What do you think of the cell phone while driving ban? (Boston: legal, centers)

[katzenfreund]

Finally!!! Didn't understand what took them so long...

[Cape Cod Todd]

I can't help but wonder with this new law if we will see less accidents on the road but more accidents on the side of the road when people pull over to make or take that important call? I wonder if we will hear of incidents where people are attacked because they pulled over in the wrong part of town?



I do think distracted driving is a problem especially because there are many people that can't walk and chew gum at the same time or drive and talk. It is also ironic that the state is pushing people and making it easier for them to get high with marijuana, there is even a cartoon ad on TV promoting it, and there is nothing but the individuals common sense to stop them from getting behind the wheel while high and we all know common sense isn't that common anymore but making or taking a call is deemed too dangerous.



Maybe if the state could get a tax revenue from people using cell phones while driving there wouldn't be a law to prevent it?

[timberline742]

Um, wut.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd

I can't help but wonder with this new law if we will see less accidents on the road but more accidents on the side of the road when people pull over to make or take that important call? I wonder if we will hear of incidents where people are attacked because they pulled over in the wrong part of town?

I mean the good thing is that even $50 phones have speaker phone function at the very minimum. Holding your phone is the issue. You dont have to have it in your hand. Talking and driving while looking at the road is perfectly fine.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd

I can't help but wonder with this new law if we will see less accidents on the road but more accidents on the side of the road when people pull over to make or take that important call? I wonder if we will hear of incidents where people are attacked because they pulled over in the wrong part of town?

I do think distracted driving is a problem especially because there are many people that can't walk and chew gum at the same time or drive and talk. It is also ironic that the state is pushing people and making it easier for them to get high with marijuana, there is even a cartoon ad on TV promoting it, and there is nothing but the individuals common sense to stop them from getting behind the wheel while high and we all know common sense isn't that common anymore but making or taking a call is deemed too dangerous.

Maybe if the state could get a tax revenue from people using cell phones while driving there wouldn't be a law to prevent it?

This really isn't new territory. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia (plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands) prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. Massachusetts has plenty of places to look to see how such a law works and what the impact is. Over 1/4 of accidents are caused by drivers on their phones (not texting, which makes up 5% of accidents, but people actually holding and talking on their phones). Will this law prevent all of those accidents? No. But it certainly won't hurt and it'll provide a deterrent as well as make it easier for law enforcement to cite people for doing it. It's a very dangerous practice and it shouldn't be ignored.

Your Marijuana comparison is nonsensical. If you want to compare the two, look at it this way - more people are injured/killed in motor vehicle accidents (26% of which are caused by distracted driving) than marijuana by far. Marijuana is legal, but so are cell phones. Marijuana is heavily regulated, and cell phones in cars are less regulated. Just like you'll never be able to completely prevent a high/drunk driver from getting behind the wheel, you'll never be able to stop someone from using their phone behind the wheel. If you get caught high behind the wheel, you can get an OUI (as it should be). Now, if you get caught behind the wheel with a phone in your hands, you can get cited (as it should be). It's not as if the state is favoring one and coming down unfairly hard on another.

[MMS02760]

I am all for the ban. Will hopefully eliminate the mobile phone booths that are now everywhere on the road.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by GeePee

I mean the good thing is that even $50 phones have speaker phone function at the very minimum. Holding your phone is the issue. You dont have to have it in your hand. Talking and driving while looking at the road is perfectly fine.

No, having your hand on the phone is NOT the issue. That doesn't really matter.

The talking IS the distraction. Even with passengers.
See, e.g. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.e07a0c510d41

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

No, having your hand on the phone is NOT the issue. That doesn't really matter.

Yeah, I'm going to teach my kids to drive with one hand on the wheel rather than at good old 10 & 2.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

Yeah, I'm going to teach my kids to drive with one hand on the wheel rather than at good old 10 & 2.

Actually should be 3 & 9 these days, due to airbags.

My opinion of the ban: I'm a fan. Surprised it's taken this long.

[BostonMike7]

I have mixed opinions on the matter. I generally hate legislating behavior, but agree people just don't take it seriously enough and can kill someone with their actions.

I just think that rather than targeting phones, education and enforcement of all forms of distracted driving should take priority. I see plenty of people eating a meal, or doing makup, or driving on the highway at 80MPH with a dog on their lap. I guarantee many think their actions are fine because they "aren't distracted by a phone"

Secondly, how is the phone any different from any other infotainment center in a modern car? My climate control system in my car is purely digital and does not use hard-press buttons. I have to touch 2 specific spots on my touch screen to enter the climate menu requiring me to take my eyes off the road to look for the button on the screen and press it. Then once I get to the screen I need to look at what I want to do, look for the button and press it. No hard-touch buttons that you can adjust by feel. Ironically it's easier to change song playlists through my phone than through the vehicle touch screen radio. If you've ever driven in a Tesla, it's pretty much a giant IPhone screen in front of you the entire time.

Of course, I have no issue with the law, and shake my head and change lanes when I see someone behind me on the highway at speed holding the phone on the steering wheel and texting, but I just don't think it's going to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things regarding distracted driving. I see so much more beyond phones these days. A few months ago I saw someone playing a trumpet while cruising down I-95