Comments on: The old cellphone driving ban

By: Pablo

Pablo — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 03:13:33 +0000

So holding a device and talking into it and receiving voice back is dangerous?

Yes?

Ok, so we also need to ban RT’s (radio telephones). If it really is dangerous then all those truckies, police, ambulance officers etc etc will have to pull over to make and receive calls.

Ban this, ban that. I bet you all voted for ‘nanny state’ Labour.

By: Spitting Llama

Spitting Llama — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 21:16:38 +0000

Just from observation. The idiots on the road who are (a) either not keeping pace with traffic (b) weaving across lanes (c) randomly doing strange things with their arms are either from Ponsonby or yacking on their cellphones or both.

How many times have you seen other drivers typing a txt message occasionally glancing up at the road?

It’s sheer idiocy releasing those type of mongrels onto the road with their mobile phones. They are not only a danger to themselves but to the general public. Idiots one and all.

By: Josie656

Josie656 — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 01:00:24 +0000

It’s already banned in many countries including UK and I think that’s a good thing although I admit I have occasionally been guilty. I’m aware it’s dangerous and try to pullover if I get a call and haven’t got the handsfree sorted. If you’re a business person get a car-kit handsfree and you’re sorted. In the UK you can even get busted for drinking or eating an apple, think this is taking it too far.

By: Ducky

Ducky — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 22:04:56 +0000

Mara. Most Kiwis should never have obtained a licence to drive in the first place. The general standard of driving in this country is horrific.

By: mara

mara — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:42:54 +0000

August,you reinforce my feeling that everyone should be banned from the road except for you and me.Between us,I,m sure we could handle the conditions.Jesus joy,what pleasure would that be?

By: PaulL

PaulL — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 08:44:34 +0000

Ducky, texting whilst driving is a very different beast from talking on a handsfree kit. In theory I would be happy to ban texting while driving, although I guess it would be OK at the traffic lights, and OK when stuck in a traffic jam etc etc. In other words – judgement. Hell, if I don’t believe the other people are on the road are smart enough to work out when a cell phone will detract from their driving, why do I trust them to drive at 100km/h at someone else driving at 100km/h with about 2 foot separating them?

By: DFR

DFR — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 07:08:57 +0000

A little dull, I know - opinions are much more fun - but there is some empical research around on this. http://www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/dn7658.html Just in case the html doesn't work, here's the URL in full, which you will have to copy and paste. http://www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/dn7658.html People talking on cell phones are 4 times more likely to crash. This result has been replicated elsewhere - I'm sure there are plenty more examples available through a google search. I can't find the relevant articles on-line, I'm sorry, but the neurological explanation seems to be something to do with diverting attention to the conversation. Interestingly, even people walking down the street while talking on their phones are much more likely to walk past friends, bump into other people, and generally behave as if their attention is completely elsewhere, which of course it is. Conversations with passengers don't seem to hold the same dangers. A passenger is (by definition - d'oh) in the car with the driver, and seeing the same road conditions, and so is much more inclined to stop talking when there is a tricky driving situation.

By: ducky

ducky — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 07:00:10 +0000

AH – your point is valid. However, distraction with a cellphone is considerably more than conversing with a fellow passenger or passively listening to a radio.
For a start, you have one hand off the wheel and, in the case of texting, your eyes off the road.

Effectively, this behaviour is already banned. It’s called not driving with due care and attention. But for the significant minority of completely idiotic drivers that plague our roads, this needs to be explained over and over and over again.

By: AH

AH — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:36:42 +0000

Quick, ban radios (especially those with talkback) in case drivers get distracted. Oh, while we’re at it, lets ban passengers in cars as well just in case the drivers talk to them.

By: AH

AH — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:35:12 +0000

Quick, ban radios (especially those with talkback) in case drivers get distracted. Oh, while we’re at it, lets ban passengers in cars as well just in case the drivers talk to them.

By: ducky

ducky — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:25:37 +0000

There in NO excuse or need to use a cellphone while driving. It’s dangerous. Not rocket science, you know.
Just pull over if you need to use it.
Anyone who tries to think that they can drive and use cellphone at the same time safely is probably just another one of those arrogant drivers who think they are more skillful and better than everyone else on the road. They are actually selfish as they are dicing with other people’s lives.
STick your bloody cellphones where the sun doesn’t shine!

By: spam

spam — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 04:56:56 +0000

OUr company is one of many that already has a ban on cellphone use whilst driving – and that includes hands-free ones as well.

I really don’t see a problem with banning it. The personal responsibility argument only goes so far – people driving also have a responsibility to those that they are sharing the road with.

By: spam

spam — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 04:50:04 +0000

OUr company is one of many that already has a ban on cellphone use whilst driving – and that includes hands-free ones as well.

I really don’t see a problem with banning it. The personal responsibility argument only goes so far – people driving also have a responsibility to those that they are sharing the road with.

By: mara

mara — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 04:09:26 +0000

Razork,have you also suffered mince-pie lava in the groin while on the motorway? I share your pain.They should also ban bees and wasps,frenzied cats breaking out of cardboard boxes, and sun-strike.As for banning cell-phones?As has already been observed,many people are slaves to the damm things.I have visions of drivers ducking down to dashboard level to avoid being seen or wearing balaclavas to hide the phone.Why stop there?Ban smoking in cars…yeah,that would be effective too.

By: err..

err.. — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:44:20 +0000

“ps: correct me if im wrong, but isnt getting a blow job while driving already illegal?
Would be a great court case if it is in fact legal, but just frowned upon by the police.”

Maybe you could get a blowjob while giving evidence on the stand? It could be a good way to liven up a dull court appearance.

By: fraser

fraser — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:37:48 +0000

hand held cell phones while driving? – im against it. Ive seen too many bozos doing dumb ass things in their cars while talking on the thing.

Thats the problem with personal responsibility. While im all for it, too many people seem to not put their brains in gear, and consider the whole cause and effect thing before doing something.

But as for hands free, I think theres nothing wrong with it. It means that your hands are free to do the driving and the phone call is at a simillar level to talking to a passenger.

It also seems to be the avenue that would keep the majority of people happy – from both sides of the argument.

ps: correct me if im wrong, but isnt getting a blow job while driving already illegal?
Would be a great court case if it is in fact legal, but just frowned upon by the police.

By: sonic

sonic — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:02:13 +0000

Whats next from the nanny state? stopping me drinking two bottles of whisky before I drive?

By: gd

gd — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:38:28 +0000

I fixed the problem 2 years ago I threw the cell phone away Now Im not controlled by the bloody thing We have become slaves to phones Think about how people have no problem interupting a conversation with other people in front of them to answer a bloody cell phone.Hello.They control life if you allow it.On planes Ive seen people ringing just before the plane takes off and just after it ladns when they tell you when you can use the bloody things. And guess what. They are telling the person they call that they are either……..wait for it taking off or landing Duh!!!!! Take back control over your lives folks.

By: Razork

Razork — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 22:32:24 +0000

cool, while you’re at it ban the consumption of an ice cream on a hot day and no more meat pies when driving if lunch is taken on the run.

By: Ben Wilson

Ben Wilson — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 22:28:54 +0000

I don’t think using phones should be banned. But if you have an accident and it can be proved you were using your cellphone, that should weigh heavily towards it being your fault. Same comment for any kind of distraction, including radios, stereos, blowjobs, eating, settling kids down, shaving, smoking, arguing with your girlfriend, being drunk, angry, stoned, gawking at sights/hotties etc.

Of course that kind of thing is hard to prove, in which case the even better recourse of ‘who was not following the road rules’ becomes the only guide. And it’s still the most important guide by far. Usually it’s the person who was distracted, and it’s actually the behaviour we want to punish – not following the road rules is an observable fact, where ‘being distracted’ is quite subjective. Does it make any sense to bust the guy who was talking on his cellphone when an old lady with a bit too much on her mind does a U-turn straight into him? I don’t reckon.

Last time I got rear-ended, I could see quite clearly in my rear vision mirror that the guy was not watching the road – he was looking off to the side. But that was not the ‘crime’ – the ‘crime’ was rear ending me. Distraction was probably the cause, but I really think the law should focus on crimes rather than causes of crimes.

There are exceptions to that statement – extreme drunkeness is so closely related to distraction, and so easily proved, that the crime actually begins with the person getting into the drivers seat at all.