Jailed for driving and gabbing

[homobile]

Three men jailed for driving while using their mobile phones in India (http://www.intomobile.com/2007/10/09/three-men-jailed-for-driving-while-using-their-mobile-phones-in-india.html)

[Nwahs]

I know Israel has really strict regulation on this also...but not Italy. It is a good step forward. I would hate to be those three guys that the gvmt is using to make a point.

[jjj]

They need laws in place in florida like they have in nyc - no talking while driving.

[christyxcore]

They need this in California...I see too many idiots. Granted I take a call when i'm driving rarely, but only to tell them to call me later or I'll call them back and then I hang up.

[Galvatron]

they need it in Arizona too. i almost got hit on my bycicle on the way to work cause this guy was talking on his razor an not paying attenion to the trafic an his surounding.

an yes i shouted GET A HEADSET!.

[Ellen]

They need to start doing this everywhere!

[Galvatron]

no doubt the company i work at we have a policy that if an when your driving a truck an you want to awnser it your are encouraged to pull off the road

but yeah isn't this scenario one of the reasons Bluetoot was invented? that should be the exeption.

[Railroader]

As of July 1st, 2008 it will be illegal to use a cellphone without a handsfree or speakerphone in CA, though certain things will be exempted, like using it in an emergency, and law enforcement and emergency services drivers are also exempted.

Office of the Governor :: Press Release (http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/3910/)

The Law-

Specifically, SB 1613 will:

Prohibit the use of cell phones by drivers unless the driver is using a hands-free device starting July 1, 2008.
Allow drivers of commercial vehicles to use push-to-talk phones until July 1, 2011.
Allow drivers to make emergency phone calls without using a hands-free device.
Allow drivers of emergency response vehicles to use cell phone without a hands-free device

[christyxcore]

they need it in Arizona too. i almost got hit on my bycicle on the way to work cause this guy was talking on his razor an not paying attenion to the trafic an his surounding.

an yes i shouted GET A HEADSET!.

I should start yelling that too..hah. But really, they do need headsets. Bluetooth. It makes things like this a lot easier.

[homobile]

I agree that people don't need to be on the phone while driving especially as a non-car owning pedestrian.But jail for the 1st offense seems a bit much

[Ellen]

I agree that people don't need to be on the phone while driving especially as a non-car owning pedestrian.But jail for the 1st offense seems a bit much

I'm sure he has done this before as many others have, but this was his first time getting caught. It's unfortunate in his case, and I'm sure that country gave people plenty of notice before going to this extreme.

[dkb218]

Here's an interesting fact:

Cell Phone Statistics (http://www.newsdial.com/technology/communication/cell-phone-statistics.html)

There was no difference in accident statistics between drivers using hand-held cell phones compared to those using a hands-free cell phone device.

Risk of Car Accident is the Same In Hands-free Versus Hand-Held Cell Phones
Many areas of the United States and other countries have tried to make the roads safer by regulating cell phone usage. New York became the first state to ban drivers from using hand-held devices. Australia requires hand-held devices to be used when talking on the phone while driving. Massachusetts requires that drivers keep one hand on the steering wheel at all times, which may encourage increased use of hands-free devices. Illinois and Florida do not allow the use of headsets except for single-sided headsets because of the risk that hands-free devices might interfere with a driver’s ability to hear noises. Arizona and Massachusetts school bus drivers are prohibited from using cell phones while driving, and several other states have proposed similar legislation. As of late 2001, an additional 20 states were debating laws related to cell phones and motor vehicles. However, these study results suggest that banning hand-held phone use won’t necessarily enhance safety if users just change to hands-free phones. Injury crash risk did not differ from one type of phone use to another.

"This isn't intuitive. You'd think using a hands-free phone would be less distracting, so it wouldn't increase crash risk as much as using a hand-held phone. But we found that either phone type increased the risk," Anne McCartt, Institute vice president for research and an author of the study, says. "This could be because the so-called hands-free phones that are in common use today aren't really hands-free. We didn't have sufficient data to compare the different types of hands-free phones, such as those that are fully voice activated."

This new cell phone statistics from this study are consistent with research conducted in 1997 that also showed phone use was associated with a fourfold increase in the risk of property damage crash. A study by the National Safety Council found that drivers talking on cell phones missed twice as many simulated traffic signals and took longer to react to those signals they detected. Again, the results were the same for hand-held and hands-free devices. The results of these studies confirm that cell phone usage while driving can be distracting and that the distractions associated with phone use contribute significantly to automobile accidents.

Additional Info : III - Cell Phones and Driving (http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/)

[Railroader]

Not fact, that's opinion.

[dkb218]

Saying that there is no difference in auto accidents using or not using hands-free devices is a fact.


The Center for Auto Safety (http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?did=1223&scid=15)
Driving while talking on a hands-free cell phone is just as dangerous as driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone because the two-way conversation, not the task of holding the phone, causes a cognitive distraction. This distraction induces an “inattention blindness” that inhibits drivers’ abilities to detect changes in the road condition. The published literature is quite clear on this issue

It's not the act of holding the phone - I usually have a cup of coffee in my hand although I'm not talking to it. - but the conversation itself.
More Info:
Warning Call (http://www.morganlee.org/cellphonedriving02.htm)

THE CASE AGAINST CELLPHONES IN CARS (http://www.bobcerullo.com/Articles/CellPhones.htm)


"National Highway Traffic Safety Administration researchers said devices like head sets or voice-activated dialing led to longer dialing times than for hand-held phones. The delays offset the potential benefit of keeping both hands on the wheel, the report said."

http://www.glasgowaccess.org.uk/news/Business_284/Is-hands-free-actually-safer-_105350.html

"Study: Hands-free phone not safer on road"

Error: Invalid story key (C4,20060630,NEWS07,606300453,AR). (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060630/NEWS07/606300453/1009)

"Hands-Free Cell Phones No Safer for Drivers "

Hands-Free Cell Phones No Safer for Drivers (http://mentalhealth.about.com/library/sci/0701/blcellphone701.htm)


"Hands-free cell phones no safer for drivers, says prof"

Hands-free cell phones no safer for drivers, says prof (http://www.news.ku.edu/2001/01N/JulyNews/July12/cellular.html)

"Study claims that hands-free cell phones aren't safer than hand-helds"

Wireless Net DesignLine | Study: Hands-Free Cell Phones No Safer Than Hand-Helds (http://www.wirelessnetdesignline.com/news/165701873)

"'Hands-Free' Cell Calls In Cars Not Safer - Study

Study by insurance industry group concludes that laws restricting hand-held cell phone use in cars are ineffective. It found that all types of cell phone use contribute to accidents."

"http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/personaltech/165701644"

-Like I said, it's a "feel good" law, that changed essentially nothing other than having to purchase a 29.99 bluetooth. But everyone "feels good" now.

[Ellen]

Not fact, that's opinion.

I think what the article is saying, is that having a conversation while driving is distracting, no matter if the driver is holding the phone or not....And while this is a fact, it could also be applied to other circumstances as well. Such as reading the paper, shaving, drinking/eating, ect..while driving. Operating any vehicle while distracted does cause accidents.