(OT?) Myron's Law -- what should it cover?

What should a law say to cover accidents while on cell phone?

I lost my MIL several years ago when she got T-boned by a lady that may have been on her cell.

Now we've lost Myron ("Rusted Shut" here).

I know there's a number of things we'd "like" to see happen to offenders (many involving thin wire, electricity and/or solvents and sensitive body parts) but let's put our minds to it and come up with appropiate conditions and penalties for the offense.

It's kind of like why they don't do Breatalyzer tests at every stop -gotta have "probable cause" -- so without a witness that says the driver was on phone the court couldn't get the phone records to prove it.

Do we need someone to do research on accidents and show a strong enough correlation to get something started?

Many of us know what it's like to be pulled over just because some guy with a badge didn't like the looks of us/our car/etc. so let's look at the problem from the other side and make something good come out of this.

 

It's not just cell phones. People in general don't know how to drive. They get in their "safe" cars and forget what they are doing.

We almost lost a friend to someone who ran a stop sign. They said they just weren't paying attention. That friend will never be the same. He died at the scene and was brought back. He was very lucky and still is.

It is just sad!!
Clark

 

you MIGHT catch me on my phone while driving,,because it has to do with work as i run a sales route,but i get off as soon as data is transfered from one person to the other,,,but fuck talking on a cell phone,,,

i am on the road alot ,it amazes me at times how many people are on cell phones driving and driving bad and wrong at the same time,,,,i get bored alot when i am on the road i look at people and sometimes while i am at an intersection,i just look at the people on their cells and sometimes its like 8 out of ten,,,i even see cops driving around talking on thier phones and forgetting(or just not) putting on their turn signals....its stupid...

 

In quite a few places it's illegal to be on your cell phone and driving at the same time. You're supposed to be using an ear piece/blue tooth type device. But it's often an "overlooked" law, just like changing lanes within 100 feet of an intersection/changing lanes in an intersection. (In Georgia you can get a ticket for that. It's one thing I learned when I took a course to drop a speeding ticket). I believe Georgia tried to pass this cell phone law a year or so ago. I don't know if it passed or not, but people will do it anyways. But anyways, I know what ya mean. My girlfriend got backed into last week in a parking lot while the other driver was yapping to her sorority sisters on her cell phone. Nobody was hurt, but now she has to get 2 doors replaced and the left side of her car repainted because some twat wasn't paying attention.

 

Most places don't need special laws to target cell phones,they are already covered by laws about "driving with due care and attention".

 

I drive a Light Rail Train through Downtown San Jose, we run on the sidewalk..more or less, and at all the intersections, we have 3 foot square signs that light up with a BIG No Right Turn arrow as we approach...and at least 2-3 times a shift, we ALL have to hit the brakes hard as some dumb fuck is on the phone & not paying attention...

50 tons of train don't stop in 20 feet....

 

It's not particularly cell phones as much as it's our culture.

We get this mentality from the television. It's the "ME FIRST"..."I MATTER"...mentality.


Laws aren't going to stop it. We need some way to make people think that being courteous is important.


This woman was doing 65 in a 35 zone....on a cell phone.

When I roll into a town, I slow down and turn the radio down. It's always been a habit with me to do that. I don't even own a cell phone...so we need not go there. But it's just amazing that people think there is no difference between 35 and 65 other than it "inconviniences" them to drive 35.

How convinient is it to kill someone I wonder?

 

Here in Queensland,laws were already under discussion on the local parliament when a young girl on the phone while driving mounted a curb and ran down and killed a elderly guy watering his lawn.
So here ,it's a stiff fine if you are caught driving on the phone.The local Police have evidence that driving while using the phone has the same effect as driving while under the influence of booze.
You only have to follow some one using the phone to see that they weave all over the road ,just like a drunk.
You don't need a witness to prove a person was on the phone. They are called cell phones because the net works are series of interconnected cells which have recording devices on each cell. Any time an offender is stopped while driving and phoning ,the phone is simply checked by checking the time of the last call.
When a law is first mooted,lawyers research all other countries ,not just english speaking ones ,to determine how it is done in other places. The online database used by law people both here and world wide is called the Austlii.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/
The laws are there,they just need to be adapted to your situation.

 

I just read a news story about a pocket device that jams cell phones. Anyone within 20 feet or so of this transmitter loses thier call. (Illegal, but just the thing for annoying cell phone talkers in movies, etc.) I wonder if there is a automotive version of this?

 

whoa buddy,,,you dont fuckin know me so dont get it twisted...

 

Maybe not, but your employer expects you to be rolling while you take the call, have I got that right?

Sorry Sam, but you are being used as an example here.

The expectation from your employer is you pick up the phone while you are driving. If you hit somebody while on the phone to them, are they going to be held responsible (other than the insurance)? NOPE?

Maybe they should...

I know we got some lawyers here, speak up.

And Bluetooth/earpieces/hands free/OnStar in NOT any different. Distracted is distracted, 100% attention to the task of guiding your car through other people wrapped in their cars (calling it traffic de-humanizes those people). This goes for eating, applying make-up, shaving, and whatever other stupidity people come up with.

I know this is O/T, but I have a big audience here...

 

Chicago passed such a law a little more than a year ago. One of the local news sources reported that they didnt even write 10 tickets since the time of passage. If your truely interested in getting a new statute written in your locale. Start investigating what laws are in place in other communities and use this as your starting point. It makes passage easier and you will also be able to learn about the obstacles encountered by those that preceeded you.

Best of luck with your efforts.

 

You know guys, posts like this turn into personal attacks or get political. This is exactly why political posts are not allowed here.

Leave politics and personal attacks out of it so the thread can stay open. Pretend we're all adults. (we are all adults, aren't we?)

 

While I was in charge of safety for our company, we issued a policy that stated, No use of cell phone or eating while driving. We were advise that if we did not have a specific policy against it, we could be held liable if one of our employees were in an accident while on the phone in a company vehicle, we added eating as that to was becoming a problem.
Unless you are driving alone you are distracted to some extent, anything other than just driving takes away your attention to a degree!!

 

More laws are not the answer nor would they be effective.The person driving was doing 65 in a 35.She ran a red light. If the law did not stop her from driving 65,or running the light, more law won't stop her from talking on the phone.This person will be held accountable for offenses on the books,i.e.speeding,negligent or willfull reckless driving,motor vehicle homicide. Reactionary legislation is not going to help.Her phone allthough a factor did not take Myrons life.Her total dissregard for others safety,and reckless operation of the vehicle was cause of this tragedy.
On another note,The police have shot more than one person in Omaha while holding a phone.They say they percieved it as a threat and applied deadly force.Personally I don't know why I would want one.

 

they're called BIG BLOCKS with open headers. Chicks dig 'em, too.

Ask Buzzard about his cell phone jamming devices-Lake pipes on a 327. They do a real good job of making cell phone using drivers look all "frowny"

 

I think xderelict has hit it on the head.
If people were turely punished for their actions that are currently on the books, the highways and byways would be a more enjoyable place to be.
Like the above lady should be charged for the death of the driver she killed and do jail time, It was pure negnegance on her part.

 

Is it the talking, or holding your arm up that some of ya'll think is so dangerous?

Maybe we should outlaw carpooling so that drivers aren't distracted by talking to people? For sure we need to make it illegal for young kids to drive in the car, because they are very distracting to a parent.

Maybe we should outlaw radios so that drivers don't have to take their hand off the steering wheel to change the station? For sure we would need to get rid of manual transmissions so that drivers could have their hands at 10 and 2.

While we're at it, let's make sure that the government protects us to the fullest extent possible. We should probably lower the speed limit to 35 mph because there is way less chance for injury at lower speeds. And I'm thinking helmets would also help prevent injuries, right? We are all safer since the government forced us to wear seatbelts, right?

We would, for sure need to get rid of older cars that don't have ABS, airbags, crumple zones etc. since they aren't as safe as new, modern cars with the latest safety gadgest.

The point is that there have always been car wrecks. They didn't just start when cell phones came out. And they are not going to stop if cell phones are banned. There are plenty of bad drivers out there. They aren't going away just because you take away their phone.

The real way to lower accidents is to enforce the laws on the books more strictly and make the punishments enough to be a deterrent. Make the penalty for driving 40 in a 35 zone $500 and running a red light $1000. Then see how long it takes for people to pay attention and obey the laws. I'm not saying I would be for it, but it would lower accidents.

 

"FROWNY" haha that cracked me up

 

since i now have to defend me self...my conversations consist of

" Sam,where you at?"

"in franklin"

"swing by terrys"

"ok"

"bye"

"bye"


not justifying talking on the phone,maybe you should have read the rest of what i wrote rather than only what you wanted to hear

 

Maybe there could be an "official" h.a.m.b. version of a bumper sticker similar to this picture showing that hambers support for the concept of paying attention while driving. I'd put one on my 56 in a minute.

 

Just thinking out loud here. When you call someone or get a call from someone on their cell phone, ask them if they are driving. If they answer "yes", ask them to call you back when they have a chance to talk.

I have a couple of friends who I know from personal experience are really bad drivers when on the phone. I do this to them all the time. I think I'll start doing it to everyone.

Lots of people dont like to talk on the phone while driving, but feel obligated to answer the phone. Maybe if we all started doing this we could make a difference. It might even spread.

Tom

 

Most are talking about the government further invading our lives, so no way it isn't political. And one of our members just lost his life, so there's no way it won't get emotional and personal.

Best we can hope for is to act like adults.

 

Its common sense, hang up and drive.
I never talk on the phone and drive, too many nuts out there as it is.
In a restaurant I hit vibrate and still don’t answer until I am outside.

What did we all do before cell phones? We got our work done, deals were made, messages sent and received. With the introduction of the cell phone did we all of a sudden have less time to get things done?
It seems like every new time saving device invented today takes time away from us.

I have one, but I hate cell phones.

 

I hate cellphones. The only time I turn mine on is when my car breaks down. Thats why I have an answering machine at home.

Starting next year, hands free phones will be required while driving. However, I believe the issue is distracted drivers. Phones should be outlawed in cars period.

 

I wonder if it's the fact that new vehicles are built like an impenetrable cube that makes this crap happen.

When driving an old car a person can Feel the difference between 35 and 65 mph.


It's spooky that many new cars will do 120 mph and it doesn't feel much different than 75 mph.

I think that's a big difference and a major reason for a lot of the problems we are seeing on the roads. I don't particularly care if this woman had a cell phone to her ear. Sure it's distracting....but being distracted at 35 mph vs. being distracted at 65 mph is a BIG difference. If she'd hit him at 35 mph, I would bet he'd still be with us. Having a cell phone to your ear and driving 65 mph in a 35 mph zone means this woman did not give a crap about anyone around her but herself. People need to think of the consequences of their actions.

 

Construction mgr. around Atlanta for many years, Last year I blew through a stop sign out in the country at about 60 and on the phone, work related. Lucky for me the guy at the stop realized I was a moron. After I calmed down I went back to the shop and quit. I had become either too old or too dumb to multi-task in a car anymore. Problem is everyone thinks they have the right to drive, no matter how bad at it they are.

 

Lux, you are dead on. Small blocks with 'zoomies' do a great job, too. So everyone I run up alongside on the phuckin'-phone, get's a 'howdy-hang-the-phuck-up-and-drive', from me.