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Study: Most Americans Support a Texting-while-Driving Ban
Posted 11/02/09 at 09:37:04 AM by Paul Lilly
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According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, an overwhelming majority of Americans feel text messaging while driving should be made illegal. Not only that, but over half surveyed said those caught sending a text while behind the wheel should be punished just as harshly as drunk drivers.
"If you're going to drive, drive; if you want to talk or text, pull over to the side of the road," Constance Drake, 71, of Toms River, J.J., said in a follow-up interview with the New York Times.
Americans don't seem split on the issue, at least according to the poll. Only 3 percent of respondents saw nothing wrong with texting and driving at the same time, while the other 97 percent disagreed. And around 80 percent said it should be made illegal to talk on a cellphone while driving, unless it's a hands-free phone. That's up from 69 percent in a 2001 ABCNews poll.
What's your stance on texting or talking on a cellphone wile driving? Tell us in the comments section below.
Image Credit: gtchannel.com
at least we arent dumb as i
Submitted by nsk chaos on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 8:02pm
at least we arent dumb as i thought...t3xt1ng r 4 n00b5!@!!@#$!!!! lol
I'm with most of America
Submitted by Mighty BOB! on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 5:07pm
I'm with most of America on this one. Complete ban on texting while driving, and requiring a hands-free device for talking. (Although other people have brought up good points about you still need to look at the phone or push a button to start or accept a call on most models AFAIK.)
Also I'll be the first to admit that I'm a hypocrit and have texted while driving on one occasion and do not have a hands-free device [although as it stands, I only drive for a total of a few hours every year thanks to public transit].
Submitted by popstop785 on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 4:21pm
I cannot stand the mindless people that drive and text. It's so annoying. I fully support it myself.
You're in a car to drive, not text your little buddies. Focus on the road and the people around you. Nothing is so important that you need to text while driving, and if it is important enough to communicate with a person, tehn pull your butt over and CALL them. Texting while driving is unecessary no matter what the reason.
People need to put their damn phones away and actually drive their car. If I ever get hit by a person who is using a cell phone, I will sue them so bad their great grand children will feel it.
Submitted by AndyYankee17 on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 1:32pm
I support a person's right to text and talk and not wear a seatbelt while driving. I regularly web browse while driving and have never been in an accident. It's all about self responsibility, not a nanny state
edit: Also, making the penalties the same as drunk driving? what the hell? drunk driving is a hell of a lot worse than texting while driving
I didn't think there'd be
Submitted by Wildebeast on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 4:38pm
I didn't think there'd be any Pro texting comments... (live & learn, I guess.)
We shouldn't need a Law, to require that any driver pay attention to what their moving vehicle is doing.
I'm in favor of Laws on using a cell phone, because they draw too much attention, for too long. For those who quite naturally say "oh no, it doesn't..." Do you STOP, then, if/when You drop your phone --while using it??
I think most of us will go 'groping around,' blindly (or worse --take a look) to avoid stepping on something like that.
"Hand's free," is better ---but a lot of people will still end up groping for some button or another, when it's not making them a better driver.
Submitted by SEALBoy on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 3:25pm
The cellphone law isn't there to protect you. It's there to protect the people you're going to hit. Sure we could take your word that you aren't distracted while browsing the web, but that's all it is - your word.
Submitted by AndyYankee17 on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 12:33am
i rarely write when driving, when i do its at a red light and i get help from my g1 keyboard. its all about knowing your limits, quick glances keeping one eye on the road. i would have no problem tacking on a fine if texting contributed to a collision. i dont live in a city, a lot of long roads and not much traffic, at least in winter. i would never recommend anybody text while driving, but i think a ban is a bit excessive, couldnt it fall under reckless driving
Come on, fess up. This
Submitted by Tekzel on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 2:43pm
Come on, fess up. This comment is a joke right? Right?
in canada
Submitted by LVmonkey on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 11:07am
it boils down to something like if its in your hand and your driving, you are driving distracted. Doesn't matter if your playing Bejeweled on it or even talking. It does always come down to if the officer thinks what your doing is enough of a reason to pull you over for it. And they don't always, much like jay walking. If they ticket everyone to the extreme then their credibility as a policing force is in jepardy ...so it behoves them to keep the publics confidence by not being weenies with the law but to keep the law simple enough to not have to fight with the offender about it.
Submitted by Tenhawk on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 10:51am
Don't get me wrong... I think anyone who texts while driving is a bloody imbecile and should probably be slapped with whatever penalties drinkers get, but...
How does anyone plan to enforce a law like this? I mean, I don't see a breathalizer test for texters coming up anytime soon, so except for complete morons who actually text while a cop is like driving right BESIDE him, how does one get caught for this? Are we going to let cops into our phone records on suspicion of texting so they can match the time with... with what? I guess it *maybe* could be used in some accident cases if the cell phone was broke in the accident, or the time of the accident was known down to the minute...
Mostly, however, this is an unenforceable law. Do we really want more pointless crap cluttering legal books?
Submitted by popstop785 on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 4:25pm
Well if you were to get in an accident, they can check your phone timestamps. Or if you were to get a ticket for breaking the law (running a stop sign, red light etc.) they could increase the penalty if they have evidence you were using a phone while you broke the law. Similar to the no seatbelt... speeding and get pulled over,...then get a ticket for not wearing your seat belt as well. My guess.
Submitted by deadgarth on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 10:42am
I'm against texting while driving, but I've no problem with talking. I drive with one hand most of the time while not using a cell phone and I fail to see how it's different from talking to someone who's sitting in the car with me. Should we ban that too?
Submitted by Muerte on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 1:20pm
The only problem with this is that you still have to pick up the phone, most people will look to see who if they want ot talk to the person calling, all before they start talking. And all the while they areo nly half paying attention to the road.
So unless you have a phone that is completely handsless, and by completely handless I mean you don't even have to look at it to activate it, yes ban talking on them also.
Submitted by deadgarth on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 6:14pm
Mmmk well when they invent and everyone uses handless radio, handless cupholders, and mirrors that you don't have to look at, your arguement will be more applicable.
Submitted by Arrowdodger on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 10:37am
And what if you're stopped at a stoplight/sign?
I vote make the requirements for a drivers lisense a bit higher. Get rid of all the damn teenage girls and we'll be good.
Submitted by popstop785 on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 4:22pm
Have you seen old people try to text? They are guaranteed to kill someone before a teenager would while texting.
Texting while driving = fail.
Submitted by Arrowdodger on Sun, 11/08/2009 - 10:16am
Have you seen old people try to just drive? They're triple guaranteed to kill someone before a teenager.
Submitted by PhelanPKell on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 10:30am
As of October 26 it is now illegal to utilize your cell phone in the province of Ontario, Canada without a handsfree device while driving. This is following suit with at least 3 of our other provinces that have already legalized the law.
In the interests of this law, some companies, such as Blueant, have released bluetooth devices with features like text-to-speech and even voice commands for answering calls. I would well imagine they are working on improvements to voice dictation as well.
I figure that it's only a matter of time before the U.S. Follows suit.
I stand firmly against
Submitted by zstadt on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 9:26am
I stand firmly against texting / talking on the phone while driving. If I get a call while behind the wheel, I usually put it on speaker and say I'll call back.
Submitted by nforce on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 9:18am
What was there Sample type? (you can always make a servay say what you want to say just by putting the poll where only your targreted people go.) ie old people.
Submitted by bathtbgin on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 9:49am
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/technology/02mbox.html
the above link explains the methodolgy used in the survey and gives you the margin of error. To be honest I'm inclined to believe the results of this one, can you honestly say that texting while driving is safe?
Submitted by popstop785 on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 4:30pm
Agreed. It puts you and everyone around you at risk. It is pure idiocy.
Submitted by Tekzel on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 1:18pm
I'm with you on this one, it takes a special kind of idiot to think texting while driving is anything other than pure stupidity.
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