Hands Free Laws!!!!

[BigFish]

Ok......I am curious what you think about the "Hands Free" cell phone laws that many states are passing? This has been a thorn in my side for a few years now and everytime I hear it mentioned I get so PO'd!!!! So I am curious if you all think it will save lives or not? Now I am going to bless you with my opinion...... !


Now I think the problem with using a cell phone while operating a moving vehicle has absolutely nothing to do with the hands......I think it is more of a situation of when folks are using a phone....cell phone/home phone...whatever, they tend to zone out and their mind gets tunnel visioned! The problem is in the mind while talking on the phone, not that one hand is not on the wheel!!!! I would like to kick the person in the teeth that thinks otherwise! You ever talk on your cell while driving for about 10 minutes and then when you hang up you don't remember passing certain things/landmarks? Its because your mind was busy on the phone!!!!

Reason I bring this up is I was just coming home and had a guy pull out from a wide open side street with great visibility in both directions, with moving traffic coming at him from both directions, he is talking on one of the hands free headphone phones and he decides he is going to pull out in front of a car that has the right of way, is traveling at the posted 40 miles per hour and is only approx. 150 feet from him when he does so.........fortunately for him the oncoming vehicle was paying attention, slammed on his brakes and stopped inches shy of creaming this idiot!!!!! And the guy continues his conversation with a blank "I am on the phone" stare and backs up waving at the guy that almost hit him like it was no big deal........the guy almost killed him!

These hands free laws are not going to save even one life and I will argue to my death with anyone who believes they will!

People need to pull over when they need to talk on the phone...plain and simple!

[Slipknot]

we'll miss you when you are gone Bigfish

[BigFish]

Am I going somewhere?

[BigFish]

I still don't hear if you guys think "Hands Free" is the answer....convince me!

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Am I going somewhere?

So...Where u going????

[BigFish]

Crazy...wanna come?

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Crazy...wanna come?

Sure, I like crazy...

[MAC]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Am I going somewhere?

Who knows, I heard when you hit 10,000 posts your account vanishes and you can't log in anymore...

[beamie]

Larry,

Your right, hands free nothing to do with it, just not paying attention.

That law shouldn't just be for cell phones though, many times I, I mean a friend of mine,...has a hard time controlling the vehicle when the whopper starts falling apart or when he is reaching for the fries. It is all the same thing, doing too many things at once.

[Slingah]

Originally Posted by beamie

many times I, I mean a friend of mine,...has a hard time controlling the vehicle when the whopper starts falling apart or when he is reaching for the fries.

eating a whopper is HARD to do when driving!!!!!

[Raven]

Originally Posted by MAC

Who knows, I heard when you hit 10,000 posts your account vanishes and you can't log in anymore...

there should be:
a. a 10,000 posts for bigfish party..... see...
b. we should all gamble as to when that will occur.
c. the guy that wins.... gets some goodies.

[MAC]

True, hands free headsets are the way to go. It frees up your hand to drink your coffee and have a donut while checking the latest line in the sports section. This way when talking to the bookie you don't have to put anything down and can keep driving to work.

[spence]

My cell phone with power cord and hands free cord wrapped around my stick shift and parking break have nearly killed myself and others more times than I care to imagine

I use a cell a lot while driving, but I think it's very dangerous even with the hands free kit.

-spence

[fishaholic18]

Larry, follow that guy to the supermarket and beat his a$$.

I know what you mean though, happens to me all the time, and they look at you like YOU did something wrong.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by BigFish

These hands free laws are not going to save even one life and I will argue to my death with anyone who believes they will!

you said you'd argue to your death so I guess you are going 6 feet under

yep, you should pull over if you cannot carry on a conversation at the same time as driving.

me personally, I don't have any problem carrying on conversation while driving whether it is with someone in the car or on the phone. and there have been many times while in a car driving by myself not on a phone and my mind wanders and the next thing I know I took the wrong exit or whatever. it just happens.

Having said that I think cell phones do add to the cause of many accidents but so do other distractions like putting on makeup, reading a map,fiddling with the radio ...........etc,

[The Dad Fisherman]

I Thought they already had a Hands Free Law........I get reminded about it every time I go to Hooters

[Van]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

I Thought they already had a Hands Free Law........I get reminded about it every time I go to Hooters

Hooters or the "Gentlemen's club" ????

[UserRemoved1]

Bob I believe the law is for a FULL 2 sided headset which is illegal. A single side earpiece is legal in Mass. Cupped headsets, walkman earfones etc are illegal is my undertsanding so not to impede hearing emergency vehicles. But I digress....

Larry...

Headsets are the right way to go no question about it. It has been proven by many studies that headsets reduce the driver distraction factor that you get by doing things while you drive. Note I said reduce...it's does indeed make you pay more attention and you have both hands for the wheel. I drive every day and see all the boobs on their fones not paying attention and quite honestly just this morning I was driving west bound coming out of Boston at around 7 am and was noting to myself the amount of people who were driving east talking on a cell fone.

[Swimmer]

Chapter 90/13/a (8) says "while operating a motor vehicle, did wear headphones that were not being used for communication in connection with controlling the course or movement of such vehicle".....

The only reason a person can wear headphones while driving is to guide large oversize loads while driving the lead vehicle, the following vehicle, or the truck hauling the oversized load.

Headphone or headphones are one in the same they are illegal. Single or double. Larry is right in that the overriding singular responsibility of driving safely while operating a motor vehicle is driving safely has become secondary and now given way to given way to where can I get the best reception while I'm talking to my friend, boss, subordinate, or whatever. I get more calls from people who want to report some drunk all over the road in front of me. The drunk when stopped is actually a very sober person who just happens to be chatting with his friend, boss, or subordinate. What about the gals (or guys) who have their left shoulder scrunched up against the left side of the head, while talking on the cell phone, who is turning left, and eating a blueberry muffin. It wouldn't be so bad if people wouldn't forget their primary purpose while driving. We used to worry about drinking from an open container of alcohol, but talking on the phone, eating, and probably drinking a coffee all at the same time is much worse.

The only legitimate answer I see is voice activated cell phones. Headphones or earpieces just don't cut it. I have followed people trying to pull them over who have these articles in their ears with siren on who just dont hear anything else. Many people need this technology in their cars for work purposes, so you'd think that the voice activated phones would have taken off by now.