[Yogi]

herbie herbie:

I personally can't stand the fucking things. People who call your cell expect you to drop whatever you're doing and answer them. Rude assholes.
When I'm driving, I'm into the driving, it's like MY ESCAPE. Only a dozen people even know my number, but guess what: a couple of them will call it to whine that their Internet is out while I'm having dinner or watching the tube on a Sunday evening.
I'll be in a checkout line and some bag is yapping on the phone, in a restaurant and phones are ringing, in a theatre and the compulsive bastard next to me is texting.
I normally don't even carry the damn thing with me. The odd time it rings when I drive, they best they get is "I'm driving, I'll get back to you when I stop. Click" because the next thing they ask it to whine about when that will be. Tell someone who cares.

If I don't have my Bluetooth with me, this ^ is exactly the response people get If I even take the call.

[Patish]

herbie herbie:

I personally can't stand the fucking things. People who call your cell expect you to drop whatever you're doing and answer them. Rude assholes.
When I'm driving, I'm into the driving, it's like MY ESCAPE. Only a dozen people even know my number, but guess what: a couple of them will call it to whine that their Internet is out while I'm having dinner or watching the tube on a Sunday evening.
I'll be in a checkout line and some bag is yapping on the phone, in a restaurant and phones are ringing, in a theatre and the compulsive bastard next to me is texting.
I normally don't even carry the damn thing with me. The odd time it rings when I drive, they best they get is "I'm driving, I'll get back to you when I stop. Click" because the next thing they ask it to whine about when that will be. Tell someone who cares.

I have to answer, because this is part of my job but I always try reduce the talk time.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

talking isn't the huge distraction here. People been talking with their passengers for decades now. IT's the taking your eyes off the road that's the issue.
KNow what my favourite sight on a highway is? When I see somoene with a brain that has pulled over because they are talking on a cell. And anyone caught texting whilst driving should have their licence revoked for a minimum of 2 years. IF they cause an accident, 5 years revocation. If someone is hurt in the accident jail time should be in order and if someone dies, then you go away for a long time.

But, as has been said, we don't need new laws, we just need to enforce the ones we currently have on hand. ie: reckless and/or dangerous driving, criminal negligence etc etc.

[Brenda]

DrRosen DrRosen:

Brenda Brenda:

Talking on a cell won't be outlawed, talking on a cell in your hand will be outlawed. Which is exactly what AC is saying.

And he thinks, just like I do, that the distraction is the talking (as stated in the study posted in this thread) and not so much the holding something in your hand. If THAT was the case, Timmies can close its doors.

I disagree. The distraction is looking at the device instead of the street to text not the conversation. You don't need to stare at your Tims cup to use it.

We are not talking about texting. We are talking about HOLDING the phone. I dont have to look at the phone while I am talking in it, right?

This is not about texting.

[2Cdo]

Talking on a cell phone or texting is only part of the problem. The biggest problem is that 99% of drivers in Canada can barely DRIVE A CAR, let alone drive and chew gum at the same time. The majority of those piss-poor drivers will also claim that they are good drivers who shouldn't have to pay for those other "bad" drivers.

Most of the drivers in this country shouldn't have a drivers licence.

[DerbyX]

Its the truck drivers I'm the most concerned about. I drive Steeles every day and at every intersection during morning rush hour we have a fully loaded truck running a red light because he doesn't want to stop and right behind him there are always 1 or 2 cars following close behind. You have wait at least 5 to 10 seconds after getting a green light before going in order for all the vehicles running red lights to clear.

If McGuinty set up a bunch of red light cameras he'd clear the deficit in no time.

[2Cdo]

DerbyX DerbyX:

Its the truck drivers I'm the most concerned about. I drive Steeles every day and at every intersection during morning rush hour we have a fully loaded truck running a red light because he doesn't want to stop and right behind him there are always 1 or 2 cars following close behind. You have wait at least 5 to 10 seconds after getting a green light before going in order for all the vehicles running red lights to clear.

If McGuinty set up a bunch of red light cameras he'd clear the deficit in no time.

When I first moved to Winnipeg back in '93 I told my wife to use the 3 second rule. When the light turns green wait 3 seconds before advancing due to the high number of people running red lights in that city.

Which just adds more to my previous post.

[Brenda]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Talking on a cell phone or texting is only part of the problem. The biggest problem is that 99% of drivers in Canada can barely DRIVE A CAR, let alone drive and chew gum at the same time. The majority of those piss-poor drivers will also claim that they are good drivers who shouldn't have to pay for those other "bad" drivers.

Most of the drivers in this country shouldn't have a drivers licence.

THAT I agree with.

Canada should implement mandatory driving classes, instead of being taught by who the hell ever you please.

[Brenda]

Everyone who can drive knows that having a green light doesnt mean the road is clear. It only means that the others should stop. ALWAYS check and double check if it is safe to cross an intersection...

[Choban]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Talking on a cell phone or texting is only part of the problem. The biggest problem is that 99% of drivers in Canada can barely DRIVE A CAR, let alone drive and chew gum at the same time. The majority of those piss-poor drivers will also claim that they are good drivers who shouldn't have to pay for those other "bad" drivers.

Most of the drivers in this country shouldn't have a drivers licence.

Completley agree with you, we all start out passing a road test and assumably the more practice we get should make us better, this is not the case though. What happens is we all develop the same bad habits and callous "it's my road" attitude.
I've been in favor of enforcing the distracted/undue care and attention laws for years, and I gotta say thet 99% of the people I see on phones while driving veer into other lanes and almost always cause an issue/close call for another driver. Same goes for texting and allot of activities (like the ass munch reading his morning paper doing 100k on deerfoot EVERY morning).
As far as professional drivers go it's company policy for them to pull over prior to talking on the phone for the majority of transport companies out there (I'm a dispatcher).
For radios it's a grey area, listening to the radio is fine, it's when idiots start fucking with buttons looking for that one station orsong on their Ipod that causes the distraction, just leave the things alone.
I won't even get into CB's , Truckers are professional drivers and 95% of tractor trailer accidents are caused by other vehicles not knowing how to behave around them (which should be part of driver training). A CB only takes 1 hand to operate and you don't have to dial anything, but policy here is again to pull over prior to beeping someone, if I get a call about my guys on the phone or radio we pull their records and if guilty they sit for a day, which means no $$$.

[2Cdo]

Brenda Brenda:

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Talking on a cell phone or texting is only part of the problem. The biggest problem is that 99% of drivers in Canada can barely DRIVE A CAR, let alone drive and chew gum at the same time. The majority of those piss-poor drivers will also claim that they are good drivers who shouldn't have to pay for those other "bad" drivers.

Most of the drivers in this country shouldn't have a drivers licence.

THAT I agree with.

Canada should implement mandatory driving classes, instead of being taught by who the hell ever you please.

Never happen here Brenda, too many idiots think it is a RIGHT to drive and not a PRIVILEGE.

[2Cdo]

Choban Choban:

For radios it's a grey area, listening to the radio is fine, it's when idiots start fucking with buttons looking for that one station orsong on their Ipod that causes the distraction, just leave the things alone.

I don't even know what station my radio is on in the truck, it's just a little background noise!

[Choban]

DerbyX DerbyX:

Its the truck drivers I'm the most concerned about. I drive Steeles every day and at every intersection during morning rush hour we have a fully loaded truck running a red light because he doesn't want to stop and right behind him there are always 1 or 2 cars following close behind. You have wait at least 5 to 10 seconds after getting a green light before going in order for all the vehicles running red lights to clear.

If McGuinty set up a bunch of red light cameras he'd clear the deficit in no time.

Truckers don't have the ability to slam on the brakes like everyone else, you can't just plow onto them for fear you will cause a worse problem. While I agree that they should be aware of what's ahead of them most of them will cruise through a yellow and into a red as opposed to jacknifing the truck, 2cdo said it right, 3 second rule, wait look then go as anyone can run a red.

[Choban]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Choban Choban:

For radios it's a grey area, listening to the radio is fine, it's when idiots start fucking with buttons looking for that one station orsong on their Ipod that causes the distraction, just leave the things alone.

I don't even know what station my radio is on in the truck, it's just a little background noise!

Same or if it's my ipod it's on shuffle and I like it all so not issue. I don't touch the thing while I'm driving, nor do I answer my phone, that's what voicemail is for. Nothings so important it can't wait till I get where I'm going. If anyone followed me for a day they would NEVER see me on the phone while driving.

[raydan]

Brenda Brenda:

Canada should implement mandatory driving classes, instead of being taught by who the hell ever you please.

It's coming here.

$1:

Saying they need more time to prepare their own staff, Quebec's driving schools have asked the Quebec transport minister to delay implementation of proposed new mandatory driving-school enrolment for new drivers.

The government has set an Oct. 25 date for implementation, but driving schools have asked for an extension until Jan. 1.