Driver training won’t help… ever been to Europe? Despite high fees and extensive training, Germans and Italians have got to be the WORST drivers on the planet!
Yeah, I know, but I live in a redneck logging town, and most of the men are in prison, so it’s mostly young girls and women with five kids and no teeth driving dented Geo Metros with bald tires and duct taped “windows”.
Not having been to Germany; we cant say for sure but we know they have an autobahn were cars can go pretty fast. Yet to hear about massive car wrecks however due to yakking on the phone. Fog yes.
Anyone know if you can talk on the phone and drive in Europe?
While I cannot speak from first hand experience, the many comments I have read about driving in Europe, especially on German autobahns, are consistently favorable. The biggest difference between here and there is that Europeans expect you to pay attention to surrounding traffic. The American attitude of “I’m in front; too bad for anybody behind me who wants to drive faster.” isn’t tolerated over there. Before changing lanes, take a good long look behind to make sure you won’t cut off someone moving 50 mph faster. I do know that, despite generally higher speeds, the fatality rate is western Europe is no higher than it is over here.
I think I’d rather see that than those riced out cars with 10 times more money put into their stereo systems than the car is worth.
LOL, nothing like a $500 honda civic with a 40,000 watt stereo system and 22" spinner wheels.
This summer (2007), 5 young girls were killed near Rochester NY. The driver’s cell phone was in use at the time of the crash–for text messaging. The driver had just passed a truck.
These were recent high school graduates.
Very unfortunate, but how is that related to cell phone laws? NY state has had a law against handheld cell phones while driving since about 2000. I’m sure every state has laws against distracted driving that would cover texting while driving. Should there be specific laws to cover every possible distraction? Should I be prohibited from using my sound system (which has more controls than the space shuttle) while driving?
I’m sure you and a few others will get a kick outta this site:
http://www.ricecop.com/
That’s funny stuff.
I didn’t see any posts defending cell phone use in motor vehicles. I have to ask, why are cell phone blockers not legal in the US? I’d love to have one in my car to push the button any time I see idiocy in progress while driving.
I’d grab the phone and throw it out the window.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20681742/
illegal to “txtndrv”
I drive a truck, ‘26-48’ trailers, in local and down town (Portland, OR) traffic. Its VERY easy to tell when someone is on the phone before even seeing the phone. Very bad drivers. I’m thinking it would be a good idea to get kangaroo bumpers for our trucks. We should legally be able to push cell phone users off the road if they are driving dangerously. I use a Bluetooth head set so I’m not totaly against talking on the phone, just do it properly. I have been cut off MANY times by people on phone (and not). There heads never even turn your way before turning the car. I have gotten use to it, but people shouldn’t have to over compensate for the idiots on the road.
But you better ‘click it or ticket’, so when the cell phone using driver runs into you, you’re safe to get hit another day.
I think anyone seen talking on a cell phone while driving should be issued a ticket … minimum $5,000.
Only exceptions… policy, firemen, paramedics.
People are STUPID with cell phones!!
I both eat and drink (pop, not booze) while driving. I drive long distances, and my wife prepares the sandwiches or whatever, and puts them in a convenient place so I need not even look down to grab the food with one hand.
I only do it out in the open areas, where no cars are within maybe 30 seconds of me, and there are no nearby traffic risks.
Again, mindless, inflexible rules equally applying to all conditions are nonsense.
Anyone who eats; talks on the phone; fiddles with the radio; or any other distraction while driving in a close group of cars or trucks is engaging in dangerous practices. When the highway is wide open, you are pretty much alone, and you can see a mile ahead and a mile back, minor tasks are not dangerous at all.
Just yesterday I was stopped behind a car at a traffic light. The driver was on his cell phone. On the back of the car in big letters there was STUDENT DRIVER.
I just came from europe this past Christmas. You are not allowed to talk and do pretty much anything else but driving. My counsin got a ticket of250 euros for talking on the phone. Also they got high speed cameras and high res ones to see if you do and stay on the fway. They also check for the vigneta, which is a day pass to use on the fway. Another thing that I loved is people moving out of your way as fast as they can to let you pass and you always have to drive on the right, unless you pass or drive faster to pass everyone else.
Modern cell phones have GPS receivers which are capable of measuring speed. The talking-while-driving problem could be solved by programming the phones to cut off when speed exceeds some threshold such as 10 mph. The only exception would be calls to 911.
I,am retire from mechanic job and drive a bus now. a can not wait until they pass a law that even blue tooth phones can not be used they still have their pea brain on talking. what about the people who is on the phone and looking at their gps sensor and they are only 2 miles from home. my grandfarther drove to florida in 1943 with a map. he let the passneger read it as he drove way can,t pass talk on the phone.
it is always the drive . I even seen them watching a movie on the dash . I hit the air horns and they shit themselfs.