some manner.

Too Pretty For Prison: Nothing I do is so damn important it can't wait a few minutes.

Sorry, but not all of us can be managers at Blockbuster Video. My calls/texts/emails do not just stop because I choose to be on the road. It'd be not only irresponsible of me, but downright immoral, to just blow off all of my calls simply because I was driving. I don't think you should start legislating for everyone simply because you are some deadbeat who works part time at a mall kiosk selling microwaveable neck warmers to teenage girls. I do envy your simplicity, but then I start up my M6 and remember why I stopped smoking pot and got an education. Good luck.

domo_kun_sai: You know I came to argue that texting while driving was horrible but, making more laws so cops can stop you and then check for insurance and make sure you are belted up and then search you and everyone in the car, is not a good idea.

Everything up to the bolded part I'm more or less fine with. Cops don't have a right to search you without probable cause. Seat belt laws for adults I'm kinda "meh" about; it does nothing to protect the safety of others on the road. It's more of a: "you're a god damn idiot if you don't buckle up" thing...should be required for kids, obviously.

spentmiles: Of all the drivers on the road at any given moment, probably 75-80% of them are using their cell phone in some manner.

Really?

If there's one thing that the people of Florida have proven, it's that they're experts with using technology.

MayoSlather: Don't the recommendations also call for banning hands free devices as well? That part is where it gets ridiculous.

Agreed. The impetus stems from multi-car crashes like this one, where the driver was texting - which is illegal in most states. Adding a new law that bans *all* devices would not have prevented any of these accidents, because the drivers were already doing something they weren't supposed to be doing.

Adding new & (oftentimes) vaguely worded laws just penalizes those who already follow the laws. It's like having to swipe your DL to get some Sudafed at the pharmacy. You think the guy running the local meth lab really gives a s**t he's breaking that law too?

Demetrius: "I saw you talking to your passenger. Here's your ticket." That's what it will come to.

It's a new driving tax cash grab - plain & simple.

/apologies for feeling grumpy right now

Driving while not knowing how to drive should be banned, solves all of these issues.

I was listening on NPR about this and if I recall correctly the only study they had on this didnt; really show an improvement in accident rates.

LAws liek this are very difficult to enforce without having gross privacy concerns and the unintended consqeuence of peopel trying to hide that they are texting which is even more dangerous.

spentmiles: Sorry, but not all of us can be managers at Blockbuster Video. My calls/texts/emails do not just stop because I choose to be on the road. It'd be not only irresponsible of me, but downright immoral, to just blow off all of my calls simply because I was driving. I don't think you should start legislating for everyone simply because you are some deadbeat who works part time at a mall kiosk selling microwaveable neck warmers to teenage girls. I do envy your simplicity, but then I start up my M6 and remember why I stopped smoking pot and got an education. Good luck.

Likely a troll...but if you're serious, I hope you drown in a giant vat of douche. It'd be a hug win for irony.

scottydoesntknow: spentmiles: Here's a link to the article about the accident that started all this NTSB cage rattling. Summary: a 19 year old kid was possibly texting when an accident occurred, therefore we should ban all cell phone use while driving. That's not only ridiculously unenforceable, it's just plain ridiculous. Of all the drivers on the road at any given moment, probably 75-80% of them are using their cell phone in some manner. And I don't see people flying off overpasses or jumping lanes into oncoming traffic. Banning all cell phone use because of one isolated incident is akin to banning all Middle Eastern men from air travel because a few bad apples caused an accident. Why not ban women from driving as according to the NTSB's own data, they are responsible for over 70% of all accidents. The NTSB should stick to regulating the speeds of covered wagons because they're about as in touch with modern life as an Amish guy is up on X Factor.

Whoa whoa whoa Spent, I didn't favorite you as Trolly McFunny just to have you start posting rational arguments. What's going on?

Same here. I also have him favorited as Troll Extraordinaire, so this makes no sen...

spentmiles: Too Pretty For Prison: Nothing I do is so damn important it can't wait a few minutes.

Sorry, but not all of us can be managers at Blockbuster Video. My calls/texts/emails do not just stop because I choose to be on the road. It'd be not only irresponsible of me, but downright immoral, to just blow off all of my calls simply because I was driving. I don't think you should start legislating for everyone simply because you are some deadbeat who works part time at a mall kiosk selling microwaveable neck warmers to teenage girls. I do envy your simplicity, but then I start up my M6 and remember why I stopped smoking pot and got an education. Good luck.

...there it is. Never mind

As someone who was rear-ended by a kid who was texting while driving a few months ago, I am not amused.

You can legislate against it, try to police it and throw all the resources and money you want at it, but until the day that the insurance industry starts taking a substantial hit because of it, not much is going to happen to make a dent in the problem.

The second that the insurance cabals realize that it is costing them something that they could actually profit from, then it will become an issue of the gravest importance...

Policies will include 'no electronics use' clauses - with cancellation or nullification for violators... civil claims due to personal injury or property damage will be contested because of their use while behind the wheel... policy costs from previous violators will naturally increase... an inexperienced driver risk pool will be created to cover the new drivers... and or course, a points system will have to be implemented so that data can be exchanged between the insurance companies and the law enforcement community so that everyone is on the same page with this new and lifesaving change to the system.

/prescient?

JustGetItRight: Then again, stopping trying to condemn everything and simply rely on promoting safe driving and deal with the risk means taking responsibility for your actions and that is totally and completely unamerican. Even suggesting it can get you sent to Gitmo.

Taking responsibility for your actions is great and all...but I don't want my or my loved one's lives to rely on the "responsibility" of some generic clueless turd. I agree that banning hands-free is ridiculous, but banning texting is completely reasonable.

guestguy: spentmiles: Sorry, but not all of us can be managers at Blockbuster Video. My calls/texts/emails do not just stop because I choose to be on the road. It'd be not only irresponsible of me, but downright immoral, to just blow off all of my calls simply because I was driving. I don't think you should start legislating for everyone simply because you are some deadbeat who works part time at a mall kiosk selling microwaveable neck warmers to teenage girls. I do envy your simplicity, but then I start up my M6 and remember why I stopped smoking pot and got an education. Good luck.

Likely a troll...but if you're serious, I hope you drown in a giant vat of douche. It'd be a hug win for irony.

Of course it's a troll. Does Blockbuster Video even have stores anymore?