I Agree - Mostly

[MalahatTwo7]

But the "drop the coffee cup"... hhmmm Jury is still out on that one.

States: Drop The Smokes, Food, Phones And Drive
States Target Smoking, Eating, Other Distractions

POSTED: 7:11 pm EST February 8, 2007

BARRE, Vt. -- Put down the flute and keep your eyes on the road.

And forget about sipping that cup of coffee on the way to work, or smoking a cigarette on the way home. In some states, it could soon be illegal -- if it isn't already.

Emboldened by the passage of cell phone bans for drivers in some communities, states are turning their attention to other things that drive motorists to distraction.

Vermont lawmakers are considering a measure that would ban eating, drinking, smoking, reading, writing, personal grooming, playing an instrument, "interacting with pets or cargo," talking on a cell phone or using any other personal communication device while driving. The punishment: a fine of up to $600.

Similar bills are under consideration in Maryland and Texas, and Connecticut has passed one that generically bans any activity that could interfere with the safe operation of a motor vehicle.

"Cell phones attracted people to this issue," said Matt Sundeen, a transportation analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. "Now that people are more focused on distracted driving issues, they're beginning to talk about the broader range of distractions."

For the sponsor of the Vermont bill, the motivation came from his own observations.

"What finally pushed me over the edge was when I was at a stop sign and somebody opposite me was trying to navigate around the corner with a cell phone to the ear in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and she wasn't doing very well," said Republican state Rep. Thomas F. Koch.

He said his wife recently saw a driver playing the flute, which led him to include the instrument ban in his bill.

"There are a lot of bad habits out on the road. This isn't just for drivers' own good. This is to protect the other people on the road," he said.

Often, they need protection:

In Illinois, a bicyclist was killed by a driver who had been downloading cell phone ring tones while behind the wheel last September. In Westminster, Calif., a 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by an SUV whose driver lost control as he was trying to reach a cell phone and plowed into a family at a bus stop Nov. 29, authorities said. In Spokane, Wash., a trucker who was allegedly using a cell phone crossed a highway median and struck another truck head-on, killing five children, in 2005. In Athens, Ala., a woman lost control of her car while reaching for a ringing cell phone and crashed into a church last month.

Distracted drivers were involved in nearly eight out of 10 collisions or near-crashes in a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute that was released last year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Young drivers are some of the worst offenders. A study of more than 5,600 students released last month by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Co. reported that nearly 90 percent had seen friends drive while talking on cell phones and that half saw drivers playing hand-held games, using listening devices or sending text messages.

Jeff Rogers, 44, of Barre, filling up his pickup at a gas station Thursday, said the Vermont bill is "going a little too far."

"I can understand the cell phone thing," he said. "But the rest of it, how are they going to enforce that?"

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.

[RspctFrmCalgary]

I heard this on the news yesterday ...

Ban Proposed On Cell Phones, iPods In Crosswalk

WNBC-TV
12:45 p.m. EST February 7, 2007

NEW YORK - A state senator from Brooklyn said on Tuesday he plans to introduce legislation that would ban people from using an MP3 player, cell phone, Blackberry or any other electronic device while crossing the street in New York City and Buffalo.

View Images: Evolution Of The iPod

NewsChannel 4 reported that Sen. Carl Kruger is proposing the ban in response to two recent pedestrian deaths in his district, including a 23-year-old man who was struck and killed last month while listening to his iPod on Avenue T and East 71st Street In Bergen Beach.

"While people are tuning into their iPods and cell phones, they're tuning out the world around them," Kruger said. The proposed law would make talking on cell phones while crossing the street a comparable offense to jaywalking.

Some pedestrians said they were not worried about their safety while using their electronic devices while walking.

"I look for the light," said Venus Montes of Williamsburg.

"I'm still looking," said Lance Gordon of Far Rockaway. "It's not like I'm not paying attention."

Others said the proposed ban would not work.

"I don't think anyone's going to be up for this," said Patricia Lewis of Staten Island. "I don't think anyone wants this."

Some pedestrians think the proposal was a good idea.

"It's too dangerous," said Nicole Lake of Jersey City. "Drivers don't pay attention and pedestrians don't pay attention."

[tfdping1018]

In Illinois, a bicyclist was killed by a driver who had been downloading cell phone ring tones while behind the wheel last September.

This happend in the district east of mine, I knew the girl driving the car. I agree with most of it but it is a little extreme and they will have a hell of a time trying to enforce it.

[MalahatTwo7]

Enforcement isn't all the difficult. Other than those who do that sort of work have to be more vigilant, and also have to actually be motivated too.

DC has a "no-hands-on" cell phone law, and I dont see too many infractions of it - of course there are always those who will disregard any law. I dont know what the value of the fine is for being caught, but in my opinion it would have to be a fairly stiff one to make it "Not worth doing". If for example the fine was $100.00 for first infraction and then an addition $50.00 for each subsequent infraction, folks would catch on real quick that taking the chance of being caught isnt worth 150.00 or 200.00 fine.

[lvwrench]

There are a couple of things not mentioned here that have been happening for a long time and that is doing hair and makeup using the visor mirror while driving and using an electric razor while driving. I wonder if sue, sue and tom tom will have to go as well.

[Fireboss101]

The 19 year old with a stereo so loud it vibrates the license plate off, is alot more dangerous than me drinking a cup of coffee. How many LEO's do you know who hasn't got a cup of coffee or a pepsi in the cruiser. More effort needs to be placed on enforcing existing laws. And giving cops the resources to do it.