Tell you what, Hands free devices are quite cool. It took a while to get used to them down here in California. I went through a few bluetooths till I got it right. There is a visor mount the sell at Costco. I think it is around 8o dollars clear signal and very effective. I could not stand the ones that you stick in your ear. The new truck has it built in to the stereo. It is convenient and safe. Your eyes never need to leave the road... unless you are texting ( kidding)

Waaaaay overdue. Your rights end when exercising them endangers others.

Then we need to look at eating in the car , putting on makeup ,etc....
these things are just as distracting as using my phone while driving.

Total garbage written for the brainless feelgood peasants known as the Washington voter.

527 fatalities in Washington in 2008. That's about 1 fatality for every 1 million miles drivin. This law will not save a single life but will certianly make money for the state.

In fact I can argue that this will cause more accidents by the idiotic peasants rubbernecking and swerving/braking to get a good glimpse of officers ticketing their fellow peasants. Ask any trooper and they will tell you that the most dangerous part of their job is standing on the shoulder of a highway ticketing someone.

So how do we get that number down to zero. I know-lets stop giving driver licenses to the peasants so only the beutiful people running this state can drive. That would also save the world from Global Warming.

I mean if we all use buses and it saves just one childs life while protecting Mother Earth isn't it worth it!!!!

Once again I'm all alone on the hill screaming, "The King has no clothes." but apparently I'm completely surrounded by blind duechbags....

Wa traffic statistics

Actualy transportation researchers have investigated many aspects of distracted drivers. The findings suggest that the most dangerous times is when the driver takes their eyes off the road or requires two hands. For eating its opening packaging or eating things that require a utensil. One handed eating say an apple, sandwich etc, is less likely to cause a crash. In most cases of eating or drinking you set the item down and use two hands on the wheel when needed.

Cell phone studies show that crahes occur most when drivers are trying to dial the phone, looking to see who is calling, or text messaging. Once you are on the phone and talking one handed the danger decreases but does not diminish. The unique aspect of a cell phone is that you will not set the phone down when two hande operation is needed. This is because of the nature of phone conversastion and you feel rude about ending the conversation so abrubtly.

The pure science aspect of this is called perception reaction time. Its the the time it takes for a driver to percieve danger, react, and stop. Its a combination of those 3 elements. Cell phones, eating, make-up, reading, etc all reduce the perception of danger time and that is the root of the crash.

Plus a gazillion !

It's bullsh&t. If you physically can't manage the ability to talk on the phone and drive, you should never drive and just take a bus. What's next...........no eating while driving? No, it's okay to rummage through a sack from McDonald's looking for a french fry while driving, but I can't talk to a client on the phone. How about.........no changing the volume on your stereo? Your hands must be at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock at all times or you get pulled over?

The real danger? The kid texting while driving..........they text with two hands and their heads are down. I was behind a young driver and thought they were dozing off.........head bobbing, car swerving....I passed and saw they were texting.

Heard of sex-ting Hank?

Mf

Scary stuff hers just a couple vids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCHdZxO4_tQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJyU3h0dNT0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUzQAmWKOw8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yo-pT97UtA&NR=1&feature=fvwp

You can choose to not understand why or how legislation like this can happen. But, to those who oppose safety, I really worry about you, your family, me and my family when your behind the wheel. I'm kind of disapointed in the reactions of some people on this thread who would never point a firearm at anybody and rely on the safety mechanism but they think they can be distracted and drive. I'm really suprised by the responses of people who preach super safety in a drift boat but claim they are not susceptable to it on the road. What a frickin joke just go back a read what you have said and relate it to other saftey issues you hold true.

Its not junk science. Perception reaction time is real and you know it.

I wont argue the point of individual freedoms because thats who we are as a culture. But, Dave makes a good point to when your choice to be distracted interferes with my choice to live.

Good point. With 104 drownings and 567 firearm deaths in Washington to go along with the 527 traffic related fatalities I think I'll sell both boats and all my guns

Better yet I think the beautiful people should just outlaw driftboats and guns. After all if it saves the life of just one child........

So if I am for this safety law going into effect. You're saying Todd is going to get my guns?

Hell yeah, and lets ban cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and cheese burgers because they kill lots of people too.

Home alone trickle charging like she has been every other day for the past month or so. Getting me a little testy if you have noticed

I think the line is that nobody is taking the phone away from anyone. Nobody is taking the car from anyone. Most conservitives are pissed when the law actualy takes ownership rights. Most gun owners are cool with not being allowed to discharge a firearm in city limits because its a safety thing. Its when the law makers say you cant have the object. In this legislation everbody gets to keep their toys. Its just a law to say when you can use it baseed on safety. Safety, safety, safety!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tell ya the truth I would prefer that the government did not have to protect us from our selves either. I just wish we were all smart enough to understand the basic concept of perception reaction time, being distracted, and how it interferes with driving. I just want people to put the flipin' phone down; law or no law. If you are not conciuos enough to do it yourself then how do we change the culture to where people just put the phone down on their own recognicence?

KK,
The state should set up basic laws that we all have to abide by. For traffic related issue's that would be speed limits, types of shapes and colors of signs, traffic lights and what red, yellow and green mean etc........ These are socially accepted norms based on the rule of law. To ignore these basic laws puts our fellow citizens at extreme risks and thus should be enforced.

For personal behavior within these rules I think there are some extra laws that make sense. Drinking and driving laws and secure your load laws would be examples of laws that make common sense to me as the result of neglagence in these area's pose extreme risk to our fellow citizens. These laws designed to change our personel behavior need to be watched (and debated) very closely though as the beautiful people have shown throughout history that they are willing to trample individual rights at every turn and if we are not careful they will turn us all into the very sheep that makes up the vast majority of Wa. voters!

So it comes down to risk assessment and risk management. 500 out of 6.5 million (of which what 20? 30? 40? are a direct result of cell phone use) to me does not reach a level of risk to the point that writing new laws are warrented. Especially ones that will probably do more harm then good unless your the accountant for the local shariff's department.

But then again I'm standing on a shining hill surrounded by sheep yelling "The King has no clothes!"

My drifter is full but a wall of death may be in order if'n you don't mind missing part of a football game!

Brood, its alot more than just fatalities. Its insurance claims, traffic delays, lost wages due to even minor traffic incidents. Everbody on the wet side of the hills knows how much delay is caused by just a small, non-fatality, crash can cause. The state data you provide and " stand on the hill" about is just fatalities. I sure as sh!t think its a major hassel to deal with being late, organizing repairs, dealing with insurance adjusters, and raising my blood pressure because some teeny bopper was texting/talking about who's fu@kin who.

The diffrence is, you eating a cheese burger will not kill ME. You texting while driving damn sure might. I am all for individual liberty until that liberty hurts innocent bystanders. That's why I am in favor of drunk driving laws. If the drunks only killed themselves, and if they had adequate insurance , so i dont have to pay for their care, i would be fine with them drivign drunk.

Do I favor gun confiscation, hell no. Do I support laws baning shooting inside the city - sure do.

It's like the well established free speach laws. You can holler what ever you want, but you cant holler FIRE in a crowded theatre.