Should talking on cellphones including handsfree be banned when driving?

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If that makes our trip safer then why should it not be promoted?

I lived 42 years without a cell phone, surly to goodness people can go without one for the little while while they driving a vehicle.

While I am in total favor of hands free devices, I am unalterably opposed to banning cellphones while driving.
I believe that outside of alcohol the leading cause of vehicular deaths amongst young adults can be traced to inexperience behind the wheel and the youthful feeling of invulnerability. Now we add cellphones into the mix and the proposed reaction is a knee jerk reaction.
The State cannot ban everything because someone died. Today we see so many warning labels on everything that by the time all the labels are read the device has become obsolete.
I believe better drivers ed and more behind the wheel experience for young adults is what is most called for.

YES it should be banned, and not just for younger drivers. It's a preventable distraction, and it's a major distraction. Any time your actions impact the safety of others, the people have a right to regulate what you're doing to mitigate that risk.

When I see someone driving erratically, more often than not it's because they are on the phone and not paying attention. I was rear-ended on my motorcycle last year by someone who was on the phone. It is a safety issue, despite what all the "I am the world's best driver, and am capable of doing this" would say.

Talking on cell phones should be banned while driving, but I am in favor of handsfree devices; after all, when people drive with someone else in the car they often have conversations with them. So, as long as it is handsfree, I'm okay with it.

Can people not be trusted to look after themselves anymore?
I'm currently learning to drive and the amount of ridiculous things that any driver will tell you are completely futile is just amazing.

May it is becuase i'm young, but i just have this great sence of 3 quite central things that govern alot of things i do.

>Do not kill self.
>Do not kill someone else
>Avoid prison at all costs.

I call it common sence.

Handsfree shouldn't be banned, but you shouldn't be allowed to dial numbers while you are driving. If you just ban someone speaking, you would then have to ban people from talking to each other in a car too.

I have a GPS device in my car, and it warns you never to touch it while the car is in motion. Cell phones should be the same way, because you are distracted when you don't have both hands on the wheel and you are not observing traffic.

Driving while talking cell phone is illegal in DC (except handsfree), but I see people doing it on a daily basis. Just this morning I saw someone parallel parking while talking on a cell phone, and she smashed the bumpers of both the car behind and in front of her.

I think the problem is just selfishness. If it's not talking on the phone, then they'll apply makeup. I've even seen people reading magazines while driving. When you drive distracted, you are no better than a drunk driver.

Cellphones are a great tool if used properly:

However, they are currently not being used effectively and safely; putting the lives of people at risk.

They should definately be banned from use in cars and replaced by safer hands-free device..
As well their use in schools, should be banned where I feel they interfere with education.

Finally another way to save lives would be by making the components "conflict free", which is up and coming, as coorporations assume their role as citizens.

http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/news/human-cost-conflict-minerals

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We will always find ways to be unsafe as long as we think our driving is safe. If it's not cellphones, it's something else. The fault is with the knowledge of drivers. We feel we won't crash, even a minor fenderbender, so we can afford to take an extra risk. For the most part, it's true. Most driving is safe. We only have an unsafe moment once every few years and it lasts for less than five seconds. I call it a DEFENSIVE DRIVING MOMENT.

We are legally obligated to avoid contributing to danger on the road. The law says, don't BE THE DANGER everyone wants to avoid. But when we raise our standard, when we take up the slack for other people's mistakes by driving defensively, we automatically avoid being the danger everyone wants to avoid but we also take extra precautions, like taking cellphone calls only when we don't drive, like not driving drunk or tired, like making sure our vehicle is properly maintained and not taking extra chances like flirting with near misses and speeding.

It's up to drivers to be safe, and to learn how to be safe. All drivers contribute to safety or lack of it. That's why I believe so much in road safety education.

I have a distance wise shortish commute (below 30 miles) but with traffic this can quickly become a 2 hours endevour. I talk to people on my bluetooth through the radio. I don't even have to dial any numbers, but just press a button to call. To me it is not more distracting than talking to a person in the car, especially since i do not turn aound an look at the person next to me, but I am able to fully focus on the street.