The California State Senate narrowly passed a bill (PDF) to ban use of cell phones by drivers unless they are using hands free devices. The bill will now go to the Assembly for passage. Is this really something we need our legislators spending time on? What other activities while driving will they ban? How about eating? How about changing the radio dial? Talking to passengers? Putting on makeup? Ok, yeah, maybe that last one.
Seriously, isn’t it the distraction of concentrating on something completely outside the task of driving that is dangerous? So, will it really help to only ban handheld devices?
Any distraction is bad and can be deadly. I do think a cell phone conversation takes more concentration than eating though. Living in the Bay Area I saw it all… make-up, shaving, reading and what I presume was sex. This law will only deal with one type of distraction and I guess the only reason I would support it would be that it will likely speed up the adoption of hands free.
“Does it bother you more than people eating while driving or any of the other activities I listed or could list? If so, why?”.
I think it bothers me more than people eating, and such, for one simple reason: I don’t know anyone that is really SO important that they have to be available for a phone call at all hours.
Ok, maybe some people in emergency positions, but most of us could just as easily use answering services and deal with phone business when we’re not otherwise occupied.
For the record, I have an old analog cellphone in my truck, but I leave it unplugged and only use it for emergencies, or when I’m parked and want to take care of business of some sort, which is rare. I rarely use my cell phone even once a month.
As far as, “On the other hand, I think it’s great that someone who gets pulled over for one infraction gets cited for others.”,
Best hope it’s always someone else, Robert. As more and more things become illegal, they’ll be more and more people pulled over and punished in some way or another. It’s likely they’ll end up dragging you into it too.
On the bright side, there’s so many things illegal right now as it is, the cops can’t keep up with it. In some ways, that makes us all safer. It also makes us less safe.
Interesting. We agree the legislation is bad, but for very different reasons. You say people on cell phones while driving bother you but you don’t way why it bothers you.
Does it bother you more than people eating while driving or any of the other activities I listed or could list? If so, why?
Would making it OK to talk on the cell phone using a hands free device make it OK with you?
On the other hand, I think it’s great that someone who gets pulled over for one infraction gets cited for others. Those infractions are likely ones that are equally or of more danger to the public like broken turn signals, broken headlights, spewing exhaust systems, etc. Why wouldn’t you want those fixed?
I actually get quite annoyed with people talking on their cell phones while driving for a number of reasons.
But, I’m with you. My main reason for opposing this proposal is a bit different:
This will be just one more reason to get pulled over by police. It might well end up in traffic court as another he said/ cop said thing, although cops could always subpeona your cell phone record to prove you were on it.
But once you’re stopped, you might well end up with any number of other violations noted and end up paying hefty fees for fix it ticket type stuff as well.
I saw this happen in traffic court a few years ago: A guy was pulled over in Mckinleyville because the cop (CHP) said the drive didn’t have a seat belt on. Defendent says he had his seatbelt on.
In addition to the seat belt violation, defendant was given umpteen violations for the condition of his vehicle. He ended up having several hundred dollars of things to fix, along with the fines.
More people will have to deal with such things if they pass the cellphone ban. I do wish people would stop talking on their phones when driving, though.