"I can drive better after 3+ beers...

**Shadow Shack** · 06-23-2010, 07:31 PM

...than you can while using a cell phone."

Discuss.

(taken from another forum)

**that7guy** · 06-23-2010, 08:58 PM

True .

**Shadow Shack** · 06-23-2010, 09:21 PM

What I'm getting at here is both are illegal, both cause accidents, both are "justifiable" by the offender, but only ONE of them results in instant jail time.

**Nathan** · 06-23-2010, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow Shack

What I'm getting at here is both are illegal, both cause accidents, both are "justifiable" by the offender, but only ONE of them results in instant jail time.

and one can get you to the graveyard a holelot faster

**cagie** · 06-23-2010, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow Shack

What I'm getting at here is both are illegal, both cause accidents, both are "justifiable" by the offender, but only ONE of them results in instant jail time.

Not in all states to both. It is dependent on the allowble BAC. Personally I think drving under the influence of anything, including cell phone, is a bad thing. Heck there are people that can';t even walk and talk on a cell phone without causing an accident. Just go into any city center and watch the pedestrians walk into traffic while UIC (Under the influence of cell)...

edit, The city of Harrisburg recently outlawed talking on cell while driving. It has gone to court and IIRC lost because there was no signage at the city edge telling people of the law...

**Shadow Shack** · 06-23-2010, 10:01 PM

Good grief, what's a sign at the edge of town gonna do? People that never leave town will never see the sign...are there signs at the edge of town that say running a red light is illegal? Signs that say speeding is illegal? Are there signs saying shooting people with guns or stabbing them with knives is illegal? If so, how do you have time to read all those "law signs" as you roll into town?

Quote:

and one can get you to the graveyard a holelot faster

Not sure about that. Both cause accidents just as frequently...famous last words overheard on a cell phone are typically "Blah blah blah bla...Oh SH## !!! <static>"

**flitecontrol** · 06-23-2010, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow Shack

What I'm getting at here is both are illegal, both cause accidents, both are "justifiable" by the offender, but only ONE of them results in instant jail time.

Not illegal in Louisiana. Plus, you will be out of jail as soon as you make bond. If you don't tell the judge he or she is an idiot when you go to court, you aren't apt to do time unless you injured someone seriously. The paper reports folks being arrested for their third or more DUI pretty regularly. The highest number I recall was six.

**cagie** · 06-23-2010, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow Shack

Good grief, what's a sign at the edge of town gonna do? People that never leave town will never see the sign...are there signs at the edge of town that say running a red light is illegal? Signs that say speeding is illegal? Are there signs saying shooting people with guns or stabbing them with knives is illegal? If so, how do you have time to read all those "law signs" as you roll into town?

Go into Laurel, MD. There are signs everywhere letting people know there are red light cameras. Lo and Behold I got a ticket from there mailed to my house for running a red light, Had a long talk with my step-son who had my car at that time. Cost him $79. Yes, everyone is warned...

Speed limit signs are the warning per se. You aknowledge that when you get your license (at least in most states). PA has an anti-litering law that you "acknowledge" when you sign your vehicle registration card.

Here's another example. Do you know (without cheating) which states have helmet laws? Yet there are no signs at the border telling you...

Point is, you have to let everyone know tht you have certain laws on the books. Not just for the people who live in a municipality, but for those travelling through as well. A cell phone ban might be a good thing, but very costly for a city to publisize and enforce. Now if ti went state wide or federal, then you have a different ball game.

**Shadow Shack** · 06-24-2010, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Point is, you have to let everyone know tht you have certain laws on the books.

Yet "ignorance of the law is no excuse".

Simply put, there is no way to "let everyone know". For example, I didn't have to sign a littering statement with my NV license, so does that exempt me from PA's littering law when driving within PA's borders on account of not having signed their littering law acknowledgement? They never forwarded me any of that information before leaving town.

My cell phone operating manual mentioned driving while talking on the phone is distracting. I would wager any cell phone manufacturer adds that tidbit as well (after all they don't want to get sued). Does that count?

Let's go one step further. The municipality has signs on the edge of town but Tom Driver is illiterate and can't read. Should he be exempt under the "letting everyone know" clause?

**Fridgitator** · 06-24-2010, 02:13 AM

Statistics regarding cell phone use involved in accidents haven't been kept as long as those for drinking and driving have, but indications are that there is little difference between driving distracted and driving drunk. It won't be long before the numbers have been officially crunched as to just how drunk. Anyone who commutes in the morning in a major metropolitan area has probably noticed that driving while half awake isn't too safe either. Insurance companies are often the catalyst behind driving related regulations because they obviously don't like to pay claims. For some reason, they haven't been lobbying for cell phone bans like they did for air bags, seat belt requirements, etc., And I'm not sure why. It could be that they don't want to wage war with cell phone companies, but I don't know.

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