Cell Phones and Driving

[Guest]

Should Hawaii County ban drivers from using cellular phones?

I created a poll here.

If you say yes... what do you think the penalties should be?

Should the county hire more police officers to enforce this?

Think how often you yourself have used your cell phone while driving before voting.


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FBI Blogs

[cwoods61]

I almost got run over in Hilo by a driver talking on his cell phone when I was crossing the street. His passenger was also talking on his phone, or he might have warned the driver.

The TV show Mythbusters did an experiment where they had drivers drive a test course unimpaired, at .08 blood alcohol level, and while talking on a cell phone. The cell phone talkers made the most mistakes.

So, I think there should be a law against it. Not sure what the penalties should be.

[mikewj]

There IS a law against hand held cell phone use while driving in California. However, the fine for a first offence is $10.00, so nobody pays much attention! I even see our local Police doing it, one of them nearly t-boned me in a parking lot because he was on his cell phone!

[Sean]

Just a couple of months ago a neighbor in HPP got to get a new car because a cell phone was being used by a driver who ran a red light at the hwy 11 and hwy 130 junction. Probably a good idea. I bought a handsfree device, but I'm not sure it really makes me that much safer.

Cheers,

Sean

[Jon]

No they should not ban Cell Phones while driving...

They should have an ordnance the makes it a crime to drive while distracted. Then they can declare any hand held devices a distraction while driving.

Why do we have to have all these one off laws? If talking on the phone is bad, then talking to the passenger is bad also, or tuning the radio, or eating, or reading a map/GPS, or smoking a joint/cigarette.

What is the bad thing that we are trying to stop? The distraction or the hands being off the wheel...
If its the hands, then I guess you better ban standard transmissions, radios, AC's, heaters or just about everything in a car also.


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I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
HBAT

[PaulW]

Hard to prove if someone is distracted, easy to prove they were using the phone.
Phone should be confiscated on the first offence, forfeit your licence for a month (or more) on the second.
IMHO!

[JerryCarr]

It definitely should be banned, but enforcement in these parts would be questionable. There are currently laws on the books about oversized tires and tinted windows that the cops don't enforce. Instead, they suggest that citizens get license numbers and write letters to the police!

Bear and I know a young mother who was permanently disabled and her infant daughter badly injured by a driver who ran off the road while talking on her cell phone. The driver, who admitted to being distracted by her phone conversation, jumped the curb and hit these two while the mom was pushing her baby in a stroller on the sidewalk.

If you simply MUST take a call while out driving, pull off the roadway and come to a complete stop in a safe place before picking up the phone.

[Jon]

That's why they would write the citation up as driving while distracted by cell phone usage... I don't see why that would be so hard...

The officer would not be able to confiscate anything, they don't have that power unless the person was under arrest. The license could be taken but only by a judge.

quote:

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Originally posted by PaulW

Hard to prove if someone is distracted, easy to prove they were using the phone.
Phone should be confiscated on the first offence, forfeit your licence for a month (or more) on the second.
IMHO!

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I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
HBAT

[PaulW]

If the law is only against being distracted, and doesn't name cell phones, then they would have to prove the person was distracted. Not an easy thing to do.

[Jon]

its as easy as proving they were using a cell phone... the drivers word vs the police officer...

so we outlaw driving while talking on a cell phone, but not playing Nintendo?

Dumb law...



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I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
HBAT