Total ban on cellphone use while driving

[Belgian_Draft 0]

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Driving home yesterday this guy pulls out from a side road without looking. Yes, he was yakking on his phone.

That's right, blame it on the other guy. I don't know the details but it obvious you were totally at fault here because, since he could drive and talk on his cell at the same time, he was a much better driver than you.

All sarcasm aside, many studies have been done that show talking on a cell while driving greatly increases the chance for an accident. Hands-free sets make no difference.
Also, studies have shown that roughly 80% of drivers think they have above average driving skills. A good many of them are wrong. Besides, having above average driving skills isn't saying much. The average driver sucks.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
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object we are trying to hit.

[downwardspiral 0]

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>Ultimately I think it is a good law. Many people will still go about using their phones . . .

I think any law written on the principle "we know everyone will violate it, but maybe a few people will be more cautious" should not be a law.

A good example is the CA law - a few years old now - making it a violation to drive in the rain without headlights. There's an obvious safety reason, but still numerous cars in my rear view that are nearly invisible because they're not complying with common sense.

Each new, unenforced, common sense law lowers, imo, any interest in complying with future laws.

Wow I wasn't aware of that law.

but I'm all for a total ban on cell phones while driving. Its completely selfish to think one's cell phone conversation is more important than the safety of other around them.

Do we hate ourselves that much that we can't be alone with ourselves during a short drive?

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[jlmiracle 7]

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No hands free. Nothing. What's next. You can't yell at the kids while driving or talk to a passenger. Or yourself?http://wjz.com/local/safety.council.cell.2.905514.html This world is getting crazier every day. I still drive and talk on the phone (when I need to) and drink a cup of coffee AND smoke a cig. ALL AT THE SAME TIME. No accidents in over 30 yrs. And I speed too!

you may be able to accomplish all this SAFELY and considerately, but so many others cannot.

I would be for a complete ban on cell phones while driving.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[Coreece 190]

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I think any law written on the principle "we know everyone will violate it, but maybe a few people will be more cautious" should not be a law.

Fine, but it doesn't change the fact.

The principle is that people are needlessly dying....it is obviously a problem.

Do you think drunk driving should be legal? many people violate that one.

Using a cell phone is even more risky....

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[kelpdiver 2]

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The principle is that people are needlessly dying....it is obviously a problem.

Do you think drunk driving should be legal? many people violate that one.

Using a cell phone is even more risky....

too bad your proof is bullshit.

[Coreece 190]

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too bad your proof is bullshit.

I didn't give proof.

The bullshit is that people need to talk on the phone while driving.

I'd much rather be driving in front of a drunk than a person texting while driving eventhough there are more alcohol related deaths than cell phone related.

In addition, I'm pretty confident that there is a better chance of texter behind be than their is a drunk.

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[shropshire 0]

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Do you think drunk driving should be legal? many people violate that one.

Using a cell phone is even more risky....

Oh I'd like to see you persuade us of that with some facts

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[billvon 2,434]

>Do you think drunk driving should be legal?

Yes, I do. If you have been drinking, it should be legal to drive if your BAC is below .08. However, if you are impaired, then it should not be legal.

>Using a cell phone is even more risky....

I disagree. Others have pointed out the absurdity of that statement.

[Coreece 190]

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>Do you think drunk driving should be legal?

>>Yes, I do. If you have been drinking, it should be legal to drive if your BAC is below .08. However, if you are impaired, then it should not be legal.

So then you would support a ban if cell phone use impaired the ability of a driver?

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>Using a cell phone is even more risky....

>>I disagree. Others have pointed out the absurdity of that statement.

fine, but its not that absurd...I'd suspect that there are far more cell phone users on the road than drunks. Couldn't this be interpreted to say that you're more likely to be in the presence of a cell phone user on the road, thus increasing the possibility of you personally being involved in accident with that driver.

I would understand your eagerness to dismiss that statement if the number of cell phone users vs drunks were the same.

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[billvon 2,434]

>fine, but its not that absurd...I'd suspect that there are far more cell phone
>users on the road than drunks.

OK, let's go with that assumption.

In 2006, there were 13,470 deaths involving a drunk driver. If there were far more cell phone users on the road than drunks, and using a cellphone is even more risky than driving drunk, then you'd expect to see many, many times more fatalities due to cellphone usage, on the order of at least 30,000 or so.

A 2008 Harvard study indicated that approximately 200 deaths a year are due to cellphone usage. So you're off by over two orders of magnitude. Using these very rough numbers, and assuming that the same number of people talk on phones as drive drunk, cellphone usage is less than 1% as dangerous as driving drunk. If we take your assumption that there are far more cellphone users on the road than drunk drivers, then it's even less dangerous.

So your numbers are WAY off.

[Coreece 190]

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In 2006, there were 13,470 deaths involving a drunk driver. If there were far more cell phone users on the road than drunks, and using a cellphone is even more risky than driving drunk, then you'd expect to see many, many times more fatalities due to cellphone usage, on the order of at least 30,000 or so.

My assumption is that it is more of a risk because there are more cell phone users on the road at any given time, not because cell phone use is more reckless. Because of this, it seems like if I'm in an accident, it is more likely to have been caused by a cell phone user opposed to a drunk driver.

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A 2008 Harvard study indicated that approximately 200 deaths a year are due to cellphone usage. So you're off by over two orders of magnitude. Using these very rough numbers, and assuming that the same number of people talk on phones as drive drunk, cellphone usage is less than 1% as dangerous as driving drunk. If we take your assumption that there are far more cellphone users on the road than drunk drivers, then it's even less dangerous

If there were the same amount of drunks on the raod at any given time as there were cell phone users, I would be more willing to concede to the absurdity of cell phone use being more risky. If I was on the freeway and was surrounded by 5 cell phone users and 5 drunks, I would say that it is far more likely to be in an accident with one of the drunks, but I'm confident that it is more likely in reality that I'm surrounded by more cell phone users at any given time and far less drunk drivers if any at any given time.

I will try to find some reliable and accurate numbers to organize and support my claim. So far, the numbers seem to be all over the place. The follwing are the rough statistics I've seen so far.

Drunk Driving - 14,000 deaths - 250,000 injuries

Cell Driving -200/2000 deaths - 500,000 injuries

From these numbers one could assume that it is more likely to be involved in cell phone accident than a drunk driving accident. There is no garantee that you will surive any accident. I'm in support of limiting the number of all needless accidents.

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[n23x 0]

Statistical analysis is hard if you don't understand probability and statistics.

.jim

"Don't touch my fucking Easter eggs, I'll be back monday." ~JTFC

[Coreece 190]

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Statistical analysis is hard if you don't understand probability and statistics.

Agreed! Whats your point.

Explain it to me like i'm a fucking idiot.

I'll try to put more effort into this...there is still hope for me...its not unusual for me to overlook the obvious...especially in regards to issues that I find somewhat emotional.....and SENSELESS!

Driving is a privelege...if it causes less deaths/injuries/accidents, hang up the fucking phone!

EDIT

Please!

It is hard to respect life when you care for nobody other than yourself!

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[kelpdiver 2]

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Statistical analysis is hard if you don't understand probability and statistics.

Agreed! Whats your point.

Explain it to me like i'm a fucking idiot.

I think he did.

The results prove rather conclusively that cell phone use is not more dangerous that drunk driving. Your stating that far more people engage in the first only furthers that conclusion.

[Coreece 190]

Well, what are the odds of being in a drunk driving accident vs a cell driving accident?

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[n23x 0]

While your exposure to drivers talking on cellphones is significantly higher than that of drunk drivers, the probability of getting injured by a 'talker' instead of a 'drinker' is significantly lower.

Also, you continually throw out these appeals to emotion:

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Driving is a privelege...if it causes less deaths/injuries/accidents, hang up the fucking phone!

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It is hard to respect life when you care for nobody other than yourself!

Please stop, and think about what you're saying.

It's akin to me saying: "30ish people die skydiving every year, someone think of the children and ban skydiving!"

YOU: "but 10's if not 100's of thousands of jumps are made a year, 30 total people dying sucks, but it's a relatively low rate of incidence"

ME: "You don't respect life, buy american cars you communist"

It is literally that painful.

.jim

"Don't touch my fucking Easter eggs, I'll be back monday." ~JTFC

[Coreece 190]

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Please stop, and think about what you're saying.

It's akin to me saying: "30ish people die skydiving every year, someone think of the children and ban skydiving!"

YOU: "but 10's if not 100's of thousands of jumps are made a year, 30 total people dying sucks, but it's a relatively low rate of incidence"

ME: "You don't respect life, buy american cars you communist"

It is literally that painful.

.jim

No...Cell phone driving is a serious problem that involves completly innocent people. Driving is also more necessary than skydiving. Even if you're killed by someone else's carelessness in skydiving, it is a risk you are willing to accept to a certain degree.

I'm not willing to accept 1 more person dying because of some conversation that can wait a few minutes....even if it is the conversationalist.

from what I can gather it looks like there are more cell phone accidents than drunk driving accidents. I understand that drunk driving is more fatal, but Whose to say that next year, the people in those cell accidents will be just as lucky to escape with their lives as they did the previous year. Why should they even have deal with just being injured, or totaling their car because of some fucktard on a phone.

I understand that my emotion to this subject can cause me to be a bit careless...but seriously, the phone calls can wait.

In regards to my "appeals to emotion," I think the first one is fair.

The second is a bit extreme and though it wasn't necessarily directed toward you, it was derived from your "its hard to understand" comment, and was meant to get people to remember that life is more important than your conversation...so, pretty please, with sugar on top....hang up the fucking phone.

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[BillyVance 34]

I hate to admit it, but I have driven when I shouldn't have, after a few too many drinks. I knew full well what I was doing when I did, and looking back on it, I realized I was trying my best to hyper-focus on the driving, sticking to the speed limit and staying within the lanes. I did get pulled over one time 10 years ago, but the cop let me go when I was perfectly honest with her, specifying the exact number of drinks in the exact amount of time and passing her sobriety checks, and didn't slur my words at all. I was borderline. I had but a few miles to go to get to my destination, which was all rural. I won't do it anymore, even though I've been lucky ever since. It will catch up to you if you do it enough times.

I have also been guilty of texting while driving, and strayed from my lane many times doing so. I got a few middle fingers for that from others.

Cell phone users way outnumber drunk or tipsy drivers. Cell phone users can be on the road at ANY time of the day, or night. Drunk drivers are usually out there at night.

I am just speaking my opinion...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[MikeMcLean 0]

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Its like talking to someone who is in the passenger seat. Except when someone is sitting in my passenger seat I occasionally look at them I don't do that while using a hands fre device.

It's nothing like that. Having a passenger, while it can be distracting, is also another set of eyes. I've had my wife, and others over time, help me prevent an accident because they noticed something I didn't mid-conversation. I've done the same to them, while they were driving.

Sorry, but it's not even CLOSE to the same thing.

Ian

Ok, so its like talking to someone who is in the passenger seat and blind. Except when a blind person is sitting in my passenger seat I occasionally look at them I don't do that while using a hands fre device.

It wouldn't hurt you to think like a fucking serial killer every once in a while - just for the sake of prevention

[mnskydiver688 0]

What about an intelligence requirement? If you do not have an IQ over 130 then you cannot drive. The previous was sarcasm if unclear... I have grown up in a part of the country where we drive in ice and snow more than a few months out of the year. Yet people still are unable to figure out how to drive safely when the roads are bad. What if someone from Florida travels to Minnesota and rents a car. They don't know the first thing about driving in the snow and slide off the road, through the median and into oncoming traffic? Should they be allowed to drive in such conditions if they have no experience in those conditions? Everyone accepts the risk when they get behind the wheel, just like jumping, It is just due to the fact driving is so common place we do not think about the risk we take. Do I think cell phone use is bad while driving? Yes. So is eating. Should we have a maximum number of hours allowed for drivers to be on the road like there is for truckers? Maybe. Where does it stop? Learn to be defensive drivers. Even if someone has almost no distractions there is no guarantee they won't f*ck up.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[Coreece 190]

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What about an intelligence requirement?

intelligence has nothing to do with it....

One of the smartest men I knew was also the best basketball coach I've ever met...He couldn't even dribble.

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[mnskydiver688 0]

Apparently you missed my sarcasm notice.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[Coreece 190]

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Apparently you missed my sarcasm notice.

No, I just wanted to make that point.

How bout this....

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Everyone accepts the risk when they get behind the wheel, just like jumping...

The risk of being killed because of an unecessary conversation, should not be accepted.

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It is just due to the fact driving is so common place we do not think about the risk we take.

Perhaps people should start thinking about it then and stop talking on tha damn phone.

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[kelpdiver 2]

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from what I can gather it looks like there are more cell phone accidents than drunk driving accidents. I understand that drunk driving is more fatal, but Whose to say that next year, the people in those cell accidents will be just as lucky to escape with their lives as they did the previous year.

yes, just painful trying to discuss with such logic and lack of understanding of statistics.

[gringobiker 0]

Funny thing is they banned it here in Oz and it made no difference whatsoever. All it achieved was to give the do gooders one more thing to complain about when on the roads. Shame they can't watch their own driving while doing their best to point the finger at a mobile phone user. Can't lead the blind or some such saying.