So stupid that a monkey can't figure it out...
this isn't just your road ! If you need to talk on the phone, pull over....don't subject other drivers to your need to drive on a tightrope...cmon Monkey...THINK !

I've almost run off the road trying to read the new billboards that change. Many time on the bridge, I find those more of a hazard than texting at times

ATTENTION SALS LANDSCAPE-
Who ever was driving your YELLOW F150 South of your place on Hwy 26. YOU CANNOT TEXT WHILE DRIVING. You are also NOT ABLE to test while driving. How do I know this? You were all over the shoulder! I passed you on the left and your head was DOWN in your lap! I honked at you while I was RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. You didn't even look up.

THESE RULES are for people like you.
Keep your darn eyes on the ROAD!!!!!!!!!!

Yes it is, and I hate all things equally so its not singling any one thing out.

If everything in life was perfect there would be no laws. Laws are put in place to protect everyone from stupid. You can even hold up your "rights" as a defense. But as pointed out majority rules, even the government protects through legislation the people above your "rights".

My point of a cell phone blocker, is your point about them being concerned with why their phone cut out above driving. All devices must accept any interference the FCC says so its printed on every device that uses em frequencies. Simply driving near an airport will result in a dropped call, among other things that people will run into during their drive. Even solar flares knock out satellites and have punched through to the ground to wipe out electric grids.

That is the hazard of using phones while driving. People all the sudden not paying attention to driving, where a split second results in an accident.

I hate ignorance, and I am ignorant but I am not king of the hill.

I would think turning a cell blocker on and off would be MORE distracting that just using the phone. Not only that, what if someone WERE on the phone and signal got blocked? What if it was a doctor saving someone's life? What if the person in question stares dumb-foundedly at the phone wondering why it just quit and crashes? Entirely possible scenario when taking into account how people can forget where they are when they are behind a wheel (more emotional distrction).
Haeight, (which I'm fairly sure is pronounced like "hate") has issues with people using cell phones and it has nothing to do with their skill level. I would bet that it's an anger thing and he is using it as a justification for being angry, one of those guys that are a hater, and think everything is someone else's fault when things go wrong.
Seems to be proof that anger is blinding, as in making one unable to look at the whole picture...

Hey, haeight, I have seen that! Texting while riding a bike, no kidding. Have a nice day!

True I don't have a cell blocker, but its simple to make one. Provided your smart enough to put a on/off switch, while modifying a cell with enough juice to white out all signals only broadcasting 60-100ft. You would not be easily caught unless your taunting said emergency workers.

Your also 100% right about 200 students, that still only means 5 of them did it and 195 failed miserably. There is no skewed data, it either works or it don't.

Cell phones and driving don't work. If there was a good way to allow a passenger to use a cell phone but not a driver fine, but there is not. All phones traveling faster than 10-15mph should be denied service.

Haven't seen it happen yet, but what next kids on bicycles texting?

Personal responsibility is all that's needed. We don't need the government stepping in on this one. There is already a law on the books that is called "Inattentive Driving" that would cover this and everything else that may be distracting when we drive. Lets start enforcing the laws we do have rather than coming up with new ones that won't be enforced!

Ezoner, a couple months ago in the public records someone DID get it for a dirty windshield, I am not joking. I understand where you are coming from, everyone has their own point of view.

Shouldnt drive throughs at fast food be banned. They encourage eating while driving. Cup holders should also be eliminated, as that encoureages people to drink while driving. Also -- those pesky air fresheners that hang from the mirror are a distraction. I think we should fine people that dont keep their windshield clean from bug and bird poo.

It's not the phone -- its the idiot driving, if you cant do both safely, then you need to take personal responsibility. A law is NOT required.

INTRIGUED DITTO

Haeight, talkingmonkey is right. You could have your arse in a sling real quick!!! Not a wise thing to do, you could even disable the emergency vehicles. Shame on you!

Haeight, so you're going to disrupt passengers phone calls? Also, you'll be kicking yourself when you roll your SUV and no one can call the police because of your blocker. I hope you're a blood donor.

And that would be 2.5% of those 200 freshmen. Not the population in general. Let's not skew the data for your personal vendetta.

Cell phone blockers are illegal because they block more than just the cell signal. Not only that, you are endangering someone's ability to dial 911. Even if they ARE rolling while they call the cops on you. Or anything else that needs attention.
If the FCC gets ahold of you... Wouldn't wanna be you, dude.

When your driving down the road and your cell cuts out, that is me driving near you with my cell phone blocker.

Enough people rear end someone who brakes for cats/dogs/kids deer. Like I need you not paying attention to the moron in front or behind you. While we are at it get off my bumper. Safe following distance is 3-4 car lengths even @ 25mph.

Until the majority of Janesville and well the rest of the state can at least drive courteous 99% of the time you don't need a cell phone.

They published an article a few months ago about super taskers. they study of 200 freshmen revealed that about 2.5% of the population can talk n drive n do math among other things at the same time.

Sorry a lot more than 2.5% of ppl are trying to use their phone while driving. If your traveling faster than 15mph the cell phone carrier should not allow you to connect to their networks. If your such a bad parent your kids aggravate you while driving, well...

Hands free phones should be allowed. Little difference between talking on a hands free phone and talking to the person in the passenger seat, while driving. But we must becareful "do gooders" might want to ban all talking in a car while driving :)

Lets just make it illiegal to take your hands off the wheel, no picking your nose, no lipstick, no combs, no brushes, no shavers, no readio, no air con knobs, no GPS systems to distract attention, no children as they disrupt driving attention, god sakes no beans before driving. The whole discussion is rediculous. The problem is not the phone, its the driver. But we must blame something, it was the phone. Leave me alone and let me drive my car.

justme, you don't need to beg, to differ with me. Just do it and stop apologizing for your existance.

You are right, it is just "common sense". I used to tell my youngest daughter this repeatedly and was about to paste the words on her forehead, and then she got it!! It seems like people want to believe they have 9 lifes like a cat, but you only get one round trip and that is it! I beg to differ, monkey, you are wrong in all aspects. NO PHONES WHILE DRIVING, PERIOD. JMO

We should all be able to do the right thing without our bloated government making more laws and taking more freedom.

We don't need anymore laws, just common sense.

No reason for YOU maybe, but you're not the only one on this planet trying to get something done where "time is money".

No reason at all to talk on a cell and drive or text and drive. It is called "wait until you get to somewhere parked to talk"! duh, it only makes sense to me!
The new bumper sticker to buy now is
"HANG UP AND DRIVE"

Apparently they weren't invisible if you could count them. Stop acting grandiose.

Operating heavy machinery requires 100% attention to the task at hand.
>>>
I counted (16) vehicles driving invisible in the fog this morning, without headlights, during my short commute. It is apparent that operating a motor vehicle safely is beyond the capabilities of a large number of operators out on the road.
>>>
Radios, cell phones, GPS, CD/DVD players, just compound the problem.
>>>
Enough is enough people. It's time to focus on where we are, and what we are doing. Lives and property are at stake!
>>>
We all pay for poor drivers!

No accidents for years now. I personally don't talk on the phone while driving but I feel people should be able to. I'm sure you've been in some accidents yourself SarahB.

Insurance companies are ones the pushing this agenda. Why would you believe anything they have to say? They are the reason for all these 'grandma laws'.

An insurance company conducted an online survey about driving habits. Here are the results...

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Ins...
I found the survey suggests that men are better able to multi-task behind the wheel.

No eating burgers either. Or donuts. The radio is more dangerous than talking on your phone.
An idiot is still an idiot even after you take away their rights.

Manana, maybe you should change your name to maniac! You have a total of 7 comments on the Gazettextra and you are very childish. I thought school didn't let out til Friday? Anyways, unless you have something intelligient to say, try to refrain yourself, will you?

Hey guess what guys! I'm responding to this on my cellphone while driving!

Have you ever been hit by someone on a cell phone? I have, and Oh my god, she was sooo upset when she was talking to her phone buddy. She didn't even get off the phone when she realized what she did. I watched her eyes bug out in my rear view mirror. Well she didn't do any damage to my 12 year old car, but she really wiped out the front of the car her mommy and daddy gave her to drive to school.
I am happy it wasn't worse.

justaguy, the same COULD be said about you. Denial is not a river in Egypt...

islandmaker: You have no clue ...

How is talking on a phone while driving any different then you people that turn your radio station, put a new cd in, grab a cup or bottle for your kids in the back. The only people that shouldn't drive while talking on the phone, are the ones that voted yes. Your not confident and careful enough to do so. In another words...your the bad drivers.

joeflint
I do see your point and agree BUT I guess you haven't seen the people talking to the passenger while looking them in the eye. I understand it is not polite to not look at person while you talk to them but NOT while driving!!!

I always wondered why cell phones were so special. I'm thinking 3 kids screaming in the back seat should be illegal.

If that's what makes you feel special then you just keep on thinking that.

It's people like you that end up in the ditch or up someone's bumper, Karma ... you have a better day.

There are times when it IS a bad idea to yak on or dial a cell phone while driving. Heavy stop and start traffic is such a time, for example. I read the road as far as I can see in order to know what is going on up ahead. People who get into "accidents" are those who look at the car in front of them with no regard to what is in front of them, apparently just waiting for brake lights to come on. This is just bad driving, and then they yak on a phone in heated discussions. Those are the peolple who can't handle driving and talking at the same time and should have a special liscence plate denoting this fact so the whole world can see that they suck as drivers and should not even be allowed to OWN a phone, let alone talk and drive at the same time. Safe multi-tasking is a skill that requires thought and diligent execution.

justaguy, you can continue to not talk and drive scared and I will continue to drive safely without EVER having had an accident while talking on a phone and we will both be doing what we are capable of. Have a nice day ☺

It's like saying you can drive ok if "alittle" drunk, I don't care if they say they can drive safe while talking on the phone, ANYTHING can happen to ANYONE. From the time it takes to press that 1st number to the last anything can happen while driving and using a cell, it should be against the law while driving, for EVERYONE.

Some people can handle it, and some can't. Period. All it takes ONE idiot to screw it up for the ones who can. Like for example, that machine your runnin. One guy screwed it up and insurance or whatever financial consideration made the call. Treating people the same, blindly judging one's abilities makes some people quite upset.

It is just plain bad! Most time the talkers are smoking , or eating and on the phone. Look folks no hands, do I have control or what. Stop the madness.

I joined Oprah's "No Phone Zone". Go to her website and sign up. It just means you are against cell phones in cars. I agree, a car is a piece of machinery and should be driven with caution. What are these younger people teaching their children? That it is okay to break the law and multitask while driving. I am glad I will be about 70 years old when these kids are on the road!

So...its like this. I am *Hanging-out with my Son for a days events. He is driving; if thats what a Parent calls their childs Auto-Habits behind the wheel.
Gabbing with his Gurly Girlfriend in the passenger seat. Eating from the drive-through window order, reading a text/ holding a cig/ the phone rings now too. His road alertness is badly hampered by responsibility unbeknownst to the *other drivers avoiding his swerving-that he denies happened.
I am helpless to this cause sitting in the back seat with thumping bass speakers roaring down my goose-bumpt neck.
And...this was just the start of the road trip.
Gulp. May I be as so bold to support the ban OPENLY for obvious safety reasons.

Look...If i'm running a machine at work it's unsafe to be on the phone while doing so.I would be immediately fired ! This 5 ton, or so, car is a machine! If there is something so pressing that it can't wait until you get home or can pull over, then YOU, my friend, have a problem! It's common sense and stupidity that drives people to do these kinds of unsafe things. It has killed people...cmon...that is reason enuf to knock it off! If you dispute that, ask a family that lost their Mama and baby because the guy dropped his cellph and HAD to reach down to retrieve it and smashed that van head on killing those innocent people ! Handsfree or nothing ! Think about it !

This should be banned.I have seen local police making mistake while driving with a cell phone

> Talking on your phone is just as much of a distraction as talking to a person next to you while driving.

Wrong. Utterly wrong.

The person sitting next to you can SEE what is going on around you and will speak and act accordingly. A driver can give non-verbals cue to passengers if the driver needs to concentrate.

Talking on the phone and talking to passengers are so utterly different it amazes me anyone could confuse the two.

It's not the fact of HOLDING the phone or not, some people just can't talk and drive at the same time. What street to turn on while thinking what to say to the person on the phone at once is just too much for some people. I have seen some people driving while holding a phone do some pretty stupid things, one is driving 5 - 10 mph bcuz they forget to push the gas pedal, another is at a 4 way stop and they forget who has the right of way so the pull out. Once while driving near woodman's a lady pulled out of shopko right infront of 4 lanes of traffic while talking on here phone, I voted YES.

Ellen Degeneres had a good quip about a change in law for a particular state making it only legal if it were "hands-free" so both hands could be on the wheel. She said, "It's a good start, but I think anything requiring both hands should also require your brain too." Makes sense to me considering cell phone yakkers/texters have a higher accident rate than even drunk drivers.

Talking on your phone is just as much of a distraction as talking to a person next to you while driving. What’s next, silence in the car at all times? Sounds like the Ipod and radio will be next. In my opinion we ban too much. I thought we lived here so we can do what we please (within reason of course!) Where are we, communist Russia?

talkingmonkey- blue tooth is linked to the phone. Just need to hit one button
IF you wish to answer it. If you wish to make a call again just one button push then you speak what you want it to do. Dial or call. The ones on your ear are silly if you ask me- TOO many buttons and trying to get it on- distracting.
With the blue tooth in radio it is not much different that turning the channel.

Common sense

It is as simple as letting your calls leave a voice message or a text message and return it when stopped or at home or at your destination. What can be so urgent? Hands free is okay I guess, but like monkey said you still have to dial (not familiar with onstar). I see so many young men and women talking and not paying attention it is a hazard. Ban cell phone usage while driving!

Futurerichguy,

Look, I know we’ve had our difference in the past, but this time I have to agree with you. Banning going outside altogether will end any possibility of anything happening to anyone ever. Instead of laws on top of laws, let’s just erase the books, start over, and make one law banning going outside. That’s funny!

Even a hands-free has to be dialed and answered. Voice command? Still distracting. True, some people can't muli-task to save their butts, but there is a majority of people who can, some in professional capacities like the police, who make and take calls while driving to the next stop, and truckers, who need to make calls while the rig is rolling (to save fuel, time and money cuz it takes energy to stop and start when it's better to keep the inertia). Talking on a CB or other two-way is the SAME THING. Outlaw using them too. Otherwise, it's just hypocritical and not cohesive. Gotta ban the texting and internet surfing, not the actual voice communication. And emotions are VERY distracting.

"Phones don't kill...people kill." Hmmmmm...where have I heard that one before?

Banning phones at the movies? Senseless. You can't accidentally kill someone when you're talking on your phone in the theater. Death meteors and old age are another topic, future. But good try. YOU DON'T NEED TO TALK ON THE PHONE WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING!!!

Holding onto a cell should be illegal, but using hands free devices like the blue-tooth, should NOT be illegal. The problems with lawmakers is over the past 15-20 yrs is, they have no common sense anymore so they make laws lacking in common sense.

FOOTNOTE: Most (Not all) legislators have no ability to use their common sense. And some are easily manipulated by the industry they set out to regulate with laws... i.e. Auto Loan Industry.. By the industry sending beautiful women to lobby, & hot on legislators. Okay.. enough said.

This is a waste of Time.... its already illegal. it’s called "inattentive drive"

I marked no as well but agree handfree should be the law. It is still a distraction but so is the radio or talking to a passenger.

I'd like a hands-free only law. If your hands are on your phone, then they aren't on the wheel. Talking with a hands-free phone shouldn't be much different than talking to a passenger...I suppose, since I don't use my cell in the car at all.

Why do I get the feeling that the people who are upset by the idea of losing their cell phones are the ones we should be the most in fear of. I constantly see people adjusting makeup, eating fast food, reading or talking on cell phones while they drive. You're behind the wheel of a rolling tank that can kill if you're not completely paying attention - remember driver's ed? Even if you're the world's best multitasker - keep it at the office. Wow people with your ability to e-mail, talk on the phone and crunch numbers at a desk. Nobody's impressed with you doing it on the road.

Why not just ban being outside? That would limit the risks of death meteors and old age.

Retiredairforce,

I'm with ya... Bring back the horse and buggy!

I'm so sick of seeing people jabbing on their cellphone when they're driving and not paying attention to what they should be. No one is important enough to HAVE to talk on their phone while they drive. Pull over if you have to. It's dangerous and it's stupid.

Could we stop passing all these laws? There was already a law against distracted driving.

What is SOOOOO important that you have to risk your life or the lives of others? While driving, I have noticed people so involved in their cell phones that I'm surprised they even remembered they were driving a car.

I voted NO. They need to make a hands free law. Using a handheld cell phone while driving should be illegal. Hands free should not. Just my opinion.

they cant take that away, cell phones are even built into cars now days (onstar). the only thing they could do is perhaps make a hands free law.....

they cant take that away, cell phones are even built into cars now days (onstar). the only thing they could do is perhaps make a hands free law.....

> Take away more rights why don't they

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Driving is a privilege, not a right. You have rights to speech and firearm ownership, to privacy within your own home and your own affairs, to not incriminate yourself, etc. Roads are publicly owned and maintained and are not *your* property. You have very few "rights" when on the road.

If saving lives is the issue ban all driving...

Take away more rights why don't they. No eating while driving, no drinking soda, coffee, etc. while driving. Anything else? There already is a law called inattentive driving. Don't make everyone change for the few. They could just make it law that all cars have to have bluetooth then!

Just cause some people can't handle it, don't punish everyone. What's next making alcohol illegal because some people get drunk & Drive or overdose and kill themselves?

There is no reason that you can't pull off the road at an off ramp or other safe location if you need to talk on the phone while on the road. Just do it.