New GA law - hands free

The UC San Diego med school did a study and found that hands-free cellphone use is almost as distracting as handheld usage. They also found that 60% of seniors use their phones while driving (I'm in the 40% category).

It's been quite a few years now since I was rear ended by a pickup truck going about 50mph while I was stopped at an intersection. He was using his cellphone and not watching the road ahead. I ended up having to quit working while for him the penalty was just his insurance premium going up a bit for a few years.

If you're caught using a phone while driving or it was found to be the cause of an accident you should be thrown in jail for life as far as I'm concerned. The problem where I live is that there are next to zero cops on the road and drivers use cellphones all the time. Our gov't talks tough about it but does little to enforce the law or penalize people.

I'm surprised that new cars are allowed to have such super bright displays and so many indications (lane departure, vehicle ahead, fuel economy, GPS, etc.) and numerous buttons on the steering wheel that are extremely distracting. DW has a Subaru like that and driving it is like being in a flippin' space shuttle. No need to be like that. I like older cars that just had a few basic analog dials.

Ever try taking on a brick phone while driving a stick! I used to do that! And never had a problem doing it! Like I said earlier, some people can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. Others can. Not saying it’s right, just saying people can and do, do it. You can write all the laws you want, the problem isn’t having 2 hands on the wheel, the problem is the lack of ability to multi task. Ever see someone start to veer off the road while reading for the radio, roll down a window or turn the heat/AC on? I see it quite a bit! The same people can’t maintain the proper speed, and this is without using the phone!

State of Illinois has been hands free for years now and yet I see people on their phones and texting while driving all the times...Law enforcement will issue tickets for it and YOU absolutely CANNOT hold your phone with the speaker on while driving. It's funny those with tinted windows are using their phones yet I guess they think they can't be seen...WRONG I see it a lot. Police will check if you've had an accident but around where I live they even will have special enforcement periods and they advertise that they will doing so and YES they write tickets a lot. Even in construction zones between speeding and phone usage people complain the police are writing tickets for quota which they don't just proves how stupid people are. Distracted driving KILLS a lot of innocent people every year.... I grew up without cell phones and will not use mine while driving even hands free can cause a distraction.

All the "pro" people are describing "erratic driving" - which is ALREADY illegal.

Consider this:

"I thought I saw them using a phone" as RAS for a stop and fisk...er search of your phone.

Considering the prevalence of phones today, that basically gives police free reign to stop ANY vehicle they want any time they want and perform a warrantless search for the phone they thought they saw, plus "to confirm its usage"

"Show me your papers!"

Instead, simply use unsafe operation of a vehicle laws already on the book and REQUIRE observation of erratic driving before permitting a traffic stop.

Which is more important, Liberty and Freedom? Or nanny state?

Which is more risk, lost drivers swerving lanes and no notice turns while consulting a paper map, going around blocks, adding to traffic, etc...or following a simple GPS?

Just because we've all had to follow that "jerk with the phone" (all the time), doesn't mean we need to give up protection from searches to get even.

On long trips, DW loves to listen to audio books. I finally forced her to start using earbuds because it was distracting me while I was driving.

Oregon has enacted a tough distracted driving law, but you still see plenty of drivers with a phone held to the ear, or held out in front of them.
New cars are bad also with touch screens that actually require looking at them to use. Before those, one could remember location of controls, and just reach out and use them.

These people are elected that make these rules... And as with many things, they are not thoroughly thought out.
You are allowed to watch a video as long as it pertains to navigation?! Really? How about pulling off of the road if you are unsure of where you are going?

It is not merely having a device in your hand, more so mentally multi-tasking. You think that you can, however you can't, lie to yourself if you choose to. You are either concentrating on your driving or your 'conversation'.

This is easy to prove by just watching vehicles on the expressways. Speed up, slow down...they are probably talking on their phone. Pass them and this will be verified. Phone to ear, Bluetooth, hands free, it doesn't matter, if they are alone and their lips are moving, and they are hindering traffic...

The people that are preoccupied with such, never look in their mirrors, they only see what is directly in front of them. If they suddenly realize they are passing their exit, they zoom across the lanes...

I have not seen 1 person admit that they lose concentration on driving. Just about all will say that they can drive and talk on the phone. If they would look in their mirror instead of just directly in front of them, they would understand.


If you truly believe that you can drive and talk on the phone, why don't you try reading something while holding a conversation with someone... ;)


Historically many distracted drivers caused problems whether they were conversing with a passenger (one of the dangers of allowing new drivers, kids, have passengers), playing with radio, singing the song on the radio, dropping a cigarette, eating, applying makeup, shaving, the list goes on. Now with all of these must have devices, distractions are commonplace.

Driving is a privilege, not a right. Endangering the lives of others while driving should be a greater crime with much stiffer penalties...

jfkmk wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
. However people think that hands free means not putting it to your ear, just hold it in your hand! Some people are just stupid!

Isn't that the truth! I've seen quite a few people driving with the phone in front of them instead of up to their ear. Do these idiots really think that makes a difference?

I'm all for any law to enforce hands free only. Heck, using a cell phone while driving should be banned. People are simply too stupid to be able to talk and drive. I can spot a driver talking on the phone long before I see the phone. Inconsistent speed, lane drifting, changing lanes into the path of s vehicle already therr....the list goes on.

Yep very true. even with built in hands free in newer cars, like you say people still can`t drive!

Anybody who does not see the correlation between the use of electronic devices while driving and safety for the public as a whole has to be brain dead by definition.

jfkmk wrote:


Isn't that the truth! I've seen quite a few people driving with the phone in front of them instead of up to their ear. Do these idiots really think that makes a difference? n.

Not while driving but I find it much easier to hear/use when speaking into it while facing it with the speaker turned on.
IIRC most of the signs say NO handheld phones.
bumpy