LaHood: We’re looking into technology to disable cell phones in vehicles

[Zoom-boing]

It really is a Goose Stepper World at this point. People really do fear the Terrorists and their own Government. Therefore they play it safe and Goose Step for anything the Government does. It's all out of fear in the end. More people fear their Government now than ever before. That's not how it's supposed to be. Our Founding Fathers did not want this. It's just very depressing.

I take it that's a no.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Yes some teenagers engage in "Sexting" so the Government freaks out and wants to monitor all Texting in the country. It really is a "Throw the baby out with the bathwater" mentality. A couple of people do something stupid and the Government wants to ban everything. Do you really want the Government monitoring all your texts because some goofy teenagers were "Sexting?" Some ignorant Goose Steppers would actually answer yes to that question. These people are completely lost. There is no hope for them. Just so sad.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

This administation is PURE EVIL.

first TSA
next the internet
going after Fox news
now this.

where are the SCREAM from the lefties and the ACLU about all this.?

Because they're all a bunch of full-of-shit hacks.

If GWB were President, the histrionics we be unbearable.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

The only Law's I know of that ban Speaker Phones generally relate to Construction Work Zones. Other than that Cell Phone usage is within the Law while driving. You all are control freaks. The Phone Nazi Party Reborn. Why not just ban Texting totally while you are at it, and free speech. Sounds like something Ravi would do. WWRD, figure it out, and just do the opposite.

Texting while driving is illegal in LA.

 

[shintao]

It really is a Goose Stepper World at this point. People really do fear the Terrorists and their own Government. Therefore they play it safe and Goose Step for anything the Government does. It's all out of fear in the end. More people fear their Government now than ever before. That's not how it's supposed to be. Our Founding Fathers did not want this. It's just very depressing.

I disagree to the narrow thinking. People "also" go along with moral & ethical & partisan things they are presented with. And that is where the loss of freedoms all stems from.

There is not one USMB member, besides me, who would rescind all gun laws today and restore the 2nd Amendment. Or get out of women's lives and abortion.

And perhaps I would fight for the definition/meaning of the general welfare clause under current conditions, but if the people ever take back their government I would be more in agreement with that.

 

[shintao]

The only Law's I know of that ban Speaker Phones generally relate to Construction Work Zones. Other than that Cell Phone usage is within the Law while driving. You all are control freaks. The Phone Nazi Party Reborn. Why not just ban Texting totally while you are at it, and free speech. Sounds like something Ravi would do. WWRD, figure it out, and just do the opposite.

Texting while driving is illegal in LA.

Actually holding a cell phone when driving in CA., is illegal. You can have a built in phone service off a dash speaker system. Here is a link for all 50 state requirements.

Cellphone Laws

 

[shintao]

use your onboard onstar. toss a distress beacon from your car. honk your horn.

What did people do before they had cell phones? Do you think that the cell phone is a right now?

I think it would be great if all public spaces disabled them! Restaurants, theaters, buses, airplanes etc.

I hope they pass this law, and then my mother is driving in her car and a lunatic stalker is following her with the intent to kill her if he can get the chance, and she can't make a phone call to the police to report the activity because her cell phone is being scrambled for her safety.

She could drive to police station. Or a well populated shopping area. Just sayin'.

You might as well rub the plastic Virgin Marys butt glued to your dash board. You sound like a lil kid when you ask him what he would do if a bad man tried to snatch him. "I would shoot him with my cap gun." "I would pick up a stick & hit him."

I bet most posters here have no idea where their police department is located, and if a criminal wants to kill you, forget finding safety in a crowd. That just slows you down getting away. Carry a loaded gun, and don't have a car with that device installed on it.

 

[Missourian]

The only Law's I know of that ban Speaker Phones generally relate to Construction Work Zones. Other than that Cell Phone usage is within the Law while driving. You all are control freaks. The Phone Nazi Party Reborn. Why not just ban Texting totally while you are at it, and free speech. Sounds like something Ravi would do. WWRD, figure it out, and just do the opposite.

Texting while driving is illegal in LA.

Actually holding a cell phone when driving in CA., is illegal. You can have a built in phone service off a dash speaker system. Here is a link for all 50 state requirements.

Cellphone Laws

Your link is out of date in one regard...it says Bus Drivers are only banned from texting in 2 states, when federal law bans texting by any commercial driver, including bus drivers...Feds bar commercial drivers from texting - Technology & science - Tech and gadgets - msnbc.com

 

[rdean]

Wow, they just won't quit, will they. The older I get the less I recognize this nation. More justification of a police state to keep us "safe." Are the American people going to stand back and let this happen?

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said using a cell phone while driving is so dangerous that devices may soon be installed in cars to forcibly stop drivers — and potentially anyone else in the vehicle — from using them.

“There’s a lot of technology out there now that can disable phones and we’re looking at that,” said LaHood on MSNBC. LaHood said the cellphone scramblers were one way, and also stressed the importance of “personal responsibility.”

The hosts of Morning Joe pushed the secretary about the possibility of requiring scrambling technology installed in vehicles.

“I think it will be done,” said LaHood. “I think the technology is there and I think you’re going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones. We need to do a lot more if were going to save lives.”

Secretary of Transportation LaHood: We’re looking into technology to disable cell phones in vehicles | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

Traffic deaths at lowest in 60 years
Last year there were fewer deaths by auto in the US than in the last 60 years. No lower total since 1950 where there were 80% fewer vehicles on the road. This in spite of an increase of 1% in total vehicle miles driven.
Ironically as exasperating distracted (by cell phone use) as most of us are, cell use had no appreciable effect on vehicle deaths.
I am a proponent of laws restricting cell phone use to hands free only. An all out ban on cell use in vehicles is impractical and unenforceable.
There are so many distractions in American vehicles. Stereos with large viewing panels that drivers should not be looking at while driving. Video players in back seats to keep children entertained can be distracting to the driver in many instances.
Look, what makes this country great is freedom of choice. This obsession some in government have with saving us from ourselves at all costs can potentially change the USA into a nanny police state. Who the hell wants that?!!!!
IMO the best way to combat stupidity is to punish stupidity.
In other words add special circumstances in vehicle crash charges. For example if an at fault driver in a vehicle crash is found to have been distracted and that distraction can be used as a determining factor, the State should have the power to place additional sanctions on that driver.
We must resist namby pamby statism.

Fewer deaths because Democrats believe in such things as "safety regulations" and "safety requirements".

But hey, I'm with Republicans. Get rid of speed laws. Any drinking laws. Get rid of all regulations. This isn't a nanny state. No more EPA or OSHA or food laws. Every man for himself.

Think of the shear entertainment value of a country without a drinking age, driving age or speed limits.

 

[Missourian]

Fewer Deaths From Distracted Driving Reported in ’09

By NICK BUNKLEY

Published: September 20, 2010

The number of deaths attributed to distracted drivers fell 6 percent in 2009 from the previous year, the Transportation Department said in a report released Monday.

Ray LaHood, the transportation secretary, said some police departments do not report if distraction played a role in accidents.




The report said 5,474 people died in 4,898 crashes linked to distraction last year, down from 5,838 deaths in 5,307 crashes in 2008. Distracted drivers were listed as a contributing factor in 16 percent of crashes and deaths in both years, as the total number of traffic crashes in the United States declined slightly.




http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/technology/21distracted.html

 

[Intense]

Wow, they just won't quit, will they. The older I get the less I recognize this nation. More justification of a police state to keep us "safe." Are the American people going to stand back and let this happen?

Traffic deaths at lowest in 60 years
Last year there were fewer deaths by auto in the US than in the last 60 years. No lower total since 1950 where there were 80% fewer vehicles on the road. This in spite of an increase of 1% in total vehicle miles driven.
Ironically as exasperating distracted (by cell phone use) as most of us are, cell use had no appreciable effect on vehicle deaths.
I am a proponent of laws restricting cell phone use to hands free only. An all out ban on cell use in vehicles is impractical and unenforceable.
There are so many distractions in American vehicles. Stereos with large viewing panels that drivers should not be looking at while driving. Video players in back seats to keep children entertained can be distracting to the driver in many instances.
Look, what makes this country great is freedom of choice. This obsession some in government have with saving us from ourselves at all costs can potentially change the USA into a nanny police state. Who the hell wants that?!!!!
IMO the best way to combat stupidity is to punish stupidity.
In other words add special circumstances in vehicle crash charges. For example if an at fault driver in a vehicle crash is found to have been distracted and that distraction can be used as a determining factor, the State should have the power to place additional sanctions on that driver.
We must resist namby pamby statism.

Fewer deaths because Democrats believe in such things as "safety regulations" and "safety requirements".

But hey, I'm with Republicans. Get rid of speed laws. Any drinking laws. Get rid of all regulations. This isn't a nanny state. No more EPA or OSHA or food laws. Every man for himself.

Think of the shear entertainment value of a country without a drinking age, driving age or speed limits.

I'm sorry .... are you in need of a Rest Room, It sure looks it. I know shit when I see it.... You may be a little too late though.... " ... Clean-up....Janitor.... Aisle #7...''

 

[Missourian]

Drunken driving fatalities down 7% in USA

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the drunken-driving fatality rate in the USA declined about 7% from 2007 to 2008, continuing a decades-long drop. Drunken-driving deaths have been trending downward since 1982, two years after Mothers Against Drunk Driving began focusing attention on the issue. There were 11,773 such fatalities in 2008, a 44% drop from the 21,113 in 1982, according to NHTSA and U.S. Department of Transportation data.

Drunken driving fatalities down 7% in USA - USATODAY.com

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Drunken driving fatalities down 7% in USA

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the drunken-driving fatality rate in the USA declined about 7% from 2007 to 2008, continuing a decades-long drop. Drunken-driving deaths have been trending downward since 1982, two years after Mothers Against Drunk Driving began focusing attention on the issue. There were 11,773 such fatalities in 2008, a 44% drop from the 21,113 in 1982, according to NHTSA and U.S. Department of Transportation data.

Drunken driving fatalities down 7% in USA - USATODAY.com

Government stats should always be questioned. They often only show what they want them to show. I know this is shocking to the Goose Steppers but this really is true. Bogus Government numbers aren't anything new. They are always used when they're getting ready to **** the People again. I just don't understand why so many are so willing to believe everything the Government tells them. It's pretty sad.

 

[Intense]

The only Law's I know of that ban Speaker Phones generally relate to Construction Work Zones. Other than that Cell Phone usage is within the Law while driving. You all are control freaks. The Phone Nazi Party Reborn. Why not just ban Texting totally while you are at it, and free speech. Sounds like something Ravi would do. WWRD, figure it out, and just do the opposite.

Texting while driving is illegal in LA.

Actually holding a cell phone when driving in CA., is illegal. You can have a built in phone service off a dash speaker system. Here is a link for all 50 state requirements.

Cellphone Laws

Texting is illegal in NY too. Speaker Phones usage is legal. For talking on a Cell phone you can be pulled over if you are not in Hand's Free mode, however, if you are texting, you have to be stopped for another violation to be ticketed. This State is so corrupt, it doesn't seem to know up from down. In NY we can pick up the phone to make or end a call.

 

[Intense]

New York lawmakers passed a bill that prohibits all drivers from using portable electronic devices that took effect on November 1, 2009.

The law prohibits all drivers from using portable electronic devices, such as cell phones and smart phones, to send text messages or e-mails while driving. The penalty for a violation of this law shall be a fine of up to $150. It is a secondary law, which means in order for a person to be ticketed for the offense, the driver must have committed a primary enforcement offense such as speeding, disobeying a traffic signal or other violation. This law will replace laws passed by other jurisdictions in NYS.

The law defines the following terms as:

(a) "Portable electronic device" shall mean any hand-held mobile telephone, as defined by subdivision one of section twelve hundred twenty-five-c of this article, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with mobile data access, laptop computer, pager, broadband personal communication device, two-way messaging device, electronic game, or portable computing device.

(b) "Using" shall mean holding a portable electronic device while viewing, taking or transmitting images, playing games, or composing, sending, reading, viewing, accessing, browsing, transmitting, saving or retrieving e-mail, text messages, or other electronic data.

Distracted Driving, Talking & Texting

 

[CaféAuLait]

Amazing how people made it for 80 years or so in cars without cell phones.

And we made it for centuries upon centuries without electricity too. But that does not mean that we can't use the technology responsibility when it is available to us. We can’t drink and drive however alcohol is allowed in our cars with us. One needs to learn how to be responsible and not stripped of rights. We do not need the government disabling our property because some don’t follow the rules.

What’s next a car that won’t start without all seatbelts engaged? Motorcycles that won’t start without helmets on?

 

[Intense]

Distracted Driving
Each year, 2005-2009, driver inattention/distraction was a factor in 9%-11% of all fatal crashes. Driver inattention/distraction was also a factor in 18%-20% of police-reported injury crashes.
“DRIVER INATTENTION/DISTRACTION” FATAL AND PERSONAL INJURY CRASHES*
2005 2006
2007 2008
2009**
Fatal Crashes Involving Distracted Driving
122 143
132 118
118
% of all fatal crashes
9.3% 10.8%
10.8% 10.2%
11.2%
Fatal Crashes Involving Cell Phone Use
1 3
5 2
6
% of all fatal crashes
0.1% 0.2%
0.4% 0.2%
0. 6%
Injury Crashes Involving Distracted Driving
23,211 22,729
23,244 22,985
22,475
% of all injury crashes
18.2% 18.5%
18.6% 18.9%
19.5%
Injury Crashes Involving Cell Phone Use
240 252
252 257
287
% of all injury crashes
0.2% 0.2%
0.2% 0.2%
0.2%

Page 25
http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/HSSP/2011HSSP.pdf

 

[LibocalypseNow]

We should also ban radios in cars. We should ban children in cars too. And then we should ban talking in cars. Better call the TSA. All Citizens will now be required to be publicly groped by TSA thugs before being allowed to enter their vehicles. I'm a Goose Stepper and i approve this message.

 

[Intense]

We should also ban radios in cars. We should ban children in cars too. And then we should ban talking in cars. Better call the TSA. All Citizens will now be required to be publicly groped by TSA thugs before being allowed to enter their vehicles. I'm a Goose Stepper and i approve this message.

You are to report directly to the DMV Re-Education Facility Promptly at 0800 Hours Tuesday November 23rd, 2011, and complete a 20 hour course, You must pay the Fee by Money Order, or face forfeiture of both Driving and Cell Phone Privileges, Comrade.

 

[Paulie]

use your onboard onstar. toss a distress beacon from your car. honk your horn.

What did people do before they had cell phones? Do you think that the cell phone is a right now?

I think it would be great if all public spaces disabled them! Restaurants, theaters, buses, airplanes etc.

I hope they pass this law, and then my mother is driving in her car and a lunatic stalker is following her with the intent to kill her if he can get the chance, and she can't make a phone call to the police to report the activity because her cell phone is being scrambled for her safety.

She could drive to police station. Or a well populated shopping area. Just sayin'.

I don't expect her to know where a specific police station is at if she's traveling across the country, for instance. What if it's in the middle of nowhere on I-70? If she's lucky enough to make it to a populated shopping center in time before he runs her off the road and disembowels her, that would be great.

But I think I'd rather her have the damn cell phone and get the proper authorities involved ASAP.

There's gotta be a better way to deal with this cell phone problem than "disabling" people's private property.

The ticket for being on the phone isn't enough? I mean shit, just raise the fine up to like $500 or something. Make it so high that people are too AFRAID to risk being caught on it.

But disabling the phone? Come on. You're a conservative. Think about how crazy that is.