Sheepdip

one of the great things about riding the bike is not having the cell phone around. Can't see the problem with a total ban and should be quite a good money earner for the state.

SultanOfSwing

One would think people would enjoy being able to switch the phone off, throw it in the back seat and be able to not be bothered for a while.

Is that just me?

cindyabs

Thank you,

tinman0

There are plenty like you, but not me I'm afraid.

I've spent more than a few years looking at crash stats, read some of the research (some of which is very dubious), and the only reason that the roads are safer are because cars are safer.

Look at the take up of the mobile phone for instance, and there isn't a massive corresponding increase in deaths on the road.

There was an increase for a number of years in the late 90s but that was more to do with getting away from the 85th percentile as a base for speed limits.

Bob

It's daft too, because they could flog all those off cuts for firewood as it's normally good stuff...though down where the folks live, most of the land owners let the loggers take it for free as it saves them hassle of clearing those off cuts off the sites.

Bob

The numbers do increase for the teenager range. They're also already shit drivers having obtained the minimum requirements needed to not stall a car - yes, given they drive an automatic, I'm clearly making a joke :/

SultanOfSwing

I've always preferred the quiet life, myself.

Maybe mobiles don't cause as many deaths as, say, drunk drivers, but that doesn't mean it's automatically a good idea to try to send a text message while you're at the wheel, or even to be holding it to your ear. I reiterate - a good 80% of all people who cut me off or otherwise cause me to slam on the brakes unecessarily have had a phone clamped to their ear at the time. One could argue that their concentration was definitely impaired at that time. Maybe hands free would in theory be OK - but really, where's the harm in a mobile phone ban? Surely less inane yakking in the airwaves can only be considered a good thing?

tinman0

Texting and talking are two very different things.

I have to admit that I have sent texts whilst driving down an empty French Autoroute - and I discovered (fairly quickly) that I didn't remember an inch of the road as I was so distracted. Never did that again, even if i am bored out of my skull.

tinman0

There were shit drivers before mobile phones. There are shit drivers today who don't even need a mobile phone to excuse their bad driving.

Bob

Yes, so why allow shit drivers the opportunity to be even more shit?

I'd certainly appreciate my family or myself not getting hit by some dumb thoughtless driver who thought blithering away on the phone was more important than concentrating on the main task at hand, driving a potential weapon.

SultanOfSwing

I fail to see what the big deal is with a mobile phone ban myself. It's not as if they're banning something important, like breathing, just using a phone. Is that where we are as a society, that we can't put the phone down for half an hour, our pull over into a car park if it's really that bloody important?

That's a wee bit sad, isn't it?

frrussre

It will give, the bad drivers one less thing to think about and might even make them better drivers.


I guess there could be an argument, that the bad drivers will be so stressed, because they can't phone their therapists, the might get into more crashes.
Reg. Frank R.

Beaverstate

Agree totally. Don't want to sound old but... it wasn't that long ago when no one had cells and we all got by just fine. Yes I know some of us rode horses instead of in cars. But really what Sultan said about a minor inconvenience (my phrase not his) to pull over and then answer?

SultanOfSwing

Not that long ago at all - it was the late 90s/early 00s when they really became ubiquitous.

I remember seeing one of those Billy Mays yells at you adverts about some thing that makes your phone transmit through the car stereo so you can talk hands free - I think something like that should satisfy those who absolutely have to speak on their phone on the go, since it is no different that talking to a passenger, but texting at the wheel should be right out.

cindyabs

Texting while driving illegal here in GA.

I will say that 90 percent of the time, when I am following someone who is driving all over the road, or poking along at 20 miles below the speed limit, especially on the interstate, it is someone on the phone..............