newsboy

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 3:45 p.m.

It's not just trivial "Personal use" of cell phones that is so dangerous while driving. I recently had the expiriance of traveling with my wife who is a regional manager for a national company. She has always been an excellent driver with no points on her driving record. During our four hour trip she was on the phone constantly, making deals or talking with employees. She made so many mistakes while on the phone, I thought I was driving with my teenage boys. She is a great multitask individual, but listening to the obnoxious GPS while talking on the phone and using a calculator is nuts. At one point she asked, "Would you grab my laptop from the back seat" while we were traveling 75 mph! I politely asked her "Could you not talk on the phone while driving", or "just let me give you a break from the wheel baby." She was annoyed by my comments and went on to inform me, that it was" her job and her employer's expectation to be on the phone while driving." It was at that point that I realized just how dangerous the roads had become. Think of all those business men and women, doctors, attorneys, sales people, contractors, truck drivers, police officers and others, whose job it is travel daily while having to stay in constant contact. And I was worried about "Shoe bombers" who can't even light a match and fly at the same time!

ChelseaBob

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 2:07 p.m.

That's just what we need. More government intrusions in our life. Did it ever occur to anyone that every problem does not require a government response.? We could pass a law that requires a police officer in every car, then NOTHING would go wrong. Of course we'd have to pay for that and we'd have to give up our rights, but it's worth it, right? NO! Folks that have accidents now get tickets. Enough tickets and they lose their license. And their insurance goes up. Enough bad driving, and they can't afford to drive any more. The system works. We don't need more laws (there are so many now that people don't bother with them anyways) we need more responsible citizens.

Youwhine

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 5:05 a.m.

I'm no journalist or English teacher, but... this "article" seems to leave a lot to be desired. First of all, the article is 5 paragraphs long, yet has only 8 sentences. Really? Your first two paragraphs were only one sentence? Next, what exactly is the point? Do you propose a fix, an alternative, or a solution? And also, you open with "Distracted driving is getting worse in Michigan, according to a new statewide report from MLive.com, which shows that at least 900 crashes involving a cellphone were reported in 2010." Umm.. Worse than WHAT? And do you plan to support this statement with facts? You follow up with "Over the past decade, according to the report, more than 9,000 crashes were reported - and another 34,000 involved other forms of distracted driving." I am assuming you meant that 9000 crashes were reported to involve cell phone use (does anybody proofread this publication?). If so, that averages out to about 900 cell-phone-involved crashes per year, right? So unless you choose to give us some better data, we can only assume that crashes involving cell phones are worse than the time when cell phones were not readily common among the driving public. This would be like saying that over the last 40 years there has been a 9000% increase in fatalities of drivers whose cars had airbags. On another note, I can assure you that the reported numbers are WAY low. If you know anything about how crash statistic data is recorded in Michigan, you know that crash data comes from state compilation of data from UD-10 crash reports which are basically bubble forms completed by the police who are only putting in what they are told by the people involved in the crash. And unless somebody says "I was on the phone..." that doesn't get colored in on the bubble form because, guess what... EVERYBODY these days tries to say that the other person is at fault and was on the phone when the crash occurred.

snapshot

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 5:01 a.m.

We just need to start treating it like drunk driving.

grimmk

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 4:41 a.m.

Today I was trying to merge onto US 23 S from Gedess and the guy in front of me is going 30 miles an hour. Yeah, 30 miles an hour to merge onto the highway. Completely oblivious to his surroundings. He doesn't even merge until the last possible second. That is a long merge lane too. I was stuck behind him and when I finally went around...yakking on his phone. And I almost got rear ended a few times today. I admit I was too close when the car in front of me pulled up short to turn into a gas station. But the car behind me had to slam on breaks too. Good thing they worked! We need to back off and leave more space in between cars. I'm trying to take a note out of my own book here too. Some days it seems like too many close calls!

actionjackson

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 4:14 a.m.

Keep in mind 60mph = 88 feet per second. How fast are you reflex wise on the brakes!

Jon Saalberg

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 3:53 a.m.

You know, I used to think that the main purpose of being behind the wheel of a car was to drive the car. But judging by what I see people doing when they're driving, that no longer seems to be the case - the most hair-raising example I see at least several times a week is the driving/talking on the cellphone/smoking trifecta. I ask you, with those three activities going simultaneously, how firm a grip does such a driver have on the steering wheel?

st.julian

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 1:56 a.m.

Following in A2 inane initiatives ban cell phones while idling.

u812

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 12:09 a.m.

most of the time a person has a reasonable idea when the drunks might be on the road, in the case of texting and talking on the cell phone it could kill someone or a family member at anytime.

thecompound

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 10:56 p.m.

Never mind the distraction with dialing/talking on cell phones---it's everyone having smart phones and checking their emails, directions, google, restaurant reviews, etc....and every other app that is out there. Laws never seem to keep up with technology.

Richard

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 9:42 p.m.

Cell phone drivers always make defensive comments about other types of distracted driving trying to defend their use of phones. Well, this article is about cell phones and a cell phone takes a lot more distraction. A cell phone takes a lot more looking away from the road. A cell phone user has to look down at the phone for extended periods of time while calling or texting. Eyes are not off the road while talking to other passengers or adjusting the radio.

Lynn Liston

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 9:30 p.m.

Distracted driving of any kind is reckless and intentional endangerment of the lives of others. Whether it is your cellphone, your state of intoxication or medication, your engagement in eating and drinking, talking, fiddling with your radio and other controls- when you aren't paying attention to the road and keeping your vehicle under control, you are a 'distracted driver' and you are responsible for the harm you do to others. Our laws should reflect this level of intention when distracted driving causes an accident. Is that phone conversation or text more important than the life of another human being? I think about this often, every time I see someone driving by with their cellphone in use, because I recently lost a loved one to a horrific accident in which a cellphone figured. Every day my business takes me out onto the roads and I see many drivers talking on their cellphones, and every day I see frightening near misses where these same drivers endanger the lives of other drivers and pedestrians. And those are just the drivers who are visibly distracted. This is not an issue of freedom, it is an issue of operating a vehicle responsibly and according to the laws that govern your earning this privilege. No one has the right to drive a vehicle. Like many other activities, it is subject to regulation. You have to demonstrate your ability to drive, and you have to continue to demonstrate that ability on a regular basis. The driver's license does not give you the right to drive in a distracted manner, it gives you the right to drive in accordance to the law. And that license can be taken away. Perhaps we need zero tolerance when distracted driving causes accidents- automatic revocation of the driver's license. This isn't trivial, just think about how hard it will be to function without a driver's license- no job, no social life, no shopping, no getting around on your own...no life!

ogel1209

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 9:20 p.m.

Michigan is so far behind other states that completely ban cell phones while driving. Come to think of it, Michigan is behind in a lot of things. We will never see cell phones banned while driving in this century. How many people have to be injured or killed before any thought is given to this?

treetowncartel

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.

Not fair, The Terminator and Robocop could drive with digital distractions, and even the oft inebriated David Hasselhoff communicated with "Kit" in Knight Rider.

Doug

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 9:10 p.m.

I no longer go through a "drive thru" window and eat my food on the go. I realized how often I was distracted getting my food out of the bag and unwrapped.

Ron Granger

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 8:51 p.m.

Ban the use, regardless of whether it is handsfree. Hands free people are still dialing, and studies show the dialing is one of the most dangerous aspects. I can't count the number of times I've been nearly hit while crossing with the light in a crosswalk by a driver who was talking on a phone. I was once hit by a driver who was illegally texting.

SMC

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 8:35 p.m.

Distracted driving, whether caused by phones, food, radios, hot beverages, texting, passengers, or whatever else you care to pin it on, is only a symptom of the underlying condition: Americans do not take driving seriously enough. It's just that simple. Prior to the graduated licensing laws, obtaining a driver's license through the Secretary of State was only slight more difficult than getting plastic toy that Lucky the Leprechaun had buried in his box of breakfast cereal. Nowadays, I understand it isn't much harder. Countries such as Germany or Finland take licensing seriously. The driver's ed programs take roughly 4 years to complete, require studying books that are thicker and denser than a telephone directory, and have multiple exams and road tests, covering all possible scenarios one might encounter while driving (emergency maneuvers, poor weather/road conditions, etc). Here, they tell you that a driver's license is a privilege, not a right, but that statement sounds rather hollow when you realize that trained chimps would be better at operating a motor vehicle than many of the drivers you'll encounter in a given day. If passing drivers ed were half as challenging as it is in Germany, there would be fewer accidents and fatalities on our roads.

Homeland Conspiracy

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 8:30 p.m.

Ban Cars "Think of the children"

mg0blue

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 8:14 p.m.

This distracted driving thing has gotten out of control!!!! It's time that the Legislature really tighten up laws on using cellular phones while driving a car! While they're at it, they need to outlaw any and all radios inside of vehicles because what if someone changes the station while they are driving?!?! Drivers should also not be allowed, without risking a fine in the thousands of dollars, to have any children under the age of 10 in their cars. Because it's "proven" that people talking on cellular phones is dangerous while driving, then we can also deduce that having a conversation with anyone in your car is also dangerous. So, I also propose that you are not allowed to have ANY passengers in your car at any time. Mirrors? They should be automatically locked down so that you can't adjust them while driving, and only while stopped, with the car in park, and the emergency brake set. While we're at it we also need to outlaw "Driving while upset", "Driving while late", "Driving without first having a full 8 hours of sleep, documented by video surveillance", "Driving while drinking water", and "Driving while chewing gum"!!! After all of these laws are passed we need to then install giant pillows along the side of the highway so we're all that much safer.

burl

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 8:11 p.m.

Here comes the new fun thing to persecute. People get to fiddle with their radio, talk to their passengers, eat food and there isn't some "grassroots" movement trying to stop people doing those things. Either all things are allowed, or none of the things should be allowed. Who gets to pick and choose? I don't remember electing these anti-phone zealots to anything and think its a darn shame that people in todays day an age would try to limit freedom.

ranger007

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 7:44 p.m.

They should make the new DOT law that's for commercial drivers for everyone. If you get caught talking not on a hands free device or testing its a $2750.00 fine. You get one of those you might think twice about steering with your knee to up date your facebook statius.

Tesla

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.

Where is the "It scares the hell out of me every time I drive" option?

Soothslayer

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 7:30 p.m.

Distracted driving happens all the time and these individuals would be doing something else that would be distracting them if not using a cell phone. What about all those that are distracted driving by eating, putting on makeup (see that alot with the visor mirror down), reading something, smoking, searching (purse, seat, floor, bag, whatever) and dealing (at an innapropriate time) with kids? Just increase the insurance rates for those that cause accidents. Cell phones are only one of many distractions in the car. While we're talking about making policy how about eliminating billboards and especially the electronic ones? How do they work? By taking your eyes off the road to read/see whats going on at the billboard. Comeon people. Enough of this &quot;no fault&quot; malarkey, time to take responsibility for your actions. &quot;Most of the distracted-driving-related fatalities (84%) were associated with the general classification of operating the vehicle in a careless or inattentive manner (could include cell phones [for States without cell phone identification on the reporting form], eating, talking to passenger, looking outside, etc.). It should be noted that the distracted-drivingrelated crashes and fatalities may be associated with multiple categories of distraction. For instance, some of the fatalities may be associated with both cell phone use and operating a vehicle in a careless or inattentive manner. Specifically related to cell phone involvement, the specific activity with the cell phone (talking, dialing, texting, etc.) is not known.&quot; <a href="http://www.distraction.gov/research/PDF-Files/Distracted-Driving-2009.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://www.distraction.gov/research/PDF-Files/Distracted-Driving-2009.pdf</a>

Ignatz

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 7:26 p.m.

It's so ridiculous that phoning/texting while driving is not severly punished. They're not essential for driving. I can only chalk it up to our politicians having no true regard for public safety. Of course, they and our protectors are busy chatting away behind the wheel themselves. Donations to political campaigns don't hurt, either.