50% OT / 50% bike-related

[LegendRider]

Georgia just passed a distracted driving law that prohibits the following:

Holding or supporting, with any part of the body, a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device (for example, an iPod).

Writing, sending or reading any text-based communication, including a text message, instant message, e-mail or internet data while holding your device.

Watching a video or movie other than watching data related to the navigation of your vehicle (i.e., your mapping app or GPS screen).

Recording a video.


I'm hopeful this will make a difference but I fear it will take a lot of deaths and a sustained campaign to change behavior. Distracted drivers have caused me to ride far fewer miles on the road than I used to (especially in a large car-centric city like Atlanta).

My OT question is what Bluetooth headset should I get for taking calls in the car? Two caveats: I wear glasses so fit/comfort is an issue and I have an older car stereo with no 3.5mm jack so a BTC unit isn't going to work.

[slowpoke]

The law exists in a lot of states, but they're rarely being enforced. :\

[makoti]

Originally Posted by LegendRider

Georgia just passed a distracted driving law that prohibits the following:

Holding or supporting, with any part of the body, a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device (for example, an iPod).

Writing, sending or reading any text-based communication, including a text message, instant message, e-mail or internet data while holding your device.

Watching a video or movie other than watching data related to the navigation of your vehicle (i.e., your mapping app or GPS screen).

Recording a video.



I'm hopeful this will make a difference but I fear it will take a lot of deaths and a sustained campaign to change behavior. Distracted drivers have caused me to ride far fewer miles on the road than I used to (especially in a large car-centric city like Atlanta).

My OT question is what Bluetooth headset should I get for taking calls in the car? Two caveats: I wear glasses so fit/comfort is an issue and I have an older car stereo with no 3.5mm jack so a BTC unit isn't going to work.

My Jaybird X3's sound pretty good on the phone. I also have an old car & use one of those adapters for BT music (tune to an empty station), but the call quality sucks bad.

[bikinchris]

I still prefer the wording in England. Simply put, anything that is taking your attention off of driving is illegal. Forward thinking and it never becomes obsolete.

[vqdriver]

for phone calls, i actually prefer something a bit bigger so that you're feeling for a wee li'l button. i was a big fan of the jabra headsets before.
if you like volume control, you can do it on the phone, but some headsets have those as well. wired earbuds with inline mic/call/volume is easy to find and cheap

[deechee]

Just don't

Talking hands-free on a mobile phone while driving is just as distracting as a conversation using a hand-held phone, despite one being illegal and the other not, a road safety study has found.

[bpm]

My town does some very aggressive enforcement of distracted driving laws. 3 or 4 times per year they have days where they are out in force running what have become known as "distracted driving stings". One approach is that they will use bicycle cops to ride up alongside cars stopped at traffic lights to see who is using their phone, and they'll pull those cars over. If it's a first time offense, the driver will often get away with a warning (sometimes verbal sometimes written). Much depends on the attitude of the driver.

I'm friends with many of the cops in my town and the stories they tell are unreal. People texting, emailing, watching movies, the list goes on an on. In several instances, they've even pulled drivers over multiple times in a single day.

The unfortunate reality as that people just don't seem to care, and the laws don't seem to have enough teeth to prevent it. In MA, first time offense is $100, second is $250 and third and subsequent offenses are $500. This still doesn't seem to deter people from doing it. I think the penalties need to be stiffer. Increasing the amounts and linking them to your driver's insurance premiums (similar to other moving violations) are a start. Also look at suspension of licenses for multiple offenses.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by bpm

people just don't seem to care

Sartre was right: “L'enfer, c'est les autres”

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by bpm

My town does some very aggressive enforcement of distracted driving laws. 3 or 4 times per year they have days where they are out in force running what have become known as "distracted driving stings". One approach is that they will use bicycle cops to ride up alongside cars stopped at traffic lights to see who is using their phone, and they'll pull those cars over. If it's a first time offense, the driver will often get away with a warning (sometimes verbal sometimes written). Much depends on the attitude of the driver.

I'm friends with many of the cops in my town and the stories they tell are unreal. People texting, emailing, watching movies, the list goes on an on. In several instances, they've even pulled drivers over multiple times in a single day.

The unfortunate reality as that people just don't seem to care, and the laws don't seem to have enough teeth to prevent it. In MA, first time offense is $100, second is $250 and third and subsequent offenses are $500. This still doesn't seem to deter people from doing it. I think the penalties need to be stiffer. Increasing the amounts and linking them to your driver's insurance premiums (similar to other moving violations) are a start. Also look at suspension of licenses for multiple offenses.

California has had hands free laws for a long time now and im pretty sure I see more people texting or playing on their phones while driving than not.

It’s incredibly hard to enforce and only seems to be enforced when there’s an accident.

[saf-t]

Yep- I look over and see this all the time when I'm out riding. If it happens at a red light I use it as an "opportunity for education" ;-)

[bpm]

Originally Posted by jtakeda

California has had hands free laws for a long time now and im pretty sure I see more people texting or playing on their phones while driving than not.

It’s incredibly hard to enforce and only seems to be enforced when there’s an accident.

Agreed. This is why I think the penalties need to be stiffer. $100 isn't much of a deterrent for many people. Start treating it like a moving violation where your insurance premiums are affected by these tickets, and the financial implications can get significant. Add in the threat of a suspended license for repeat offenders, and that may deter some people as well.

My company recently started stepping up it's policy on employee use of phones while driving, but is doing so in a phased approach. First, the company had no policy on phone usage while driving. Then, the company implemented a policy that only hands-free was allowed. The policy was then later revised to "encourage" no phone usage at all. After a while of that, it was further revised to no phone usage while driving (hands-free or not).