NTSB Recommends Banning All But Emergency Cellphone Use While Driving

[l2ridehd]

I agree with ban them all. We would save millions of barrels of oil every year. The next time your stopped at a traffic light, pay attention to a thing called "gap control". Watch as the cars leave the light and you will see cars that have space for 5 to 10 cars between them and the one in front of them. As a result 50% of the cars that should make the light have to sit and idle waiting for the next light. Almost always it's because someone is yakking on a cell phone and not paying attention to the light changing. I am going to build a cell jammer and zap them so their phone fries.

 

[Bikerdude]

What about passengers in the car? or on a train?

Well you could disable texting only, you would still be able make a cell call. If you must text while on a auto trip you could pull over and text. GPS may be accurate enough to distinguish that you are on a train via routes. Anyway you would still be able to make a call. Obviously the current laws are not working.

 

[Midpack]

I agree with ban them all. We would save millions of barrels of oil every year. The next time your stopped at a traffic light, pay attention to a thing called "gap control". Watch as the cars leave the light and you will see cars that have space for 5 to 10 cars between them and the one in front of them. As a result 50% of the cars that should make the light have to sit and idle waiting for the next light. Almost always it's because someone is yakking on a cell phone and not paying attention to the light changing. I am going to build a cell jammer and zap them so their phone fries.

I have definitely noticed this phenomena...

And as far as data/statistics, there are plenty. But who hasn't noticed someone wandering across lanes or off the road while playing with a phone? Or someone driving 45mph on a major highway while talking on the phone? Or someone who is clearly not looking down the road because they are playing on a phone? I have seen people drive distracted for other reasons too, but I am not assuming, I have seen phones as the cause many, many times, who hasn't? To assume this doesn't increase the probability of an accident defies reason to me...

 

[FinanceDude]

It will never happen. You would also have to ban the following acts: eating, talking, putting on lipstick, shaving, cleaning your glasses, changing the radio station, adjusting your HVAC controls, checking your gas gauge, looking for dash lights, turning on your lights at dusk, using a turn signal, etc..............all of those activities are also distracting.........

Geez, how did we survive over 235 years without the govt doing everything for us?

 

[Rustward]

Would this be a good topic for a poll? I sure know how I would vote.

 

[Midpack]

I guess the lesson is, keep your defensive driving skills in top form! Seriously...

 

[MichaelB]

It will never happen. You would also have to ban the following acts: eating, talking, putting on lipstick, shaving, cleaning your glasses, changing the radio station, adjusting your HVAC controls, checking your gas gauge, looking for dash lights, turning on your lights at dusk, using a turn signal, etc..............all of those activities are also distracting.........

Geez, how did we survive over 235 years without the govt doing everything for us

?

Just 'cause we can't eliminate all those distractions doesn't mean we shouldn't try to deal with one of them.

I guess the lesson is, keep your defensive driving skills in top form! Seriously...

So true

 

[eytonxav]

I heard about this on the radio this morning. Seems more than a bit over the top to me. While I can appreciate the ban for texting and handheld cellphone operation, a hands free device shouldn't be banned. Next they will tell us you can't touch your radio or talk to your passengers while the car is moving

 

[ERD50]

While I can appreciate the ban for texting and handheld cellphone operation, a hands free device shouldn't be banned. Next they will tell us you can't touch your radio or talk to your passengers while the car is moving

Do some googling, educate yourself on the topic, and then see if you still feel that way.

I know it doesn't seem 'right' to many people, but the studies show there is a big difference between engaging in a hands free call and talking to a passenger in the car or listening to the radio. And the hands free is not much different from hand held in terms of distraction.

If I look around me, the earth seems flat, not round. But we have evidence to the contrary. You can't always go by your first impressions.

-ERD50

 

[eytonxav]

Do some googling, educate yourself on the topic, and then see if you still feel that way.

I know it doesn't seem 'right' to many people, but the studies show there is a big difference between engaging in a hands free call and talking to a passenger in the car or listening to the radio. And the hands free is not much different from hand held in terms of distraction.

If I look around me, the earth seems flat, not round. But we have evidence to the contrary. You can't always go by your first impressions.

-ERD50

No, I don't plan to do any Googling or futher self education. Just my personal viewpoint which I feel is reasonable. Car manufacturer phone device OK, but hands free no fails my logic test.

As to studies, do you believe everything that has a study associated with it?

 

[ziggy29]

Geez, how did we survive over 235 years without the govt doing everything for us?

Because for most of those 235 years, it didn't include routinely involve being in control of 3000 pound potential weapons going 60 MPH or more, in the close proximity of other people?

It is no longer 1787. What worked then is not always "the right thing" in today's world.

 

[TromboneAl]

But like some others, I don't understand how hands-free phone calls are any better or worse than talking to a passenger(s) while driving. Either can be an intense and equally distracting event no?

I agree that it's puzzling, but I'm convinced that it's more distracting talking on a phone, even with a hands-free device. Some suggest that because the person in the car is aware of the traffic situation, he/she will shut up when a problem happens. But that doesn't account for the drifting out of the lane type phenomenon.

I suspect that one reason the hands-free-only law passed in California, was that the cell phone manufacturers were salivating at all the hands-free devices they'd be able to sell.

 

[FinanceDude]

I did find out that this law, if passed, could be a boon to car manufacturers. Apparently, the law would NOT apply to factory installed hands-free systems like Sync (Ford) and others. How would this be ok and bluetooth not??

 

[Midpack]

I did find out that this law, if passed, could be a boon to car manufacturers. Apparently, the law would NOT apply to factory installed hands-free systems like Sync (Ford) and others. How would this be ok and bluetooth not??

[-]Campaign contributions?[/-] I don't know...

 

[52andout]

I don't care what a study says, as most of us know data can be interpreted in many ways. What I do know is this year I rode my bike over 1,000 and walked many miles as we are a one car family. Despite laws about no hand held cellphones if I had a nickel for every person I saw talking on a handheld, texting, reading maps, fiddling with gps etc I would be rich. My favorites are people who are talking on a handheld phone and don't stop at the stop sign or light before taking a right on red. I have come very close to being hit several times by idiots who are not paying attention.

I just can't believe it is not more dangerous to drive distracted. It makes no sense.

 

[Alan]

It's not hard to find stories about texting causing accidents. This one last month about a 17 year old who went off the road, hit a tree and died at the scene. Of course her friends don't believe she was texting even though she did receive a text just before, and police said her cell phone appeared to show her in the middle of a reply at the time of the accident.

Teen never texted while driving, her friends say - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Bateman said she included Summers in a mass text message about cheerleading at 9:55 p.m Tuesday, but, "It wasn't a text you respond to." Bateman thinks Summers might have bumped against her phone and inadvertently triggered a partial reply. State police said they found on Summers' cell phone a text she appeared to be typing in the same time frame as the crash.

I agree that it is not about creating specific new laws, but more about applying the ones already in place for distracted driving.

The first year I was in the US (1987) our secretary was late in one morning because she had rear-ended someone on I-45. She was really mad at the other driver because he looked over at her as he pulled in front. "He could see that I was putting on my mascara, he shouldn't have braked so hard, or he should have left me more room". I guess she didn't realize that it is the car behind that really needs to slow down to give more room, and if that only results in others nipping into the space, then stop putting on your makeup at 60mph on an urban interstate and pay attention.

 

[easysurfer]

No doubt, cellphones, texting while driving is a danger.

But is a national ban too excessive or should we have the law decided by state (such as seat belt, speed limit, gun laws, etc.)?

For example, a busy interstate is much different than a lonely, country road.

 

[Bestwifeever]

....Imagine the case of the wife calling her husband with a 20 mile commute to pick up something that is very close to the office. Sure she can give him a note but people forget. If he drives home without the item, then the next day she has to make the 40 mile trip. Which is more dangerous the minute or two of the husband being distracted or the additional 40 miles trip the wife makes?

...If had my cell phone I could have save time. More importantly, I am a very unsafe driver when I am looking for place since my concentration is spent looking for address, street names, and not on other vehicles on the road.

In the days before cellphone, I remember driving very unsafely and fast to make sure I got home to catch a phone call, or make an appointment. Now days I simply make a call and to tell them I am running late and while I am distracted for a minute or so, for the rest of the trip I am a much better and safer driver.

You could still use your cell phone to tell your spouse to pick something up, to get directions, to tell someone you're running late. Just don't do it while you're behind the wheel of the car.

You can always tell who's on the phone when you're driving--they're the ones with an inconsistent speed, leaning toward the center of the car for some reason. At least they're easy to spot and to avoid, for the most part.

Why do we need to be connected 24/7?

 

[clifp]

Do some googling, educate yourself on the topic, and then see if you still feel that way.

I know it doesn't seem 'right' to many people, but the studies show there is a big difference between engaging in a hands free call and talking to a passenger in the car or listening to the radio. And the hands free is not much different from hand held in terms of distraction.

If I look around me, the earth seems flat, not round. But we have evidence to the contrary. You can't always go by your first impressions.

-ERD50

I am sure that talking on cellphone while driving is distracting as are many activities. My point is not argue that it is distracting or debate the relative levels of distraction. It is simple observation on the list of the things that kills American cellphones is pretty far down the list.

I'll point out a pretty much indisputable fact, driving has gotten considerable safer over the years. One of the implications of 1.09 death per 100 MILLION miles of operation is that despite our best efforts to kill our fellow Americans by talking on cellphones, texting, putting on mascara, eating our burgers etc. we only succeed in doing so once every 2.5 million hours of driving (assuming an average speed of 40MPH). Injuries are roughly 50x this rate but have also been decreasing dramatically.

In Googling the only state that I found that actually keeps statistics on cellphone accidents is Pennsylvania. In 2009 they had 9 death is in 2010 there were 11, PA has 4% of the US's population so this implies roughly 250 deaths associated with using a cellphone. Every other study involves distracted drivers which is still only in the few thousand range.

As society we have found benefits to allowing people operating vehicles to communicate. That is why cops, fireman, ambulances, delivery vehicles, taxis, truck drivers, pilots have had 2 way communication device that they use while operating moving vehicles. In my observation cops are the worse offenders of texting while driving, cause pretty much anytime I see one on cities streets in rush hour they are looking at their laptops. I am hard pressed to understand why talking on a radio, or a CB is any different than talking on a cellphone. Yet I didnt see the NTSB call for a nationwide ban on talking on radios. (I also didn't see a surge in traffic deaths in the 70s when the CB crazy hit the nation)

There clearly is benefit to talking on a cellphone which is why so many of us are doing it. Both for the short informational calls, pick up milk, pickup Susie at soccer practice, as well the longer calls while we are struck on freeway going 5 MPH. In many cases it is impractical or even dangerous to pull over the side to have these conversations. But most importantly, people are by and large capable of driving and talking at the same time and can so without causing a significant risk to themselves or others. Now there is probably some merit for banning the use of cellphone among our very worse drivers i.e. teenagers.

One of the frustrating things about the NTSB and other government agencies is that assign no value to citizen's time and so the trade off is always this will save lives. (For example, the number of person years lost by the TSA having 800 million people/year take off their shoes long ago exceeded the potential death toll of the shoe bomber). The NTSB proposal if implemented and enforced with 100% compliance would decrease traffic deaths by 1%-2%. When I do a cost benefit analysis this isn't even close.

One of the interesting the I found while googling was this story.

The medicine cabinet is the new car -- at least when it comes to causes of accidental deaths in the United States. Drug-related accidental deaths have officially outnumbered those caused by car accidents for the first time since the government began collecting data on the behavior in the late 1970s, according an analysis by the Los Angeles Times.
Until now, car accidents posed the greatest accidental danger. But as preliminary data from 2009 trickle in, the numbers have already surpassed car fatalities in 2009 for Americans, despite an increase in drivers and total time driving.

I am looking forward to new government regulation which require the installation of smart medicine cabinets to prevent drug overdoses.

 

[TromboneAl]

This publicity has at least alerted those drivers who are conscientious but had no clue (my sister) that there was anything wrong with using a cell phone while driving.

 

[M Paquette]

Cell phones are a huge distraction, and interfere with the important tasks motor vehicle operators absolutely have to perform as part of driving, including but not limited to fishing around in the glove compartment for a CD, reading the newspaper, juggling that Big Mac and half-gallon cup of soda, applying makeup using the rear view mirror, and engaging in a face-to-face discussion with a co-worker in the rear seat. (all seen this morning while riding in the passenger seat in a ten minute freeway drive)

The self-involved idiots on the road will neither know nor care about some silly 'law' that clearly is intended for other people, not themselves.

 

[HFWR]

Left w*rk a couple of weeks ago. A young buck in [-]daddy's[/-] a Mercedes nearly runs a stop sign, then tailgates me to the next traffic light, where he pulls beside me in the next lane. He's texting with both hands, and, for an added bonus, he's eating dinner from a styrofoam container in his lap...

 

[braumeister]

As society we have found benefits to allowing people operating vehicles to communicate. That is why cops, fireman, ambulances, delivery vehicles, taxis, truck drivers, pilots have had 2 way communication device that they use while operating moving vehicles. In my observation cops are the worse offenders of texting while driving, cause pretty much anytime I see one on cities streets in rush hour they are looking at their laptops. I am hard pressed to understand why talking on a radio, or a CB is any different than talking on a cellphone. Yet I didnt see the NTSB call for a nationwide ban on talking on radios. (I also didn't see a surge in traffic deaths in the 70s when the CB crazy hit the nation)

This is a very valid point. One of the common elements to (AFAIK) all the state laws restricting cellphone use while driving is an exemption for two-way radio use (such as amateur radio operators using a 2-meter repeater in their local area).

As a ham, I've been carrying on conversations over 2 meters while driving since the 1970s, and I've never heard of a single accident resulting from such use.

Now, a cellphone is really nothing more than a two-way radio, so these laws have to be crafted very carefully to make the distinction, and IMHO there's the rub. As most of us realize, the very occasional, quick answer to a call while driving (not in heavy traffic), that lasts no more than a minute or so, is probably not a problem 99% of the time, while yakking mindlessly away as we all see every day is definitely a problem.

My idea is to take a leaf from the felony book, and deal with it retroactively. If you commit a crime (such as a robbery) there is a certain penalty. In most places, if you use a gun while committing that crime, you get the book thrown at you.

Similarly, under my proposed law, you can use your cellphone while driving if you like. But if you are involved (and I stress mere involvement, not being the cause) in an accident or traffic infraction while your phone is active, you get the book thrown at you.

This would give people the freedom they want, but still make them accountable for their unwise actions.

 

[scrabbler1]

You can always tell who's on the phone when you're driving--they're the ones with an inconsistent speed, leaning toward the center of the car for some reason. At least they're easy to spot and to avoid, for the most part.
/QUOTE]

Other ways of being able to tell are frequent, unnecessary braking, and the vehicle "wiggling" within its lane.

I once saw a guy holding not one but TWO cell phones while waiting for clearance to make a left turn at a difficult intersection. Could he be given TWO tickets for driving while on the cell phone?

I recall several years ago some lady was behind me constantly yakking on her cell phone, always running up behind me at each red light. The road had only one lane each way so switching lanes was not an option. At the next red light, after this had gone on for a mile or two, I knew it was a long wait and I was soooo close to getting out of my car and walking to hers and start yelling at her to HANG UP AND DRIVE. But I then pictured the cops visiting my place and busting on me for harrassment or menacing even though I would not have threatened her.

At the light, she turned right and I went straight so that was the end of it.

 

[ERD50]

No, I don't plan to do any Googling or futher self education. Just my personal viewpoint which I feel is reasonable. Car manufacturer phone device OK, but hands free no fails my logic test.

As to studies, do you believe everything that has a study associated with it?

No, I don't believe every study, I'm very skeptical by nature. And I was surprised at this when I first heard it years ago, but everything I've read sounded quite convincing. It is unexpected, but that doesn't mean it isn't so.

And I didn't expect you to believe me, so I suggested you google it yourself and see if you find the info convincing or not. You seem to be taking the approach of "I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with any data". So be it.

-ERD50