Oh My..... how heartbreaking.

Heartbreaking is the only word to describe it.

My cell phone connects to my car via Bluetooth, and I can have the car read e-mail messages and text messages out loud. I have it set so that it doesn't even notify me if I've received a new e-email message, but it will notify me if I have a text message. The only times I will have the text message read out loud to me is when the message is sent from the person I'm on my way to meet somewhere, in case there's been an emergency or a change in plans. IF for some reason I need to reply, there are 15 predefined replies from which to choose. (It comes with 15 predefined messages. I can edit/delete/replace any or all of them, but only if the vehicle is in Park.) There is only one reply I ever use, and I have it set as the first choice so all it takes is a quick push of the controller. It says, "I'm driving."

Should be required viewing in driver's ed classes.

The problem with blocking the cell phone signals is that all the passengers would be blocked too. I use my phone a lot when my husband is driving for things like directions, phone numbers, etc.

I was driving the other day and I couldn't believe how many semi truck drivers were texting! That is terrifying. I report them when I see them.

I can totally remember the time, when NO ONE had a phone in a car. We all managed just fine. I am one that would sign a petition to make cars that would disable phones.

Chisue I am dismayed at all the new cars coming out with more and more added stuff to distract the drivers.

I am also dismayed at the fact, we can not get "phones" any more. We can get smart or i stuff, but not just plain a phone.

Moni

They are coming out with a lot of stuff in the cars but generally they can't be used if the car is in drive.

I use my phone as my GPS. It talks to me, I don't look at it. I need my phone in my car. I don't talk or text or even glance. But wiping out service completely isn't a great idea.

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Stuff to distract drivers? Get rid of picking up food in drive throughs, no more adjusting the radio, no more talking to passengers... Same old, same old! distractions come in all forms.

rob333 - I also use my phone in the car for GPS. But I also go to one of the online mapping services first to write down the basic route. Sometimes the GPS decides to cut out... sunspots?? A cliff in the way?? But the GPS is great for a back up if you get re-routed off a road due to an accident or something.

I may also use the phone while driving if we are stuck in a dead or near-dead standstill and I have to alert the people at my destination of my delay.

Otherwise, to initiate a call I do get off the road. ONE time I didn't, in rural Virginia where they didn't have regulations about driving and cell use. (They may now, I don't know.) Even though my speed was about 30 miles per hour, and there was absolutely no other traffic, I felt out of control. Never again.

My current car (just acquired this past July) has Bluetooth, and I can pick up calls that automatically go to voice. I have no clue (yet) how to initiate calls in any means that remotely feels safe. So, yeah, I still pull over!

I have an AT&T phone and it came with Drive Mode which sends a response to anyone that calls or messages me while the car is moving. It tells them that I am driving and that it can wait (although the message can be edited).

Do the other carriers have something like that?

I will have to check Verizon and see. I always figure if I don't answer people understand that I probably can't. Driving, being at work (we work in a place constructed like a concrete bunker), sleeping (phone is charging in the bathroom), or up in the woods on my land where there is (sometimes) one bar of reception, or I just don't have it on me. I just don't have the urge to be connected 24/7.

One cannot use GPS as a backup (thank goodness I'm smart enough to have already looked up and memorized the route best as I could, rather than looking down at written notes) it if it's disabled because it's running on my phone.

As a rule I don't text and I feel that if someone texts me, they don't particularly care when I get the message, and don't need a reply. If when I finally do get around to reading the message (sometimes days later) a reply is needed, I'll call. I don't think that the car should necessarily block cell phone signals, I do however think that rather than adding more and more electronic foofaraw to cars to add further distractions, the car makers should be required to add technology (in conjunction with the cell phone companies) to determine when the driver is attempting to call or text or read a text or facebook message, and add a $5 surcharge onto the drivers cell phone bill, for every single occurrence. I'm sure there would be technical difficulties determining whether the driver is the one using the device or a passenger, but it seems less technically difficult (to me) then making a self-driving car.

Given that our politicians don't have the political will to do much of anything, for them to do something that would be as unpopular as this would be, seems extremely unlikely.

One measure that may be feasible to implement is after the accident, require that whether a cellphone was being used be investigated and be reported, just like is done for alcohol and seat belt use. This morning the local news reported that 15 vehicle fatalities occurred over the Labor Day weekend and that alcohol use was a factor in 2 or them, and the 13 of them were not wearing seat-belts. Further once cell phone use is determined to have been a factor, perhaps a significant additional fine could be levied.

I think they already check phone records if there's suspicion that phone use was a factor in the accident. I think it's a great idea.

All the time when I'm out driving, I see people going down the road holding their phone up in front of their faces. I live in an area that's "back roads" sort of driving so I guess they think it's OK to do? All I know is that I cannot take my eyes off the road for a second just to look over at something on the side of the road without, just that fast, begin to drift over. And it's so crazy, every year they come out with more and more features in the new cars to use the phone for more and more things, thus perpetuating the problem!

Finally, a voice of reason. I like what you've said Bob. Reasonable thoughts! There are a lot of sane people out there, using tools correctly. Just punish the idiots deeply.

Sorry, I think the slight *inconvenience* to everyone in the car is a nit when put against saving lives and injuries.

How did we live without transient communications? We did just fine.

Telling someone you're running late doesn't get you there any faster. If you'll be VERY late, pull over and call. Maybe save a life -- yours or that of another.

There is no way to prevent other driver distractions. Technology exists to stop this one. "Hands Free" is useless because the mind is still distracted.

How did we live? It was a lot more difficult. We can go back to coal heating and outhouses if you really want? How did we live without central A/C?

Rob you are blowing this out of proportion!

Get rid of all cell phone services in cars!

Mine last post was hyperbole, but I am not so sure others are exaggerating...

To be quite honest, I think things were great and really much better before all this cell phone technology came around. I mean we didn't know what we were missing so we didn't miss it. Life went on, we were able to stay in contact with loved ones. All this constant contact is just getting to the point of being ridiculous. People cannot even have a darn day off anymore without their boss calling. UGH! Who needs that?

Or... One can choose to ignore emails, forums etc. AND use the phone for other things. Like GPS. Some people are smart enough to use the phone for their own needs , while NOT using it for every need. Depending on their need. DUH!

I've heard tale that cell phones can also be used to actually speak in a two(or more)way conversation! Who knew? DUH!

Or to have a two way conversation. Whatevs!

My point being to actually SPEAK and not just text.

Really, texting is not all there is to worry about people doing on their phones. Nowadays, a person has everything on their phone (and then some) that we used to only have available on our home PCs. You can not only be distracted by a text but you can surf the web and buy you some new shoes, read what vacation your friend on facebook is going on, all while you are driving down the road! Way too much is there on the phone to distract a driver now.

Rob -- I'm not advocating NO cell phone reception in non-emergency vehicles. I'm saying no reception while the car is moving. Just pull over if you must send/receive.

Some companies already issue their employees phones that will not work while they sense vehicle motion. Why do you suppose companies do that? Limiting liability.

Of course other businesses want no limits on their ability to 'serve' you, but I don't know why the insurance industry isn't behind ending this distraction.

How is it going to differentiate data to stop sending/receiving?

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Cell phones are not distracting to everyone and not all cell phone users only text. More hyperbole!

bob_cville, I like your suggestion but the people who are so radically dependent upon their phones won't care about a $5 surcharge. Now if you suspend their phone service for a day or two or a week or two, THAT would be a punishment!

As for the reliance on a phone as a makeshift GPS unit, whenever someone is coming to my place I give them directions. How often I hear "I have GPS!!!" when they don't. They have a nav app on their phone and no folks, that's NOT a GPS! At least 4 out of 5 times when people use a phone app to find my place they'll wind up miles away from me and I get very frustrated, nay, angry when people call up with "Where are you?? I'm at _____." Well you're miles away because you wouldn't follow simple directions. Many times I tell them to go back home and try another day. I really don't like waiting for hours because of peoples stubbornness.

Yes there are other distractions but cell phones and texting have been proven over and over to be far worse than listening to a radio or something. Phones have a place and a use. But the problem we have is people misuse things all the time. Then you wind up with people wanting to ban all of them because a few misuse them. The argument is often the same, there wouldn't be any deaths if it wasn't for _____! (Insert your choice of items here.) The sad fact is that the innocent have to suffer because of the idiots out there.

Just yesterday, a friend told me that he was almost hit head on by a girl driving and looking down at her phone. She was in his lane heading directly toward a head on and as luck would have it, he honked and she looked up in time and swerved back into her lane. He said that he had nowhere to go with a huge ditch on the side of the road.