Once again NH is proposing a handheld cell phone ban

[FrugalYankee]

Originally Posted by motoracer51

Truck drivers, with undeniable the least amount of incidents per mile driven, have been using hand held radios for ever.

You sound like a big .gov statist looking for more legislation and bureaucracy in exchange for a false sense of increased safety.

What next ? Ban in car conversations with passengers and then radios?

Truck drivers, with undeniable the least amount of incidents per mile driven, have been required to have more stringent training than ordinary motor vehicle operators.

People don't need to be staring down at the cellphone punching in numbers to call ahead for a pizza.

[GregW]

The key to self preservation while driving is to remain aware and focused. There are varying levels of focus required ranging from empty expressway on cruise control to downtown city traffic. What is easy in the former situation is very dangerous in the latter. Experienced drivers know this and drive accordingly.

The problem is the inexperienced drivers have not learned just how much concentration is required so they indulge in talking with their passengers, yelling at the kids in back, blabbing on a cell phone or trying to text. The last is just about as dangerous as driving while exhausted or inebriated. I believe better training is a step in the right direction.

IMHO - There is no way a new law will decrease the incidence of distracted driving. The inexperienced or inebriated will continue to drive dangerously and the only thing that will work is for the rest of us to increase our awareness and concentration so we can spot these people before they harm us.

[motoracer51]

Originally Posted by FrugalYankee

Truck drivers, with undeniable the least amount of incidents per mile driven, have been required to have more stringent training than ordinary motor vehicle operators.

People don't need to be staring down at the cellphone punching in numbers to call ahead for a pizza.

Can I press the buttons on my radio and look at the display?

[FrugalYankee]

Originally Posted by motoracer51

Can I press the buttons on my radio and look at the display?

I dunno. Can you walk and chew gum at the same time?

[miu]

Originally Posted by motoracer51

Can I press the buttons on my radio and look at the display?

I have memorized the locations of my station presets and the seek buttons on my car radio, so there is no need to look down at my radio. Then after just one or two pushes, I just focus on my driving as I listen to my radio. Only an idiot needs to scrutinize their radio in order to operate it.

With a cellphone, the user needs to scroll down the list of contacts in order to make a selection to dial.

And actually, a conversation on a cellphone is more distracting than having an adult passenger in the car to converse with. And that is because the passenger in the car is also looking forward at the road ahead and will react to any dangerous changing situations... which in turn alerts the driver, in case the driver hasn't noticed yet. But a person on the other end of the cellphone is NOT in the car with the driver. So their conversations with the driver aren't reacting to the road conditions and can give the driver a false sense of everything being okay. Or maybe the person on the other end of the call is getting all upset and emotional, and demanding more of the driver's attention than the driver can safely give.

Anyway, again I am on the side of not allowing cellphone use while driving over 55 mph on a highway, especially during rush hour traffic. And it's really stupid to be on a cellphone while driving a country road when there is any chance of having a deer jump across the road. And yes, that does affect me because accidents on the roads are a major inconvenience to the rest of us when traffic comes to a complete halt while the accident debris is being cleared off the pavement.

I'm all for freedoms as long as the stupidity is self-contained and doesn't affect the rest of us in regards to our time and money. The public roads are no place for selfish idiocy.