Hunter Bishop announced that Mayor Kenoi has signed the hands-free cell phone bill – it is posted at http://www.hawconews.com/. Bill 66 will go into effect on January 1, 2010.
I am the first person to support legislation that makes our community a safer place to be. It will be pretty tough for people to adapt their behavior to this bill, but we are a fairly resilient bunch, I am sure we will learn to do without.
I was driving in California recently and didn’t know how to get back to my hotel from the freeway. I couldn’t use my cell phone because it is banned there so I had to try and look on the map while maneuvering through Saturday night traffic in LA. What’s safer? I sure wished I could use my phone at the time and I wonder how tourists will feel when they are here and can’t make calls.
What are your thoughts?
Anonymous · Jul 22, 11:21 AM #
Today I ran a red light and could have killed 5 people. I was not drunk, on drugs, eating a burger, tending to my two year old in the back or putting on make-up. I was on my cell phone. I, just like everyone else, am a “safe driver”. I’ve never gotten into an accident or even so much as a speeding ticket. Never. By the time I realized the light was red, there was a semi coming at me on my right, which I swerved and just missed. As I was swerving to avoid hitting him, I saw a car coming at me on my left and both she and I swerved to avoid hitting each other. I fishtailed into the median and she skidded to a halt next to me. We both rolled down our windows and looked at each other in shock. She asked me if I ran the red light and I said I did. On the verge of tears she pleaded with me to be careful and explained that she had her two month old baby in the car. I just kept saying “I’m so sorry.” I could have killed her, myself, her two month old baby, my two year old son, and my unborn baby. The call I was on was not a personal call or a heated argument. It was for my job. Nothing is worth lives. Not trying to look at a map, not a hamburger, not a screaming child, not putting on make-up, not even changing the radio station. Anything that important is important enough to pull over for. I will write this over and over again anywhere I think people might read it.
Barbara A. Hastings · Jul 3, 10:06 PM #
If I were certain that a cell phone ban would make our community safer, I’d say, ‘you go, girl.’ But consider these scenarios:
1. I’m at a red light. I’m putting on eye liner when the light changes. I proceed forward finishing the makeup all the while. Safer than a cell call?
2. I drive through and pick up a burger and fries. I am feeding fries to the screaming 3-year-old in the backseat. (I’m eating the burger.) The cell rings; it’s the 10-year-old, stranded by misconnections. Which was more a distraction? Burger? Fries? Screaming backseater? Or cell call?
Hard for me to say.
Cheers,
Barbara A. Hastings
Damon Tucker · Jul 3, 08:03 PM #
I’d like to see a law made that required senior citizens tested for their driving skills at least once a year… (or once an hour… j/k)
Tony Kitchen · Jun 28, 09:08 AM #
Studies do show that the distracted driver is a primary cause of motor vehicle accidents. In recent years many people seem to believe that there must be more laws to dictate how we behave. However there are many things distracting today’s drivers. Since the police do not have the manpower to enforce existing laws, how is it that passing new ones will make the roads safer? Many drivers already feel that posted speed limits are unreasonable and ignore them.
A better approach is public awareness campaigns that show how dangerous driving can be, the high cost of motor vehicle accidents, and that the simple solution is to pay attention to what we are doing, keep our equipment in good repair, and not drive when we are tired or upset.
TV and other media tend to show the most spectacular of accidents and focus on some of the stupidest things we do. Yet most people are reasonable, and do care about the well being of themselves and those that ride with them. Instead of legislating behavior, we need to educate our drivers better. Public awareness campaigns and requiring those seeking a license to learn about the causes and cost associated with a motor vehicle accident is a better way to reduce accidents and save lives.