There is already a law on the books prohibiting inattentive driving. I thought I read that the semi driver got cited for that.
A law banning cell phone use would be a tough, tough sell. Below is an editorial from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel- ( I do have to learn how make links) quoting several people in the traffic safety business who oppose it. Editorial: No need for DWT law - driving while talking Driving and talking on a cell phone can be risky. But given other distractions and the benefits of cell phones on the road, it doesn't make sense to ban them or single them out for special enforcement. >From the Journal Sentinel Posted: Feb. 3, 2007 When Dennis Hughes climbs behind the wheel, he makes sure his cell phone is off. And it stays off until he gets to where he's going. That makes sense, right? After all, just the other day, there was that guy in the blue SUV ahead of you, his cell phone pressed to his ear, blabbing away, not paying attention to his driving. At least that's how it seemed. There oughta be a law, you say? Well, not so fast. First off, you should know that Hughes is the chief of safety policy analysis for the state Department of Transportation. But you should also know that despite his job title and his personal feelings about cell phones, Hughes does not think people should be prohibited from using them while driving. And neither do we. At least not without a lot more information and further studies conclusively showing that cell phones are causing more accidents than other distractions. As Hughes notes, talking on cell phones is only one of many things distracting drivers, and, so far, he has not seen any "good data" to suggest that phones pose more of a problem on Wisconsin roads than other distractions to warrant a ban or other regulations. In fact, he and others say other distractions are more common. What's more, there already is a state law against inattentive driving, whether the driver is weaving across lanes or, worse, the center line because he or she is talking on a cell phone, reading a book, eating a cheeseburger or, yes, shaving or applying makeup. We do believe that inexperienced young drivers should not be allowed to talk on cell phones while driving, and we have supported a proposal by Rep. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) to ban drivers younger than 18 from doing so. Statistics show that inexperienced younger drivers are more susceptible to distractions, which is why the state already imposes restrictions on them. After trying unsuccessfully in the past to get a statewide ban on cell phone use by all drivers, Rep. Carol Owens (R-Oshkosh) is proposing a law to create penalties for using a cell phone if it contributes to an accident. Last year, Glendale directed police officers to ticket drivers talking on cell phones if they are involved in an accident or stopped for another violation. We supported that measure because we thought it would provide a useful test. City Attorney John Fuchs says no such tickets have been issued yet, adding that the ordinance is very new. At the very least, Owens should wait and see how this law works. Based on comments from State Patrol officers, we believe the law Owens proposes would be impractical to enforce because it can be difficult to determine beyond a doubt that use of the phone contributed to the accident or whether the driver was even on the phone at the moment he or she lost control of the vehicle. A far better alternative would be to update the current law on inattentive driving to address the many distractions now posed by changing technology. Other law enforcement officials - including two members of the State Patrol with whom we spoke, Maj. Dennis Lonsdorf, state director of transportation safety, and Casey Perry, executive director of the Wisconsin Troopers Association - don't think it's a good idea to single out cell phones. They point out that while some drivers abuse cell phones - troopers annually issue about 9,600 violations for all forms of inattentive driving - cell phones also make roads safer by allowing responsible motorists to quickly alert law enforcement to emergencies and traffic hazards. That includes everything from drunken and reckless drivers to accidents, stranded motorists and debris in the road. In fact, Perry and Lonsdorf say that when drivers using cell phones alert law enforcement to a drunken driver, oftentimes the dispatcher will suggest the drivers stay on their cell phones behind the vehicle to help a state trooper or sheriff's deputy pinpoint the location. In short, both said the advantages of cell phones for drivers outweigh the disadvantages, a position we have long taken on this admittedly controversial issue. Some safety experts say that if drivers have to use their phone for something important, such as reporting an accident, they should pull over to the side of the road. But Lonsdorf says the State Patrol doesn't recommend doing that on busy highways or freeways because that can pose an even greater risk This, of course, does not mean that talking on a cell phone does not take at least some of a driver's concentration off the road. Common sense tells us yes, and most studies back that up. And we would certainly agree that as cell phones become more common, they are undoubtedly being abused by a growing number of drivers who use the phones for prolonged, clearly non-critical conversations. Some firms have even told their employees not to conduct business on their cell phones while driving. Four states - New York was the first - and the District of Columbia have banned the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. The results have been mixed. After the first year in New York, many drivers went back to using hand-held phones. Some studies indicate that talking on a hands-free phone is just as risky because the driver is concentrating on the conversation rather than the road. Furthermore, some research shows that talking on a phone is not even the most dangerous distraction. A study last year, conducted in part by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, found that cell phones were the most common distraction but by no means the most dangerous. Reaching for a moving object increased the risk of a crash nine times while talking on a cell phone increased the risk only three times. Eating, drinking, grooming, adjusting music or audio controls and reading all were riskier than talking on a phone. All the more reason not to single out cell phones. Rather, update the existing inattentive driving law to, among other things, identify which electronic devices are safe to use in a car. Legislators are attempting to do that, and it should be the priority. For more information, go to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Web site at www.aaafoundation.org and the Federal Highway Administration Web site at www.fhwa.dot.gov -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of George J. Perkins Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 9:30 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [Bikies] WisDOT now encouraging distracted (dangerous) driving For your consideration, in support of the RE: "It's already happening, folks" This caught my eye in the printed edition of The Capital Times "...Ryan Engle's truck veered off the road as he adjusted his MP3 player..." TRUCK SPILLS COW INNARDS ONTO I-43 >From The Capital Times, Fri Feb 9 2007 A truck driver distracted by his digital music player tipped his semi-trailer on Thursday, spilling about 40 tons of cow intestines onto a major highway in eastern Wisconsin. Parts of Interstate 43 were closed for about two hours while authorities cleaned up beef byproducts such as intestines and bones, said Sgt. Blaine Spicer of the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department." http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2007/02/09/0702090331. php New Hampshire is one of only three states with a distracted-driving law on the books. Distracted driving is a growing problem in N.H. By ASHLEY SMITH, Telegraph Staff [EMAIL PROTECTED] Published: Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007 http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070204/NEWS0 1/20204 0433 Bill would make it illegal to use cell phone while driving BY BILL RUTHHART The Indianapolis Star Originally published January 29, 2007 Similar bills have died a quick death in the legislature during the past seven years, and the odds for Kruse's Senate Bill 216 appear long this session. But the debate about the issue continues to intensify nationwide as 30 states are considering legislation that would ban the use of cell phones in some form. http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070129/NEWS06/7 0129002 /1002/rss Any chance of a bill like this being considered in Wisconsin? P.S. Sorry for the subject line; I'm attempting to maintain the original thread. -----Original Message----- From: George J. Perkins Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 9:18 PM To: '[email protected]' Subject: RE: [Bikies] WisDOT now encouraging distracted (dangerous) driving [snip] Everyone realizes, of course, that all of the 511 systems are co-branded with 511 websites? And you can bet the advertisers are taking their content to in-dash consoles, wireless PDAs and cell phone web browsers. Just what we all need, motorists surfing the web while speeding down the Interstate. It's already happening, folks. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
