I seriously think that cell phones should be banned while a vehicle is in motion. Pull over and make your call or answer one. It's too distracting. I would really like to see the statistics on the number of accidents caused by cell phones. I bet it's staggering.

It is banned in CA. The law just went into effect that if you are caught driving while using a cellphone you will get a ticket and be fined. If you do it 3 times, there might be jail time. It isn't much of a fine so won't stop a lot of people, "The base fine for the FIRST offense is $20 and $50 for subsequent convictions. With the addition of penalty assessments, the fines can be more than triple the base fine amount and the conviction will appear on the driving record."
Clare

I can always tell when someone is on the dang cell phone.
Grrrrrrrr!
I always pull over when I get a call or need to call someone. Don't trust myself driving and talking!

I love the law in California.....it is great driving and not seeing so many people trying to drive and talk at the same time.

Banning the use of hand held cell phones, in my opinion, isn't enough. When will they get it that it isn't driving with one hand that causes the problem, but the lack of complete attention to what you are doing behind the wheel.

Using a hand-held cell is illegal in NJ--as it should be.

This one takes the cake, though. One day I was at a stop sign (on a very narrow street) a woman was turning into the street I was on, driving a big SUV. She had a cell phone at her ear in one hand, and a cigarette in the other!!!! I was extremely grateful she didn't hit me!

Sadly, just a week ago, we were driving home, and saw the results of a terrible accident. One car was way off the road in a stand of trees. The other was a Suburban. I saw the account in the paper the next day. The SUV (driver had no license, was intoxicated) ran the red light and hit a car with 2 women in it. The front of the car was pushed back even with the base of the windshield. The 2 women were airlifted to a trauma center about 40 miles away. Sadly, one died, the other was in serious condition. And the driver who ran the redlight? No injuries, of course. But she did end up being taken to jail (I sincerely hope she's still there.)

I recently pulled over to make a cell phone call, and a police officer driving by looked longer than one normally would, then whipped a U turn & came back. She asked if I had car trouble, and I explained I had to make a call. She seemed surprised then congratulated me for "having good sense," which surprised me. :)

Suzi

no cell phone, but some guy was mad cause he couldn't "3rd lane" us on the right, PASSED us into oncoming traffic! it was by the grace of you know Who, he didn't hit someone....

Hi (again) kathsgrdn ... and all,

" ...and in her hand up to her ear was a stupid cell phone!!!!".

" ... stupid cell phone!!!!"??

Not hardly.

Stupid ... boss/manager of the hand that held it.

Plus - " ... hands-free ..." doesn't cut it, either! It's a matter of where the brain is working!!

Can't be two places at once!!

Have a joyful day.

o j

They're going after cell phones because they're an easy target. I wish they'd go after the eaters. You know, the drippy burger in one hand, balancing the fries on their lap and occasionally steering with their knees to take a drink of that giant soda that won't even fit into the cup holder. Then there's the women putting on make-up while driving. Vanity mirrors should be outlawed on driver's sides of vehicles.

I just bought a Blue Ant to go hands free. Now I have to first glance at the phone to see who's calling and then reach up and hit the answer button on the Ant. Doesn't feel safer to me.

I see unattentive people on the road daily.Eating,reading,primping,programing their GPS sytems,yakking away to their passengers,sifting through CDs. Cell phones are the least of the problem.

Cars have built in distractions, adjusting the radio, setting the wiper speed, temperature, all those things will distract a driver. A GOOD driver learns how to do it without taking their attention from driving and knows when to not fiddle around with things. I think the problem is more likely bad drivers.

I eat while I'm driving and I can honestly say I pay more attention to the road than to the drippy food. I've been doing it for over 35 years and have never had an accident or a close-call or a even a gasp moment, I'll drip mustard down my shirt before I'll even glance down to check if my clothes are in danger. It's a matter of priorities, I realize the driving comes first.

I also fail to see how talking on a phone, especially if it's a BlueTooth device, is any different from talking to a passenger. I listen to the phone with half an ear, I probably miss a lot of what my caller is saying, because my driving has my attention.

All that said- I realize not everyone is as focused on their driving as I am, so I wish cell phone use was outlawed when on the move. Make or return the call while you're sitting in traffic, not driving.

It's bad enough to watch drivers using cell phones, but how about a bicyclist!

Yep, the other day coming home I saw a guy nearly get hit as he was riding his bicycle, using one hand to steer and talking on a cell phone. He was lucky the driver of the car was paying more attention to his driving then the bicyclist.

I walk every morning along a road from a sub-division to the main road. Three out of four drivers are on the phone. A half mile is the distance from the house on the end of the housing area to the main street. Who do they all call on the way to work -at 05:30 AM?

I once watched a teenager rear-end an old man at a stop light while she was on a cell phone. She hit him hard. Took my breath away, but he was able to get out of the car on his own. Hope he didn't have permanent injuries. There was way too much traffic to pull out of my lane and stop to see if he was okay.

I agree that all distracted drivers should be more careful, but I've seen way too many go through red lights, not look when they turn in front of me because they're on their cell phone. I've also seen people driving too slow, swerving, etc...while talking or fighting? with a passenger.

Cell phones just annoy me, I guess. People bring them to work and spend half their time on their phones instead of doing their jobs. Lauren and I had to listen to some loud-mouthed woman on her cell phone last week in a doctor's office when Alex was in the back. I was trying to read a magazine but instead I got to listen to her "private" conversation. People blocking aisles at the grocery store and totally oblivious to what they're doing because they're so immersed in their private conversation on their cell phone.

Once I was in a restroom stall and a woman next to me was talking on her phone. At first I thought she was talking to me! LOL!
It's just getting ridiculous. People texting in movie theaters, the light is really annoying when you're trying to watch the movie. Why did you pay all that money to watch a movie and then turn around and play with your phone?

I wish they would outlaw them while driving and maybe in restaurants and movie theaters too.

I do have a cell phone but keep it in my car for emergencies only...or to call the kids occationally if I'm out somewhere. Never while I'm driving and I don't take it with me into stores or restaurants. I don't understand why people want to be available 24-7 like that. It would drive me crazy. Maybe I'm just getting old.

kathsgrdn post reminded me of a funny story. The other day I was in Big Lots and I heard a woman talking. I figured she was just talking on her cell phone. I am so use to that now, I don't give it a second thought. When she came around the corner, I saw that she had NO cell phone or Bluetooth and was just talking out loud to herself. LOL
Clare