BC aims to seize cellphones from drivers, Alberta top cop watching with interest

[Dion]

Originally Posted by flameswin

No, that's not the point. A growing number people no longer have landlines, so their cell phone is their only way to contact 911 in the event of an emergency.

What about people convicted of drunk driving? Should we give them back thier license because of the hardship of getting to and from work and running errands such as getting groceries.?

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Dion

Pull over to the side of the road or a parking lot to use your phone. No one is going to take away your phone for that.

Do you pull over to change the radio station? Assuming not, why should it be any different if you're changing the station on a phone rather than changing the station by turning a knob?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Dion

What about people convicted of drunk driving? Should we give them back thier license because of the hardship of getting to and from work and running errands such as getting groceries.?

So we're comparing one's a ability to phone 911 in an emergency to a convicted drunk driver's hardships of getting to and from work and running errands?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by gargamel

Do you pull over to change the radio station? Assuming not, why should it be any different if you're changing the station on a phone rather than changing the station by turning a knob?

Just to be clear, are you saying you should have the right to talk on a cell phone while driving? Hands free I don't have a problem with.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by flameswin

So we're comparing one's a ability to phone 911 in an emergency to a convicted drunk driver's hardships of getting to and from work and running errands?

No, were talking about taking responsibility for ones own actions. If you're going to use a cell phone while driving I would suggest getting a landline in case you get caught. Cover your arse

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Dion

Just to be clear, are you saying you should have the right to talk on a cell phone while driving? Hands free I don't have a problem with.

Nope, in fact I'd support harsher penalties, just not taking personal property, especially in this day and age when people have as much personal info on them as their home computer, and rely on them for things like emergency calls, now that landlines are becoming extinct.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Nope, in fact I'd support harsher penalties, just not taking personal property, especially in this day and age when people have as much personal info on them as their home computer, and rely on them for things like emergency calls, now that landlines are becoming extinct.

Protect your info on your phone so people can't access it. Also keep a backup of all your vital info stored somewhere else - something i do with my computer.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by flameswin

No, that's not the point. A growing number people no longer have landlines, so their cell phone is their only way to contact 911 in the event of an emergency.

We have 26 units in our condo complex..... and only 1 unit with a conventional landline.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Dion

Just to be clear, are you saying you should have the right to talk on a cell phone while driving? Hands free I don't have a problem with.

I don't think that you should be allowed to hold your phone to your ear while the vehicle is in motion, but most of these laws are written much more broadly than that. Is it legal to touch someone's name on your phone to call them through your hands free system? I don't think it is, but I don't see why it shouldn't be, especially if you're at a red light.

[Brannigans Law]

If its legal to change the radio station in your car why the hell shouldn't it be legal to dial someone hands free?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by gargamel

I don't think that you should be allowed to hold your phone to your ear while the vehicle is in motion, but most of these laws are written much more broadly than that. Is it legal to touch someone's name on your phone to call them through your hands free system? I don't think it is, but I don't see why it shouldn't be, especially if you're at a red light.

If you're driving in a responsible manner chances are the police aren't going to stare at every vehicle that passes by to see who's on a cellphone or hands free.

[Swarly]

time for Burner Phones

I often wonder why these aren't more popular. Great to pick up for traveling, buy one for going hiking, rafting, all the usual times people damage/lose their phones.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by gargamel

I don't think that you should be allowed to hold your phone to your ear while the vehicle is in motion, but most of these laws are written much more broadly than that. Is it legal to touch someone's name on your phone to call them through your hands free system? I don't think it is, but I don't see why it shouldn't be, especially if you're at a red light.

Dont have time to dig out the study but hands free devices arent any safer than a regular phone. Really the current laws are flawed.

[BBQorMILDEW]

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

[T@T]

Originally Posted by gargamel

I don't think that you should be allowed to hold your phone to your ear while the vehicle is in motion, but most of these laws are written much more broadly than that. Is it legal to touch someone's name on your phone to call them through your hands free system? I don't think it is, but I don't see why it shouldn't be, especially if you're at a red light.

They don't admit it but these distraction laws were brought in because of texting,Dialing and talking while driving was never a real problem,just last year I had to drive a young lady home after she buried her car in the snow off of stoney trail,she was texting in a friken blizzard,when I pointed out the 2 feet she missed the light standard by she swore she would never use her phone again while driving.

Solution,smart phone manufacturers should disable texting,apps..etc when moving over 10 k and hour, if it saves lives I say boo-hoo to people on buses,passengers etc.nothing it that important that it can't wait until your stopped,keep the phone functional for obvious reasons.

A positive note maybe kids would interact with their parents from the backseat and people on buses/trains might learn to be friendly again,like it was before these anti-social devices were invented.

[calgarywinning]

The actual studies that are out there indicate that tiredness is the number one cause of road accidents.

While this fact is hidden, there are many studies that show DST shifts lead to more road incidents and there are spikes of accidents on these days and even more so if there is inclement weather.

Now, lets add some tiredness to trying to text your friend on the way to work. Or lets add some tiredness to hopping on the road after 2 beers and one beer for the road. While you wouldn't be .08 but slightly over .05 because you were in the bar for 2 hours.... or at the flames game.

Let's lock up people that have insomnia that choose to operate a motor vehicle where this may not be considered impairment.

I guess what we are talking about is this finite area where you approach a road ramp and there is a yellow marker that says the suggested speed is 40 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. The yellow sign leaves it at the users discretion, but the speed suggested is for somebody driving in the worst of conditions or the lowest speed. Your tires are bald and have no traction so you shouldn't even be on the road. You are meant to adjust your driving based on the conditions that are present. There are just so many factors and so many violations on my short little jaunt to work each day.

You can't legislate consideration for others. It's a big lifeskill.

[jhunt223]

Originally Posted by Minnie

Jhunt. Really all that needs to be said.

Actually.. I once had what I assume was a drug task squad pull me over at a light at about 3 in the morning. 5 cars surrounded me and a guy hops out of one of the cars in street clothes and comes up to my window. He asks why I just stopped outside of an atm to let someone out and then gets my friend (who I had just dropped off at the atm) to step out of the car to talk to one of the other guys. He shows me his badge and pretty much tells me he's either going to look through my phone or he's going to have a drug dog search my car.

I had a little bit of some stuff I shouldn't have in the car so I let him look through my phone, but I wasn't a dealing drugs. Meanwhile his buddies were searching through my friends phone and drilling him about his day. They didn't get what they were looking for and then they all just hopped in their cars and drove away. If you don't think a cop would look through your phone if he thought you looked suspicious you haven't been around the block enough. There are many cops who are bad people.

Also.. texting and driving is dispicable, but ffs driving while talking on your cell phone isn't rocket science. They should take away the licenses of people who cant pass a test demonstrating that they can talk and drive at the same time so the rest of us don't have to pull over to tell our nagging girlfriends that we'll be home in 5 god damn minutes.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by T@T

Solution,smart phone manufacturers should disable texting,apps..etc when moving over 10 k and hour, if it saves lives I say boo-hoo to people on buses,passengers etc.nothing it that important that it can't wait until your stopped,keep the phone functional for obvious reasons.

A positive note maybe kids would interact with their parents from the backseat and people on buses/trains might learn to be friendly again,like it was before these anti-social devices were invented.

So I shouldn't have a phone while sitting on a bus because you say boo-hoo? If I go or a jog my cell phone would stop working?

Do you remember road trips as a kid? I don't mean the Wonder Years narrated version that you have in your head, I mean the actual crammed into the back seat of a station wagon, two kids to a seatbelt, someone threw up and someone keeps poking you? But don't worry there are license plates to look at...

[GreenLantern]

100% on board for this, I would even allow them to smash the phone on the road right in front of the driver.

Just like drinking and driving, there is ZERO excuse for distracted driving due to cellphone. Get in a car? Turn it off.

[Erick Estrada]

Just a thought but why would anyone be in an uproar about this? You have nothing to worry about unless you are texting or talking on your cell phone while driving.