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January 16, 2020 12:12 PM UTC

Finally Time To Hang Up And Drive, Colorado?

  • 11 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols
This guy.

The Denver Post’s Linnea Lipson reports:

Colorado may soon follow 20 other states in prohibiting hand-held phone use while driving.

The proposed legislation would make it illegal for adults to use a mobile device while driving, except through the use of hands-free equipment. It also would bar drivers under 18 years old from using any mobile devices. Colorado already bans texting while driving.

“It’s a pretty common-sense measure to make our roads safer,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, who is sponsoring the bill. He said his constituents want legislators to act on this issue to cut down on crashes.

This is by our count at least the fourth time that legislation to outlaw use of a handheld cell phone while driving. In previous years, a combination of efficacy and civil liberties concerns pulled together a majority to defeat the bill. Supporters argue that the near-ubiquity of built-in speakerphone technology in cars built in the past few years makes it easier than ever for drivers to comply–an argument met with rightful concern about the impact of the law on less affluent drivers with older cars.

What say you, gentle readers? Is it time to hang up and drive, or do you have a sacred right to multitask?

Don’t worry, your answer will not be reported to your insurance company.

Comments

11 thoughts on “Finally Time To Hang Up And Drive, Colorado?

  1. sure- no handheld devices
    Also:
    – no make up application or removal 
    – no reading
    – no gaming
    – no sleeping
    – no sex
    – no THC consumption or measurable at a level that impairs
    – no medication or other substance known to distract or detract
    – no audio that drowns out emergency or first responder vehicles
    – no passing in the off ramp or on ramp lanes on the freeway
    – no driving in multiple lanes, including wide vehicles that obstruct both directions in one lane (Capital Hill) 
    – no treating right turn lanes as merge ramps (protected  or not) 

    Air guitar, keyboard, drumming or dancing allowed only while stopped at lawful stops: eg, traffic light, trains, staffed construction diversions or stops

    two wheel vehicles shall be allowed (encouraged) to lane share or lane split, but with no more than +10 mph speed differential

     

    1. Well, sure . . . 
       

      . . . as long as there’s the appropriate exemptions made for:  legislators, their spouses, significant others, children, neighbors, acquaintances, law enforcement, firefighters, campaign donors, other elected officials, people of limited pigmentation . . .

      . . . and me (on a rare occasion). 

  2. People I’ve known who were injured by inattentive drivers —

     * one was hit in a police dept. parking lot, as the officer was driving out at the start of shift and was adjusting radios.

     * one wound up having someone turn right on a red light while he (having the green) was going thru the intersection.  Beyond turning right, the driver was also looking in the mirror to apply makeup.

     * one was injured in a one-car accident when she bent over to pick something up from the floor, turned the wheel slightly, and drove herself into a ditch.

     * and though I wasn’t injured physically — my ego and bank account were harmed — I drove into a parked pickup when I was on a side street next to a park, and watching some nice looking people play tennis.

    Like many drivers, I’ve seen people reading a book or a newspaper, eating and drinking, turning to talk to someone in the back seat, putting on makeup, shaving, fixing their hair, pulling their tee shirt over their head (on a highway, 65 mph limit), fumbling with cigarettes, a pipe, and a vape device, and “cuddling” with a passenger.  Cell phone conversation, texting, reading a map, or reading whatever else pops on the screen doesn’t seem much worse than any of the other things people (including me) do.

  3. Gave up driving and talking on the phones a long time ago.  With exceptions such as to talking to myself and yelling at those idiots out there on the road ruining my driving experience.  I found things easier to drive when not trying to explain to someone on the other end of the electron stream that I was dodging someone who dared to be in the crosswalk when I am going through the stop sign.

    Here is a ponder question.  If you are in a self-driving car by yourself can you use the cellular phone?

  4. Banning hand-held phone use is a start, but rapidly overtaking that issue is the deep menu dive often required to do simple things while driving.  It takes multiple steps simply to change the station on my car's radio — don't even think about trying to program it to remember that station next time!

    Using the voice command system to dial someone I need to speak to leads to random butt dialing of people in my cell phone's contact list.

    I just hope I live long enough to see when self-driving vehicles are a reality.

  5. I've always thought this is a good idea. When we had a new stereo installed in our car, we got one that can voice-dial a phone and broadcast through it.

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