Advocacy & Safety - Cell Phone Issue

Hi,

Most of us have heard of an incident where a cyclist has been killed while a driver was absorbed in cell phone use. Many of us have even experienced a close call.
We can argue about helmets and safety laws and VC riding and light design and on and on. This should be something every cyclist can get behind:

http://www.petitiononline.com/7474355/petition.html

We already have that law in NY, everyone ignores it.
Laws don't change behavior, education does.

We already have that law in NY, everyone ignores it.
Laws don't change behavior, education does.

We've got it in Chicago as well, and it's ignored by most here, too, including police officers. It's kind of a sad joke anyway, as it's not phone use that's illegal, it's using a handset; people are still allowed to use the earpiece-and-microphone attachment, which frees up the hands but not one's attention. Fines are supposed to be $50 for being caught on the phone while driving, and the fine goes up to *as much as* $200 if an accident occurs while the person's on the phone. Which means it's probably rare that the fine hits that $200 limit, and thus most people don't take it any more seriously than they do exceeding the speed limit or illegal parking. A fine like that's one or two less nights out at the bar to most.

We already have that law in NY, everyone ignores it.
Laws don't change behavior, education does.

Laws don't change behavior, Mr. Colt does. :p

Laws don't change behavior, Mr. Colt does. :p


Yeah, trouble is I never have Mr. Colt around when someone buzzes me.

We already have that law in NY, everyone ignores it.
Laws don't change behavior, education does.


Laws do change behavior, and compel education. Far more so then hoping cagers will voluntarily educate themselves.

How do you know *everyone* ignores it? Because you see some who do? Do you have any statistics to show such laws are ineffective?

Oh well, you're right. I suppose we should repeal those drunk driving laws or domestic violence laws as well......they too were enforced very weakly when first enacted.

Laws on the books are a good start. Even if not enforced well, laws provide moral authority to those who wish to bring about change. Laws also form a cornerstone of education in the form of traffic stops, signage, driver's education classes, licensing, and government documentation.

But I'm not hopeful about the online petition thing. My understanding is that this kind of petition is mostly ignored by legislators, since it is so easily forged. The usual recommendation is to write your legislators on your own and/or join a hard-copy petition.

Laws don't change behavior, education does.

Massive fines work as well.

I can't go along with that petiton. Laws limiting personal freedom are most always a bad decision. What if they want to ban bicycles from public roads as they are a hazard to fast moving traffic?

Trek AL

Laws limiting personal freedom are most always a bad decision.


Trek AL

That's nonsense. Almost EVERY LAW limits personal freedom.

All laws limit freedom of the individual for the safety or consideration of the rest of society. A society with no laws is an Anarchy, and that's not beneficial to anybody.

Yes, using a cell phone in a moving vehicle should be illegal, for the safety of all other road users.

I can't go along with that petiton. Laws limiting personal freedom are most always a bad decision. What if they want to ban bicycles from public roads as they are a hazard to fast moving traffic?

Trek ALThat argument may work sometimes in the case of helmet laws, seat belt laws, drug-use laws -- where the only victim is yourself. It doesn't work in the case of laws controlling behaviours that impact (literally!) others. Its one thing to gamble with your own life, but another to gamble with someone else's.

One of those laws that is a good idea but ends up being not much more than political mileage for the reps who supported it. It's pretty rarely enforced.

While driving the other day my wife pointed out to me a fellow riding a bicycle on the shoulder of a busy highway talking on a cell phone. I ride on that road myself, and both hands are needed generally to avoid roadkill and gravel piles and such.

If theres a law on the books it could make it easier for your survivors to obtain a good settlement.

I don't think education or laws will help because it's a psychological problem. Telephones are the highest priority form of human communication. That's just the way it is. No matter what people are doing, in a movie theatre, in the middle of a high commission sale, or even during sex, they are going to answer the phone. Even if they don't physically pick up the handset, they will will listen during the answering machine or check the caller ID. It's freaky. People cannot not answer a phone. Unless of course, answering phones is part of their job. Then they have no problem not answering a phone.

How about a law that will allow cyclists to carry a cell-phone jammer with a 6 foot radius? Then finally the cagers will give us room ...

Laws dont change behavior, enforcing them does

its already illegal to drive and be on a cell phone here, or make a turn without using a signal.. but if nobody gets into trouble for it whats the point?

a few hundred tickets a day and a new story on the uprising of the tickets would definitly cut down on the amount of people breaking the laws.

Laws dont change behavior, enforcing them doesThe way it works is:

A problem is noted in the community
A law is passed
The law is ignored by enforcement
A disaster occurs, creating an outcry against enforcement
The law is enforced

This is not the way it should work of course, but so it goes.

I can't go along with that petiton. Laws limiting personal freedom are most always a bad decision. What if they want to ban bicycles from public roads as they are a hazard to fast moving traffic?

Trek AL

Old saying "your right to swing your fist ends at my node" Meaning you dont have the right to endanger my life. Cell phone useage inc arssz do indanger my life just like drinking and driving endanger it. Theres little diffrence between the effects the 2 have on your driving.

As far as pettion online goes no thanks its a waste of time theres yet to be any confirmed stories of any thing happening as a result of one of their patettions.

How about a law that will allow cyclists to carry a cell-phone jammer with a 6 foot radius? Then finally the cagers will give us room ...


lol just make one :)

Just need somthing that generates the same freq a cel phone uses. Some powerful wireless aps mess with cel phones in close range to it.