aliinnc

and all other drivers. There was a horrible wreck here in NC the other day. A driver dropped his cell phone on the floor of the car. When he bent down to get it, he sideswiped two limousines in a funeral procession. A nine-year-old girl was killed, and thirteen others were injured.

I know that you shouldn't try to pick up the cell phone, or eat a sandwich while driving, or drink a drink. But I'm also teaching my DD that, if she HAS to do one of these things, don't take your eyes off the road while doing it.

Glance down to see where the phone is, then keep your eyes on the road while you reach for it. And never do it while you are beside another car, turning, or on a bridge or overpass.

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the other Ali
JujuParent

Your children need your presence more than your presents. ~Jesse Jackson

jtee

Good Thread. Thx!

Good Wolf

I think everyone needs to quit trying to multi-task while in control of thousands of pounds of speeding metal. I saw a cocky teen on the tollway yesterday driving with his legs. He had one hand propped up on the window with a smoke in it and the other draped across the passanger seat. I guess he thought he looked cool.

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Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.

FooserX

I worked with a girl who totalled her car because she was playing a videogame on her cell while driving! lol...crazy.

She was even proud of it when she told the story..."like omg, check this out...I gotta pic of my trashed car on my cell!"

Trina

I hear too many tragic stories like these.

It's illegal in my state to talk on a cell phone while driving, unless you have a hands free set up.

HappyMomma

Dallas just passed a law banning cell phone use in school zones.

Dallas City Council unanimously approves school zone cellphone ban | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

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The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable.
~Lane Olinghouse

Good Wolf

There have been some studies that show that it isn't holding the phone that is the problem but the actual conversation distracts you. I'm sure it helps having two hands on the wheel but unless it is an emergency just wait till you get where you are going to chat.

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Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.

Trina

Yes, I'm aware of such studies. Personally, I don't use my cell phone while driving unless absolutely necessary. Even then, I always use the hands free option. I prefer to pull over or wait until I reach my destination before making or returning calls. However, many people constantly use their cell phones while driving and think nothing of it. At least my state has a law to try to address this issue. Most states don't.

HappyMomma

I quit using my cell when driving the day that I almost ran a red light when I was chatting with my mom.

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The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable.
~Lane Olinghouse

Good Wolf

Here are some tid bits I found. It is scary that only 15 states have a law against school bus drivers talking on the phone.

5 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington), the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have enacted jurisdiction-wide cell phone laws prohibiting driving while talking on handheld cell phones.

• With the exception of Washington State, these laws are all primary enforcement—an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cell phone while driving without any other traffic offense taking place.

17 states and the District of Columbia have special cell phone driving laws for novice drivers.
School bus drivers in 15 states and the District of Columbia are prohibited from all cell phone use when passengers are present, except for in emergencies.
Washington and New Jersey are the only states to ban text messaging for all drivers, but other states are expected to follow suit.

• New Jersey has primary enforcement—an officer may ticket a driver for texting while driving without any other traffic offense taking place. Washington's law is secondarily enforced.

No state completely bans all types of cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) while driving.
Some states, such as Utah and New Hampshire, treat cell phone use as a larger distracted driving issue.

• Utah considers speaking on a cellphone to be an offense only if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).

__________________
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.