Banning Cell Phone Use While Driving

I was driving behind a person today that was moving very slow. I thought it was a old person at first, but i was someone holding a cell phone to there head. Personally I would not dare talk to my wife on my cell phone for very long. I would certainly crash!

I have been talking on a cell phone and driving for years without crashing. Trust me when I say it depends on the conversation. I can talk business all day with no trouble, but personal matters increases my stress level and stop me from concentrating.

Its against the law to drink and drive technically. I say technically because you can have a certain level of drink in you, but not be intoxicated over the legal limit. OK, back to cell phone in the car.

Cell phone use while driving is getting more attention from State Legislators.

California will soon join (other states) that ban cell phone use while driving a vehicle. In an effort to make the roads safer in California, the law was passed that you must utilize some type of hands-free device in your car. One could argue that changing the radio, putting on make-up, and reading the paper is not safe as well. The only difference is that you could receive a small fine for holding your cell phone in your hand in California starting July 2nd 2008.

Bluetooth headsets are becoming more and more popular today. The price usually ranges from about $30 - $150 for a headset. Some people choose a cheaper wired headset solution that ranges from $10 - $20. Do you really need a headset of any type? The best way to determine is to consider the conversations you experience in your vehicle. If you are saying yes and no to the other party you probably could do without a headset. If on the other hand you are talking with you spouse, kid(s), boss or someone requiring a lot of your attention you probably need a Bluetooth or wired headset.

The more you pay attention to the caller the less you pay attention to the road and other drivers. We all have had some narrow escapes on the cell phone, trying to change the radio, and yes applying make-up. Safety is the key and you can be proactive about it or just let your luck of the draw determine what happens.

I recommend you check into a headset of some sort when you are at your local phone store. The BlueAnt Z9 wireless bluetooth headset has been getting some great reviews. You can buy it at marquel.com product page located here. The noise suppression feature makes the BlueAnt Z9 a high headset at a modest price. Regardless of what you decide about a headset - stay safe and respect you fellow drivers!

Several states restrict cell phone use while driving. State cell phone driving laws address issues specific to each state. For example, many states have identified cell phone use by novice drivers as an emerging highway safety problem and have restricted the practice. In some states, localities restrict cell phone use while driving through local ordinances or policies. Others prohibit localities from implementing such ordinances through preemption laws. Current state cell phone driving law highlights include the following:

Cell Phone Driving Laws

• 5 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington), the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have enacted jurisdiction-wide cell phone laws prohibiting driving while talking on handheld cell phones.
  • With the exception of Washington State, these laws are all primary enforcement—an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cell phone while driving without any other traffic offense taking place.
• 17 states and the District of Columbia have special cell phone driving laws for novice drivers.
• School bus drivers in 15 states and the District of Columbia are prohibited from all cell phone use when passengers are present, except for in emergencies.
• Washington and New Jersey are the only states to ban text messaging for all drivers, but other states are expected to follow suit.
  • New Jersey has primary enforcement—an officer may ticket a driver for texting while driving without any other traffic offense taking place. Washington's law is secondarily enforced.
• No state completely bans all types of cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) while driving.
• Some states, such as Utah and New Hampshire, treat cell phone use as a larger distracted driving issue.

  • Utah considers speaking on a cellphone to be an offense only if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).²

^1. Dealt with as a distracted driving issue; New Hampshire enacted a comprehensive distracted driving law.
^2. Utah's law defines careless driving as committing a moving violation (other than speeding) while distracted by use of a hand-held cellphone or other activities not related to driving.

Sources: American Automobile Association (AAA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and State Highway Safety Offices.

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