LaHood Weighs Urging Ban on All Driver Phone Use in Cars

ender1 said:

I drive an ambulance and we allways go in pairs. The AIC does not drive and uses the Radio. You are correct thought. There is extencive training and risk.

Click to expand...

As the driver of the ambulance I worked, my partner did not man the two radios in the front, he took care of the patient and talked to the hospital. I manned the two front radios. No extensive training given, though.

texmaster said:

IMO this is more big government trying to control more of our lives.

Click to expand...

Where your level of attention affects the immediate survival of others, the regulatory role of government is unassailable. If that is "big government," then you have effectively defined all government as such.

What they need to do is ban slow people. Occasionally I text and drive at a stop light or something, but the most dangerous and annoying things is people in their massive trucks going 50 on the interstate. I think 55 is the minimum, but going slow is extremely dangerous and annoying. Honestly, I don't think they should bad cell phone handset use (I understand texting can be dangerous, but I really don't want them to bad that :mrgreen: You just need to know how to do it safely).

Deuce said:

I think part of the problem is that you may not realize how much your reaction times are slowed.

Click to expand...

Well, I won't dispute that may be the case, however I don't think it is in all circumstances. I am a 20 year driving veteran with over 3 million safe driving miles under my belt. I can assure you that in today's driving climate, and especially with the increased regulation of the trucking industry, I take safety very seriously. More so than the 4 wheelers out there on the road whom don't have a quarter the experience, or regulation I have. What I love is when a person that has driven little more than an enclosed golf cart, in their 30 mile radius of their home/work tries to tell me how safe I am, or how to drive a tractor trailer, or how safe I am doing it.

My company employs "GreenRoad" technology to every truck we have on the road, and monitors a myriad of real time driving habits to include, Acceleration, Breaking, Lane Changing, Speed, and Turning. The scoring is 1-20 is a "green" driver, 20-40 is cautionary driver, and 40 and above is in the red. My score varies from 2 to 7 at any given moment since I bought the headset. before that I was in the teens, still not bad, but there was a clear improvement after the headset. So I don't think that my reaction time is anything to be worried about, in fact I would say I am still better than 90% of the auto drivers on the road.

Although I still don't see how hands-free cell usage could be more dangerous than talking to a passenger.

Click to expand...

I don't think it is, but I don't think actual studies have been done on that aspect.


j-mac

rivrrat said:

As the driver of the ambulance I worked, my partner did not man the two radios in the front, he took care of the patient and talked to the hospital. I manned the two front radios. No extensive training given, though.

Click to expand...

To scene your both up front. Then in route to the hospital you can tell dispatch your leaving before you go. We only have one radio up front. Your VA so you had to pass a state evoc. My station has additional training beyond the state requirements. About 40 hrs.

ender1 said:

To scene your both up front. Then in route to the hospital you can tell dispatch your leaving before you go. We only have one radio up front. Your VA so you had to pass a state evoc. My station has additional training beyond the state requirements. About 40 hrs.

Click to expand...

No, I did it in WV and I didn't have to pass anything. After I was hired we did a voluntary "how to drive at high speeds through traffic" thing, but that was it. We had two radios up front, one in the back. The one in the back was a line to the doc at the hospital. The two up front were to the 911 dispatch, and our company dispatch. Everything I told one, I had to tell the other. Every time one of them called to me, I had to answer. I had to give updated ETAs all the way in and anything pertinent that my partner might be yelling at me from the back. Add to that the manning of the siren - which we did NOT run full on when we had a patient in the back. We had to turn it off and on as needed due to traffic and we changed it when going through intersections.

tryreading said:

I'm all for banning cell phone use while driving. Even hands-free users are distracted while driving. It's all about selfishness, instead of taking the time to pull over or wait until you get to where you're going your phone call is more important than any other driver's or pedestrian's safety. Your convenience is more important than the well being of others.

Anybody who is so addicted to texting that they try to hide the phone below the dash would have had an accident at some point anyway, texting legally or illegally. Just a matter of time.

Cops, ambulance drivers and pilots are forced to use their radios or phones while driving. It's necessary. Course, they have a lot of training to go along with the extra risk. Still a risk, though.

Click to expand...

So then No radios or CD players or talking to passengers? Where does it end?

ptif219 said:

So then No radios or CD players or talking to passengers? Where does it end?

Click to expand...

I believe those things are dealt with on a case by case basis, driver distracted or guilty of failure to maintain control, etc.

You've heard of texting while driving being compared to driving drunk, right? Which means a person can't do it without endangering others. Anything in that category should be illegal while operating a vehicle.

You drive a bike, right? You should be really concerned about distracted driving. Even people who aren't distracted sometimes don't notice bikers.

tryreading said:

I believe those things are dealt with on a case by case basis, driver distracted or guilty of failure to maintain control, etc.

You've heard of texting while driving being compared to driving drunk, right? Which means a person can't do it without endangering others. Anything in that category should be illegal while operating a vehicle.

You drive a bike, right? You should be really concerned about distracted driving. Even people who aren't distracted sometimes don't notice bikers.

Click to expand...

I am more worried about it driving my big truck. So then I guess all distractions are against the law so we should all stop driving because it is impossible not to be distracted while driving.

In another 50 years all of these driving laws will be moot. You'll no longer be able to drive your car on a regular basis. You'll get in, tell the dashboard your destination, and the computer operated vehicle will drive you safely there. You'll have to get a permit to allow you to take over the operation of the vehicle if your destination is unknown (vacation, or just for fun driving).

Of course, I still won't be required to wear a helmet, or a seatbelt on my bike. My texting keyboard will be built into the gas tank.

ptif219 said:

I am more worried about it driving my big truck. So then I guess all distractions are against the law so we should all stop driving because it is impossible not to be distracted while driving.

Click to expand...

Not what I said.