[lnichols]

Seems like Nissan is giving Europe Bluetooth carkits now. Most if not all of Europe has band phone use without hands free. Maybe if the US did this it would force manufacturers to supply them here.

http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/5503.html

 

[SugarRushMurano]

I was in Singapore for work 4 months ago ..

and ooy, US$570 fine per incident if you are talking on cellphone without handsfree while driving ...

And here is an interesting read:
http://www.cellular-news.com/car_bans/

 

[GripperDon]

Thank God for the USA.

 

[MightyMo]

Um, wait, so you're saying the competent drivers among us who can chew gum and walk at the same time should give up our freedom to drive while talking on cell phones PURELY to get a free tech gadget from Nissan instead of buying one from RadioShack? What are you smoking??? :1:

 

[hfelknor]

I know that I am saying that Cell Phone usage should be banned because there are too many who think they can walk and chew gum at the same time when the opposite is painfully obvious. And even if you can, we should allow the other 99 out of 100 who can't, just to make you happy? I think not. That's not the way road laws are crafted.

I have said since the things prolificated that if you hit me while talking on a cell phone, you would best back up and run over me again. Make sure I am dead.
Because if I am still alive I will crawl out of the wreckage and shove that phone where ....well you know where.
The only thing worse than an accident, is a stupid accident.
I put it right up there with Makeup being applied while driving.

I think that hands free, while not perfect, would be a big improvement.

Homer

 

[MightyMo]

Driving while distracted or stupid is already illegal, it's called Reckless Driving. Laws to ban this little distraction or that little distraction because it's the crisis dejur is both usless and expensive as the legal system becomes ever more entangled.

Also, there have been several studies done which shows it's actually the chore of mentally following a conversation that causes distraction problems, not the physical act of holding a phone.

 

[SugarRushMurano]

I guess it brews down to the very basic debate of banning cellphone usage while

driving versus individual's freedom.
I am not the best person to contribute another point on this issue,
All above posts are well said.

Instead, i am going to tell you what my grand dad always said to me when he was alive:

" The French rewarded U.S with the Statue of Liberty. It was later decided that the statue is to be put in Manhattan. Facing the water, it symbolizes freedom that rings on American Soil. Yet, I wished that the French had rewarded America with another statue named Responsibility. This statue will then be placed on the west, maybe in Seattle, looking to the open sea too of course. It will make the rest of the world know that in America, Freedom rings WITH RESPONSIBILITY"

I think that is one heck of a wise statement....

 

[zebelkhan]

Also, there have been several studies done which shows it's actually the chore of mentally following a conversation that causes distraction problems, not the physical act of holding a phone.

That is EXACTLY how it is for me! So I have limited my use of cell phone while driving because I do not find it safe.

 

[GripperDon]

Main thing I like about my hands free cell is the radio muting and voice dialing. That way I can use my electric shaver with less distraction by the phone. GRIP

 

[jaak]

All I can say is that I've always had a car kit and always will have them. I won't buy a phone if there's no car kit available.

 

[lnichols]

Um, wait, so you're saying the competent drivers among us who can chew gum and walk at the same time should give up our freedom to drive while talking on cell phones PURELY to get a free tech gadget from Nissan instead of buying one from RadioShack? What are you smoking??? :1:

No what I am saying is that in Europe they are installing integrated Bluetooth on all cars similar to what the TL has in the US. This is an extremely sweet setup and unfortuenately most manufacturers won't put them into the cars standard until customers demand it. Requiring hands free would increase the demand.

I don't think the Radio Shack solution will show the caller on the integrated LCD or Nav screen like an integrated solution would be. Look at the setup that Acura is starting to put into their car. It will work with most Bluetooth equiped phones so you are not limited to a single manufacturer of phone. This technology I believe is starting to make its way in the Honda line too. I would pay an extra $200 to have this seamlessly integrated into the car.

Oh and I see at least one idiot a day swerving around trying to drive with the phone to their ear, or reaching for their phone. I don't know if you are one of the "competent" drivers, but their are way too many incompetent ones out their who think the can do anything while driving and they are endangering everyone. So yes I would like to see all manufacturers make bluetooth standard. It is cheap and readily available.

 

[Steve Richards]

I know that I am saying that Cell Phone usage should be banned because there are too many who think they can walk and chew gum at the same time when the opposite is painfully obvious. And even if you can, we should allow the other 99 out of 100 who can't, just to make you happy? I think not. That's not the way road laws are crafted.

I have said since the things prolificated that if you hit me while talking on a cell phone, you would best back up and run over me again. Make sure I am dead.
Because if I am still alive I will crawl out of the wreckage and shove that phone where ....well you know where.
The only thing worse than an accident, is a stupid accident.
I put it right up there with Makeup being applied while driving.

I think that hands free, while not perfect, would be a big improvement.

Homer

I agree 100%

It is a pet peeve of mine, I see too many jerkoffs weaving down the road and running red lights while their yaking on the phone.

It seems to me that driving is dangerous enough that another distraction is not needed.

 

[senza]

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/lh/distractions.htm

 

[Eric L.]

I recently read an article which reported findings that driving while talking on the cell phone is nearly equivalent to driving while intoxicated.

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=570222

 

[mgthe3]

hehe
:2:

 

[Kris]

hehe
:2:

What can I say......WOW!

 

[EasternPA]

not a federal issue

While getting bluetooth integrated for free would be a nice little touch, trying to pass federal regulation about driving and talking and hoping manufacturers would suddenly get nice is not the right way to go about it, IMHO. If you run around in tech circles, you constantly hear Europeans screaming how "backwards" and "behind" the US is in technological adoption. This is especially true with cellular phone technology and the haggard old "GSM vs CDMA argument".

Never having been here, they have no concept of how much area our country really occupies, and how much of it remains unoccupied to this day. The fact that we have states the size of their countries still escapes many of them. We have the appropriate cellphone ban laws in the states with the high population centers that need them. New York, New Jersey, California are the big ones that I'm aware of. It wouldn't surprise me if some cities have their own bans, too, where the states haven't taken action yet.

Remember, the Federal Government is supposed to be as small as possible (and accountable to the people, too, for that matter.)

 

[GripperDon]

If the Europeans don't like how we do things they can stop coming here and and we can stay home so as not to upset them by having to see us or hear us talk of our backward ways.. It always seems so odd that so many want to come to a place they criticize so much, seems like a oxymoron.

I also don't think they will ever understand the fact that so many here love their individual freedom so much, and that we can think for ourselves, utilizing the responsibility that comes from well earned liberty.

All that said, I still like my hands free cell as it let's me shave and talk at the same time. GRIP :2:HE HE

 

[SIM]

Many studies were conducted and I have recently read here in the newspaper that none concluded that the cell phone use in the car had any significant incidence on the accident rate, with or without causing injuries.

I always use a hands free kit and also have the Bose cell mute installed and this is a great tool. Driving while looking anywhere else than in front of you should be criminal, even if the lady beside you is Tiger Woods new bride's sister.

 

[GripperDon]

Well I have to tell you the truth, I would flunk that test. Grip :2: