by gone on February 8th, 2007

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Should cell phones be banned while driving except in an emergency?

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by canadianhelper on February 8th, 2007
Absolutely.

Somehow we all managed ,10 years ago, without a cellphone jacked into our ears...I think we can go back to that without much trouble.
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by Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony on February 8th, 2007
Yes! It is actually against the law in some places to use them while driving (Washington DC for example). They do enforce that in DC too.
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by DjJavy on February 8th, 2007
YES!
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by e-shroom on February 8th, 2007
They are here in the UK. Even in an emergency! (You can always pull over! Obviously you won't get prosecuted if you're rushing to the hospital and are on the phone to them or something....)

It works fine, and handsfree kits cost next to nothing these days.
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by brufred on February 8th, 2007
Hand held ones are banned in the uk, however you still (sadly) see people using them whilst driving. Personally, I hate the things, I think they give people an excuse to be rude and anti-social. I went away for a weekend with some friends once and the dumb asses spent more time texting and trying to talk to other mates than they did enjoying the break!
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- + points for using 'whilst'!
  
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  by canadianhelper on February 9th, 2007
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by Drublic on February 8th, 2007
Yes. I'll admit I talk on my cell phone while driving, but I shouldn't and wouldn't if it was illegal. There have been a lot of studies showing that talking on the cell phone while driving slows response time dramatically. It is a danger to the lives of those around you if you do it and should be outlawed, even if you are using a hands free device. I can't even count how many close calls I've had on the road only to pass the person and see a phone in their ear and seeing them laughing or yelling, not even knowing they almost were in an accident.
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- Why does it have to be illegal before you stop doing it? You've already said you know it's dangerous!
  
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  by brufred on February 8th, 2007
- I also knew smoking would kill me and it took me 12 years to quit.
  
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  by Drublic on February 9th, 2007
- Cell phones do not contain artificially addictive chemicals. turn the phone off.
  
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  by Someguy on February 14th, 2007
- But the money my boss pays me can definitely have an addicting quality, and if I repeatedly send him to voice mail, I may have to quit that cold turkey.
  
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  by Drublic on February 14th, 2007
- tru dat
  
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  by Someguy on February 14th, 2007
- If you have to take the call from your boss get a hands free kit, in the uk your boss can be proscecuted if he/she is found to be requiring you to take calls whilst driving. It's pretty outrageous to accept you act dangerously and then excuse it when there is an alternative. Having said that even talking to a person on who is driving using hands free distracts them. You are four times more likely to be involved in a road accident if engaged in the use of of a mobile phone. ref: http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/mobilephones/mobilephones.htm
  
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  by passerby on April 9th, 2007
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by Anonymous on February 9th, 2007
I would say yes, UNLESS you are using a wireless headset. As long as you can keep your eyes on the road, I think for me anyhow, talking is not any more of a distraction than singing of listening to the CD player.
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by Firebrand on February 9th, 2007
Yes,
it has been against the law in the UK for 2/3 years now. You have to pull over or ignore the call.Not saying everyone obeys the law but they are cracking down
After being hit head on when we had stopped and the guy admitted he was otherwise engaged. I am very much for a law stopping the use of cells in cars at all times, except for accidents and emergencies
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by Jenniferocious on February 8th, 2007
Yes. But I don't think it should even be allowed during "emergency." I think that if there is some compelling reason that you need to use the phone at that very instant, that you should pull over and make your call. There is no reason that you should have to talk and drive at the same time. People managed for ever without phones until recently. People, YOU WILL NOT DIE WITHOUT YOUR PHONES!!!
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by Penny The Wise on February 8th, 2007
The problem with making a law like that is someone could dispute that by saying "it was an emergency". No one would ever know what that person was talking about in the car, and couldn't be charged accordingly. I do think that cell phones should be banned to persons driving the car, but I doubt it will ever happen.
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- Which is exactly whi it is illegal for any reason in some places.
  
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  by Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony on February 8th, 2007
- Just got passed in Albuquerque but unfortunately, did not pass in Colorado.
  
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  by gone on February 8th, 2007
- Agreed. An emergency isn't an excuse. If you have an emergency, then you should pull off to the side of the road and conduct your business.
  
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  by Drublic on February 8th, 2007
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by Takei-Shihan on January 18th, 2008
Not entirely ... just ban everything that requires the use of a hand ... a bluetooth or headset for hands free talking is not too bad ... a voice activated in dash communications system is better ... but those dummies driving with a manual transmission and a cell phone being hand held to one ear, while smoking, AND etc., should most definately be banned ... and here in the Canadian province of Quebec, the law has recently been passed and hand held cell phone use IS BANNED while driving.
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by Merfish on January 18th, 2008
Please. And book reading, hair styling, and putting on make up. It is a terror driving on the highway in the mornings.
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- another fine answer! :) +++
  
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  by abby has super sneaky ninja skilz on January 18th, 2008
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by Anonymous on January 2nd, 2008
Yes I do support it. They also should go after people reading maps and newspapers, eating, putting on make up, combing hair, getting dressed or undressed and a variety of other outrageous things people do while driving.
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- Shaving?
  
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  by .avallach on January 2nd, 2008
- LMAO yes that too...haha
  
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  by Anonymous on January 2nd, 2008
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by Stronghart on March 2nd, 2007
YES! And they should be banned in a lot of other places too. Restuarants, libraries, airplanes, theaters, and so forth.
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by anglrckx on February 9th, 2007
yes they are very distracting. you should use a hands free method to talk. speaker phone, ear piece, etc
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by Berenise on February 8th, 2007
well here where i live using your cell phone while driving is against the law...well no let me say it better...using your cell phone without an earpiece is against the law, no matter if its an emergency.

i do think it should be banned because alot of poeple dont know how to pay attention to multiple things at the same time and they get distracted really quickly...there are too many accidents caused by careless drivers talking on the phone.
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by Fun on January 18th, 2008
In NJ it is banned. There is a heavy fine and if you are in an accident while on the phone, you are found at fault, even if it is not your fault.
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by Nick on January 18th, 2008
In Germany, its use without hands-free device is banned since a couple of years, and it seems to be helpful, although there are still some people holding phones to their ear while speeding on the highway. The fine is something like 60 EUROs or 100 USD.
I think basically it's right, although it can be annoying if you're riding and you get a call...
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by Lissa on January 18th, 2008
I think that all things are dangerous while driving, cell phones are just another add on ,but it has caused accidents as well as eveything else.
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by lazaruslong138 on January 18th, 2008
waste of time-it wont be enforced unless you have an accident and that prevents nothing-would be better if people exercised a little common sense when driving but that seems to be in short supply-making a law doesnt solve the problem--just my thoughts--smile and enjoy day-good question-have some points
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by Bitto on January 18th, 2008
That's putting it lightly! It should carry the capital punishment!
Note: Answer slightly exaggerated for effect.
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by Someguy on January 18th, 2008
If we do, then where do we stop? Studies have shown it is the action of thinking and speaking, not holding the phone that is the distraction. Do we ban people from listening to the radio or talking with passengers? Seriously, where do we stop?
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- Studies may be correct in that respect, but other studies have shown that people tend to drive much slower while they're speaking on the phone. Haven't you ever noticed this? Someone doing 35 mph on the highway because they're talking on the phone?
  
  I think that's pretty dangerous. People don't tend to slow down their cars if they're thinking and speaking to the guy in the passenger seat.
  
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  by Penal Colony is wicked marrying Andy on January 18th, 2008
- it's all dangerous. we can't protect everybody from everything. - like someone said below the law would only be enforced after an accident - it's not going to change behavior
  
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  by Someguy on January 18th, 2008
- Agreed... people are probably always going to do stupid things whether there are laws or not. Good point.
  
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  by Penal Colony is wicked marrying Andy on January 18th, 2008
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by Smart2 is back! Did you miss me? on January 18th, 2008
Yes, YES, and YES!!!! The sooner, the better.
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by weatherman taking week or so off on January 18th, 2008
Without a hands-free device? - definitely.
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by Audiotron on January 2nd, 2008
Yes I do. I spend alot of time on the roads, and I have noticed that people with cell phones seem to be more likely to be swerving, not paying attention, and nearly causing accidents than a full car of kids bouncing all over the place. I am tired of idiots yapping on their cellphones, missing lights, not giving right of way, and driving like morons. Not only do I support a ban on talking on the phone without a hands free device while driving, I support mandatory 30 day jail time for anyone caught driving on the phone without hands free.

I have no plans to die just because someone is talking to their girlfriend on the phone, and doesn't drive properly.
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by thekingcobra63 on January 2nd, 2008
I do, even with hands free devices people are mentally distracted and cause accidents. We just had our car totaled by a guy on a cell phone crossing the double yellow and hitting my wife head on. I think cell phones are nearly as dangerous as drunks on the road.
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by .avallach on January 2nd, 2008
Ban? No. I can see an argument for handsfree devices, but I honestly don't see how talking to someone on a cell phone is any more distracting than talking to a passenger in the car with you.
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- Good point!!
  
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  by calypso on January 2nd, 2008
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by Galeanda on June 2nd, 2007
YES!!! And it is in many places, New York being one but it hasn't stopped people from doing it and the police don't seem to care. No one pulls over. I almost wish they would find something wrong with the darn things like they cause cancer or whatever and then people will stop using them needlessly or only for emergencies.
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by Rince on June 2nd, 2007
They are in the UK, seams like a good idea.
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by jangobean on February 9th, 2007
They already are in the UK.
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by Hyper on February 9th, 2007
Yes . But i dont think there should even be any 'except' . It would be everyone who got caught's excuse.
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by Sarita1 Goes Bollywood on February 9th, 2007
If you need to use your cell, you are supposed to pull over to the side of the road in NY.

There are no issues with using the speaker function and thats what we use.
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- Even headsets are illegal in california as of January. Texting is also a very big problem.
  The emergency area of the road is not to be used for phone calls, unless it is an emergency call reporting the need of police etc.
  
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  by tjatherton on February 9th, 2007
- I've seen people so obviously into their call and they are truly cruising the road on autopilot. We drive AWAY from them.
  
  Horrible hazard!
  
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  by Sarita1 Goes Bollywood on February 9th, 2007
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by Annie13 on April 5th, 2007
Yes!!!!
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by Anonymous on February 11th, 2007
Yes, some people cannot walk and wind their watch at the same time. imagine that person on the interstate, talking on a cellphone.

Most drivers are engrossed in the phone conversation and not to their driving.

I see this everyday.
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by ndn pride on April 9th, 2007
I think that cell phones should be banned because they have a big influence on why people have car accidents. If they would concentrate more on driving and less on texting or talking on a cell phone then that could possibly keep them from having an accident.
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by singwell-is off researching a lot on February 15th, 2007
they are in Australia.
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by Gideon on February 14th, 2007
Absolutely. Numerous studies have shown that cell phones -- even when used with hands-free accessories -- create distraction tantamount to driving under the influence.

One can argue about the validity of legislating personal safety like seat belts and helmets, but people driving down the road on a cell phone endanger not only themselves but others. I've almost been clipped on my bike several times and in all but one single instance, the other driver was on a cell phone. That's enough evidence for me.
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by rgypsy on February 13th, 2007
yes.
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by I love my baby on April 9th, 2007
Yes, I think almost anybody would feel this way if they had a car pull out right in front of them, very close in front of them , and then you see they were talking on their phone. ( sometimes these people don't have a clue they did anything wrong, let alone almost cause a bad wreck.)
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by Someguy on February 14th, 2007
No. If we banned cell phones because they are a distraction we need to take out radios, passengers, children and mirrors on the visors.
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by Nick21 on February 12th, 2007
Oh yes, of course. I "tried" to answer my cell when it was ringing and I took my eyes away one second to just push the talk button and I was heading for the other lane. It was scary. Now I pull over and stop if I want to talk or just keep it turned off. For emergencies only......that's my motto.
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by Grand Pa on July 24th, 2007
Driving needs full concentration. You are in control of a lethel weapon.Im a retired instructor so dont try saying i have a hands free unit. 4 years ago i had chest pains while getting into my car. thanks to my cell fone im here ..
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by Henderson on March 10th, 2009
Yes, but using of hand free should be allowed.
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by royal77 says hello friend on January 18th, 2008
Not banned but a hands-free device should be required.
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by SiErRa on March 2nd, 2009
yes and if it is an emergency pull over!
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by scotty2006 on February 9th, 2007
Yes they should be, I know in Ohio if you are involved in an accident and the other party or yourself were on a cell phone at the time and it can be proven then you or the other party whoever was on the cell phone at the time of the accident is the one at fault.
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by Simply msFortunate on January 2nd, 2008
Yes, for those who choose to use a handset instead of a handsfree device.
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by bigbear 1 on July 26th, 2007
Yes! Have you seen them , staring straight ahead, not looking to the sides,not paying attention to anything or anyone. Just blabbering into their stupid cell phone.
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by Anonymous on July 26th, 2007
Yes they should! I had a serious car accident two weeks ago trying to answer my phone. Lost my license, over $30,000 worth of damage and wrote off my car. Dont do it - its not worth it. Keep your phone handy for an emergency but never attempt to answer it while driving!
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by RockRchick on June 2nd, 2007
Yes! Ugh people cant drive to begin with why should they be allowed to chat freely on their phones?! It makes me so mad when someone cuts me off and goes so slow infront of me and I notice they are on their phones! Thats wrong, they are gonna cause accidents. I was rear ended twice, each time the girl was on her cell phone.
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Should cell phones be banned while driving except in an emergency?

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