Arkansas Blog

I spent a year in Korea. No talkie while drivie. Period. In the land of Samsung and LG, they knew better.
They did roadblocks in town occasionally and handed out tickets to violators.

I'll admit, I'm guilty as sin. Talk all the time. I fancy myself as being "good" at driving and talking and try to appease my conscience by saying I only take really important calls. Bull hockey. I'm a horrible driver when I'm not paying attention and so are 99% of the rest of us. I've also been hit by a texting driver and sent end over end several times. That ain't so fun either.

Save us from ourselves.

I heard on the radio yesterday (while driving :-)) that since all cellphones are being made now with gps, they have the capability of making them automatically inaccessible if they are moving, say, over 5 mph. There's a tech group advocating making that a national standard. In which case we would be saved from ourselves - and others.

I don't care how many studies are done, it would take a complete idiot to think hands free cellphone conversations are more distracting than conversations between the driver and passengers. How many people have to turn and look at the person they are talking to while driving? No need if talking hands free on a cellphone. Not buying this bs.

In my experience as a car passenger, I've noticed that a lot of drivers tend to take both hands off of the wheel to make quick gestures when they're having a conversation with me. They don't even realize they're doing it, it seems to happen subconsciously. I'm more worried about that than hands-free cell phone usage, when those same drivers seem to do a better job of keeping both hands on the wheel.

I will not be in favor of a total ban on cell phone usage until someone produces some realistic projections of how many accidents will be prevented, how many injuries will be avoided, and how many lives will be saved. Those figures will have to be impressive to persuade me that a ban is worthwhile. And if a ban is instituted, it should have a sunset clause after two years so that the results can be reviewed to make sure that the initial projections were reasonably met. Only then should a permanent ban be considered.

ArkBlog- what if 'realistic projections' showed only 1 life would be saved, but it would be yours?

I don't need any long term study of the dangers of cell phone use while driving. The experiences of friends and employees who were rear-ended while sitting at a stoplight by a cell phone using driver is more than enough to justify a complete ban.

Sound Policy - I would not favor a ban to save just one life, including my own. I have a strong will to live, but if anything like that happened to me, I'm confident that the culprit would be brought to justice. Preserving human freedom is more important than saving one life, or even dozens of lives.

There are still plenty of things to try short of an absolute ban. Driver education and enforcement of the existing laws is probably the best way. Perhaps drivers who are willing to certify that they will never use a cell phone while driving should get a discount on their auto insurance.

>>I have a strong will to live, but if anything like that happened to me, I'm confident that the culprit would be brought to justice. Preserving human freedom is more important than saving one life, or even dozens of lives.<<

Of course dead people never know if their killer is brought to justice or not.

Preserving high insurance rates is more important than saving lives to me.
After all, I worship at the alter of MoMoney.

.

Here's some relevant data:

"National Safety Council cites a study that found that drivers' use of cell phones contributes to 6% of vehicle crashes -- or 636,000 crashes -- leading to 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 annual deaths."

Click for full article

If you're driving impaired, I don't want you on the road with my kid. That includes driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or cell phone.

Realistic stats are out there. Driving with a cell phone makes you 4X as likely to have an accident, and is roughly equivalent to driving while drunk.

But for cell phone users, like alcoholics, the first step is admitting one has a problem and all the data in the world won't make that happen.

I personally think I can drive fine while smoking a joint, but my opinion doesn't count. Data is what counts. In God we trust; all others must bring data.

As far as the the libertarian argument about personal responsibility, anyone talking while driving has already abdicated their responsibility.

Perplexed - Assuming a uniform accident rate for all states, and that Arkansas has about one percent of the national population, we could divide those figures by one hundred to get a rough guess.

Here's another question: In the states where laws have been passed to restrict or prohibit cell phone usage, how much has the accident rate been reduced?

I wonder what the factors are for the other 94% of vehicle crashes that don't involve cell phones? I suspect that following too closely is a bigger causes of accidents than cell phones.

I really don't have a dog in this particular fight. Someone wanted data, so I linked us to some. I'm not normally in favor of government passing laws it can't enforce, especially when it will change my behavior. I talk on the phone while driving quite a bit. I have an $80 hands-free bluetooth unit that mounts on my sun visor.

I guess if we did break out Arkansas' portion of the 260,000 above and get 260, I would certainly not want one of those to be someone I loved. 260 is too many, 1 is too many if it's your loved one.

You know, it wasn't that long ago that none of us even had cell phones. I got a bag phone in 1994. I think we could learn to use them while sitting still. The only sacrifice to me would be knowing I was unreachable to be notified of a family emergency while I was on a long trip.

Do you guys think that since the technology is already available to shut them down while moving that the government will soon do just that? As in require phones to use their gps to shut themselves down when they are traveling over 5 mph? I could see that become a federal law implemented by the FCC through the manufacturers.

Perplexed - Five mph is a speed-walking rate. It would effectively outlaw jogging with a cell phone too.

That rate would also prevent non-driving auto passengers from using their phones, as well as commuters on trains, buses, etc.

I also question the reliability of using GPS for this purpose.

What I have noticed about cell users is that most increase their voice level to new heights for some reason.

Good points, AB. The radio program I heard yesterday had a tech guy pushing this agenda. Five mph was his number. I hadn't thought about passengers. Of course this would silence them, too. Hmmmmm. Back to the drawing board...

I don't think we are ready to accept this limitation.

Times have changed, and rapidly.

8 years ago, it was illegal to possess a cell phone on school property. Now there are no pay phones.

A parent, single or not, who spends hours on the road driving is NOT going to suspend access to offspring

I've heard stories (rumors) of women answering their phone in the middle of their annual exam. "Hello, hello, Gosh there is a bad echo on the phone."

PS - "New article" about the same "old" research is nothing new.

If you are wanting to save lives, then start putting people in jail when they cause an accident. Who cares why they caused the accident. Hold people responsible for accidents for a change, and everyone might start to drive safer.

You will have to pry my cellphone from my "cold dead hands" to paraphrase Charlton Heston.

And it won't be after an accident either. Some of us can talk and drive at the same time.

And if you are worried about saving lives "sound policy" then I guess you are giving all your money to save lives of children in Africa? I hear a few dollars can save a life. Remember that every time you buy a slushy at Sonic.

Isn't it amazing that none of these maroon's tried to ban CB radios. Guess they missed that danger.

My wife's text messages exceed 7k on both out and incoming each month, she can smoke and text at the same time in her SUV and it scares the crap out of me when I am a passenger. I drive 5k+ each month for my job and tend not to care if any particular state has a cell law since there are so many laws each state might have that I dont know while driving though anyway. I have went to almost every state in the USA over the past 3 years and have only been pulled over once for not having a commercial license plate and once for passing over the fog line more than twice.

I use my Pocket PC (personal phone) for GPS and its always mounted in the corner of the drivers window above the dash so my eyes dont travel far from the road. I use an ear piece and sometimes accept a call but only when its a long time until my next turn or city although I dont have many friends who call since I travel frequently.

I have noticed that most people just mainly follow too closely. I maintain one car length for every 10mph and NEVER go into a far lane when turning, the handbook many years ago said turn into the closest lane so that is what I do then I merge over. I agree with many people on here especially regarding people just needing to learn to drive. The person making an argument about 5mph gps restriction is not well informed, they will take joggers into consideration when designing the program you had just be glad we have the freedom to jog and talk on a phone!

Bottom line in my opinion is that NOTHING should distract a driver from driving, I dont except passengers because I tend to talk to much and I know this inhibits my driving so I avoid it. I heard Arkansas can ticket a passenger if they were responsible for the accident but I dont know for sure.
Wake up and realize how important it is to pay attention to the road and other drivers, take away phones or whatever is necessary to ensure 3 or 4k lb metal death-traps are not taking lives and jail time sounds like a plan to me in order to enforce these issues. I think GPS mapping devices should be regulated on where they can be placed as well, their screens light up half the cars interior who pass me at night and in no way will they have sufficient vision to avoid deer or people walking (like from a stalled vehicle further down the road). These should ALL have auto dimming features and be mounted close to line of site and not in the center of the windshield or up by the mirror, perhaps they shouldnt have displays at all when in motion rather just audible prompts.

I listen to audio books and pod casts 98% of the time and sometimes I have noticed I get so much into the conversation that I can drive 6 or 7 hours and not even realize I had driven, I've ended up home and not known how I got there although I had been awake and coherent the entire time just lost in the in-depth technical, scientific or mechanical discussion. So I dont know how an audio book or podcast could not be just as dangerous but perhaps something is just wrong with me and I dont know it. Does other drivers happen to listen to content related to electronic technology development, chemistry and nano structures, human/animal psychology and neuroscience, mechanical/electronic engineering or spacial related technology and phenomenon? I am curious as to how much data the mind can conceive as an extended audio higher-function verses the primary functions like navigating before a person doesnt realize they are engaged in a primary function and loses track of their location in space and time.

In a related diving case and in case some of you didnt know, its against the law in Arkansas to impeded traffic movement while in the left lane (27-51-208 & 27-51-301), I saw a sheriff do this in little rock yesterday and it upset me so bad I almost flagged him down cause the right lane doing the speed limit was 2 miles faster than him and there were 20+ cars waiting to get past. My company allows only 1mph over the posted speed limit and I am monitored by 10+ people at any given time by on-board company GPS tracking device and so are many other commercial vehicles so if we move over to pass someone and are doing the speed limit, just hold your horses cause we will get fired for going too fast even though we know you are there, dont speed up hoping we will move cause we wont.

Godspeed and be safe in 2009!