I heard this on my favorite talk show KPAM 860 in Portland or.....

The N.C.S.D is trying to pass a referendom to make it Illegal to talk on cell phones regardless iy you are on a
hands fre device...And here is the kicker...They are calling it the "New DUII" and will be charged at the same fine
and the same amount of time your insurance...
What cha all think of this?

IceBear...

Not a concern for two reasons;
1. The people will never allow it to happen. (not to that extent.)
2. Hard to talk on the phone on a motorcycle anyway.

Not sure what I think. Actually have mixed feelings on it because I do occasionally use my phone hands free in my truck in what I feel is a responsible manor. But I also ride a bike and realize how the least bit of distraction to another driver could mean I'm a dead man.

I always questioned the hands free thing anyway and felt that driving deserves 100% of your concentration. (if driving requires both hands, it should also get the majority of your brain) Anyone who thinks just because your not using your hands to dial or not looking at your phone means you have 100% of the focus on driving is dreaming. I have seen people speaking into their hands free in INTENSE conversations, even out right screaming into the phone, or getting driving directions, or having business conversations which require a good amount of concentration or thought. I have got to believe this is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous then driving slightly over the alcohol limit.

Try playing a driving video game the next time you are talking in person to a customer... one of them will suffer a lack of your attention!  And its too bad in the talking while driving situation the majority of the people can't figure out which one should be more important!

Like I said, I hate to loose the ability to use my phone while driving, but I sure would feel a lot safer if I knew there was one less thing taking the concentration of other drivers around me. Of course the ultimate solution would be to allow only short conversations that require very little of a drivers attention. But there is no way to police that, and as long as people are allowed to use phones it can only be a safe practice recommendation.

Hell, somehow I got along just fine the first 20 years or so I drove without making or taking phone calls.

Just my 2 cents - ok, maybe you got 50 cents worth.

I can still remember the CB Days when I had the wheel in one hand and the Mic in the other telling drivers to watch out for the ice on the roads. Whew

Good point webby. But remember that CB's were primarily used by those who spend a lot of time on the road and probably had a better sense of when it was appropriate and safe to use them.

Like I said above, if people could make a good decision on when and how to use cell phones while driving there would be no issue. But like everything else, a few stupid people who abuse the privilege make us have to think whether it should be permitted at all. Too bad cops can't profile based on common sense !!!

I agree some people are just to stupid to use their phone responsibly while driving. But I hate to see another law restricting us from doing something because of the people that abuse it.

Hell some people shouldn't be allowed to walk and chew gum!

Cell phone use is a legitimate public safety concern. I wish my State legislators had the balls to ban both hand-held and strap-on since both cause the same condition in drivers as alcohol consumption. Cell phone use is banned in school zones and school bus drivers are forbidden to even have them on the bus. If they are not safe at 20 mph, then they are probably not safe while driving 40mph in a 60 mph zone and oblivious to surrounding traffic.

The whole cell phone question is really moot,elected officials talk loud,yet the lawmakers never walk the walk,just a bunch of elitist snobs who will break the very law they put into effect if it suits their purposes,alcohol kills more people daily than marijuana usage has ever killed in 100 years,yet you can pick up liquor at nearly any corner store.So I have no fears that some idiot will ever get this law passed,never gonna happen,it makes too much sense & we all know they dont have any !!

Really wish people wouldn't use cell phones while driving
BUT
Doubt they are any worse than batting the kids while driving or listening to Little Mother chronicle then alphabetize my many failings (Can we pass a law against that, please, pretty please)

 I understand the phones and all,  but.....

I'm also a storm spotter and ham radio operator.  We are the ones on the ground spotting tornados and such and the storm spotters are the one that relay that info into local weather stations to give local population critical info.  So we may have one hand on the microphone and sometimes phone if our aintenna is damaged while spotting.  

So if they make it illegal they had better make some sort of lisence stating it is legal for certain people.  All hell could break lose and have less accurate info about in climate or dangerous weather.  

Just a thought maby a safety class for driving storm spotters and charge the people taking the class exc.

Just some food for thought.
I'll get off my soap box for now....

I'm actually  for the cell phone ban HOWEVER I would think that putting on make up, reading, eating n simply talking to your passengers would be included...WELL, maybe if you don't turn your head to talk to your passenger would be ok>>>>smirk<<<<

I have seen all the above n more when riding my bike

Yep I agree, they do some stupid things while driving. Stuffing their faces, makeup, phones, shaving (male and female), plucking hair, brushing hair and talking to passenger, or even looking behind to yell at the kids or messing with animals, driving with animals on their lap and running around the car to it's whim. And some others I will refrain from saying. But I'm not talking about the average joe schmo, I'm talking about the storm spotters and such.

It wouldn't break my heart to see cell phones banned while driving. But I'm biased - I miss the days of being happily beyond reach when I'm on the road. My company already prohibits cell phone use while driving for safety reasons, so this would give me just one more reason to put my cell on silent and ignore it while I'm driving. And I've never found it to be a huge burden to just pull over somewhere if I *really* need to make a call, anyway.

Is a ban on cell phones without banning other distractions to drivers inconsistent? Sure, but laws have always reflected what society approves or disapproves of. That is why alcohol is legal but other recreational drugs aren't. And that's why a ban on cell phones is being pushed. For whatever reason, people have issues with other drivers jabbering away on their cell phones, and our laws are beginning to reflect that.

Finally, there is no question in my mind that, if a general ban on cell phones while driving were to gain some traction, some users (such as police officers) would be excepted from the law based on their unique circumstances.

Texting while driving in Oregon n Washington is illeagl as well as hand held devices however it dosen't seem to stop some people, I would get fired if using hand held device in our company cars...yeor right it only takes a few minutes to pull over n answer but most time I deem it unessary to do that since it can wait till a reach my destination...it bugs the hell outa me when I'm in a public restroom n sone guy is sitting on the crapper n blabbing on the phone...scheesh!!!!!

I may be still on the fence as to a general ban on cell phone use while driving, I do agree that under no circumstance should anyone ever text while driving!

No problem here though... I hate texting - trying to type on that little tiny keypad. If you text me I will call you right back!

Lucky, Being one who is usually picking up the pieces after the fact. Cars vs bikes, cars, trucks, trees and anything else they can hit, it's a bad day. As always it's some of the people all of the time that will make these laws hit the books. It's a shame that it has to happen but, in most cases it needs to and we have to pay the price. In today's rat race people have to be in contact with somebody all the time or (or at least they think so). You know the world is gonna quit turning if they are not! lol I'm on board with ya on the texting. I wish the people texting and driving could ride with me on my bus and see what I see. Although it may not teach them at all.

here in Jersey, talking on the cell phone while driving is illegal and supposely a $250 fine.....but most of the time when I pass an LEO he is on his cell phone and too busy to notice if you are on yours or not.....just passed a head-on this morning. It appeared one of two vehicles drifted across the line....cell phone? who knows.....would be my first guess, though.

I think all STATES should ban the use of cell phones, hand held or otherwise. What I have always adamantly been opposed to is the Federal Government stepping on state's rights. The Feds have no business and no legal qualification to pass such a law. But yes, States have to grow some frkn balls.


Peace

Traffic cop point of view. I think DUI and distracted driving should not be lumped together they r both dangerous but different. I think the easiest way to curb cell phone usage while driving is include it in a pre existing traffic statute like reckless driving. If the officer.sees the cell phone is distracting the.driver to the point of being less safe on the roadway it is wreckless driving. 1087.50 and 6 points off there drivers license. It is much easier to ammend a law that most states have than pass a new one.

I just saw this.  I can't believe that people actually do this stuff while behind the wheel of a car!!!   (except maybe to go on CycleFish )

Use of mobile web in vehicles now increasing at a rapid rate

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from State Farm is showing that though texting while driving remains a concern on the nation's highways, drivers are accessing other mobile web services at much higher rates.  These behaviors may pose equal or greater concerns in the battle against distracted driving.
 

In a new survey of nearly 900 motorists, the company found that use of mobile web services has increased dramatically over the last two years.

For drivers 18-29:

• Accessing the internet while on a cell phone while driving increased from 29 percent in 2009 to 43 percent in 2011.
• Reading social media networks while driving increased from 21 percent in 2009 to 37 percent in 2011.
• Updating social networks while driving increased from 20 percent in 2009 to 33 percent in 2011.

"Calls from the NTSB and others to ban cell phones are focusing now on both texting and web use while driving. The mobile web is a growing issue for safety advocates concerned about distractions while driving,"  said David Beigie, State Farm Public Affairs Vice President. "Additionally, while the focus has been on young people, the data also indicates that motorists of all ages are increasing their use of the mobile web while driving."

For all drivers, the data showed:

• Accessing the internet while on a cell phone increased from 13 percent in 2009 to 18 percent in 2011.
• Reading social media networks while driving increased from 9 percent in 2009 to 14 percent in 2011.
• Updating social networks while driving increased from 9 percent in 2009 to 13 percent in 2011.

Ironically, the study showed that use of texting while driving was remaining flat or decreasing in some instances:

• For drivers 18-29, 71 percent said they engaged in texting while driving in 2009.  That number dropped to 64 percent in 2011.
• For all drivers this number stayed relatively flat coming in at 31 percent in 2009 compared to 32 percent in 2011.

Greater Cincinnati area,people/bikers dead in 18 months, all due to cell phone use. They actually pull the phone records here in some cases so they know. Some of it was texting and some was talking on the phone. And these are just the ones I know about. I'm all for it!

I don't see the problem with it. I carry a cell when riding/driving. If I feel a need to use it, I pull off the road and make the call. If it rings while riding (I usually will not hear it) or driving, well, that's what voice mail is for. I can check it and return calls at my next rest/gas/work stop. I have read all the above, and some good points have been made, but the latest accidents caused by texting or cell phone use just underscore the need. That's my $.02 worth.

 You don't see the problem?  What?  If everyone who owned a cell phone behaved as responsibily as you there wouldn't be such an uproar and there wouldn't be a problem.  But I've seen idiots texting or dialing while riding their motorcycles.  You don't think that could be a problem.?  In many states it's illegal to eat while driving, have a beverage on your dash, or read.  But it's o.k. to put on make-up?  Browse the internet?  Focus your attention on a cell phone? 

My personal opinion is to just make everything legal. Go with "reckless op" and let the officer decide what's what (his discretion).  Reckless op is just shy of DUI and if I were a cop I'd find reason to go with reckless op in just about every instance of highway stupidity.

And before it's brought up:  Banning cell phones is not a violation of one's civil rights anymore than having your license suspended.
You don't see the problem.  Amazing.