Please put down your cell phone when you drive. You may take your last drive....

Cell phones are enough of a hazard to everyone – but what about working a puzzle. This happened about 45KM from me – I hope I am never on the road the same time as this idiot!!!!

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Puzzle+solving+driver+nabbed+Highway/7036195/story.html

If you think using a cell phone is crazy then I will tell you that in my duties as a State Trooper I stopped a man who was driving up the New York State Thruway and playing a piccolo. He had his arm hooked through the steering wheel and was steering the vehicle with his left elbow. Another time I stopped a man eating a chicken dinner from a tray held in front of him with shoulder straps.
I stopped others performing various acts which I will not go into in a public forum.
Driver distraction has always been a problem, it’s just the causes that change with time.
I forgot to mention that when I pulled my police car up abreast of the man playing the piccolo and tooted the horn and motioned for him to pull off the highway he stopped playing his flute and stuck his tongue out at me. I didn’t issue a citation but made him put the piccolo in its case and drive the car safely.

I’ll never forget way before cellphones I was with my husband driving on the freeway and happened to glance over at a car he was passing to see the guy had a nekkid woman centerfold opened across his steering wheel.

I also remember we were driving out of Cleveland after a Browns game and a car literally stopped in the middle of an extremely busy intersection blocking all traffic as the guy just sat behind the wheel oblivious to the honking from the other cars. Finally, a woman’s head popped up and from the looks on their faces realizing what they did and where they sure made up lost time speeding off.

I wouldn’t believe a lot of truck driver tales. I still remember our last drive to Florida in 1990 listening to the cb radio hooked up in the minivan. I was driving, hubby asleep in the back and one trucker making up sexy stuff about me so every truck I passed up the guys made sure to get a good look. Much to their disappointment, I’m sure. lol

Interesting how many years truck drivers have been using cb radios and apparently they can chat and drive those huge big rigs or I’m sure we would have heard about it way before talking and texting on cellphones and driving and all the accidents now.

Remember the CB radio era well. It seemed like the early 70’s were the wildest. I had a base antenna at home and gave directions through town to the truckers that came through. then we decided to have a meet up with a bunch of us at a restaurant. wow, no one looked like they sounded on those CB radios.. LOL. But we had a blast! And I agree, truck drivers always are there to help when needed..

Having all the new technology is fine but when you put your self & others in danger cause you want to use it when driving now that is just plain selfish in MO. I have a cell but never turned on when I be in my car. it is only for emergency due to a breakdown. & I’m living a happy life with out the phone being turned on. I had so many people pull right out in front of me and the was talking on the cell.

I have a prepaid cell phone from Net10 and the 200 minutes I get every month roll over… I have nearly 5,000 minutes on it now. I only turn it on if I’m going to use it, or if I want to be reached. I do not text… it takes too much time and I see no need for it. I still have a land line and plan to keep it, and I have an answering machine. I only give my cell phone number to my family and CLOSE friends. Not for acquaintances, LOL.

To me, the people who text while they drive are as bad as the ones reading the newspaper or a book while they are driving, or putting on make-up or whatever. adelberta3 has a good idea there, about cars needing to be made with some sort of interference thing, but that won’t help with any cars made before that technology. So, perhaps the phones should be made so they won’t work if they are in motion… but it would have to know the difference between walking and other motions and car motion. Hmmm…. well, somebody needs to invent something anyway, LOL.

@abbysattic, I was thinking of that while I was typing my response, and decided to let it go anyway. I know my daughter and her friend were lost in a not-so-good part of town once once and my daughter called me to ask how to get out of there. Maybe just the texting should be disabled when the phone is in motion…. maybe.

You are absolutely right about the people using the technology being the real problem.

Many states have banned texting and use of cell phones when driving but if law enforcement personnel fail to enforce it it becomes somewhat hopless. Many law enforcement people violate the law themdelves and thus refuse to enforce the law.

Heard word on CNN yesterday that serious consideration is being worked on for nation wide no calling or texting while driving. wow, that will be great I think and until people decide to heed the warning, the cops will certainly give out a lot of tickets…..

Technology is good when it’s used to assist and not replace using what God put inside your skull. I know people who would be completely helpless without their cellphones, gps units and smartphones. People need to learn, or re-learn, how to think with their brains first instead of relying on devices to do everything for them.

Personally, I think it’s getting out of hand to have to pass laws because too many people lack common sense.

I agree with you Tweety and Driver!! Common sense has died.

A daughter of a friend of mine died texting while driving. She was only 25.

big fines and loss of driver license points here in Aussieland for using mobile phones whilst driving.

Jules