Ineffective Driving While Yakking Regulation Proving Popular Among States
from the that's-what-politicians-do dept
Despite a mixed verdict on the efficacy of driving-while-yakking laws, more states are jumping on the legislative bandwagon. Since 2003, 23 states have passed laws regulating the use of cell phones in cars, with most requiring the use hands-free kits. Of course, talking with an earpiece is distracting too, as are any number of things that one can do in a car. Why not ban talking to other passengers, or drinking coffee? A better approach is to promote safe driving in general, not to legislate away stupid, distracting behavior. Of course, politicians don't need to show results, they just need to get re-elected by scaring people and pointing to politically popular measures that they supported. Before long, there won't be many states that don't have tough regulations in place.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Banning distractions while driving
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Re: Banning distractions while driving
this third arm comes in handy :D
just kidding, i dont have 3 arms
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Phone or Conversation
There are always those times where you zone out and find yourself 5 mins down the road, not remembering the road you just drove down. How do you legistlate for that?
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Re: Phone or Conversation
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Re: Phone or Conversation
When we are on the phone we feel a social obligation to maintain the conversation at a normal pace regardless of what's going on around us because the other person has no way to know what's happening.
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Re: Re: Phone or Conversation
What about the 5 year old in the backseat that won't shut up even if you tell her to? Will there be a ban on transporting children without first duct-taping their mouths shut first?
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Re: Re: Phone or Conversation
Um, No, we dont.... At least not those of us that are treating driving as the primary acticvity & talking as incidental.
If the person I'm talking to even notices, I just say, "I'm driving" No one has ever had a problem with that.
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Convo
...the ear piece is useful (since I drive a stick shift) but I've certainly gotten lost in conversations and forgetten to take my exit before.
I think they should ban the following:
- applying cosmetics.
- fixing hair
- shaving
- reading (I've seen this)
- drinking (any beverage)
- smoking (after I quit)
- changing CDs
- searching for lost objects
I've been most distracted when I'm adjusting the radio (changing CDs) and lighting cigarettes.
Everything is a distraction really. Attractive women wearing a whore's costume walking down the street distract the shit out of me too. So does hotties in the car next to me.
...are they going to ban beauty next?
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Re: Convo
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Evil cell phone puts drivers to sleep!
It sounds like the problem was driving while tired, or medical. It doesn't sound like the phone at all!
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States put more stupid logic into legislation...
What is the logic behind having in an ear piece over holding the phone in your hand anyway? There is no law stating that I must have both hands on the wheel. I am free to play with the radio, drink from a mug, hold my wife's hand, etc but not hold a phone? I'd understand the logic (but not agree with it) if the law forbid the driver from talking on a phone, headset or not.
So, I guess my question is, can I get a ticket for holding my coffee mug up to my ear while talking to a fellow passenger?
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Re: States put more stupid logic into legislation.
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VW commercials
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Just for the record
As a constant victim of doofus' in oversized SUV's obliviously cutting me off in rush hour traffic, I can attest that I personally believe this statement to be true.
Furthermore Joe... Weren't you the half-wit that ran over my foot the other day while you were blabbing incoherently into your Smart-Ass Phone?
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Re: Just for the record
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Strange that I'm the only one who agrees
It *is* more distracting to hold a phone to ear, maintain that disembodied conversation while trying to drive completely one-handed. People should *not* do it. As such, I have absolutely no problem having it banned. Now, if only the police would enforce it...
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Hate Cell Phone Drivers
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Talking while Yaking
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Re: Talking while Yaking
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Handsfree Sets
All were more fiddley than just answering the phone, and in my opinion, more distracting.
The worst was the full car kit, I kept finding myself turning to focus on the effective location of the person, and to talk driectly at the mic. It scared me, and I stopped using it.
-Qyiet
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Re:
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Re: what?
About 20 years ago we didn't have the internet, either. We did just fine wihtout it. Why use it? Why use anything our parents or grandparents didn't have? Obviously THEY got by fine without TV or cars or ...
Your logic circuit that determines usefulness is broken. This is not to say you are an idiot, but it does suggest you need a brain upgrade. Maybe Service Pack 1? Service Pack 2 is newer and you probably haven't figured out that it's useful or important yet; so SP1 would work better for you.
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Re: Re: what?
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Anything while Driving
I folowed a woman putting on all kinds of makeup using the mirror on the driver's side sun visor. She used her peripheral vision to drive and her normal vision to make herself pretty for the car she rear-ended in the turn lane not long after.
Anyone who's seen The Big Lebowski knows you don't need a cell phone to get distracted and crash.
We don't need to ban certain activities while driving. We simply need to up the ante for traffic violations involving those activities.
As it stands, you CAN be cited for inattentive driving. Driving while reading will get you a ticket, not because reading while driving is illegal, but because not paying close enough attention to driving is illegal. So we should all be written up for doing whatever it is that puts others at risk. Why require authorities to ban each individual nuisance activity? Why not let them enforce the rules already in place?
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yakking
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Another Law In Our "Free" Country
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Re: Another Law In Our "Free" Country
These laws are just another way for the government to "control" & "determine" the actions we take. As you said, "I love my country, but this isn't what i call "free".
Stupid people do stupid things and make stupid decisions whether there is a law in place or not! That is there decision to take those risks and pay the consequences.
Thank you for speaking the simple thruth. It's refreshing to know that there are others who feel the same way!
Kind Regards,
Michael
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its science
Anyway. The handsfree set would reduce accidents by very little it seems. Most people can drive a stick safely with one arm once they learn how (shift before the turn, use the knees). Its the wandering mind that takes your concentration out of the car, to whatever and wherever people are talking about. Thats why passenger conversations are not banned, because the focus easily stays in the car (passengers are trusting you with their life). What other distraction can completely transport your mind with a two-way conversation requiring input and output, along with thought? "Handsfree" is BS fed to you by the cellphone accessory reps trying to get you to buy some high-margin item in the name of your own safety. I can use one hand to drive just fine, unless I'm trying to do something else in addition to talking.
Also, when you "wake up" out of a daze when driving, studies have shown that its actually not as dangerous as you think. Inevitably, your subconcious mind freaks out when something dangerous happens and alerts you immediately, its almost a reflex. Ever stopped at a green light before? Your subconscious tells you to stop at the intersection out of habit, but your conscious brain is too tripped-out to notice that the light is green.
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Let stupid people get thier Darwin awards!!!
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Cell Phone Safety
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Bob I don't know if you're serious or not but what
I couldn't help but post after reading your consistently ignorant and simply ridiculous posts. I understand if you've had some bad experiences regarding cell phones in restaurants near your table and with screaming children annoying you but that is no excuse to come here and post your meaningless drivel about how we should ban all kinds of things simply because you don't like them. You need to understand that not EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is going to go out of their way just to make you a little more comfortable at dinner. Cell phones offer an incredible benefit to society especially while out of a persons own home (ie Public Places), but with those benefits we are going to have to accept a few detriments. If you truly can't stand the company of others so much you should just stay in your own home and read your paper and smoke your death sticks because the rest of us sure don't like the smell you bring into the restaurant after you've smoked your fifth pack of the day. I try not to blab all over the place how we should BAN CIGARETTES and MAKE PEOPLE TAKE 5 SHOWERS IF THEY REAK AS MUCH AS BOB DOES but some times posts like yours just make it so that I can't resist it. Don't go around complaining about "all this new hubatechnocrap" that other people find useful but you don't know how to use. Just because your VCR still blinks 12:00 doesn't mean the rest of us have to live at your pathetic level of existence.
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Re: Bob I don't know if you're serious or not but
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Cell phone talking while driving
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Solved my phone problem
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Re: Solved my phone problem
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Re: Re: Solved my phone problem
Way to go. Maybe they need to talk for a phone interview to get a job, but screw them. Maybe theyre finding out about a sick relative, screw em.
Your piece of mind is much more important that anything anyone else could need at the moment, which of course you know better than them anyway!
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How about the dogs?
How about laws requiring animals in vehicles to be restrained?
And I won't even get into laws about the top 9 causes of accidents while driving (talking on cell phones was #10).
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Cellphone Driving
Personally I have witnessed enough drivers who are not in control when they aren't on the phone to believe that anyone should drive with a phone clamped to their head.
However, maybe we don't need special laws to enforce this, civil damages could be awarded against against those who cause accidents, and criminal pernalties against those who kill. The insurance companies could choose whether or not to insure against accidents which happen while a driver is using his phone. They any driver who thinks his driving is safe when he is on the phone will be quite at liberty to continue as they do now. Get it wrong and you stop driving forever.
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