Cell phone distraction -- Safety of Citizens, Maryland

Cell phone-addicted motorists in Maryland got a reprieve. They'll be able to continue driving and gabbing, while more responsible drivers on the road remain on hyper-alert, ready to dodge and swerve to avoid ...

[Michael]

The Sun endorses anything that restricts personal responsibility and personal liberty.

Just an anecdote. Yesterday morning I was driving on 895 on my way to Annapolis. In front of me was a Cadillac with "House of Delegates" plates. This car changed lanes repeatedly without a signal and also was speeding along at about 65mpg in a 50mph zone... a work zone none-the-less.

I guess no reporters from The Sun ever use their cell phones while driving either. I bet no one on the editorial board ever uses their cell phones behind the wheel either.

I am on the road half the day with my job. I need to be in touch in order to make enough money to pay MOM's taxes and pay for all the permits and licenses I need. Why doesn't the legislature just outlaw business in Maryland and get it over with?

[JIMR-Sykesville]

Unless the "cell phone" law would also prohibit shaving, applying makeup, eating, reading, programming a GPS device, etc., it would really be not much more than a political joke. A comprehensive distracted driver law is truly what is needed, not a mere ban on handset phone usage.

[Harford6732Reade r]

JIMR-Sykesville wrote:

Unless the "cell phone" law would also prohibit shaving, applying makeup, eating, reading, programming a GPS device, etc., it would really be not much more than a political joke. A comprehensive distracted driver law is truly what is needed, not a mere ban on handset phone usage.

Hear! Hear! I'll second that motion! Distracted drivers are more accident prone whether they are talking, texting, reading, dealing with kids in the back seat, etc. An old saying "Drive to arrive ALIVE" certainly does apply these days. Pay attention, please.

[Eric]

What are you guys talking about? Since you guys are against this law, you should be against speed limits as well since it restricts your personal liberty to drive how you want, regardless of the personal safety for other drivers. As a libertarian, I still agree with this law, since multiple drivers should be facing manslaughter charges from almost running into me while I am on my motorcycle. PAY ATTENTION WHILE YOUR DRIVING!

[Tom McKearney]

Eric, the point is that we don't need 500 laws. I've seen people eating a bowl of cereal (with milk!) on the road. Are we going to make a special law for that instance?

The point is, make ONE law about driving distracted. It will cover people who talk away and don't pay attention. It will NOT cover responsible drivers like me who have no problem saying "hold on a minute" and dropping their phones. I repeatedly say "sorry.. what was that? I wasn't paying attention", because I was driving.

Not everyone who uses a phone in the car is distracted. It's about personal responsibility. Tell people not to drive distracted. Turning around to beat your kid in the backseat should be just as illegal as not paying attention while you paint your nails or reading the newspaper (both of which I have also seen).

So, let's do something that makes sense and REDUCE the number of laws we have, for once.

[mjj]

Driving distracted? I never drive distra...OH LOOK, A CHICKEN!

[Tom]

Michael wrote:

The Sun endorses anything that restricts personal responsibility and personal liberty.
Just an anecdote. Yesterday morning I was driving on 895 on my way to Annapolis. In front of me was a Cadillac with "House of Delegates" plates. This car changed lanes repeatedly without a signal and also was speeding along at about 65mpg in a 50mph zone... a work zone none-the-less.
I guess no reporters from The Sun ever use their cell phones while driving either. I bet no one on the editorial board ever uses their cell phones behind the wheel either.
I am on the road half the day with my job. I need to be in touch in order to make enough money to pay MOM's taxes and pay for all the permits and licenses I need. Why doesn't the legislature just outlaw business in Maryland and get it over with?

You sound like the guy who rear-ended me years ago. Hit my car so hard - I was knocked clear across the intersection. When I ran over to see if the other driver was OK, he was STILL on his cell phone, digging through papers! No hard feelings, the insurance repaired the car, which was then totaled a year later by someone pulling out of a gas station while chatting away, t-boned me while I was stopped at a light.

The point behind personal liberty is taking personal responsibility. Unfortunately it takes the threat of a stiff penalty for some people to realize that driving with their head up their butt is a bad idea.

Not that any of this matters anyway. Considering the how many people I see casually running red lights every day, I can't imagine a law against cell phone use would make any difference.

[mjj]

I do hope that you realize that my previous post was a JOKE. I have been a total undistracted drive for all of 5 minutes. no radio. eyes front, eyes left, eyes, right eyes rear view. and so on. Driving is a distraction in itself, if you have no distractions, then sit in a blue room and meditate with monks chanting (and I am Catholic) in the background. Cell phone use just makes it more (hmmm, what is the word I'm looking for) it makes it easier to multitask, you know drive, phone, radio, kids, lunch, conference call....WHAT DID WE DO BEFORE THE CELL PHONE? Oh that is right, it was pagers, that left a phone number that had to be called IMMEDIATELY! STOMP ON BRAKE TO LOOK FOR PAY PHONE...do they still have pay phones? Or have they been OutLawed due to drug dealers using pay phones to deal drugs?

God knows that I despise the political crap that passes for leadership!

[Attila the Hon]

Most drivers are simply the dregs of humanity. Come to think of it, so are most politicians.

[Jim]

Gosh, what if they dropped food? Or what if they dropped a lit cigarette? Or what if they dropped their mascara? Cell phones must be the problem. It is those pesky phones. Distracted drivers will cease to be distracted when we take away cell phones, even though we'll let their wife of 30 years tell them over their blue tooth headset that she's divorcing the guy and that won't change his driving at all.

Dumb ditorial, meet dumber law.

[Jim]

Memo to Tom: We have negligent driving laws already. Adding a $50 or $75 penalty is hardly going to stop the problem. Your problem isnt the cell phone, it is the guy who lets a cell phone, cigarette, burger, etc distract him. You probably support gun control too because the gun is clearly the problem, not the user. *Shrugs head*

[sobohon]

I've had too many near misses with cell phoners, as a driver, a passenger, and once as a pedestrian. In that instance, I shrieked after being missed by an inch when the yacker blew threw a stop sign as I was in the middle of a crosswalk, the driver leaned out the window and hollered "I'm ON the phone!!" Our legislature has done us a disservice to let this slide.

[Jennifer Sardam]

How effective would this law have been since it only would fine those who were already stopped for another violation? It would only take seconds for them to quickly switch off and stow away a phone. Meanwhile, drivers who were never stopped for incidents would continue to move erratically down the Beltway and other byways, swerving unknowingly into our lanes, causing us heart-stopping moments and crashing (or nearly crashing) into our bumpers.

Still, I agree that it's a darn shame, because it could alleviate so many traffic problems and dangers to other drivers who doing their best to drive defensively with respect to those around them.

[Jennifer Sardam]

I've got a $100 solution (or less, on some sites - I paid $50 at Costco), for those, like me, who hate those blasted Bluetooth won't-stay-on earpieces, or aren't lucky enough to have a state-of-the-art, Bluetooth pre-installed-on-the-console car. This saves me much heartache, the Jabra SP5050.

Sure, any conversation is still distracting. Hell, life itself in any moment is distracting, to some degree. But, at least it frees you to have both hands on the wheel.

Hope the link posts correctly. It's http://www.shop.jabra.com/jabra/Shop...

[Mark]

mjj wrote:

Driving distracted? I never drive distra...OH LOOK, A CHICKEN!

Don't forget to hit your brakes and hit a tree too just idiots do when they see a deer (sarcasm added).

[Mouhamad A Naboulsi]

This is truly sad. They did not get a reprieve, they received a bad incinuation to continue doing whatever it takes to make the call even if it is going to kill them and kill others.
The misinformation used by those opposed to the legislation blinded them to the FACT that a phone ringing has an uncontrollable effect on the driver and thus the rush to answer and get distracted.
True, legislation will not solve the problem and will require enforcement, but it will raise enough awareness to curb the behavior AND it will give those entrepreneurs a chance to find a solution outside the automotive and telecom business model.
If you are interested in a solution, please see our web site at www.actplace.net . We integrate the entire driving experience into one system. we are also seeking investors to bring the product to market.

[Grumpy]

Maryland will get a cell phone driving law when one of our legislators has his family minivan turned into a flaming coffin by a distracted cell phone using driver. What would be even better would be if a high ranking state official like (insert your favorite) was killed in an accident caused by a cell phone using driver. Yeah, that would be really cool!

[Eric]

Tom McKearney wrote:

Eric, the point is that we don't need 500 laws. I've seen people eating a bowl of cereal (with milk!) on the road. Are we going to make a special law for that instance?
The point is, make ONE law about driving distracted. It will cover people who talk away and don't pay attention. It will NOT cover responsible drivers like me who have no problem saying "hold on a minute" and dropping their phones. I repeatedly say "sorry.. what was that? I wasn't paying attention", because I was driving.
Not everyone who uses a phone in the car is distracted. It's about personal responsibility. Tell people not to drive distracted. Turning around to beat your kid in the backseat should be just as illegal as not paying attention while you paint your nails or reading the newspaper (both of which I have also seen).
So, let's do something that makes sense and REDUCE the number of laws we have, for once.

Well for every instance you just said, I see 80 distracted people on a cell phone, so I consider it to be a much bigger problem and one that can be addressed.

Seriously, what is the problem with this law? Please tell me how you are going to be negatively effected.

[Craig]

If Michael can get past his self indulgence, he might find his way to the store to buy a bluetooth earpiece that would allow him to communicate while keeping his hands on the wheel. Let me offer a personal experience from March 30th. It gets right to the root of the issue.

My wife and I were driving down Wilkins avenue the other night to meet some of her old friends from CGR Medical. Just inside of the intersection at Pine Heights, I noticed a Balto City Police Officer riding awfully closely to my rear bumper. I drove a number of blocks, continually noting how close the car was to my bumper. After we passed Desoto Road, I switched over to the right hand lane to avoid the problem. The police car dropped way back (still in the same lane) and then sped up (to catch up) several times. Several times the car veered into our lane, coming within inches of the side of our vehicle. When we finally passed the police car, as it was waiting in a left hand turn lane, we noticed a young police officer who was busy on her cell phone.

If that doesn't make the point to the knucklehead legislators in Annapolis, I don't know what would!!

Hey, it might even get through to the readers who value their convenience more than the safety of the public!!

[Wally]

You get the government you vote for. The big issue is that our elected officals suffer from a lack of intelligence. When it comes to cells phone usage in automobiles, a few words never come into play. It seems that there are few members of our state assembly have never heard of the words speaker, bluetooth and handsfree. It is one thing to drive with one hand on the wheel under normal situations, but in an emergency situations you usually need two hand on the wheel to control the car. To make a better point, lets do this take the radios out of cars and have everyone bring their ipods and headphones and see how this would progress.