So here are the different scenarios I see these days:
1.- People driving while talking on the phone (bad / illegal)
2. - People driving while holding their phone on speaker phone (illegal)
3. - People driving while using their car's bluetooth phone system (legal)
4. - People driving while using a bluetooth ear piece (legal)
5.- People texing while driving (very bad/ illegal)
What bugs me about the texting is that Chevy just announced a car that you select the reply message on the touch screen when a text is received. Not sure how this is better than texting as you can scroll down on the touch screen to select different messages.
My work does not allow 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 to be done while on company property.
But what's the big deal between using your in-car bluetooth "hands free" and putting your phone on speaker and setting it on the dash or on your leg.
In my province in Canada they increased the fine for using a phone while driving. Its now 10 points off your license and up to $500+ in fines. But they do not state what "using the cell phones" implies. Example: I play music on my phone through the car stereo. Not much difference between looking for a song to play on my phone or texting.
"Currently, fines range from $176.45 for a first offence to $348.95 for a third offence or subsequent occurrences. As of February 1, 2015, the fines will increase to $233.95 for a first offence to $578.95 for a third offence with the addition of four demerit points on conviction."
And IMO, usually the people who cannot operate a device while driving are the same people who shouldn't operate anything while driving (radio, drink, eating, etc.) Truck drivers use radios, cabs use radios, police use radios and laptops, and everyone uses electronic devices in their cars (radio, cds, music, GPS, etc). It's those bad drivers who cannot multitask who should simply keep their hands on the wheels at all times and focus on the road. The area you live also plays a role. Back country road with no-one around for 10 miles compared to busy city where there is always traffic.
Baffles me when I hear stories of someone who hit a guy on a bicycle because he was texting. My response is "WHY are you texing in traffic or around bicycles???" Or the girl who died in a car accident while taking a selfie
IMO, like changing the radio, using GPS, eating food, you should only perform cell phone tasks when it is safe to do so. Obviously some are too stupid to know when it is safe to do such things which ruins it for everyone.
Your thoughts?
Should it all be banned?
Should I be able to text when there are no other cars around and I can only injure myself?
Should we be able to use bluetooth in the car for calls / texting?
1.- People driving while talking on the phone (bad / illegal)
2. - People driving while holding their phone on speaker phone (illegal)
3. - People driving while using their car's bluetooth phone system (legal)
4. - People driving while using a bluetooth ear piece (legal)
5.- People texing while driving (very bad/ illegal)
What bugs me about the texting is that Chevy just announced a car that you select the reply message on the touch screen when a text is received. Not sure how this is better than texting as you can scroll down on the touch screen to select different messages.
My work does not allow 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 to be done while on company property.
But what's the big deal between using your in-car bluetooth "hands free" and putting your phone on speaker and setting it on the dash or on your leg.
In my province in Canada they increased the fine for using a phone while driving. Its now 10 points off your license and up to $500+ in fines. But they do not state what "using the cell phones" implies. Example: I play music on my phone through the car stereo. Not much difference between looking for a song to play on my phone or texting.
"Currently, fines range from $176.45 for a first offence to $348.95 for a third offence or subsequent occurrences. As of February 1, 2015, the fines will increase to $233.95 for a first offence to $578.95 for a third offence with the addition of four demerit points on conviction."
And IMO, usually the people who cannot operate a device while driving are the same people who shouldn't operate anything while driving (radio, drink, eating, etc.) Truck drivers use radios, cabs use radios, police use radios and laptops, and everyone uses electronic devices in their cars (radio, cds, music, GPS, etc). It's those bad drivers who cannot multitask who should simply keep their hands on the wheels at all times and focus on the road. The area you live also plays a role. Back country road with no-one around for 10 miles compared to busy city where there is always traffic.
Baffles me when I hear stories of someone who hit a guy on a bicycle because he was texting. My response is "WHY are you texing in traffic or around bicycles???" Or the girl who died in a car accident while taking a selfie
IMO, like changing the radio, using GPS, eating food, you should only perform cell phone tasks when it is safe to do so. Obviously some are too stupid to know when it is safe to do such things which ruins it for everyone.
Your thoughts?
Should it all be banned?
Should I be able to text when there are no other cars around and I can only injure myself?
Should we be able to use bluetooth in the car for calls / texting?
) and had to slam on the brakes. My phone went tumbling to the floor, striking my power inverter as it landed. Of course, I panicked, since my uninsured iPhone 5s would be rather expensive to replace! Once I got off the highway, I pulled my phone up by the charging cable and tried to turn it back on. I held it up so I could see the screen come on without taking my eyes off the road. Stupid, yes... but I was distraught. A cop saw me, holding my phone up in the air. Pulled me over, commented on how my screen was on and on my "settings" page (my ebay settings... because I had checked ebay during my lunch break 20 minutes prior...) I explained to him that I wasn't using the phone. Simply holding it to see if it turned on. He said "you were on your phone"... issued me a ticket with a mandatory court appearance (2.5 hours from my house!)... I went to court twice to plead my case. The judge took pity on me, understanding my situation, but claimed he feared setting a dangerous precedent by allowing such a thing... so he gave me the bare minimum fine, and eliminated the court fees (though it turned out that he couldn't actually do that...). A nice gesture, but it still cost me about $250 total, not to mention the $30 in tolls, $60 in fuel, and 3-4 hours of my life I spent fighting that ticket.
) so I can stick the phone to the steering wheel. That way, I can speak into my phone to reply to texts. It works quite well.
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