Comments on: States with Hands Free Laws

By: MonkeyMonk

MonkeyMonk — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:10:41 +0000

With Bluetooth hand’s free is relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. I think this should be mandatory country-wide and is IMO a more important issue that even seatbelt usage since the repercussions often effect others.

I’ve almost been hit twice and by cars while walking through an intersection in the past couple of years and both times the driver was talking on their cell phone at the time of the incident. Coincidentally, these both happened in Chicago which I believe now has a hands-free law.

By: jim

jim — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:04:37 +0000

TSW: That’s a good point, I’ll work on the map and make them a different color.

By: TSW

TSW — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:52:02 +0000

You had me worried — I’m an Ohio resident, and I had no idea there was a cell phone ban or restriction in effect here. Turns out, only three towns in the state have such a ban, though there was an email hoax circulating recently. I found a nice summary at http://www.drivinglaws.org/ohio.php. You might want to differentiate the states with state-wide laws from the ones (like Ohio) that allow local restrictions.

By: Carina

Carina — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:36:12 +0000

“I gotta love the fact that california, the LAND of cell phones made it illegal to talk and drive.”

No such law exists. California lets you gab and drive as much as you like, as long as the phone is hands-free.

We’d all be better off if such a law did exist, though. Drivers are more dangerous when talking on the phone than when drunk, for crying. And the insurance industy’s own studies confirm that it’s the mental distraction is the source of those accidents, not whether you’re holding the phone up to the ear or using a headset/speaker. It’d be nice if lawmakers would address the root cause.

At least California has outlawed new drivers from using cellphones at all when they’re behind the wheel. The last thing an inexperienced driver needs is added distractions.

By: jim

jim — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:07:20 +0000

forty2: Correct, no state-wide law. There’s one in Brookline, so I colored it in.

By: jim

jim — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:52:35 +0000

Haha good call CK, thank you.

By: forty2

forty2 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:52:22 +0000

There is no such law in MA, though I wish there was, and one is proposed but delayed in the state house for some reason. I see dozens of boneheads daily yapping away with a phone mashed to their face while driving like a chimp on speed.

By: CK

CK — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:50:19 +0000

PS you missed the Upper Pennisula of Michigan.

By: CK

CK — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:49:16 +0000

Jimbo- Here in Michigan the ban is only in select cities, actually just Detroit I believe. And also for teenagers in their probationary period. I’m free to drive around my locale in Michigan distracted to my hearts content.

By: Sheila

Sheila — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:58:32 +0000

I wouldn’t mind more stringent laws in this area. Some people seem to feel like it’s impossible to drive anywhere without a phone stuck to their head. It’s pretty pathetic really. What happened to the good ol’ days of listening to the radio and singing along?

The number of people I see texting while driving is alarming. Sheesh!

By: john

john — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:12:38 +0000

I gotta love the fact that california, the LAND of cell phones made it illegal to talk and drive. People never pay attention to the road in that state. They are always talking. Plus im sure the Po Po can make some good dollars off of it.