Cellphone law in Tennessee

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Have you ever ever been in a vehicle driven by someone at least twice the legal limit drunk??. Speech slurred, unable to hardly sit up straight... And lacked the muscle coordination to keep a steering wheel anywhere near straight???

Yeah... Try that sometimes...

Then get back to me about this stupid comparison...
 
I sure wish Florida would make cell phone use a #1 offense instead of a #2 or 3. Now you need to get a ticket for reckless driving, speeding etc before they can add texting as an offense. Ed
 
Originally Posted by MNgopher
Minnesota goes hands free on August 1. Opponents of the law cited that only well to do people can afford newer cars that build in the cell phone hands free ability into them, discriminating against the poor. What any of that argument has to do with safety, I'll never understand.


Well aside from the fact that both of my cars have bluetooth and I never hold the phone anyway, Garmin makes GPS units that have built in bluetooth and they go for around $100.

But you could always buy a hands free bluetooth kit for $30 or less.

https://www.amazon.com/Avantree-Bluetooth-Assistant-Speakerphone-Connectivity/dp/B0796QSR27
 
Originally Posted by CR94
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by AuthorEditor
Of course studies show that hands free doesn't stop the distraction factor. Just talking to someone in the car is distracting. Some studies indicate that talking on a hands free device is equivalent to driving drunk.
... I doubt they will ever outlaw ... using a hands free phone (which is essentially like talking to a passenger) while driving. ...
I read somewhere of a study which disproved that excuse. One main reason is that a passenger in the car will often have enough sense not to distract the driver at critical moments, whereas a caller won't know the traffic situation the driver is facing.

Yup, need to find it, but it showed talking to a physical passenger, while distracting, was not near a distracting as a phone call, hands free or not.
With phone calls, there is a slight delay, and takes more concentration to listen than a live person in car. Also, a passenger is aware of the current driving situation and will (or should) act appropriately to the situation.

Hands free =/= live passenger
 
Again good luck with that...

Magic laws will not stop anything...

People will use a hands free phone... And the overwhelming majority are just fine doing so...

Let's focus on real problems...

Because if all the people driving using phones were truly equivalent to be drunk... I would not want to be anywhere near a road... And that is just not the case.

Not saying there aren't some world champions out there... There are.

I have seen more issues with very old drivers or people just plain lost being a far bigger problem than others using a hands free phone.
 
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Why can't OK pass a law like this? To my knowledge, and I may be wrong, we only ban texting. So Googling where the closest Starbucks is is perfectly legal. Phone distraction here is absolutely out of control. No exaggeration, 4/5 people are on their phone while driving. It's not enforced at all, as even the police here text and drive. I've seen it many times. It has to stop!
 
Originally Posted by mk378
They have no safety inspections and laughable insurance requirements, but this measure will make Tennessee roads safe?


Safer, yes. I would agree that a safety inspection would be a good thing given the junk I've seen driving around here in East TN (bald tires, no stop lights, stuff dragging, etc.).
As to our insurance requirements, what's seems to be the issue?
 
It's the awareness that does help... Not laws.

Awareness makes people stop and think more than any law does.

I do like hearing the awareness commercial spots etc.

That is helpful in my opinion.
 
Originally Posted by bbhero
Again good luck with that...

Magic laws will not stop anything...

People will use a hands free phone... And the overwhelming majority are just fine doing so...

Let's focus on real problems...

Because if all the people driving using phones were truly equivalent to be drunk... I would not want to be anywhere near a road... And that is just not the case.

Not saying there aren't some world champions out there... There are.

I have seen more issues with very old drivers or people just plain lost being a far bigger problem than others using a hands free phone.

I agree hands free is better than on the phone, but just saying not the same as a passenger.

I still don't see what people talk on the phone about all the time.
 
Originally Posted by blupupher
Originally Posted by CR94
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by AuthorEditor
Of course studies show that hands free doesn't stop the distraction factor. Just talking to someone in the car is distracting. Some studies indicate that talking on a hands free device is equivalent to driving drunk.
... I doubt they will ever outlaw ... using a hands free phone (which is essentially like talking to a passenger) while driving. ...
I read somewhere of a study which disproved that excuse. One main reason is that a passenger in the car will often have enough sense not to distract the driver at critical moments, whereas a caller won't know the traffic situation the driver is facing.

Yup, need to find it, but it showed talking to a physical passenger, while distracting, was not near a distracting as a phone call, hands free or not.
With phone calls, there is a slight delay, and takes more concentration to listen than a live person in car. Also, a passenger is aware of the current driving situation and will (or should) act appropriately to the situation.

Hands free =/= live passenger


Some people can't chew gum and drive at the same time. If they outlaw hands free phone use while driving then they should also outlaw built in navigation systems and stereo systems too, and passengers (including pets) who can't stop talking or doing other actions that might distract the driver. Make cars one passenger bare bones machines where there is nothing to do but drive it.
 
I agree Zee....

Go back to zero stuff in a vehicle.

Many other items are ever bit a problem a hands free phone.
 
The law has been enforcing texting while driving here in my part of the woods NC.

My nephew is a big time text machine. He can blow you up fast. He got three texting while driving tickets in less than two months.

NC is a primary law state, so you can be pulled over just for texting and driving. 18 and older can still drive and talk on cell phones.
 
https://archive.unews.utah.edu/news_releases/drivers-on-cell-phones-are-as-bad-as-drunks/

This is an old one, but do some Googling about hands free calls being as bad as driving drunk. Talking to people in the car is just as bad for some people. Some people are unable to communicate with a person in the passenger seat without continually turning towards them. I was behind someone the other day who I would estimate spent 80% of his time behind the wheel facing the passenger he was talking to with occasional glances to the road and the left. It was scary.
 
It was already against the law here to text and drive. We didn't need a law banning holding a phone while driving.

The government regulating everything is not the answer.
 
Originally Posted by Trav
The only problem with that is the fine is too little, it should be $500 and 30 days license gone automatic, then enforce it to the max with cameras also.
If you want a law to work you have the make the punishment really painful, the $500 may not hurt everyone but burning the shoe leather for a month will most...


Add to the penalties "confiscation of cell phone" and this law becomes much more effective.
 
Went into effect in July 2018 in Georgia.


It's not enforced. 80% of the people on the road act as if it never happened.


Waste of time passing these laws if they won't enforce them. Police always say these laws are VERY DIFFICULT to enforce (read: you can't sit on the side of the road with a radar gun and catch'em)

GA had a no texting/no surfing law before this. People simply lied and said they were dialing numbers.


No law is going to stop it. I'll tell you who will stop it - Insurance companies. How?

Well they will start STRONGLY encouraging you not to do it (already are, seeing commercials on TV about this), then they will start telling you that your auto coverage is null and void if you are the cause of an accident and they prove you were using your cell phone.


That's about it.
 
Originally Posted by thooks
Went into effect in July 2018 in Georgia.


It's not enforced. 80% of the people on the road act as if it never happened.


Waste of time passing these laws if they won't enforce them. Police always say these laws are VERY DIFFICULT to enforce (read: you can't sit on the side of the road with a radar gun and catch'em)

GA had a no texting/no surfing law before this. People simply lied and said they were dialing numbers.


No law is going to stop it. I'll tell you who will stop it - Insurance companies. How?

Well they will start STRONGLY encouraging you not to do it (already are, seeing commercials on TV about this), then they will start telling you that your auto coverage is null and void if you are the cause of an accident and they prove you were using your cell phone.


That's about it.


That won't stop it either. Only way to stop it is to make phones not work while in a vehicle with the ignition on....
 
Originally Posted by grampi
That won't stop it either. Only way to stop it is to make phones not work while in a vehicle with the ignition on....


Only problem with something like that is everyone will be pulling off on the shoulder of the roads to talk or do something on their phone. I'm sure everyone here has seen the chaos even one car parked on the shoulder of a busy highway can create. Can you imagine dozens of cars parked on the shoulders all the time with people messing with their phone? They would also have to make a law that you can not pull over on the shoulder of any road unless it's an emergency. Of course people would lie and say it was an emergency of a police officer happened to come along checked on someone parked on the shoulder. In the mean time, traffic is totally honked up because of clowns addicted to their phone.
 
Originally Posted by WyrTwister
Question is , will it be enforced ?

Sure. By people driving around on laptops, phones, and radios.
 
Originally Posted by grampi


That won't stop it either. Only way to stop it is to make phones not work while in a vehicle with the ignition on....


What about passengers?
 
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