Yes, it should be illegal.
I have been nearly killed countless times by teenage girls on their goddamned cellphones. Maybe its that, maybe its the fact that thier heads are som far up thier asses that they can see daylight through thier teeth!

They should all be illegal. When you are driving, you should DRIVE...not eat lunch or talk on a cell phone or text or anything that distracts you from driving. Think about it this way...at 35-70mph you are a speeding bullet, it only takes a second of looking away to miss someone turning into your lane or a kid jumping out in traffic to get his ball.

There's an even easier reason: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_.....ential_physics

Without going into the greatest depth, if you've got two cars running into each other, especially at the speeds you mentioned, there's a high risk of death. Anything that distracts you negatively affects your reaction time. Any distraction, even listening to music (unless you're one of the lucky people with the ability to demote it to background noise), will impair your ability to respond to dangerous situations.

I'm not against distractions overall, I'm against distractions while moving in a vehicle. When you're sitting at a light, by all means do your thing (so long as you're constantly checking to be sure the lights have not changed), but I find it hard to believe anyone can be at their best when they have distractions around.


I don't have time currently to read the comments on your LJ, Bucktown, so I'll apologise in advance if someone else has already disproved me or said the same thing.

(And as a final note: Disciplining a child while driving? Pull over. And if you're on a highway/freeway you should have planned ahead and told them to be silent (keep in mind this is just my tactics). I'm not the best driver, but neither am I the worst, so if I have trouble concentrating with children in the back seat, I'm pretty sure some idiot is going to look up at their mirror some time and miss the oncoming truck...)

"Putting makeup on while driving?"

If it's the vibrating mascara.

Most people can't walk and chew gum at the same time, why would anyone trust them to control a ton and a half of steel while scarfing down 2 big macs, and a diet shake, at the same time update twitter on the major bowl movement they are going to have after eating that much dead cow ass wile their kid is beating them with a boffer sword because you got them apple fries instead of of regular fries?

I wonder what would happen if a sword swallower was practicing while driving...

Unfortunately people will still do these stupid things with or without the law. The key is penalizing people who cause accidents and allow insurance companies to raise the rates accordingly on people who cause these accidents.

The thing that annoys me most is a VP at GM stated a couple of years ago that we currently have all the technology to have self guided vehicles. We simply need to put all the pieces together and make the vehicles work. I long for the day when I can climb into my car and say "take me to the furry con" and then sit back and enjoy the ride.

Alright I got a good one for you right here.

I saw my older brothers car driving through down town Rockford, IL at about 6pm. I pull up next to him to see that he is talking on the cell pined between his head and shoulder. Eating a taco with one hand and holding the pop in the other. All this is going on and to top it off some girls head buried in his crotch as his loud stereo pounds out some beats.

The only thing that could go through me head is WTF. Now this gives a whole new meaning to multi tasking. I couldn't beleive he was actually staying in his lane.

many of those are already Illegal.

I think instead of making it illegal to text and drive or talk and drive. I think instead make "Driving while Stupid" illegal. The short answer NO I do not think it should be illegal. But if people cannot drive and text they shouldn't be allowed to drive.

Texting while driving is one of the stupidest things someone could be doing. Why the hell would you avert your attention to focus on typing in the letters? I'd rather someone call instead of texting.
ANYTHING at the wheel should be illegal. Just focus on driving, I dont see why it's so trivial.

I like to fashion logs out of kayaks while I drive, very relaxing!
But seriously, I say yes, even though Im guilty of answering my phone on occasion while driving. My friend Mari scared me half to death 6 years ago driving around hilly Tulsa area at 50 mph while texting, never really rode with her again.

Talking on a cell phone seems okay to an extent, especially if you don't have someone riding with you to make the call in your stead. Bluetooth is highly recommended. The other things on your list... yeah, hit them with the book.

Yes yes yes yes yes.

I don't care if you're late to something, you can make 30 seconds to eat in the parking lot before you leave.

I think they're all ok as long as you do them at the same time.

i have seen my friend mom did all that when driving she talk on phone n write notes at the same time O.O"

Using common sense while driving is legal. People should use it.

Anything that could endanger other drivers should be illegal. Things that only endanger you should be legal, such as not wearing a seat belt.


imho...

Seatbelts are law in many states. You can get tickets for that.

Dumb law...

yeah no kidding. should be the personal guys decision to put on a seatbelt. not the govt jobs to do that. fuck that

Hell yes, it should all be illegal.. except for the disciplining kids part.. A badass kid will cause you to wreck anyway. Obviously it's better to pull over for that, but you know.

During the last 3 times I've been out on foot, I've almost been struck by a car in the crosswalk during the walk signal a total of 5 times. More oft than not, it's been someone on a cell phone. I don't understand this.. did car kits and bluetooth die out or something? People need to learn how to drive.

Anytime is a good time to beat children! Even in cars :3

</obvious troll>

yes to all of them except eating.

While driving, yes. If you're sitting at a light waiting to go, then it should be allowable. The thing is while the vehicle's in motion, safety should be numero uno.

To anyone who's commented about seatbelts, I think they should repeal that law for adults. It's rather infringing on personal liberty/choice.

Texting while driving is a very bad idea and should be illegal, actually if the cops would enforce the laws already in place in some states they don't need new laws. Ohio does have a law against distracted driving.. Its funny how everyone is singling out the cell as a major cause some studies have indicated eating, playing with the radio, fiddling with heat/ac, passengers also account for almost as many accidents by distracted drivers yet there isn't talk of banning those..
I can almost guarantee every state will pass a law against texting if not just using a cell phone in short order the Federal government is playing its trump card either do it or no more transportation funds for you..

Great article on how the cell phone affects drivers. http://www.popsci.com/scitech/artic.....stract-drivers

Not only is it distracting, but I have also noticed that drivers who are talking on the phone appear to be more aggressive. If you gotta make a call, pull over. It's not that hard to do. Otherwise, wait till you are done driving if it isn't an emergency.

No, I don't think it should be illegal, I think people without the native intelligence to not do stuff that will distract them from driving should not be issued drivers licenses. Some of that stuff can be accomplished in a safe manner while driving if done correctly (cell in right hand held to right ear and held near vertical so as to NOT block peripheral vision) and so long as the driver does not make any lane changes or turns while doing so, and is willing to drop any non driving activities when more attention is required.

In California, it IS illegal.

however, I do agree with that texting should be illegal.

Your eyes should be on the ROAD, not your PHONE.

I also agree with the hands-free law that California has.

Funny you should mention that, just recently around here, they made it a law where it's illegal to call/text with your cell phone while you're driving - and made it a mandatory requirement to use your headset if you have one.

yes or they should be bitch smacked..

what is this ego thing.. I CAN DO IT ALL I can DRIVE ANDDDDDDDDDD ...........

Drunk driving is illeagal, but we still see way too many of our loved ones die because of it.
:P

It needs to be illegal, becuse people are TOO STUPID to realize they shouldn't be doing it in the first place. There was a lady that was killed recently because a woman in her suv hit her....she was too busy PAINTING HER NAILS to pay attention to the road. Makes me rage, so hard....

Yea it should be illegal and in some states it is illegal to do that stuff.
But doe's not stop the idiot from doing it and causing wrecks.

i think talking on a cellphone is ok if (1) you pull over to the far right lane and (2) slow down so its easier to concentrate on both things. BUT all other things - applying makeup, texting, etc should me saved for when you're not driving (except maybe at a red light?)

I think it all should be illegal. Doing something else While driving is stupid. Especially if your going anything faster than walking speeds. If your eyes are not on the road while driving then you don't have any business driving at all.

It's funny you should say that. A local TV station was talking about that tonight. A newscaster took a driving course while she typed up messages on her BlackBerry, and ran over 22 cones on the course. Later, they put a tennis ball on a bowl and attached it to the hood of her car, and she could hold the ball in the bowl...Until she started texting. It's very dangerous. There are multiple states that have made cell phones illegal (it came very close in my own state) Let alone texting in a car. It doesn't hurt that Bluetooth devices are on the rise now thanks to state legislature...

Statistically speaking, talking on a cellphone while driving increases the chances of being involved in an accident by about 4x, which is about the same level as driving with .08% BAC, the legal limit in most states. Texting while driving is much worse, about 18-22x.

Here in Louisiana, It is illegal to talk on a cell while driving unless you have a hands free device (bluetooth ear piece) or if you are not an "experienced" driver, as in you under the age of 25 and get caught txt or talking on the phone while driving, you get in bigger trouble. Its also illegal to txt while driving here as well.

Funny thing is....where I live, I talk while driving and havent been pulled over yet and the other day i seen a cop talking on a cell while driving....

Texting? Sure.
Talking? Use a headset if you must, but at least one paw is on the wheel.
Laptop? Yep.
Lunch? Hell no, that's what takeout exists for--eating on the go! Just don't try and double-fist yourself. Giggity.
Makeup? Yes.
Newspaper? Sí.
Child discipline? Pull over to the side of the road and beat that little brat's posterior.

And that's the word.

Yes, in all cases.

I think anyone who has an accident while doing any of those things should be barred from driving for 25 years.