NTSB Recommends Full Cell Phone-Driving Ban

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New York Daily News Article.

This particular session is not over yet. I've received a couple action alerts from the AMA in the last week or so that the NTSB is bantering helmet use as well.

The NTSB makes recommendations, but it's up to the states. What the states do may affect Federal grant money.

[magnaone]

i think there both a great idea

[Croz]

The NTSB makes recommendations, but it's up to the states. What the states do may affect Federal grant money.

Which means it's really not up to the states. Kind of like back in the 80's when the feds said you can keep the drinking age at 18, but if you don't raise it to 21, then we cut you off of federal highway dollars. A choice that's not really a choice.

I think people shouldn't text while driving, and I think people should wear helmets, but I don't think there should be a law. We have laws against the things that result from texting while driving, like leaving your lane, causing accidents, etc.  We also have laws against speeding, driving drunk, illegal racing, etc., and it doesn't stop those things.

I also have a problem with the stats used. They say distracted driving is the # cause of accidents. I have no doubt, but they imply it's mostly due to talking on the phone. If I am driving and I see a pretty girl on the sidewalk and run into the car in front of me, that's distracted driving. If I'm talking to the person in the car and glance over to them, and hit another car, that's distracted driving, as is fiddling with the radio, etc. My guess is that 'distracted driving' has been the #1 cause of accidents since cars were invented. And even if they ban cell phone use in cars, it will still be the #1 cause.

There's a car commercial floating around where they advertise a feature where the car can read you your texts. The kid driving gets a text and he looks up and there's a cop on a motorcycle on either side of him and he kind of slinks down into his seat until the car starts reading him his text. Whole thing kind of gives me the creeps.

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There was a considerable amount of chatter when the NTSB recommendation was released and it’s mostly died down. State political figures around the country seemed to mostly oppose implementation of the ban in their states. 15 states already have something similar to the NTSB recommendation in place; 34 states ban texting. The AAA has historically opposed cell phone use restrictions but won’t take a stand on the NTSB recommendation. The unfortunate part of the NTSB recommendation is it seems to sweep into aspects of cell phone and pda use where most people don’t see a problem…like it would ban even hands-free use. On the other hand, the recommendation exempts navigation devices causing a seeming contradiction in motives. Oh man, think of the auto lobby response on that one with all the cars now with nav equipment coming standard. Enforcement is another issue. I lol’d when someone wrote that half the cops they see patrolling around are talking on cell phones...I think that’s actually true…although I don’t think I’ve read of them rear ending other drivers at intersections and I certainly read about a lot of other boneheads doing just that ‘cuz they were talking or texting. I mean, crap, this whole shit storm arose right after that dude in Missouri rammed a school bus while texting killing himself and a kid in the bus. The straw that broke the camel’s back I suppose.

It’s not a good time for me to offer up my position on this matter ‘cuz I’m kind of mad with the drivers of the world at the moment…and I guess, the world in general. I see and experience too much not to be angry at people in general, and not necessarily that they’re talking on the phone. I recently had a Ford Expedition go mirror to mirror with my Yamaha at an intersection in Valrico. No damage, but I was taken back when the person driving the Ford lacked the decency to pull over and at least ask if everything was okay. Fact is she really didn’t care and was more worried about being in trouble for doing it. I also recently had a car cut me off in my jeep as he bolted from a strip mall parking lot to cross Fletcher and beat an ambulance headed to University Community Hospital…heard more than one vehicle’s brakes locked up behind me as we were all trying to make way for the emergency vehicle. Both incidents are acts of complete irresponsibility and downright selfishness. I suppose when we get right down to it talking on cell phones and texting while driving is just an extension of how selfish and irresponsible people have become. Should it result in a cell phone laws to the extent of what the NTSB recommends? I guess selfishness and irresponsibility shouldn’t be outlawed since, on a positive note, it gives the rest of a very low standard to rise above … so no, I guess I don't support the NTSB ban after all.

[Croz]

VCU did a comprehensive study on thousands of accidents where distracted driving was the cause. Here are the problems they found:

"While cell phones have been widely criticized as the cause of distracted driving, they ranked sixth in the study's list of distracted driving behaviors.  Looking at traffic, crashes and roadside incidents was the primary distraction in 16 percent of the crashes studied, followed by driver fatigue, 12 percent; looking at scenery, 10 percent; passenger and child distractions, nine percent; and adjusting the radio, CD or tape player, seven percent. Cell phones were cited as the primary distraction in slightly more than five percent of the crashes studied. Distractions inside the vehicle accounted for 62 percent of all the crashes studies."

So before we ban cell phones, we have to make it illegal to look at accidents, look at traffic, drive while tired, look at scenery interact with passengers in any way, and have radios, ipods or CD players in cars. Then we can do the cell phone thing.

Here's a link to the article that has more in-depth info:
http://www.news.vcu.edu/news/VCU_study_finds_cell_phones_are_not_the_leading_cause_of_distracted

[dt]

More in line of what I was describing, a lot of people are really just bad drivers…yet apparently the vast majority thinks they’re superior drivers.

New Study Suggests American Drivers are Arrogant, Dangerous, and Delusional: A new study reveals that many Americans believe their driving knowledge, skills, and habits are superior to other drivers on the road.

Another interesting find. A Car and Driver Study on Texting and Driving. If I calculate this properly, the study says a texter takes four times longer to stop their vehicle than a drunk driver. And, I guess I can infer from the previous article that most people believe they're still superior drivers while texting away.

If the study is true, where's the dose of humility gonna come from? I don't think I know.