Federal ban on talking on cell phones while driving?
By uicbear
@uicbear (1900)
United States
January 19, 2009 2:53pm CST
I've been hear rumblings of this happening the past week or so and was wonder if you all had any further information. It incorporates not only hand-held devices but hands-free as well.
So far in the US I know several cities have bans on using hand-held cell phones while driving, but hands free is ok. What I have been hearing lately is that there has been a study published of a high incident of accidents are involving the use of a cell phone. Because of this study the government is think about a nationwide ban on talking on any cellular device while driving.
I have to admit, I do talk on my cell while driving. Usually it's just a quick, hey do you want me to pick up dinner, or I'm going to the grocery is there anything we need? Do you talk on your cell while driving? How would you feel about a ban on even hands free devices while driving?
4 people like this
2 responses
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
22 Jan 09
i dont think they should ban hands free because that would be like them saying you cant talk to passengers or listen to the radio.. its all the same to me in distraction!
1 person likes this
@uicbear (1900)
• United States
22 Jan 09
I agree completely. There are so many things that people do while driving...I worked with some one who would cook her breakfast and eat it on the way to work. I'm not talking coffee and a bagel, I'm talking scrambled eggs and bacon. I still don't know how she did that.
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
21 Jan 09
I think these bans are going a little too far. I can understand the ban against cell phones as people can get easily distracted calling out or answering a call directly from a cell phone, but to ban the usage of a hands free device is a bit extreme in my opinion. As you pointed out in your response to Tina (KrauseHome) having a person in the car with you can be just as distracting, if not more distracting, than a hands-free device.
Kids can be terribly distracting to a driver, especially if they are having a fit. Yet, it isn't illegal to drive them around. Odd, isn't it?
Before you know it, sneezing will be banned as well. After all, it can take a second or 2 for that sneeze to happen. And what usually happens when we sneeze? We close our eyes (at least I know I do). In that split second ANYTHING can happen.
Maybe they better just ban driving all together. After all, car accidents have been happening well before cell phones were ever invented.
Yeah, that'll work. 
Sorry, for the rant. I'll get off my soapbox now. 
Sorry, for the rant. I'll get off my soapbox now. 1 person likes this
@uicbear (1900)
• United States
22 Jan 09
Actually I quite enjoyed your soapbox rant. And you hit it right on the head with kids being super distracting. My sister smushed the front end of her car because the kids were fighting in the back seat and she glanced back at them to see what the fuss was, and in the 2 seconds she did that, the guy in front of her stopped suddenly and by the time she glanced back in front and slammed on her brakes...whamo. Now fortunately, she wasn't going very fast, no one was hurt, and the other guy's car was fine...her car on the other hand....
1 person likes this
