Do you think a law should be passed that would make using a phone in a car while driving illegal?

No, not because I don't think cellular phones are a contributing factor in accidents, but more because I dislike such prior restraint. I'm all for abolishing "vehicular homicide" as a category of crime. As far as I'm concerned, if someone clubs someone else to death, it matters little if the club weighed 5 pounds or 3000.

Of course if you do that you probably should make it illegal to smoke, fiddle with the radio or tape deck, etc. There would be no end to it. It would be nice if people would just be more responsible.

I would prefer that people tried to understand the consequences of their actions. However, most people seem to reject this idea and prefer that their legislators do it for them; given this attitude, outlawing cellular phone use while driving seems a reasonable idea.

No, it would be impossible to put a provision for emergency use that would not be abused. What if you call the police because some nut has been following you? Okay, there would be a record at the switchboard. What if your spouse or child is seriously injured and you need to get to the hospital immediately? There is no way to check on that.

I'm not sure... Maybe laws should be passed so that if the person was using a car phone when they caused an accident, or did something illegal on the road, that their fine be higher.

A little biased are we?

I'm rather ambivilant about this, because although I believe that using a cell phone (especially a hands free one) can be used safely while driving, but mostly they aren't. Unfortunately you can't mandate common sense.

First I'd require periodic proficiency reviews for people to keep their license.

Holding a phone in one hand and driving is more dangerous than using a car kit that lets you talk hands free. I would be tempted to restrict the right of people to to do the former.

I think in the UK, it is illegal to use a mobile phone when driving !

There are already laws that make it illegal to drive irresponsibly. Whether they're irresponsible for using a car phone or some other reason is irrelevant.

Yes. But if using a handsfree model, no.

yes i do. i also think shaving, putting on make-up, eating and anything other than driving should be against the law.

Another one? Where I live, it's already illegal. (Massachusetts, USA)

Yes. If you're going to use the phone, pull over. "Hang up and drive."

I've heard/read somewhere that using a car phone while driving is just as likely to cause an accident as being drunk while driving.

No, but I have no problem with my using a car phone making me officially at fault in an accident barring strong evidence to the contrary.

I've seen some cars (namely, my father's cars) that have a hands-free cellular built into them. I feel that these are infinitely safer than holding a handset and driving at the same time.

On the same note, I'd be pretty pissed if they passed a law saying that you can only use a cell phone in your car if it's hands-free because those rigs are expensive.

Good question.

Having a hand busy with the phone doesn't really distract me from driving. Talking on the phone would though. A headset wouldn't be any less dangerous. Pulling over is dangerous too, if you're on the highway.

I'm opposed to prior restraint, so I'd rather just have the system recognize that it's willfully dangerous and adjust liability accordingly.

**seth: Yeah, and next they could do it for alcohol:

"Drinking while intoxicated is 'willfully dangerous' but we'll let you do it so long as you take a hit on your insurance. You know, to cover all of that pesky vehicular manslaughter stuff."

When did it become illegal to use a cell phone while driving in MA?

milktree: as far as I know, quite a while ago. My guess is mid-80's or so.

I don't but sometimes I know how you feel.

yes. I can't think of ANY reason that someone should be driving and talking on the phone.

gmbrand: Perhaps "culpability" is the word I'm after. Assignment of fault, not subjection to purely financial penalty. But no, there's no restitution possible for murder, only penalties to make people not want to do it.

reality: i am stuck in traffic, and i call my honey to say i will be late (okay, so its a fantasy, i don't have a car phone anyhow) and then traffic starts to move while we are still talking. do i hang up on her or do i piss off they guy behind me or do i drive? i drive.

drdt: then you say 'traffic is moving, I'll see you shortly' and you hang up..

I have a headset that does not obscure my vision in any way, or limit my range of motion. I have long conversations while driving. I do not believe that they are inherently more distracting than a conversation with someone in the passenger seat and I'd argue less so, since I do not have a head to see around.

**hunter, reality, et al.: Some additional food for thought: If someone makes a call from their car, it's probably a moderately important (and thus distracting) conversation, although this is arguably less true now than in years past (when cell phones were more expensive). Also, if traffic up ahead starts doing something requiring attention, a passenger will (usually) see the reason for the pause in conversation while someone on the other end of a cell phone won't and will likely be saying distracting things such as "Are you there?" at exactly the wrong time.
Having said all that, let me reiterate that I think there should be no law regarding cell phone use. Like so many things, they can be used responsibly or not and I don't think a law prohibiting use is the right way to go.

sorry anonymous, but you're wrong.

From the RMV drivers manual section on car safety:

Cellular Phones and CB Radios

You are allowed to use a cellular (mobile) telephone or CB radio while driving, as long as you keep one hand on the steering wheel at all times and can operate the motor vehicle safely.

daver: you are probably correct, there isn't really a way to enforce it, it would just become another blue law.. and there are too many laws as it is.

It is illegal here, and I think that's a good thing.

To all the people saying things like "hands free kits are infinitely safer" - research says otherwise. It has been proven it's just as dangerous - it's not the one hand off the wheel that causes accidents, it's the concentrating on the phone call instead of driving. Having a conversation with a passenger doesn't have the same affect on your concentration.

Those mutha fukkers and their stupid phones are rude and careless and selfish all cell phone calling driving
maniacs should be tortured and then shot....

I really don't like to drive and talk on the cell phone at all.
When we had the analog phone I'd often open the flip phone (which then automatically answered the call) say "hold on", find a way to park safely and then talk. Now with the PCS I just let it ring -- either the voice mail will get a message or it's not that important to the caller. It helps that the caller id works most of the time, so that's a backup in case they don't leave voice mail either. More often than not, there's someone else in the car with me and I ask them to please answer for me. I rarely have to talk to someone or park though -- it's rarely important, most of the times it's chit-chat. Maybe a reflection of the fact that we are more liberal with who gets the cell phone number (used to be only people who we wanted to call us in an emergency would get the number). It's also true that if I'm gonna be driving for less than 20 minutes I often just leave the phone off and turn it on and check for messages when I've parked the car.