Driving and the cell phone.

[Tim Frank]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

As Ken said, it is now illegal in Canada to talk, text or putz with GPS toys and stuff while driving. You can use a handsfree bluetooth, etc...thats legal.
This is a great idea and I'm all for it. Whats funny tho' is for the teens and 'millenials' to put down their social networking for 15-20 minutes while they drive somewhere....lotso' tickets going their way these days.
No communication is more important than controlling your vehicle at speed, at that moment.
My two bits.
BP

What Ken said was that it is illegal in Ontario.
Some provinces have still not enacted a law.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

What Ken said was that it is illegal in Ontario.
Some provinces have still not enacted a law.

I stand corrected Tim...I didn't know all the provinces had not put the law in place yet. BC has and Ontario has...and I believe Alberta. I was assuming that most were following suit. It is a very good idea in my opinion.
BP

 

[robert graham]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I don't even have a cell phone and my life's still pretty darn good, just like before they were invented. My wife has one and uses it a lot, but most calls are not important or necessary, just a distraction. Wife got me a cell about 10 years ago and it ended up in the bottom of my canoe in about an inch of salt water...kissed that one good-by! Driving and talking/texting on cells is coming to an end as we speak. Remember before seat belts, and we used to throw trash out the car windows before we became "litterbugs". I used to drink beer and drive all the time, used to smoke cigarettes before my dad and brother both died in their 50's from smoking. But those days are over, and all for the better. Cell phones while driving are heading south, probably take 2 or 3 years to change people's way of thinking...

 

[nlain]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I do talk on mine while driving, if I get in heavy traffic I get off, cannot do both, on the interstate going home not too bad, I can get in slow lane and talk, just keep eyes and mind on road, get off as soon as I can.

In front of the shop where I work a young mother of 2 in a car the size of a Cobalt, texting, crossed the centerline in front of a Freightliner, very lucky, she was bruised and the children in the back seat in car seats were fine. To look at the car after the truck ran over it you wonder how they survived at all.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I talk on my phone all the time while driving, however I always use my bluetooth headset.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I stand corrected Tim...I didn't know all the provinces had not put the law in place yet. BC has and Ontario has...and I believe Alberta. I was assuming that most were following suit. It is a very good idea in my opinion.
BP

Completely agree with you!
Latest I've seen is that we are 7 of 10 ag'in' it!
All but AB, MN, and NB have a law on the books.

 

[dave11]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

Talking on a cell is too distracting for most people. Anyone caught texting while driving should have their license revoked.

 

[lowkee]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I don't type email or code websites while driving, I can't imagine texting anyone while doing same. I do (often) talk on the phone while driving via BT headset. I never dial the phone while driving, as I have voice dial ("Call the wife"), so I don't need to take my eyes off the road, just touch my ear. I'm intelligent enough to hold off on the tough discussions until I hit a red light or until I stop somewhere. People are still crazy, on or off the phone.. no reason to make it more dangerous than necessary.

 

[dave11]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I'm intelligent enough to hold off on the tough discussions until I hit a red light or until I stop somewhere. People are still crazy, on or off the phone.. no reason to make it more dangerous than necessary.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[mphy98]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I do not place calls while driving. That said I will take a call from time to time, but it is always a very short will call you back later type of thing. I find it interesting that a lot of women pull out of there driveways on our county roads and are already talking on there phones! You just left you house and something is that important every day? Just because you can...doen't mean you should!!!!

 

[642mx]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

Of course I use a cell phone and drive... I can chew gum and walk at the same time too!

I have been known to text while driving, but I have it down to a fine art where I don't even have to look at the screen.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

Of course I use a cell phone and drive... I can chew gum and walk at the same time too!

I have been known to text while driving, but I have it down to a fine art where I don't even have to look at the screen.

Your "fine art" could cost you your life if you are not careful. Check the internet for accidents while on the cellphone. Some of those folk thought they had it to a "fine art" as well.
Not having a go here, just concerned for your safety.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

The poll doesn't ask about hands free devices. I use mine all the time but with discretion. I use voice dialing 90% of the time while driving and keep the time per call down to what's necessary. I've noticed myself that 20 miles can go by while talking without you realizing it - and that's with hands free. Pretty scary when you realize you don't remember that time. That's why I limit the time per call and pull over whenever possible for long or important calls. It's been proven in studies that the act of being preoccupied is the distraction - not necessarily the device.

Some of us who travel extensively for business can't afford to be unavailable for 3-4 hours a day while driving. Discretion is the key. Most people appreciate your request for brevity when you tell them you're on the road. Especially when you ask if you can call them back when you can pull over or get off the interstate.

 

[642mx]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

Your "fine art" could cost you your life if you are not careful. Check the internet for accidents while on the cellphone. Some of those folk thought they had it to a "fine art" as well.
Not having a go here, just concerned for your safety.

I agree and thanks for the concern. Not many folks can text without looking at the phone, but for me, its as easy as grabbing the shifter to upshift or downshift without looking at the shifter.

FWIW, I always hated texting until I bought my boat. Texting is the only way to communicate when your cruising 40 mph with the wind in your face.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I do not place calls while driving. That said I will take a call from time to time, but it is always a very short will call you back later type of thing. I find it interesting that a lot of women pull out of there driveways on our county roads and are already talking on there phones! You just left you house and something is that important every day? Just because you can...doen't mean you should!!!!

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

I agree and thanks for the concern. Not many folks can text without looking at the phone, but for me, its as easy as grabbing the shifter to upshift or downshift without looking at the shifter.

FWIW, I always hated texting until I bought my boat. Texting is the only way to communicate when your cruising 40 mph with the wind in your face.

What's text script for " I'm about to kill myself and take a bunch of people with me"?

 

[642mx]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

What's text script for " I'm about to kill myself and take a bunch of people with me"?

hahaha Its just like typing on a keyboard without looking at the keys.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

Texting is the only way to communicate when your cruising 40 mph with the wind in your face.

That's assuming that you HAVE TO "communicate when you are cruising 40 MPH with the wind in your face"...

 

[lowkee]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

On a slight side note.. I'm amazed at the number of people I see talking on their phones at 7-8 in the monring. Who are they talking to? If you ever call me at 8am you had better be bleeding to death on my front doorstep and have one heck of a story to go with it!

Some of us who travel extensively for business can't afford to be unavailable for 3-4 hours a day while driving. Discretion is the key. Most people appreciate your request for brevity when you tell them you're on the road. Especially when you ask if you can call them back when you can pull over or get off the interstate.

Interesting fact: Most employers are beginning to add to employee handbooks (those internal web pages you are told to read completely but are never given enough time to) a clause which requires all employees to be pulled over to make or take calls and disclaims liability if you are not. Something to keep in mind next time your boss complains about you not being available during your commute.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Driving and the cell phone.

Talking on a cell is too distracting for most people. Anyone caught texting while driving should have their license revoked.

And eating, smoking, putting on make-up, reading maps, newspapers, books, arguing with the kids, yelling at the dog, cat, ferret, or other critter and listening to extremely loud music is NOT distracting?

I have had an FCC Amateur Radio license since I was 16 years old.
(when I started driving)

I have ALWAYS had a mobile rig in my car since the same time...... You always use a hand held microphone with these radios and I used to use an HF radio that required tuning whenever I changed frequency even a little bit.


Using that radio or any radio is EVERY BIT as distracting as using a simple ("no brain required") cell phone.

But, (right or wrong) just about every state in this country has an exemption from those laws for FCC licensed Amateur Radio Operators.


This law is just another "Feel-Good" law cooked up by someone that simply wants to have something on the resume' for re-election.


Actually, we already have "driving-while-distracted" laws on the books.

But see the above aforementioned "Feel-Good" law.........it's for the "lowest common denominator"......who, are not going to comply with it anyway........you know who they are.......thy're the ones that do not have insurance, a valid license, or even current license plates!



Oh, just read that other thread....

US Traffic deaths lowest since 1954

Now, why exactly, do we need these cell phone laws?







Cheers,


Rick