California Bans Cell Phone Use While Driving, Effective July 2008"

[Pengwuino]

http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusgen/reuters09-15-163305.asp?t=renew&vts=91520061658

OAKLAND, Sept. 15 — California Friday banned motorists from talking on cell phones unless they use a headset or speakerphone, although the law will not take effect until July 1, 2008, to allow time to educate the public.

I love it. The fine needs a couple extra 0's however. If I have to pick between saving peoples lives and not being able to laugh my ass off when some starbucks drinking, ipod playing 17 year old gets pulled over and fined (or, if possible, tires shot out by our humble police force putting their lives on the line everyday for the public) through the nose, the choice is obvious.

2008 though, what the hell. Educate the public? You need almost 2 years to get the point "What you use to do all the time that killed so many people will now get you ticketed (or arrested in a perfect world)" across? That's just a cop out to allow the ACLU or some lawyer bregade to file suit and eventually get it repealed because some soccer mom can't make her 80 calls a day to their kids.

California needs to eat bart's shorts.

 

[Evo]

I actually noticed a guy driving in the lane next to me on the highway reading a paperback! I will never forget that, I couldn't believe it, what an idiot. Although women doing their makeup and hair is common, and I've seen a few people reading maps while driving.

2008, well, at least they're putting a law into place. I think they need to require that you have a holster in your car that you plug your phone into so that it becomes a speakerphone. I think I'll make that along with my functional bra.

 

[Moonbear]

What makes them think those people are going to pay any more attention to the road if they're talking using a headset or speakerphone? The only difference is that the drivers around them can't see their hand held to their ear to have fair warning the person driving is not paying any attention to their surroundings.

It should carry the same fines and penalties as drunk driving if you get in an accident while on the cell phone. Did anyone see that Myth Buster's episode where they showed that it's true, you're just as dangerous driving while talking on the cell phone as when you're legally intoxicated?

 

[Pengwuino]

What makes them think those people are going to pay any more attention to the road if they're talking using a headset or speakerphone? The only difference is that the drivers around them can't see their hand held to their ear to have fair warning the person driving is not paying any attention to their surroundings.

Well at the least, they're more likely to have both hands on the wheel. Then again watch the onslought of people with their headsets on driving with 1 hand, starbucks on the other hand (oh wait...)

It should carry the same fines and penalties as drunk driving if you get in an accident while on the cell phone. Did anyone see that Myth Buster's episode where they showed that it's true, you're just as dangerous driving while talking on the cell phone as when you're legally intoxicated?

I'm not sure that was a scientifically accurate experiment

 

[JasonRox]

It should carry the same fines and penalties as drunk driving if you get in an accident while on the cell phone. Did anyone see that Myth Buster's episode where they showed that it's true, you're just as dangerous driving while talking on the cell phone as when you're legally intoxicated?

I bet we all saw that episode. Great show.

Yeah, I agree with that law completely! It's very rare that there is an emergency big enough that you need to talk on your cellphone while driving.

I think it's still legal in Ontario. I'm not sure.

The real problem I think is catching people do it. How do you prove that?

Some Officers have a hard time proving someone is drunk when they are clearly drunk! That's the justice system.

 

[Pengwuino]

The real problem I think is catching people do it. How do you prove that?

Same way you catch someone with their seatbelts off. I'm not actually sure if they need the dash-cameras going but whatever their method, it should apply to cell phone users as well.

 

[JasonRox]

Same way you catch someone with their seatbelts off. I'm not actually sure if they need the dash-cameras going but whatever their method, it should apply to cell phone users as well.

Pfff... when is that last time that you heard of someone that got a ticket for no seatbelt while they were driving? I'm not talking about the tickets handed over at a check up spot or whatever.

I had a friend who never wore a seatbelt. One day he got pulled over for it, but while pulling over he put it on. He did not get a ticket.

 

[Moonbear]

Well at the least, they're more likely to have both hands on the wheel. Then again watch the onslought of people with their headsets on driving with 1 hand, starbucks on the other hand (oh wait...)

That has actually been my only criticism of laws targetting cellphone use while driving...it seems to single that out as the only form of distraction while driving, and suggests that all the other stupid things people do to distract them while driving are okay. I have seen people who can talk on the cellphone and pay attention to the road at the same time, though far more cannot and don't realize it. Though, those people also can't change the radio dial, talk to a passenger, or eat the food they picked up at the drive-thru window and still pay attention to their driving either. All of that can be eliminated as sources of distraction...we don't have to do everything while in the car. The only distraction I don't know how to eliminate are the screaming children in the backseat. Maybe they need those soundproofed windows to divide the driver's seat from the backseat like they have in limos?

 

[Cyrus]

We should be like Germany. Both hands on the wheel and go as fast as you would like.

 

[Moonbear]

We should be like Germany. Both hands on the wheel and go as fast as you would like.

:uhh: You mean like I-95 between Baltimore and Boston?

 

[Cyrus]

That's the problem, people DONT know how to freaking drive around here. Just today I saw a car accident when I went to 7-11...what idiots, I sware.

Sometimes I drive briskly just so I can stay away from all the other fools. I like to be in front of all of them so I don't have to worry about 'em.

 

[Moonbear]

That's because they're all talking to people on the speakerphone in the car!

I don't know if the driving has gotten worse, or I've just been away so long that I'm no longer used to it, but the drivers on 95 are horrendous!

 

[russ_watters]

It is interesting to watch my boss drive. He doesn't have a headset, so when he needs take notes on his conversation, he has to cradle the phone between his ear and shoulder...

 

[Cyrus]

Lately, my drive to school in the morning takes me 1hr 5min when it should normally take 30min. I don't know where all these cars came from, but they were not there last semester. Its really bad on mondays, aye last monday was so bad...

When I drive, its no phones..only eating if I am really hungry. Its always both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, and driving 60-mph on any and every road I go...

For some reason, cops never give me a hard time. They always drive really fast, so I follow them to get where I need to go faster. Hey, if they want to go fast so do I. Then when we meet up at a red light they always look at me like I am crazy because everyone always goes 10mph when a cop is on the road. I'm the only one going 5-miles over with a cop on my side. Do people think the speed limit suddenly changes to 10 below just because a cop is next to you?

 

[Moonbear]

It is interesting to watch my boss drive. He doesn't have a headset, so when he needs take notes on his conversation, he has to cradle the phone between his ear and shoulder...

I think I'd prefer watching that from a car behind him (with foot hovering over the brake pedal) than from the passenger seat!

My phone has feature where you can just push a button and record the conversation, just so you avoid things like that (comes in handy when someone has to give you directions on the road...not that I usually remember I have that feature when I need it, and end up pulling over somewhere and hunting for a scrap of paper to write down the directions, or call back every few blocks for the next set of turns).

 

[Moonbear]

Lately, my drive to school in the morning takes me 1hr 5min when it should normally take 30min. I don't know where all these cars came from, but they were not there last semester. Its really bad on mondays, aye last monday was so bad...

It's always worst the first few weeks of the fall semester, when all the students are still going to all their classes. Once they start getting lazy and don't show up, the commute gets easier.

 

[Cyrus]

It's always worst the first few weeks of the fall semester, when all the students are still going to all their classes. Once they start getting lazy and don't show up, the commute gets easier.

I wish, these people are going to work down in DC.

 

[Clausius2]

What makes them think those people are going to pay any more attention to the road if they're talking using a headset or speakerphone? The only difference is that the drivers around them can't see their hand held to their ear to have fair warning the person driving is not paying any attention to their surroundings.

It should carry the same fines and penalties as drunk driving if you get in an accident while on the cell phone. Did anyone see that Myth Buster's episode where they showed that it's true, you're just as dangerous driving while talking on the cell phone as when you're legally intoxicated?

Hey moon.

In my opinion it should be forbidden HERE to talk to the cell phone and drive at the same time. There are some reasons for doing that:

i) Compared to europeans drivers: your traffic education is worse, but you are more polite on the road though. You almost don't have any skill for fast movements or fast reactions. You are not used to heavy and stressful traffic (except in main cities as LA or NY). As a matter of fact, your most dangerous movement driving is changing the lines. It is because of that small skill for avoiding the crash in a critical situation that you should have both hands on the steering wheel. It IS very important to take over the control of the car completely. And there is a huge different between having one hand and having both of them on the steering wheel.

ii) Talking to the cell phone takes you away a good percentage of neurons, which should be working on paying attention to the road. I am not particularly friend of electronic entertainments in cars, like radios or TV or GPS, they also collaborate to distraction. And you know that only 0.001 seconds of distraction is enough for dying.

Anyway, you are very lucky here. You don't have almost any manual car. With a manual car it is fairly difficult to talk through the cell phone and handle the gears and the steering wheel. Some stupid people do it in Europe though, and it is one of the first causes of accident there.

During my driving history in CA, I have honked the horn a lot of times, more than the average here, and I can say that most of my sound receptors where people talking to the damn cell phone.

 

[Gelsamel Epsilon]

It's been illegal in Aus for ages now, for any driver.

Edit: When I say Aus I really mean at least Victoria, not sure about the other states.

 

[jtbell]

Lately, my drive to school in the morning takes me 1hr 5min when it should normally take 30min.

I can walk to school (work) in less than 15 minutes. There are advantages to living in small towns.

 

[Moonbear]

During my driving history in CA, I have honked the horn a lot of times, more than the average here, and I can say that most of my sound receptors where people talking to the damn cell phone.

I don't often bother honking the horn, because I can more quickly just avoid a bad driver without having to take a hand to press the horn, but if I see someone on the cell phone driving very badly, and they show no awareness that they're doing things like driving 10 mph under the limit and drifting lanes and I can't get around them, those quickly get honked at...I figure even if it doesn't snap them back to reality, maybe the person they're talking to will realize they're in the car and people are honking around them so they should go. It doesn't usually work.

The biggest problems in cities/areas with a lot of traffic are the people who didn't grow up there who haven't a clue how to drive in that sort of traffic. They get really unpredictable. I grew up around traffic, and all my driving lessons were in pretty heavy traffic (not to mention heavy downpours...I used to joke that I couldn't drive on a sunny day with no traffic, because I never had a lesson with good visibility and clear roads). It is a skill to learn to keep track of what's going on across 6 lanes of traffic at once, and any distraction is a problem. And yes, that includes eating, even listening to the radio. People just don't realize how bad their driving is when distracted...because they're distracted!

 

[Pengwuino]

For some reason, cops never give me a hard time. They always drive really fast, so I follow them to get where I need to go faster. Hey, if they want to go fast so do I. Then when we meet up at a red light they always look at me like I am crazy because everyone always goes 10mph when a cop is on the road. I'm the only one going 5-miles over with a cop on my side. Do people think the speed limit suddenly changes to 10 below just because a cop is next to you?

People in my city go on average about 75 on a 65mph highway... and once a cop comes around, eeeeeveryone all of a sudden thinks the speed limit is 65 again. Insane drivers.

Oh and i hate you still

 

[Astronuc]

cradle the phone between his ear and shoulder...

I've seen people (car in front of me) do that. Meanwhile they drift out of the lane, either across the double yellow line or on to the shoulder. If there is an accident, I hope they supoena cell phone records to determine if the driver is using the cell phone. I've had drivers cut me off while conversing on a phone, and I've seen some close calls with other cars by drivers who were not paying attention.

Then there was the guy in Pennsylvania who was looking at his cell phone while dialing. He broadsided a car and killed a child. That was when cell phone used was banned or restricted in Pa. IIRC, he was not convicted of manslaughter.

My property is on the outside of a curve in the road. The other day, I was standing at the end of the driveway at my house to collect the newspaper. I looked up to see a car coming right at me. Fortunately the driver looked up and veered away from me as I was about to prepare to leap (dive actually) out of the way. He was doing about 45 or 50 mph, which is above the 40 mph speed limit, and that gave me about 1.5 seconds to respond if he left the road.

 

[turbo]

I was regularly tailgated when I commuted on my bike in the morning, and 90% of the time it was by younger women. Of the serial offenders, the worst was a generously proportioned young woman in a black Grand AM. Her name was Michelle, judging from her vanity plate. At least once every week or two, our commutes coincided and she ended up right behind me, making phone calls, drinking coffee, eating, touching up her make-up, all while tailgating me at any speed I cared to drive. I could see all of this easily, since she followed me very closely. I would motion for her to pass me or back off, to no avail. After a few of these episodes, I started flipping her off, just to make her think about what she was doing. She acted really offended by this, as if my safety was of no consequence. If you think it's bad being tailgated by these "multitaskers" when you're driving a car, think of how bad your day can be if you're on a motorcycle, and a deer or a dog runs out in front of you, and you've got to brake while "Michelle" is on your tail, gabbing to her friend and wolfing down another donut.

I got in the habit of pulling into the breakdown lane every time I saw a black compact car in back of me, just to be safe. BTW, when I had to take my compact pickup truck for some reason, she still tailgated. Even if I was doing 65 (10 mph over the posted limit) she followed so closely that I could not see her license plate, or her car's grill openings.

 

[Cyrus]

Why didnt you get yourself a 'traffic cop' aka hammer and hit her car?

 

[turbo]

Why didnt you get yourself a 'traffic cop' aka hammer and hit her car?

When you're on a ~600 lb motorcycle, and a psycho in a car is endangering you, it is not a good idea to assault them, no matter how justified you might be in doing so. They've got the weight advantage, and seat belts, and air bags. It's hard for a biker to come out ahead in such an "accident".

 

[Pengwuino]

When you're on a ~600 lb motorcycle, and a psycho in a car is endangering you, it is not a good idea to assault them, no matter how justified you might be in doing so. They've got the weight advantage, and seat belts, and air bags. It's hard for a biker to come out ahead in such an "accident".

She's probably too stupid to use that advantage. Then again she's probably too stupid to not "accidently" commit manslaughter.

It's lose-lose, you're right.

 

[BobG]

When you're on a ~600 lb motorcycle, and a psycho in a car is endangering you, it is not a good idea to assault them, no matter how justified you might be in doing so. They've got the weight advantage, and seat belts, and air bags. It's hard for a biker to come out ahead in such an "accident".

You feel a little safer in a Jeep when you're being tailgated, plus I have one added feature. The hose for the rear window washer developed a leak, so if I try to wash the rear window, the washer fluid squirts out in an arc behind the car instead. I thought that was so funny I still haven't fixed it even after a year. :rofl:

 

[Moonbear]

I was regularly tailgated when I commuted on my bike in the morning, and 90% of the time it was by younger women.

Maybe they all thought you were cute and were a bit distracted watching your butt!

 

[ShawnD]

I had a friend who never wore a seatbelt. One day he got pulled over for it, but while pulling over he put it on. He did not get a ticket.

Try to remember that most laws are scare tactics. Many people will avoid doing something simply because it's illegal, not because they agree with that particular law.

Sucks to hear about that tailgating thing. Even if you had a tiny 2 seater car you could use the 'don't worry I'll sue the ho' argument, but a motorcycle doesn't work that way.

 

[Blahness]

It's unbelievable the ratio of horrid drivers to decent ones, even.

Just the other day, I was coming home from Costco and in a ~100 foot strip of road, at the end of it, a car was friggin flipped over.

How do you flip after 100 feet? There wasn't even any place to turn into!

 

[Cyrus]

Yeah, on monday on my way to school I saw one car in the middle of the intersection and the other one up over the side walk and into a telephone pole.