‘It’s time’: Ban all cell phone use by drivers

Someone had to go first. The National Transportation Safety Board just jumped through the burning hoop, and the national debate over electronic distracted driving abruptly shifted to discussion of a complete ban on cell phones and similar devices.

About time.

Proponents and foes of laws against distracted driving agree, oddly enough, that the watery prohibitions being dispensed by many states are of little use and make little sense. The legislative “compromise” of saddling distracted driving laws with secondary enforcement is a joke. What if speeding tickets were only handed out if drivers actually caused a wreck, injury or death?

Asking law officers to figure out whether a cell phone user is dialing a number or typing a message borders on absurdity. Yet that’s the task in states that banned texting but continue to allow handheld cell phone use. The result: Few law enforcement agencies in these states bother to write tickets for text messaging, the most dangerous of distracted driving behaviors.

The NTSB only makes recommendations. Even if it had rule-making authority (as does the U.S. DOT), it could not tell states what to do with their traffic laws.

The feds, however, have a way of getting their way, using the carrot or the stick. Federal grants were used to encourage states to use primary enforcement on seat belt laws. States that failed to raise their drinking ages to 21 complied after facing disastrous cutoffs of federal highway funding. A plan to use incentive grants for electronic distracted driving laws is making its way through Congress, although prospects remain uncertain.

One lawmaker said the other day that a complete cell phone ban would be “the most ignored law since Prohibition.” Maybe so, but most Americans obey the law because it’s the law. Young drivers are taught the law. Good cops and judges enforce the law.

NTSB chairwoman Deborah Hersman (pictured) points out that the increasing sophistication of smartphones — personal computers, really — makes the dangers more acute than even a few years ago. The debate about much more than simple phone calls.

“This is a difficult recommendation, but it’s the right recommendation and it’s time,” Hersman said.

Drivers who choose to be distracted by cell phones and texting devices should pay increasingly severe fines and face loss of their licenses. Those who kill with their arrogant carelessness should be treated as killers under manslaughter laws.

States that fail to enforce their own electronic distracted driving laws, such as Wisconsin, should suffer a graduated loss of federal funds. Dumb and dumber states — notably my birthplace of Florida — that refuse to enact any distracted driving laws must be incentivized and punished. They are in need of adult supervision.

There exists a malignant hypocrisy in the distracted driving debate, with guilty parties on both sides — lawmakers, federal and state agencies, the media, law enforcement, researchers, cell phone companies and automakers, etc. That hypocrisy is acting as if there were myriad subtleties, considerations and courses of action here.

The time for lip service and game-playing grows short, while the list of the dead and wounded grows longer. The NTSB has it right: Ban all non-emergency cell phone use by U.S. drivers.

Cell phone safety: Bet you didn’t know …

Cell phone safety would seem largely a matter of common sense. Pay attention, watch the road and you’ll arrive safely.

But researchers who have been studying cell phone-related accidents since the 1990s say there are some surprising ways in which wireless phones endanger drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

For example, the simple act of talking on a cell phone actually decreases the quality of visual information received and processed by the brain. Talk more and you see less!

State legislators are increasingly mandating hands-free cell phone use for drivers. Hands-free devices such as Bluetooth headphones can prevent accidents and save lives, but motorists need to be aware of how these hands-free accessories change the dynamics of driving and talking.

Handsfreeinfo.com, the distracted driving web site, has rounded up some key cell phone safety tips provided by traffic researchers and public safety groups. Here are 15 of the best:

Keep calls short: Drivers increasingly lose focus during lengthy cell phone calls, research shows. If you must use the mobile and the conversation lasts more than 5 minutes, hang up and call back once you’ve parked.

Get to know your phone: Fumbling through a cell phone’s menus while on the road can be extremely dangerous. Practice speed-dialing, redialing and routing calls to voice mail.

Compensate: Some studies equate cell phone driving with drunken driving. Others cite “instant aging” — that a 20-year-old’s reaction times are reduced to those of a 70-year-old’s. A University of Utah study found that when 18- to 25-year-olds were placed in a driving simulator and talked on a cellular phone, they reacted to brake lights from a car in front of them as slowly as 65- to 74-year-olds who were not using a cell phone. These are controversial findings, but everyone agrees that cell phone use impairs driving ability. Be aware that you’re not operating the motor vehicle at 100% of your ability. Compensate with extra caution.

Don’t look at caller ID: Most cell phones can be programmed to provide different ring tones for the people in your directory, such as family and friends.

Two things at a time: Many accidents are caused when cell-phoning drivers attempt to do other things — plugging in a power chord, fumbling for a pen, reading directions. Don’t compound the cell phone safety challenges.

Dial while stopped: If you must dial when the vehicle is in motion, hold the phone level with the windshield. Shift your eyes back and forth from the road to the cell phone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says phone equipped with hands-free headsets and voice-activated dialing systems usually require more time to dial, increasing distractions.

Get an assist: Ask passengers to use their own mobile phones or to do the dialing on yours. Teach older children how to operate your cell phone and your GPS and navigation devices, if possible.

You’ve got voice mail: If a call comes in while you’re in an intersection, entering a freeway or engaged in similar activities, let voice mail answer the cell phone.

Curb your enthusiasm: Numerous studies link the emotional content of a conversation with the level of danger while driving. This also applies to complicated, frustrating or exciting topics. If you’re upset or confused, hang up or pull over in a safe spot.

That’s a stretch: Make sure the cell phone and any accessories such as a hands-free headset are close by while driving.

Just say no: Tom Magliozzi of the popular “Car Talk” radio show says, “For non-emergencies like saying hi — checking in — or making calls you could just as easily make from your home, your office or a parking lot — take our advice and drive now, talk later.” Studies suggest that cell phone users use 60% of their airtime while driving.

Now hear this: Wireless phones often switch from one transmitter station to another during a drive. This leads to varying levels of audio quality. If reception is poor, compensate for the distraction — or better yet, hang up and call back once parked.

Watch out: Researchers in Tokyo found that when attention is focused on listening, vision is affected. The brain can’t give full attention to the visual demands of driving and the audio demands of listening at the same time. Focus on watching the road.

Watch your speed: The Swedish National Road Administration reports that drivers wearing hands-free headsets drive faster than drivers who are holding cell phones. It’s also easy for your speed to creep up while you’re dialing.

Dial in shifts: If you must enter a phone number while driving, don’t do it all at once. Dial a few numbers, return your attention to the road, and then dial the other numbers.

The message: Most of the above applies to text messaging, an even more dangerous activity that’s outlawed for drivers in more than half of the U.S. states. It’s not just kids who are all thumbs: The portability of office-related data has made adults dedicated multitaskers (diverted drivers), text-messaging commuters trying to get a jump on the day’s tasks.