I57;m astounded. According to the Daily Caller, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (a Republican) is looking into potentially installing devices into cars that would disable all phones in the vehicle.
Theres a lot of technology out there now that can disable phones and were looking at that, said LaHood on MSNBC. LaHood said the cellphone scramblers were one way, and also stressed the importance of personal responsibility.
The hosts of Morning Joe pushed the secretary about the possibility of requiring scrambling technology installed in vehicles.
I think it will be done, said LaHood. I think the technology is there and I think youre going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones. We need to do a lot more if were going to save lives.
Texting and driving is incredibly dangerous. Not only do you put your own life at risk but you also endanger everyone in the car and on the road with you. Talking on the phone is arguably just as bad. I do neither, because I know the dangers and I hope others on the road do too.
But how can LaHood say they will stress 60;personal reponsibility61; when they are looking into completely shutting down any room for individual judgement?
The Department of Transportation is stepping awfully close to, if not over the line of what is and isn57;t appropriate when it comes to government intervention into personal lives.
This is the opening shot in the attempt to keep us from openly communicating with one another.
DOT launches Faces of Distracted Driving video series
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood shown speaking at the 2010 Distracted Driving Summit.
The Trucker News Services
11/16/2010
WASHINGTON 52; U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today launched 60;Faces of Distracted Driving,61; an online video series exploring the tragic consequences of texting and cell phone use while driving.
The series features people from across the country who have been injured or lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes. In 2009, nearly 5,500 people died and half a million were injured in accidents involving a distracted driver.
60;These videos are dramatic evidence that the lives lost to America57;s distracted driving epidemic aren57;t statistics. They57;re children, parents, neighbors, and friends,61; said LaHood. 60;These people have courageously come forward to share their personal tragedies in order to warn others against making the dangerous decision to talk or text behind the wheel.61;
The U.S. Department of Transportation is encouraging others who would like to share their experiences with distracted driving to post videos on YouTube and email the links to faces@distraction.gov.
60;Faces of Distracted Driving61; is part of LaHood57;s effort to raise public awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and to support victims. In January, LaHood joined anti-distracted driving advocate Jennifer Smith to announce the creation of FocusDriven, the first national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending distracted driving.
60;Distracted driving can have dangerous and life-altering consequences,61; said FocusDriven President Jennifer Smith. 60;These videos will hopefully help change behaviors behind the wheel and keep our roads safe for everyone.61;
60;Faces of Distracted Driving61; launches today with three videos:
Elissa Schee57;s 13-year-old daughter Margay was killed in 2008 when a semi-truck crashed into the back of her school bus in Citra, Florida. The truck driver was talking on his cell phone at the time of the crash and said he never saw the bus. Schee is a founding board member of FocusDriven.
Laurie Hevier57;s 58-year-old mother Julie was killed when a distracted driver struck her as she walked beside a road in Rudolph, Wis. Crash reconstruction reports showed the driver could not have been looking at the road for 8.75 seconds. Hevier is now an advocate against distracted driving.
Amos Johnson57;s 16-year-old daughter Ashley was killed when she lost control of her vehicle, crossed the center line, and hit a pickup truck in Asheville, N. C. She was texting at the time of the crash. Johnson now speaks to local teens about the dangers of distracted driving.
The U.S. Department of Transportation57;s campaign against distracted driving is a multi-modal effort that includes automobiles, trains, planes, and commercial vehicles.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently issued a rule prohibiting railroad employees from using personal cell phones and other electronic devices on the job, in response to a September 2008 Metrolink crash that killed 25 people in Chatsworth, California.
After a Northwest flight crew distracted by laptop computer usage overshot their destination by 150 miles, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advised air carriers to create and enforce policies that limit distractions in the cockpit and keep pilots focused on transporting passengers safely.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a regulation banning text messaging while operating a commercial motor vehicle in September 2010. A rulemaking proposed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in September 2010 would expand the texting ban to certain drivers carrying hazardous materials that are not covered by the FMCSA regulation.
To learn more about the U.S. Department of Transportation57;s efforts to stop distracted driving, visit www.distraction.gov.
cellphones do not cause deaths. google cell phone laws proven to be complete fraud. i have never heard of this lahood character. thanks for the info
"if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Cor 12:3113:13 "I don't know where Bin Laden is. I truly am not that concerned about him" George W, Bush, 3/13/02 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html
I believe LaHood was one of the masterminds who floated the idea that drivers should pay a fixed charge for each mile driven. I think he's still working on that one.
''Republican congressman advocates charging drivers by the mile to replace obsolete fuel tax'
"if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Cor 12:3113:13 "I don't know where Bin Laden is. I truly am not that concerned about him" George W, Bush, 3/13/02 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html
Oh, but it does. It has a lot to do with the safety of the hosers that lord it over us. As long as they can screw with us like this, they ensure the flow of our dollars to that septic field on the Potomac.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. - Aesop
You might have those 3 words and a lot of time to think about them if you are lucky enough to survive a crash caused by someone talking or texting on a cell phone. That's the proper place to inject those 3 words.
Just this past weekend we went to the Grove City shops, 40 minutes away and saw three drivers talking on rheir cell phones while driving in excess of 70 mph on I-79.
Passing laws against using a cell phone while driving does nothing to stop the insanity of doing so while driving. People don't think they could be in an accident while using their cell phone while driving. look at how many kids are maimed and killed because they are stupid and drive under the influence of alcohol. We have laws and they have been educated against it, yet it happens all the time.
I think the cell phones are used for a lot of important calls and people use them to warn other drivers of impending hazzards and accidents. If they got to make cell phones inoperable in a moving vehicle, let them remain live to receive an incoming message to alert the driver, then kill them until the vehicle is safely parked and the engine is off.
There are enough drivers out there not capable of operating a vehicle safely let alone being further impaired by using a cell phone. Cell phones save lives as well as taking lives. We can't have it both ways.
I got Mrs.L a jitterbug.com cell phone, 50 minutes/month, $14.99 + all the taxes and fees, and she uses 3 - 6 minutes/month.
I feel better knowing that if there's some sort of emergency, break-down, whatever, she is able to call for help from the (relative) safety of her car.
cell phone laws dont reduce accidents at all, as proven by statistics in california two years after such law went into effect. the government just wants our money. they claimed the tickets were 20 bucks, but that was a lie. they were around $100. i got one the first day of the law in california. i posted about it here, said i would beat it in court, and proceeded to do so. that was fun. :-) i didn't give them a flippen dime, & still talk on my cell phone while driving every day. if that fills someone with fear and paranoia, they have issues.
"if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Cor 12:3113:13 "I don't know where Bin Laden is. I truly am not that concerned about him" George W, Bush, 3/13/02 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html
Just get a hands-free telecommunications system as I have with my Blackberry/Blu-tooth capability in my car. Works like a charm. Another problem solved.
Just get a hands-free telecommunications system as I have with my Blackberry/Blu-tooth capability in my car. Works like a charm. Another problem solved.
Sorry Buck. Commander LaHood's plan is to eliminate any cell phone usage, hands free or not.
Hands free technology doesn't require fiddling with gadgets (it is voice commanded) while you can maintain clear control of the current driving situation.
If I read your statement correctly:
Sorry Buck. Commander LaHood's plan is to eliminate any cell phone usage, hands free or not.
He might as well eliminate talking to others while driving a car. This means that mothers/dads can not handle situations with their children (say, driving the children to school) while driving too.
I guess its duct tape across the mouth for the little bastards!
He might as well eliminate talking to others while driving a car. This means that mothers/dads can not handle situations with their children (say, driving the children to school) while driving too.
LaHood would have shit his pants had he saw what we drove around with back in the 60s. My car didn't start unless I was high.
I feel better knowing that if there's some sort of emergency, break-down, whatever, she is able to call for help from the (relative) safety of her car.
I can appreciate having a cell phone in case of emergency if used responsibly. Far too many don't What the hell did people do before there were cell phones? For every responsible owner there is probably some idiot endangering his and other lives out on the road.
There has to be some way to protect innocent lives. What would you suggest to stop the carnage from the use of cell phones? One accident and one lost innocent life is one too many. My wife has one strictly for an emergency. She never answers it when she is driving. If the calling party didn't leave a message that is water under the bridge.
cell phone laws dont reduce accidents at all, as proven by statistics in california two years after such law went into effect.
To this I say bullshit. If you are not on the phone you may be more apt to be attentive to your driving.
I think they should pass a law that they can confiscate the vehicle if a driver is caught using his/her cell phone while moving. Notice, I said while driving. Make the price of endangering others lives should carry a stiff a penalty as vehicle confiscation.
I know, cell phones don't have any relationship to driving accidents, injuries, and deaths. Just think, if the dog hasn't stopped to shit, he'd have caught the rabbit. Driving with alcohol or drug impairment never caused an accident or death either. Right?
There has to be some way to protect innocent lives. What would you suggest to stop the carnage from the use of cell phones? One accident and one lost innocent life is one too many. My wife has one strictly for an emergency. She never answers it when she is driving. If the calling party didn't leave a message that is water under the bridge.
I couldn't agree more. As one who rides a motorcycle to work daily, I've seen too much which leads me to agree with LaHood. Lew Rockwell came out against LaHood and his proposals yesterday. I'm as libertarian as the next guy and I don't much care what you do until it affects me. Using cell phones while driving is dangerous--- end of story.
46;"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end. "