This law makes no sense to me

[Alix]

I'm not in the States Mama, but here I think you would have to prove it was in use. Lots of folks wear their bluetooth constantly.

 

[DramaQueen]

I'm not in the States Mama, but here I think you would have to prove it was in use. Lots of folks wear their bluetooth constantly.

Yes they do. I have a relative and 2 friends who wear theirs all day long. I only wear mine when I talk to my kids at home because they never let me off the phone, and when I'm driving so I can get the important calls I have to take and not hold a phone. I am in total agreement that hand held cell phone use in the car -especially those childish idiots who TEXT people while driving - are a dangerous thing and should be outlawed. It places everyone around them in jeopardy for the simple reason that you must drive with only one hand. Should you lose control of your car you can NEVER manipulate the steering wheel with a cell phone in one hand. I think the law is going to be hard to enforce but who knows? People had a holy fit when they decided to take used children's clothing out of the thrift shops; how do you think they'll react to taking away their only means of keeping in touch with their families now that they''ve had a taste of it?

My question once again was this: What is the difference between talking on a bluetooth alone and talking to passengers in your car? I never advocated the use of hand held cell phones. Never did, never will. That was the point I was trying to make.

This has really been one interesting discussion. Lots of different opinions and thoughts on the subject and nobody got nasty.

 

[quicksilver]

I would love to see this law pass.
Big difference between someone talking in your ear, and one in your space. Ask any parent who's kid is in the room screaming,
Ma, Ma, Ma.", and one in your ear screaming the same

My question once again was this: What is the difference between talking on a bluetooth alone and talking to passengers in your car? I never advocated the use of hand held cell phones. Never did, never will. That was the point I was trying to make.

This has really been one interesting discussion. Lots of different opinions and thoughts on the subject and nobody got nasty.

Good night.

 

[Mama]

My question once again was this: What is the difference between talking on a bluetooth alone and talking to passengers in your car? I never advocated the use of hand held cell phones. Never did, never will. That was the point I was trying to make.

"It's apparently not what's in your hand or on your head that causes the distraction, it's what's on your mind. And when talking on a cell phone, your mind is not on the road as much as it should be, researchers found."


"Researchers did laboratory experiments using simulators and they reviewed real-world road studies and accident statistics. The conclusion: Drivers talking on cell phones; handheld or hands-free; are four times more likely to have an accident. That's the same level of risk posed by drunk drivers."

"A cell phone is a distraction for drivers, sometimes a deadly one. Six percent of vehicle crashes, claiming 2,600 lives and 12,000 serious injuries a year, is attributable to cell-phone use, according to a separate study."

 

[Mama]

Alix, here in the States they don't have to prove anything to write you a ticket. If you choose to go to court and fight the ticket, they will just subpoena your cell phone records.

 

[expatgirl]

oh, well, if you can multitask then I'm jealous..........anytime I get phone calls at home I have to turn the TV off........I can't or don't have the ability to listen and concentrate on different voice frequencies.......I will not answer a cell phone if I'm driving......if I see that it's from a family member and worry that there is trouble (all unfounded thankfully, so far) I wait until I can safely pull over.........when I'm driving behind someone who is obviously on a cell phone or someone behind me is on their cell phone, I try and keep some distance between us and signal when they want to turn by turning on my signal light......so far no back-end collisions.......but it's obvious to me that most of the drivers on their phones slow way down when talking..........and like others I've observed all kinds of distracting behaviors of people behind the wheel.....I hate driving.........

 

[Lizannd]

I don't have a problem with a new law. If you are talking

to someone in the car with you theoretically you also have another pair of eyes to watch the road. Not possible when you are talking to someone on the phone. And as far as pulling over on the highway to answer the phone, in New York State you are only allowed to pull off to the side of the highway for an emergency, which is certainly NOT a phone call. This is only on the highways, 65 miles per hour, so the issue of safely pulling back out into traffic is really not an issue. I say pass the law and more importantly, INFORCE IT.

 

[GB]

especially those childish idiots

Lets please refrain from insults. That goes against our very first rule which is Be Respectful.

 

[jennyema]

Nope, can't enforce it. Just because I have a bluetooth in my ear doesn't mean I'm on the phone. Maybe I use it when I pull over or park to make a call. You have to catch someone in the act of committing a crime before you can enforce it.

Not so.

The only reason to have a bluetooth device in your ear is to communicate. Thus, they can outlaw having a bluetooth on your head while driving.

 

[jennyema]

My question once again was this: What is the difference between talking on a bluetooth alone and talking to passengers in your car? I never advocated the use of hand held cell phones. Never did, never will. That was the point I was trying to make. .

I posted the answer to your question twice now.



"Likewise, it is easy to equate talking to a friend on a cellphone with talking to a friend in the passenger seat. But a December report in The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied debunked that notion. Utah researchers put 96 drivers in a simulator, instructing them to drive several miles down the road and pull off at a rest stop. Sometimes the drivers were talking on a hands-free cell phone, and sometimes they were chatting with a friend in the next seat.
Nearly every driver with a passenger found the rest stop, in part because the passenger often acted as an extra set of eyes, alerting the driver to the approaching exit. But among those talking on the cellphone, half missed the exit.

“The paradox is that if the friend is sitting next to you, you drive safer,” Dr. Strayer said. “When you talk to that person on a cellphone, you’re much more likely to be involved in an accident.”

 

[Alix]

Well I think we've gone around this in every direction and we all have our own feelings about this. No one appears to be changing their opinions because of anyone else's eloquent words so I'm just going to shut this down now. 2 reminders to be polite means the next one could be ugly. Thanks all for being so good about this thread. As a mod I appreciate it.