Total Cell Phone Ban Is A Bad Idea
By Bonnie Sesolak, NMA Development Director
The National Safety Council wants to see cell phone use in cars banned. They believe states should ban drivers from using hand-held and hands-free cell phones, and businesses should prohibit employees from using cell phones while driving on the job.
This idea is appealing to some because it could make enforcing cell phone laws easier. Unfortunately, it achieves this by removing all thought and discretion from the process.
Here are some of the reasons you may want to use a cell phone while driving:
- Safety. If you should find yourself in a situation where you feel threatened perhaps by another driver that has some pent up road rage issues, do you want to pull over to call for help?
- How about finding yourself in the “wrong part of town?” Pulling over to get directions might not be a good idea. Your cell phone may be your only option.
- Forgetfulness. Leaving something important behind. You could simply call the person before the situation was beyond repair to let them know what they have forgotten.
- With everyone cutting back on needless travel, combining errands is important. A quick call to ask someone to stop and pickup or deliver something for you may be helpful.
- What if you see a crime being committed and you need to call law enforcement?
- Perhaps there is a medical emergency, an accident, or you encounter a potential life threatening situation while driving.
Sometimes it is necessary to use a cell phone while driving and competent drivers should be able to do so without fearing legal repercussions. Drivers who endanger others while talking on the phone can and should be ticketed under existing distracted driving laws.
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argument is bull. of course you can pull over anytime and make those calls. cell phone use while driving has already caused 2500 deaths in america. cell phone use while driving is not safe
[...] Another article brings up the issue about safety with the cell phone ban, and its not what you are thinking. This article from motorists.org states that it is unsafe to have a total ban, because then people could not use their phone if they are in danger. Also, this could be a traffic hazard because if people get lost, they are likely to cause problems instead of being able to call someone for help and directions. *To read more on this article go here. [...]
Oboy! Another implied consent law — just what we need to help the nanny-staters micro-manage our lives. Classic conservative excuse for thinking: Got a problem? Just make it illegal. Hell, it worked with drugs, did it?
And how in your senario would someone be able to prove the cell-phone use caused or did not cause the accident?
There are times when I damn near don’t need to even be in the front seat to keep it going straight down the highway; other times I dare not take my eyes off the road ahead for a nanosecond. Here’s a radical thought: how about letting me–the driver–decide when it’s safe to talk on the phone?
The solution seems simple to me:
Change the law so that is there is an accident resulting in injury or property damage, phone records are checked and anyone who was ratchet-jawing on their cell is presumed to be at fault unless they can conclusive;y prove otherwise. Then make it possible for insurance companies to decline to cover accidents where their clients were held at fault because they were blabbing away.
People who CAN talk and drive at the same time will occasionally get caught in this, but those who CAN’T and do anyway will quickly cease to be a problem.
I am still looking for a rational reason why CB radio is legal and my Cell phone which functions the same way is illegal!
Also if I want to go to the expense of routing my cell thru my CB I can be legal.
My cell has voice activated dialing.
“I could drink from a can of soda, eat a slice of pizza, smoke a cigarette, and shift a manual transmission in any combination or all at once.”
Wouldn’t that get rather messy? Ash in your peperoni doesn’t sound to appealing to me.
When I was in college, I could drink from a can of soda, eat a slice of pizza, smoke a cigarette, and shift a manual transmission in any combination or all at once. I took time to develop my skills and concentration in a car that would not forgive mistakes. Those who will not make the effort to sharpen their skills well enough to take a real driving test probably shouldn’t be driving anyway.
A cell phone ban won’t work because people will still do it anyways what they should do instead is make cell phones that cut off when you put the car in drive but the cell phone industry would scream bloody murder because they don’t want to put a 2 dollar chip in each phone.
People say that there are many things as distracting as cell phones. I say that is probably true but for many people these other distractions do not occur the entire trip like some people use cell phones. I do not have an answer for this but cell phone use should be kept to a minimum while driving.
“Why don’t you test your study by getting drunk and dialing a phone sober and so which is easier for you to function.”
Yeah, and I’m the moron…
I don’t think there should be a law in place, but i’ve noticed too many morons driving while talking on the phone and swerving everywhere or driving below the speed limit in the passing lane. These people piss me off and is ruining it for the rest of us competent drivers who can actually do 2 things at once. Put the cell phone down while driving unless it’s an emergency or something. There is no reason to be looking at your cell phone and thn talk on it the whole way to your destination. I mean it really is a personal responsibility thing and too many people are too stupid to be able to talk and drive.
“Using a cell phone whilst driving has been proven to be far more deadly that driving whilst drunk.”
Another moron citing some b.s. study. Why don’t you test your study by getting drunk and dialing a phone sober and so which is easier for you to function.
Yes cell phones distract drivers and can cause accidents. So doesn’t the radio, food and drinks, navigation systems…the list goes on and on. LETS BAN EVERTHING IN YOUR CAR!!!!!!
News flash: there is a law already in place that prohibits “distracted driving”. We don’t need another one.
Why discriminate against one form of distraction inducing behaviour when other distractions are just as bad, such as ajusting the radio putting on makeup etc.
How do you know for sure without a doubt that an accident was caused by a cell phone? No one knows for sure they can only assume. Just because someone may have been on the phone when the accident happened doesn’t mean it caused it. Duh! There laws on the books already to cover for irratic driving law enforcement need to enforce them.
I have a push to talk, voice dialing cell phone that is illegal but my Trucker friend has a push to talk C.B. that is legal.
What the H..l is the difference??
What a stupid argument.
Using a cell phone whilst driving has been proven to be far more deadly that driving whilst drunk.
So, lets go through each of your arguments
Safety – whilst using a cell? I don’t think so
Wrong Part of Town – plan your journeys
Forgetfulness – tough, what would you have done before cell phones were common place?
Cut backs – ridiculous argument
Crime – stop when safe and then dial 911
Medical – stop when safe and then dial 911
This issue goes beyond cell phones to freedom. If the fascists can ban cell phones, what’s next? Tuning the radio? Playing the radio? Conversing with passengers? Silencing your children? Drinking coffee? Eating a hamburger?
The government grinds freedom down in small steps, using a “plausable” argument for the first step, backing it up with “scientific studies.” Closer examination reveals an anti-freedom agenda.
As Jimmy Durante once said, “Why doesn’t everybody leave everybody else the hell alone.” Stop the bureaucrats now or lose your freedom later. Government, get out of my car.
Tom McCarey