Cell phones MUST be attached to your car and considered "hands free" or it is against the law to touch them. I can tell you distracted drivers are out in full force, weaving across lines on the streets and the highways. Fiddling at a stoplight and forgetting to go on green. Then they get pissy when you honk to remind them to drive! Almost hitting pedestrians who are crossing in the crosswalk with the light in their favor. It is scary!
Honestly, both of my cars have bluetooth phone and it is still too distracting for me to talk and drive. IF I were on the highway heading straight for five hours, I might be able to chat. Otherwise, I would be so focused on the conversation that I would miss my exit.
I do use GPS. My grandmother-mobile has a big screen GPS. The other car that I brought back from Maui HAS a big screen but the disc stopped working for the mainland ... I guess I will have to bite the bullet and order the newest DVD. Kate has been using her phone or iPad for GPS but it is on her lap.
This new law is effective October 1.
https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2597/Introduced
I wish they had that here. My pet peeve is waiting at a green light while someone talks on their phone. Like you, I couldn't even talk on a hands free phone without being distracted and I think that is true for EVERYONE.
ReplyDeleteSend a letter to your local government ... with the link to our bill.
DeleteI especially love people in a Starbucks line, on their phone, and when it finally is their turn to order, they SHUSH the barista! Or stammer "um, well, let's see, what would I like today ... yes, well ..."
Hear! Hear! Kudos to your state government. I had a blog buddy whose granddaughter was killed by a texting driver. Like you, I cannot concentrate enough on driving if I'm talking. We do have a GPS that's attached to our windshield. My son uses his phone as a GPS, but it's attached to the dashboard. I wish they'd pass this law in every state.
ReplyDeletePeople who can't go when the light turns green because they're so involved with texting or talking are very annoying. I honked at a guy who was texting and didn't go when the light turned green. He retaliated by sitting there and refusing to go. He finally went when the light turned yellow and was almost ready to turn red so I would have to wait through the next cycle. Can you tell that this post hit a nerve with me? :/
And HE was in the wrong!
DeleteMost people seem to think THEY are not distracted....it's everyone else. My daughter fiddles with her phone was too much while driving. Jesse is installing a mount for her this week ... hope she takes this seriously because the fines are big enough to hurt.
I just installed my dash mount ... that Jesse bought me for Christmas!! Mainly now I can see WHO is calling more quickly than on the car monitor. I can answer my phone via car blue tooth on my steering wheel, so I could say to my sister "I can't talk now, I'm driving". She called the other day about sending flowers jointly but since I didn't answer, I had to send my own!!
ReplyDelete