California shows common sense with cell phone use in cars.

[Joe Fields]

On Friday, the Governator signed a bill into law, banning the use of hand held cell phones while driving an automobile. The new legislation won't go into effect until July 1, 2008, but it is definitely a move in the right direction. Breaking the new law will be punishable of up to 50 dollars in fines.

According to California Highway Patrol statistics dating back to 2001, cell phone usage is the top cause of accidents.

Personally, I despise cell phones, don't own one, have never owned one and have no plans to own one in the future. I live in Missouri, where the highways are clogged with pathetically inept and distracted drivers, the majority of which have cell phones seemingly surgically attatched to their heads and hands. It is pure hell out there on the road. I sure wish my state would adopt such a law.

[BlueJazz]

1. I would ban ALL cell phone from being used in a moving vehicle.

The reason being...Tests have shown that a sizable segment of the populace have trouble
"Multi-tasking" (able to perform 2 or more tasks at the same time).

You've heard of people who can read a book and watch TV at the same time?
It's true..their brain just works that way.
On the opposite end, many folks just can't do such double Tasks.
I've ridden with MANY people that drive fine when they're not talking
but scare the shit out of me when they try to carry on a conversation.

In Short...I DON"T WANT TO PAY HIGHER INSURANCE RATES OR GET KILLED BECAUSE YOU INSIST ON YUCKING ON YOUR DAMN PHONE.

[Joe Fields]

3. A-Greeeeed!

I am not anti-social, by any standard, but I cannot for the life of me understand just what the fuck people have to say for hours on end, with their cell phones with them 24/7, yakking in the store, the restaurant, the movie, on the road, etc...

[ccjlld]

2. It would be great if MO would adopt the same law!

Living in a college town, we get all kinds of drivers, from small town to big city drivers. The only thing they have in common is they all have cell phones permanently attached to their ears!

It's not just in cars! Kids ride all over campus on bikes while using their cell phones. I'm not quite sure how they manage it, but I'm sure there are several wipeouts caused by using cell phones on bikes.

[Joe Fields]

4. Do you live in Columbia, or Springfield?

[ccjlld]

11. Columbia

Work at Mizzou, so see these kid with the phones all the time!

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. The City of Chicago has a law banning handheld cellphone use in cars.

I see people violating the law every day.

[sbj405]

12. Yep. Same in DC. I wonder if any tickets have been written. nt

[rug]

6. When are they going to ban rotary phones in cars?

Much more distracting.

[maveric]

7. Try enforcing that in SoCal.

I swear it, 7 out of 10 drivers I see in moving vehicles down here are yammering on the damn phone.
Oh, and a 50 whole dollar fine? Thats a deterrent!

[Jade Fox]

8. Good. May other states follow....

I almost got creamed this week by some half-wit trying to turn a corner in a mini-van with one hand, 'cause the other hand was holding the damned phone to her ear. Then there was the guy last week who was virtually stopped in the middle of the road during rush hour talking on the phone. What's with these people?

[AlCzervik]

9. my car has a manual transmission and there is no way i can use

my cell phone and drive at the same time so i don't, i don't have a hands free thingy either so if the phone rings i let it go to voice mail and if i must make a call i pull over into a parking lot.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Well, I guess there are idiots everywhere.......

I see cell phones plastered to the ears of many drivers here too......

We, my husband and I, have them, and occasionally we use them in the car...

If we get lost, or are late, or just to let the folks we're visiting that we're on our way.......

Or if there's news that just won't wait.......

I plan to buy a headset soon so I won't be in violation of the law.....

:hi:

[ForrestGump]

13. Seems like most people are bad enough drivers as it is,

and cell phones are just the icing on the cake. Good for them, though I was already under the impression that CA had done this already.

Obviously, as in anything, some people are just inherently better drivers or otherwise quite capable of multitasking pretty well while still driving competently, but so many prove themsleves anything but that every day, and many of them seem to be aiming at me when they do so.

I think they should station SWAT snipers at intersections to take out the most egregious offenders, actually.

[Joe Fields]

16. LOL!

[billyskank]

14. Britain has that law already

but still people routinely break it.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. I'll never understand this

Why are some people so addicted to being in constant communication that it has to be legislated? What do they talk about that they had to wait to talk about before cellular technology? :shrug: