Ban on driver cell phone use recommended by National Transportation Safety Board
December 13, 2011 at 5:41 am in Grand Forks Herald
The NTSB’s recommendation followed a finding by the board that the initial collision in a deadly highway pileup in Missouri last year was caused by the inattention of a 19 year-old-pickup driver who sent or received 11 texts in the 11 minutes immediately before the accident. Continue Reading
In today’s editorial about traffic deaths in the oil patch Tom Dennis wrote:
“Then, on that foundation of solid data, reasonable and responsible policies can be built”
All I can observe is that if data actually drove decision-making in our irrational and superstitious world, then using cell phones while driving would have been banned long ago.
Kill somebody driving drunk and it’s (rightly) big trouble.
Kill somebody because of phone inattentiveness and it’s “Oh well, the price of modern convenience!”
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Well Kelly, in “my way of thinking” data does count for something. That’s why there are quite a few age-related driving regulations.
As for cell phone use, there are multiple studies which are quite consistent in their results — talking on the phone while driving is as risky as driving at the legal limit for alcohol, and texting while driving is more than 20 times more dangerous!
Unfortunately, inattentive drivers don’t only kill themselves — and it’s time we started caring more about needless deaths than trivial conveniences.
Candidly Kelly, your flippant response is an insult to the numerous victims of inattentive drivers.
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I don’t think I’m being flippant at all. I am making the case that all data is a potential source of over regulation of what should be common sense behavior.
Realistically, all data gathered from car accidents show that those accidents involved cars. Is the solution to ban all cars, or enforce current laws in place, like distracted driving laws? All cyber-bullying cases involve the internet. Should we ban computers from schools and workplaces or should we enforce existing laws on defamation, libel, stalking and assault?
Also, “candidly” speaking, the inclusion of your accusation that my comment is an insult to the numerous victims of inattentive drivers is an insult to people who use reason to solve problems, rather than emotion.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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justasec, I am not in total disagreement with you. Certainly, talking on a cell phone is distracting. I don’t think anyone can argue with that. However, talking on a cell phone is nowhere near as dangerous as drunken driving. It may be for the duration of a call, but the duration of a call, or calls, does not equal the duration of the time a drunk drives.
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Well, Glenn, what about drunks on phones? And, just how do you know how long a drunk is on the road, anyhow? Personal experience?
Whatever, it was proven long ago that a person texting is worse than a drunk, as far as controlling a vehicle.
Maybe you should use that cell to call a sobercab?
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bac, it puzzles me that you could somehow infer that I was defending drunk driving. Since your response seemed to be so far off the mark as to what I wrote, it makes me wonder how many you had prior to responding.
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Kelly, my comments could not possibly be an insult to your use of reason because you haven’t used any.
…and that’s an entirely reasonable reaction to your illogical comments.
Meanwhile, people are dying because inattentive driving isn’t being taken as seriously as drunken driving.
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Kelly blurted: “Wow. You REALLY don’t like people who think on their own, do you?”
Actually Kelly, my problem is more to do with you using emotion rather than reason to make an argument.
Now to your assertion: Your idea that existing laws cover cell phone use has been made many times — but it has been rejected as too vague — in this case it needs to be clear that specific behaviors are risky.
I will be happy to agree that other cases of inattentive driving could be prosecuted under existing laws, but specific laws are needed for cell phone use given the accident risk data available. That’s what the NTSB is arguing for.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Typical big gov’t! There is a big difference between dialing a phone or texting and driving in bumper to bumper traffic in Chicago compared to talking on the phone driving down I-29 in the middle of nowhere.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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How correct you are Chins! You know what’s best about being in the middle of nowhere, the hospitals.
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Talking on a hands free device is the same as talking to anyone in the back seat. Is that going to be disallowed also?
I take my hands off the wheel more often when talking to someone in the car as opposed to talking to someone on a hands free device. Going to have to google it, but is there any study that went into seeing how distracting passengers are? What are the metrics for that?
I do agree with Kelly though in that there already is a Law to take care of distracted driving. I love how they make no mention of reading the paper or people putting on Makup/shaving while driving. Those are the people I’m downright scared of. Staring at themselves in a mirror while they drive down the road. At least the Phone users are looking at the road.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Anonymous wrote: “At least the Phone users are looking at the road.”
…and so are the back seat passengers — which is why they don’t distract the driver in the same way as the person on the other end of the phone. That’s also why hands free phones are equally distracting.
Key point: The studies have been done and the NTSB is recommending on the basis of the data.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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From my higher view in the truck….You’d be surprised how many fools do actually feel they need to turn to talk to someone in back….Or to the side for that matter…I don’t mean a quick glance, but turning their head to the side to look at the person while they talk and drive.
In general hands free head sets on one side isn’t a problem as long as a person uses common sense and trys to limit the calls to low traffic situations…..Unfortunately there lies the problem….There’s not a lot of common sense being used……And as for texting while driving….That’s so far down the list from comon sense that we’re talking bare bones stupid……
I’m all for everything other than banning hands free systems. Partially because I’ve used them for a few years, and now with these regs that force us to drive when we’re tired to get enough hours in calling from the road is often better than coffee for getting sleepy from the long open road. The other reason is because the cell phone has become such a common part of most of our lives that you’d really have to create a police state like condition to actually enforce a law that strict. There’s enough of that kind of enforcement at airports much less out here too….
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Yes, a couple screaming kids in the back seat are watching the road for ya! Also, then get rid of all GPS in vehicles. Also, get back to better, stronger and heavier cars-that is killing a lot of people every year. But apparently it is okay for these deaths in the name of saving the climate.
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I agree with Kelly. How many redundant laws are required to protect people from themselves. There are a lot of things that distract people while driving, that is why there is an inattentive driving law. Should we create specific laws for eating, applying makeup, changing clothes, reading the newspaper, etc… Apply the laws that already exist before you create more legislation.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Good grief, i suppose they will ban mooning other drivers then too. Wait a minute, who will catch me? They can’t use their phones or is that designated as an emergency call.
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You sir or madam…..Have just created the perfect response……My hat’s off to you
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ahh mooning people is illegal, in some states it results in having to register as a sex offender…..
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Obviously, people doing something other than driving while behind the wheel is not being taken seriously. There needs to be stronger enforcement, like if you see someone doing something that goes beyond merely controlling the vehicle, fire a shotgun through their window. That should get their attention.
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Too drastic…just pass them and lob a balloon full of black paint onto their windshield. They’re not using it anyhow.
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Bac…
They might as well stop putting turning signals in cars too….They don’t use them either….Not sure if it’s because it’s just too much sork to move the lever up or down or if they just never received instructions on how they work….
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I’ve noticed that too, tundra.
Most times, it’s been because ‘whoever’ is too busy eating a Big Mac while on the damn phone. God knows what appendage they’re using to drive with.
One other thing that really gets me is the loons who refuse to turn their lights on when the fog is so thick you can’t see more than two white stripes. You’ll be driving along at about 45, for the conditions, next thing you know, you’ve got a Dodge Ram, three feet off your back bumper, no lights?
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Settle down everybody. This was a recommendation that will never see the light of day in legislation. The Transportation Safety Board describes what they see to be a problem and it’s up to Congress to write legislation about this. Can’t see that’s going to happen so relax folks. Nobody is going to take your cell phone away.
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Nobody is going to take away your cell phone but down the line the states not complying can kiss a portion of highway funds away. Does .08 or seatbelt laws ring a bell??
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Sorry, I was just trying to make light of a subject. I just don’t see the rationale of a bureaucrat slamming another law down our throats. Although, I will admit when sometimes I am waiting at a stoplight behind another car and they don’t move when the light turns green and yep, sure enough, there’s a hand by their ear. Now there’s a case for a moon.
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While some of you good folks are getting your jollies poking sarcasm at this topic more than 50 people per hour are being killed or injured by cell phone-related inattentiveness while driving in the USA. That’s almost half a million a year.
The actual data are worth examining. While deaths are slightly down, accident rates are the same, and injuries are slightly up. Pedestrian deaths are up 19%.
How does this compare to alcohol? Boozes kills more than cell phones by a ration of 2 to 1 — but the 5,500 victims each year are just as dead.
There’s a simple word to describe these numbers:
E P I D E M I C !
Try to think about that objectively before you fire off more frivolous posts — and if you do post again — pull over and park first!
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Well, justasec, you’re absolutely right.
In the first six months after I’d moved to Alex, I had three near misses with cellphone addicts in town, blowing through red lights. Got me to wear my seatbelt religiously.
Four years ago, I was headed over there to work, and met a little red car, that was in my lane on a two lane road. I managed to avoid this one, and saw that it was a youngster on a phone.
Don’t you just know it, but a year later, the headline in the local paper was about a youngster who had been in the wrong lane, was killed in a headon crash. The oncoming pickup saw the approaching vehicle, and swerved into the left lane. When he did, the other vehicle’s driver became aware, and went back into the right lane.
Head on, only the pickup driver survived.
The fatality? You guessed it. An 18 year old girl.
Who should have been stopped and fined two years before.
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We do not need another law but to simply enforce current laws against distracted drivers. The morning drivers are classic as they are eating, doing makeup and hair, drinking their coffee, reading the paper, and of couse on the phone or texting. Make the fine $500 and start enforcing the disengaged driver.
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Yes chins, but to make the fine $500 you’ll need another law. Get it?
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You got me, NO NEW LAWS, just enforce what is on the books!
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Ok…But what the hell…We’ve practically stopped death in all the natural areas so that we’re living longer and breeding like mice to over populate the world….We don’t have famine in the US, we don’t have waring tribes killing each other….All we have left is vehicles of mass destruction….And now you want to take that too…..What? Do you want to live forever?
Oh wait……I was supposed to be serious…..Whoops…
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“Try to think about that objectively before you fire off more frivolous posts — and if you do post again — pull over and park first!” Cute…..And for a second there I thought you were going all Joe Friday on us…
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Last word (For now)….Perhaps I don’t take this as serious as others, and it is a serious topic….But I can’t help but wonder who is actually behind all this, and is this actually just one of those things thrown out to give us a “Squirrel” moment like on the movie “Up?” Something to get us to stop and look away so we lose focus on the other serious problms we’ve been going through as a society.
I’m not sure but after seeing how easy it was to influence the national DOT to change trucking regs in an effort to make us more rested, and then not really take anything truckers had to say as serious, and end up with regs that combined with elogs (Which is basically being forced on companies using computerized communications with trucks that also keep track of our position through GPS) has resulted in many of us being forced to drive more tired now before they came up with there “New and Improved” Regs. I just don’t have a lot of faith in much of what comes down from the federal DOT…..
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Smart robotic cars will be the solution to allow everyone on board to be a passenger and engage in any behavior incld. reproduction.
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If any driver is doing anything other than concentrating on controlling the vehicle, they need to have their license revoked permanently, have their children removed from the home with child protection services and have to register as a convicted cell phone violator with INTERPOL.
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Sounds good Dead Inside we will call it “War on Distracted Driving”
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And we will take no prisoners!
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No prisoners? No fun in that Bac! How about minimum mandatory sentencing for distracted violators? Our prison system in the U.S. is big business. CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) is one of the leading for profit prison. CCA is currently being traded on Wall Street. Forget energy people the new world leader will be incarcerating humans for cheap labor.
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Nah, I’d rather give ‘em a cellphone enema. One of the phones with the exploding battery that seem to be so prevalent.
As the Fonz would say, “Sit on it!”.
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Don’t forget visor mirrors too….That can be mighty distracting to see such a damn good looking face staring back at you eh???? Hard to drive with such a blinding light of greatness looking back……Or was that a dream????? I wonder…..
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Of course there will be prisoners. Why do you think they call them “cell” phones?
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Punish those who cause collisions, rather than making activities that might–or might not–lead to collisions illegal.
Simple, logical, easy-to-enforce. Removes the tendency for Big Brother to over-regulate. Punishes ACTUAL, PROVEN bad behavior, rather than punishing whatever the current politically-incorrect behavior (this week) is.
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Yeah, right, Schurkey…
Kinda like closing the barn door after the horses have got out and been run over by an 18-wheeler, right?
Except, these ain’t horses!
Could be YOU. Or your wife, kid, grandma or grandpa.
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There something wrong with your thought process if you see the banning of cell phones in cars as a punishment. It’s not punishment. It’s basic safety fueled by common sense.
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So the remark you made up above wasn’t a joke….I think several of us thought you were joking…Because it was basically nut butt crazy talk….thus the ensuing responses…
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“The National Transportation Safety Board”
Want to balance the budget?
Read the history of the NTSB, and you will understand why some say that the definition of “eternity” is a government program.
With any luck, this ridiculous “recomendation” will be the end of the gravy train for these ninnys.
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Why is it that HOW a person is killed or injured seems to determine if it is a tragedy or not?
For example, during the nine years in Iraq over 4,000 Americans died, and over 30,000 were injured. Nobody (especially me) argues against the idea all of those were tragedies.
In contrast, over 5,000 deaths and almost a quarter of a million injuries to Americans EVERY YEAR because of cell phone-related driving inattentiveness — but nobody seems to want to take those numbers seriously?
I mean, why should the gubment mess with our beloved cell phones just for that little bit of trivia?
That’s why my opening comment on this thread mentioned that we live in an irrational and superstitious world. If there was any real rationality cellphone use while driving would be taken as seriously as drunken driving.
Given the reality of the body count does anybody else really want to make flippant comments?
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Oh…Don’t tempt me…I always do…..But just for you I’ll be serious for a couple lines.
Your points are valid, but I’ll let you in on something I found out many years ago when I first started driving professionally and cell phones really hadn’t come on the scene yet. In general people driving regular vehicles don’t spend much time being aware of their surroundings. Prior to driving truck I drove that way too. I think it’s because you’re in a fairly comfortable little container that scoots you down the road….Sort of like a couch on wheels….Or at least that’s the way the brain relates it. So people often just get tunnel vision and go along. When I drive I’m seeing what’s in the distance, what’s close, what’s coming up from behind, the side, the overpass on ramps, and the signs. Automatically scanning the environment is second nature anymore because in semis you need to do that because you can’t move sixty three feet of tractor and trailer out of the way instantly like you can with a car.
So you have to scan the environment and most drivers barely scan what’s in front of them. Several years ago I was home for the weekend driving my own car down 2nd Ave North. About half a block away I saw movement in the yard to the right and checked it out to see a young girl chasing a ball. I slowed way down because I could tell she was going to chase it into the street….She looked and saw I slowed down, but never looked on the other side and ran out to the street and got hit by a student coming down the other side…..A few broken bones, but survived…..The point is that we both had about the same conditions and were both about the same distance from her when she started chasing the ball towards the street. The difference was I scanned the environment while the other driver only saw the street.
In my opinion that’s really why most people can’t deal with any distraction regardless where it comes from (Hey! No kids allowed in the car in some cases). People need to learn to see more than tunnel vision when they drive. I don’t know how that can be taught other than to have everyone learn to drive truck….Hopefully some of the new simulators in the schools use a lot of scenarios where not watching all around suddenly gets you hit because on their own that really doesn’t pick up all that well.
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Tundrabeast, your points are well taken, and you are to be commended for taking the responsibility of driving seriously.
However, I have to respectfully point out that there’s a huge difference between routine distractions, and deliberate personal inattention. If the kids are distracting your driving, then pull over and fix the problem — it’s your responsibilty as a driver. If you choose to use the cell phone, then YOU are the problem — your inattentiveness is YOUR fault!
DUI should stand for Driving Under the Influence.
DWI should stand for Driving While Inattentive.
Both should logically incur the same sanctions given deaths and injuries they cause.
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To what extent? and do you really want to go down that slippery slope? Within the vehicle you can be having either a heated argument or some other deep conversation with a passenger and totally lose focus on driving (Which of cours can happen on a headset too but to say one is wors than the other is debatable). If you always pulled over when your kids were a distraction you’d never leave the driveway. As for out of the car we have billboards, storms, good looking Upper Midwest women walking, and such to distract us. To me it comes down to being responsible enough to basically work around or through distractions and to not use the phone in conditions such as high volume traffic flow. My position is that there shouldn’t be a blanket on everyone because some can’t be responsible. Your position seems to be that because there’s a number of fools out there who pose a danger to us all then ther should be a blanket ban……I think we’re at an impass because logically we’re both right. I think allowing hands free sets is probably about as close to the middle that we can get to bringing down the distraction of cell phones without totally criminalizing them.
One last thing….I’ve been driving truck since the early 90′s. Personally I think the cell phone over all was one of the best pieces of equipment for truckers regardless using them while driving (Like most truckers I’ve had a blue tooth wrap around set that I’ve use for years). It was often a real pain to have to run down a phone because finding a place to park a tractor and trailer isn’t always easy in a lot of places. And as far as break downs go….An absolute godsend. I just call the shop and they use their resources to get someone out to me. I know non of this pretains to the issue, but I just wanted to point out how important the cell really is to trucking…
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