LaHood: We’re looking into technology to disable cell phones in vehicles

[Madeline]

Paulie, for every person killed in a Rob Zombie-style crime spree there are hundreds killed in traffic accidents caused by cell phone use. People just do not have the self-control not to use them, especially teens.

 

[CaféAuLait]

Many teens do not have the self control not to speed either. But the way I see it parents have responsibility too. Take away the keys if one is speeding. Don't pay the cell phone bill if they cannot exhibit the self control not to text and drive.

 

[Paulie]

Paulie, for every person killed in a Rob Zombie-style crime spree there are hundreds killed in traffic accidents caused by cell phone use. People just do not have the self-control not to use them, especially teens.

If we're going to start controlling people's usage of their private property on the basis of self-control issues, we're going down a slippery slope.

One could literally create a sensational enough justification for just about ANY law to control someone's behavior.


And as long as they're still putting stereos, sun visor mirrors, complex dash controls, etc into cars, which can be just as distracting to someone driving, then I'm simply not going to give you my fucking cell phone.

Either take it ALL away and actually make the effort make some kind of sense, or get the fuck off my back.

 

[uscitizen]

Just set up highway camers on overpasses and such that will see a drive talking on a cell phone and then get the iD from the phone and automatically email them a ticket.

Isn't technology wonderful.

 

[Paulie]

Just set up highway camers on overpasses and such that will see a drive talking on a cell phone and then get the iD from the phone and automatically email them a ticket.

Isn't technology wonderful.

Even as invasive as I think THAT is, I would certainly advocate that over actually disabling someone's phone in their vehicle.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I hope they pass this law, and then my mother is driving in her car and a lunatic stalker is following her with the intent to kill her if he can get the chance, and she can't make a phone call to the police to report the activity because her cell phone is being scrambled for her safety.

She could drive to police station. Or a well populated shopping area. Just sayin'.

I don't expect her to know where a specific police station is at if she's traveling across the country, for instance. What if it's in the middle of nowhere on I-70? If she's lucky enough to make it to a populated shopping center in time before he runs her off the road and disembowels her, that would be great.

But I think I'd rather her have the damn cell phone and get the proper authorities involved ASAP.

There's gotta be a better way to deal with this cell phone problem than "disabling" people's private property.

The ticket for being on the phone isn't enough? I mean shit, just raise the fine up to like $500 or something. Make it so high that people are too AFRAID to risk being caught on it.

But disabling the phone? Come on. You're a conservative. Think about how crazy that is.

Uh, I didn't agree or disagree with the phone disabling. I just stated that it has it's pros and cons. It wouldn't be the route I would take.

Was just pointing out other options when someone is in trouble. Not everyone has a cell phone either.

I'd rather they whack folks with hefty fines for driving while celling but cops are the ones who have to enforce it. Will they? Do they?

If states decided to ban cell phone use while driving, I wouldn't object. But that presents the problem of people hiding the phone so they don't get caught.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I hope they pass this law, and then my mother is driving in her car and a lunatic stalker is following her with the intent to kill her if he can get the chance, and she can't make a phone call to the police to report the activity because her cell phone is being scrambled for her safety.

She could drive to police station. Or a well populated shopping area. Just sayin'.

You might as well rub the plastic Virgin Marys butt glued to your dash board.

I don't have one, thanks just the same.

You sound like a lil kid when you ask him what he would do if a bad man tried to snatch him. "I would shoot him with my cap gun." "I would pick up a stick & hit him."

Uh, I didn't ask Paulie anything. Was just offering options to using a cell phone.

I bet most posters here have no idea where their police department is located, and if a criminal wants to kill you, forget finding safety in a crowd. That just slows you down getting away. Carry a loaded gun, and don't have a car with that device installed on it.

Ours is left out of the neighborhood, left at the light and up the road just a bit. There it is, on the right just across from the bowling alley. I know where the stations are for several other towns too. That's cause I'm paying attention when I drive instead of chatting on the phone.

 

[uscitizen]

She could drive to police station. Or a well populated shopping area. Just sayin'.

I don't expect her to know where a specific police station is at if she's traveling across the country, for instance. What if it's in the middle of nowhere on I-70? If she's lucky enough to make it to a populated shopping center in time before he runs her off the road and disembowels her, that would be great.

But I think I'd rather her have the damn cell phone and get the proper authorities involved ASAP.

There's gotta be a better way to deal with this cell phone problem than "disabling" people's private property.

The ticket for being on the phone isn't enough? I mean shit, just raise the fine up to like $500 or something. Make it so high that people are too AFRAID to risk being caught on it.

But disabling the phone? Come on. You're a conservative. Think about how crazy that is.

Uh, I didn't agree or disagree with the phone disabling. I just stated that it has it's pros and cons. It wouldn't be the route I would take.

Was just pointing out other options when someone is in trouble. Not everyone has a cell phone either.

I'd rather they whack folks with hefty fines for driving while celling but cops are the ones who have to enforce it. Will they? Do they?

If states decided to ban cell phone use while driving, I wouldn't object. But that presents the problem of people hiding the phone so they don't get caught.

Most phones now have GPS built in.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Just set up highway camers on overpasses and such that will see a drive talking on a cell phone and then get the iD from the phone and automatically email them a ticket.

Isn't technology wonderful.

I hope you're being sarcastic. Is that really the kind of police state you want to live under?

 

[Revere]

Just set up highway camers on overpasses and such that will see a drive talking on a cell phone and then get the iD from the phone and automatically email them a ticket.

Isn't technology wonderful.

I hope you're being sarcastic. Is that really the kind of police state you want to live under?

Especially since the technology to do this for even speeding tickets is being shit-canned everywhere for the reasons you note.

 

[shintao]

Texting while driving is illegal in LA.

Actually holding a cell phone when driving in CA., is illegal. You can have a built in phone service off a dash speaker system. Here is a link for all 50 state requirements.

Cellphone Laws

Your link is out of date in one regard...it says Bus Drivers are only banned from texting in 2 states, when federal law bans texting by any commercial driver, including bus drivers...Feds bar commercial drivers from texting - Technology & science - Tech and gadgets - msnbc.com

Truck drivers have been using CB radios forever it seems. Ever look in a cab? Radio, CD, cassette, radio, surround speakers, televison, etc. In any event, it really is bad news for the guy who gets slaughtered.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Wow, they just won't quit, will they. The older I get the less I recognize this nation. More justification of a police state to keep us "safe." Are the American people going to stand back and let this happen?

yes. I hate people who drive while using a cell phone.

 

[Intense]

Over the five-year period, 2005-2009, the number of fatal crashes where driver inattention/distraction was a factor reached a high of 143 in 2006 followed by decreases in 2007 (132) and 2008 (118); in 2009, the number of fatal crashes involving distracted driving remained at 118. During the same period, the number of injury crashes involving driver inattention/distraction fluctuated between 22,000 and 24,000; in 2009, distracted driving was reported as a factor in nearly 22,500 injury crashes.
Cell phone use was reported as a factor in six or fewer fatal crashes (less than 1% of all fatal crashes) each year. The number of injury crashes involving cell phone use has been on an upward trend since 2006 reaching 287 in 2009; however, the reported involvement of cell phones as a factor in crashes resulting in injury has remained at a consistently low level (0.2%) over the five-year period, 2005-2009.

Page 26 (Almost Half way Down)

http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/HSSP/2011HSSP.pdf

 

[shintao]

She could drive to police station. Or a well populated shopping area. Just sayin'.

You might as well rub the plastic Virgin Marys butt glued to your dash board.

I don't have one, thanks just the same.

You sound like a lil kid when you ask him what he would do if a bad man tried to snatch him. "I would shoot him with my cap gun." "I would pick up a stick & hit him."

Uh, I didn't ask Paulie anything. Was just offering options to using a cell phone.

I bet most posters here have no idea where their police department is located, and if a criminal wants to kill you, forget finding safety in a crowd. That just slows you down getting away. Carry a loaded gun, and don't have a car with that device installed on it.

Ours is left out of the neighborhood, left at the light and up the road just a bit. There it is, on the right just across from the bowling alley. I know where the stations are for several other towns too. That's cause I'm paying attention when I drive instead of chatting on the phone.

Very good!!

 

[shintao]

Over the five-year period, 2005-2009, the number of fatal crashes where driver inattention/distraction was a factor reached a high of 143 in 2006 followed by decreases in 2007 (132) and 2008 (118); in 2009, the number of fatal crashes involving distracted driving remained at 118. During the same period, the number of injury crashes involving driver inattention/distraction fluctuated between 22,000 and 24,000; in 2009, distracted driving was reported as a factor in nearly 22,500 injury crashes.
Cell phone use was reported as a factor in six or fewer fatal crashes (less than 1% of all fatal crashes) each year. The number of injury crashes involving cell phone use has been on an upward trend since 2006 reaching 287 in 2009; however, the reported involvement of cell phones as a factor in crashes resulting in injury has remained at a consistently low level (0.2%) over the five-year period, 2005-2009.

Page 26 (Almost Half way Down)

http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/HSSP/2011HSSP.pdf

When I was rear ended by a women on her cell phone, I was stopped in traffic, and watching her approach in my rear view mirror, as she yakked on the phone looking right at me. She was doing about 45 miles an hour and never braked. Her car went under my Cadillac, all the way until the rear-end stopped her. My cad looked like a "V".

 

[Synthaholic]

I don't think cell phones are even mentioned in the constitution.

They were still using pagers back then.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Over the five-year period, 2005-2009, the number of fatal crashes where driver inattention/distraction was a factor reached a high of 143 in 2006 followed by decreases in 2007 (132) and 2008 (118); in 2009, the number of fatal crashes involving distracted driving remained at 118. During the same period, the number of injury crashes involving driver inattention/distraction fluctuated between 22,000 and 24,000; in 2009, distracted driving was reported as a factor in nearly 22,500 injury crashes.
Cell phone use was reported as a factor in six or fewer fatal crashes (less than 1% of all fatal crashes) each year. The number of injury crashes involving cell phone use has been on an upward trend since 2006 reaching 287 in 2009; however, the reported involvement of cell phones as a factor in crashes resulting in injury has remained at a consistently low level (0.2%) over the five-year period, 2005-2009.

Page 26 (Almost Half way Down)

http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/HSSP/2011HSSP.pdf

give it time.

I wonder how man accidents are caused by people using cell phones who just keep going. nothing gets reported.

we've all been riding behind or next to them.

 

[Synthaholic]

So fining Citizens for using their Cell Phones in their cars isn't enough for the Government? Now they need to require Cell Phone "Scramblers" too? This just sounds like a Homeland Security ploy. They want to be able to control the operation of Citizens' Cell Phone use. This just seems like one little wormy way to do that. I'm sure they'll come up with other ways though. And as usual,it will be "For your own Good." I can't believe so many buy into this shit.

When Bush started all this 'extra-Constitutional' nonsense like wiretapping, torture, denial of Habeas Corpis, etc., we Liberals warned you that you were fools to support it, because someday soon there would be a Democratic President who would also use these new 'powers'.

You didn't listen.

 

[blu]

using a cell phone while driving is reckless endangerment.

Would you rather it be treated exactly like a DUI?

its called personal responsibility. the equivalent would be making everyone blow into it a breathalyzer before driving

 

[blu]

Wow, they just won't quit, will they. The older I get the less I recognize this nation. More justification of a police state to keep us "safe." Are the American people going to stand back and let this happen?

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said using a cell phone while driving is so dangerous that devices may soon be installed in cars to forcibly stop drivers — and potentially anyone else in the vehicle — from using them.

“There’s a lot of technology out there now that can disable phones and we’re looking at that,” said LaHood on MSNBC. LaHood said the cellphone scramblers were one way, and also stressed the importance of “personal responsibility.”

The hosts of Morning Joe pushed the secretary about the possibility of requiring scrambling technology installed in vehicles.

“I think it will be done,” said LaHood. “I think the technology is there and I think you’re going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones. We need to do a lot more if were going to save lives.”

Secretary of Transportation LaHood: We’re looking into technology to disable cell phones in vehicles | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

My idiot child drove through a red light into an intersection and was t-boned because she was texting. As far as I am concerned, this is a fabulous idea and I'm hard pressed to think of any situation that you need a cell but cannot shut off the engine.

so everyone should be punished because of your child?