NTSB recommends cell phone ban nationwide.

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N5DRM

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I just read a story on CNN about the NTSB recommending a total ban on cell phones. Reading also some heated posts from folks artound the country about it. As an Amateur Radio operator, I'm concerned we may be targeted, as we have already in some states. Please chime in on this as I am interested in reading the comments from other hams.

David
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Jim41

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I just read a story on CNN about the NTSB recommending a total ban on cell phones. Reading also some heated posts from folks artound the country about it. As an Amateur Radio operator, I'm concerned we may be targeted, as we have already in some states. Please chime in on this as I am interested in reading the comments from other hams.

David
N5DRM

They are recommending banning cell phone use while driving a motor vehicle.

Jim41
 

KC1UA

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LONG time coming for this; I hope it's successful. We as a human race have great knowledge to create technology, and very little wisdom as to how to conduct ourselves with it.

That said, it won't probably ever make much of a difference. The Peoples' Republic of Massachusetts passed similar laws, but I still see just about every teeny I encounter on the road with his or her head down concentrating on something....almost certainly sending those all-important texts. Or better yet, sexts...

I wouldn't worry much about two way radio issues; that would include public safety entities, and we know damned well that's not going to work.
 

N5DRM

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Oops, my bad.

I guess that was wishfull thinking on my part???? Sorry about that. I failed to include the most important part of that story. I too agree that it is a long time coming but the real test is still ahead with state and local governments.

David
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FPOWLD

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If they could only get people to stop using the cell phones for social purposes and NO TEXTING while driving that would help but I doubt our new era of communicating is going to change. Eating, drinking coffee,and other activities also are a danger while driving but that's not going to stop either.
 
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gmclam

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Not a total ban ...

It's funny for me to watch. All my life I've been the geek from carrying around walkie-talkies to scanners and using video cameras long before Beta & VHS. I still find it "amazing" that so many people MUST have some device in their hand and they can't put it down or be away from it, especially while trying to drive a vehicle.

This so-called ban of course has exclusions and ironically many of the people allowed to "talk" and drive shouldn't be. My idea, rather than a blanket across the board ban would be to TRIPLE all traffic fines/punishment when commiting a violation and also talking/texting/etc. So if you are able to drive and follow all the rules of the road (including not impeding the flow of traffic), great. Otherwise a tripling of fines would give a lot more incentive for traffic enforcement to pay attention to these drivers that are worse than drunk drivers.
 

w2xq

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We don't need bans on cell phones or any questionable activities in cars. We don't need the feds involved. There are "careless driving" statutes on the books of all states; use 'em. Stop trying to spell out every possible movement or activity in the car. Argh!
 

reedeb

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We don't need bans on cell phones or any questionable activities in cars. We don't need the feds involved. There are "careless driving" statutes on the books of all states; use 'em. Stop trying to spell out every possible movement or activity in the car. Argh!

AMEN!!! I've been driving since 1978. In all my yrs using cell phones, scanners, CBs, and Ham Radios [not to mention the car radio] I've NEVER been involved in an accident due to my working a radio while driving.

YES many are distracted while driving and they need an education, BUT to have the Federal goverment tell me I can't talk on a phone is stupid!! Next they'll ban scanners, and ALL radios as well as the car radio installed
 
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KC1UA

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I wholeheartedly agree that government needs to stay out of our lives as much as possible. But, and in my opinion, it goes back to the "knowledge with no wisdom" statement I made in my first post. People need to take responsibility as well. But, because so many of them need to have their hands held...stuff like this happens.

None of it will make any difference anyway. Those that do it will keep right on doing so. Tis the nature of the beast... :D
 

kf7yn

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I acknowledge we all have differing opinions and I respect those opinions so I'll chime in with my 2¢ worth:

I agree that texting while driving should be illegal...but it absolutely must be up to each state to decide, not the Feds. Thankfully the NTSB's recommendation is just that, they have no power of enforcement.

In my own experience was hit and injured by an otherwise decent kid who ran a red light and t-boned me. He admitted to texting and was completely distracted and took his eyes off the road for way too long. I supported a ban before I was hit, so my support is not a reaction to that accident. However, how many of us who had a loved one severely injured, disabled or killed by someone who was texting would support the ban and with the same fervor as if it were DWI? Hard to say.

The fact is- a lot of business is conducted in the car, whether by phone or radio. It's the current reality and trying to severely restrict or ban it is a bad idea. I DO NOT agree on banning the mobile use of cell phones, 2 way radios, etc. I'm 57 yrs old and have been driving safely for over 40 years with radios in my vehicle almost all those years. Common sense goes a long way. Most of us can talk on a microphone or cell phone with little or no distraction. There are always a few who cannot, but most of us can. Hey I could be wrong but that's my observation over the last 41 years of driving.

Personally, I use hands-free bluetooth whenever possible. Does it help keep me from being distracted? I think so but I have no scientific data to support or prove it. That's my rant. Thanks for reading.
 

n4yek

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Big Brother is always watching, now Big Brother wants to put his foot in the door.

When Government starts telling you what you can and can't do, you no longer have freedom.
 

kb2vxa

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The worst the NTSB could do is recommend, motor vehicle statutes are written by states' legislatures. I doubt it would give impetus as more and more states are passing laws against cell phone and texting use as it is. Forget the knee jerk reaction, just keep your eyes on your state's bills before they're passed into law because by then it's too late for amendments.

A few years back there was quite an uproar here in NJ over how the bill was worded to include all wireless devices while the vehicle is in motion. Hams organized and jumped all over it, we got the one and only exemption which is a bit funny in itself when you realize how all encompassing "all wireless devices" is. Trust the cops not to ticket each other (;->) they being smart enough to interpret the law as intended, not as written. BTW, not a day goes by I don't hear numerous cell phone violations particularly from our champion wolf ticket vendors, the State Police.

Nope, laws can't prevent violations and can't be expected to but they sure can generate revenue.
 

W2PMX

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AIUI, the NTSB wants to ban drivers from using any electronic device while driving. This would, IMO, be a good thing if it were enacted in all states.

It's not the cellphones, it's not the texting, it's the having your attention on something other than the traffic and road conditions. Playing with the car radio while driving is just as dangerous as texting while driving.

As far as reckless driving laws - it's almost impossible to prove reckless driving or "not having the vehicle under control", or any laws like that. Holding a cellphone to your ear (the NY law specifies that, and the device must connect to the public switched network - IOW be a telephone - two way radios of any kind don't count) is easy to prove in court, even if it didn't cause an accident - this time.

The real prohibition should be against DWD - driving while distracted. That's dangerous, whether it's texting or trying to discipline the kids in the back seat.
 

W2PMX

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That's not an exemption, it's a statement that the law will not prohibit the driver from using ham gear while in motion, barring any other considerations. I'm sure the law will still apply if a ham is weaving all over the road because he's distracted by the conversation or the equipment. (From my over 50 years of experience as a ham, very few hams allow their radios or the conversation to distract them from driving, while many people on cellphones frequently are oblivious to the traffic conditions.)
 

fineshot1

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Cigarette smoking causes far more many deaths per year that any "driver distractions" do
but do you see the feds trying to ban the manufacture and sale of them? The answer is of
course no. The main reason for that is tax revenue. The federal and state governments make
a huge amount of revenue on the taxed sale of cigarettes despite the fact that they cause
a larger number of deaths every year. If they made as much revenue on cell phone sales
and usage as they do cigarettes I doubt the feds would even notice this issue.

I don't like the notion of banning either but if they don't ban cigarettes then they should
not be kicking up such a stink about cell phones.

Just a point I thought should be considered.
 

W2PMX

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Another difference is that your smoking doesn't kill me (unless I choose to stay close enough to you to breathe your smoke in), but your distracted driving could very easily kill me. And since I don't have the option of not driving on public roads, I don't want another driver to be paying attention to something that will cause him to kill me. You can talk on a cellphone all you want when you're driving on your private roadway, but not when you're driving on a roadway that thousands of others have to share.
 

MTS2000des

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Big Brother is always watching, now Big Brother wants to put his foot in the door.

When Government starts telling you what you can and can't do, you no longer have freedom.

The problem is you have NO RIGHT to operate a motor vehicle on a public roadway. It is a PRIVILEGE and we all agreed to abide by laws of our state and local jurisdiction when we obtain a DL, register a vehicle, and drive it on the roadways. One's personal rights end where another persons' begin.

I don't support an outright BAN of all PED's (personal electronic devices) as the NTSB has advised, but the bottom line is most consumers cannot multi-task the way us experienced radio operators can. (Yeah, go ahead, call me an elitist, but I'd like to say that most seasoned hams can demonstrate a much higher level of proficiency operating comm gear while driving than some 17 year old)

This is the time for us to be contacting our state legislators to make sure amateur radio and commercial radios don't get thrown into the bag with cellphones.

But for the record, we have no RIGHT to drive a car. All we do have is a RIGHT to inform our elected officials of what laws we want (or don't want) and make sure that they get held accountable for them.
 

MTS2000des

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AIUI, the NTSB wants to ban drivers from using any electronic device while driving. This would, IMO, be a good thing if it were enacted in all states.

It's not the cellphones, it's not the texting, it's the having your attention on something other than the traffic and road conditions. Playing with the car radio while driving is just as dangerous as texting while driving.

As far as reckless driving laws - it's almost impossible to prove reckless driving or "not having the vehicle under control", or any laws like that. Holding a cellphone to your ear (the NY law specifies that, and the device must connect to the public switched network - IOW be a telephone - two way radios of any kind don't count) is easy to prove in court, even if it didn't cause an accident - this time.

The real prohibition should be against DWD - driving while distracted. That's dangerous, whether it's texting or trying to discipline the kids in the back seat.

This is a slipshod, knee jerk reaction.

What states really need to do is make it tougher to obtain a driver's license. With technology evolving (have you looked in the cockpit of most cars these days? LCD displays, computers, etc.) the way it is DRIVERS need to be able to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency.

Technology is a part of our lives. The real answer is creating more capable drivers. This is a much tougher solution that many would object to but is the ONLY way to address the root cause. Outlawing their use is NOT going to stop the increasing number of incidents. Better standards for drivers will.

If you outlaw PED use, than that means goodbye to GPS units, fancy car computers, heads up displays, the passenger seat...do you see where this is going?
 
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