Does you state ban cellphone use while driving?

[Monkey Butler]

Our next door neighboor state of CT has a ban on cell phone use while driving. The Mass legislature narrowly defeated a similar ban spurred by a teen death that was attributed to distracted driving with a cell phone. If it passes next year because of this bimbo then I will personally go to 2 Normal Street and ...
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Cruiser hit at traffic stop

Alleged drunk, text-messaging driver charged


By Bill Fortier TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]






AUBURN— An allegedly drunken Worcester driver, who told police she was texting, slammed into a police cruiser on Route 20 early yesterday morning after leaving an Oxford strip club.

Jessica L. Dupre, 25, of 2 Normal St., Apt.1, Worcester, appeared in Central District Court in Worcester yesterday on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent driving and impeded operation of a motor vehicle, Police Chief Andrew J. Sluckis, Jr. said.

Chief Sluckis said Ms. Dupre told police she was sending a text message to a friend when she slammed into the back of a police cruiser being driven by Patrolman Justin Starkus about 1 a.m. yesterday in the eastbound lane of Route 20 near Ronnie’s. Chief Sluckis said Patrolman Starkus, who was in the cruiser, had stopped someone else on Route 20 on motor vehicle violations and his flashing cruiser lights were on.

The impact sent Patrolman Starkus’ face into the cruiser’s steering wheel and he suffered back and neck pain.

Ms. Dupre was driving a 2008 Toyota Scion and police estimated that she was going 40 mph at the time of the crash.

Patrolman Starkus was treated at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester and released, Chief Sluckis said. Ms. Dupre, who was arrested by Patrolman Jonathan O’Brien, was not injured.

Ms. Dupre, who refused a Breathalyzer test, according to Chief Sluckis, told police she was sending the text message after leaving Centerfolds 2000 on Route 20 in Oxford, where she was celebrating her birthday that occurred a “couple of days” earlier and that she should not have been driving. Police said she told them that she had been served six or seven drinks between 10 p.m. Sunday and 1 a.m. yesterday and asked police the procedure for filing a lawsuit against the adult entertainment establishment.

The crash sent the cruiser about 20 feet forward into the rear of the vehicle that Patrolman Starkus had stopped on motor vehicle violations. No information was available on that vehicle yesterday.

The police cruiser sustained what Chief Sluckis called substantial damage to its rear end and will be out of commission for about a month. He said the Police Department has about 12 marked cruisers.

Ms. Dupre’s Toyota also sustained substantial damage.

[Monkey Butler]

BTW... the officer that was in the cruiser is okay, I sort of wondered about him hitting his head on the steering wheel after being rear ended but apparently he was hit hard enough to send his vehicle forward, impacting the vehicle that he had stopped, causing him to be projected forward as if he had rear ended the stopped vehicle. You guys that do this job (or have done this) for a living, my hat is off to you.

[macojoe]

Nope I use mine all the time, I use the blue tooth with all but CB causae he hates it! Must be he can't hear my love hums LOL

I have no idea how any one texts while driving?? I tryed it once a long time ago and forget it!! I don't even use text as I hate it, I have it blocked on my phone.

Glad the cop is going to be ok!! But its like guns, guns don't kill people do, cells don't kill its the jerks using them! Same as with Jet Skis and a bunch of other stuff!
I am glad I bave the cell its the only thing that keeps me from falling a sleep at the wheel sometimes. But thats another subject.

[whale]

What is the big deal using a hands-free device while driving? Whether it is blue-tooth, corded hands-free or speaker phone it is clearly better than gabbing away distracted with one hand on the wheel. In CT it is illegal to use a cell phone while driving unless you use a hands-free. I can't tell you how many yahoo's have cut me off or not seen me due to their very important cell phone conversations. I have no interest in getting wrecked due to a cell phone conversation.

It is banned in several other states and many many countries including Japan, Germany, France, the UK etc etc.

Texting while driving is completely moronic....like reading a newspaper or a woman putting on makeup while driving!

I'm sure this one incident is not the only reason this bill was proposed in MA.

[willy]

I hate the proliferation of laws but as we all have seen, I know I have dozens and dozens of times some people cannot chew bubble gum and walk. put those same people with a cell phone and a moving car and people are going to die. They already have. To make matters worse many young people today don't talk on the phone they text. Text! They cant call and say I will be right there they have to type in IWBRT. It is rather crazy but it is true.
The hands free is OK and they should not do anything about that or a speaker phone but this other stuff will cost you a loved one someday, and that is pretty much a guarantee if it is not stopped.

[Monkey Butler]

Originally Posted by whale

I'm sure this one incident is not the only reason this bill was proposed in MA.

They were pretty much basing it on one case. Like the time a state senator proposed a ban on crossbows after someone used one to kill a person in a road rage incident. Her speech in front of the senate went something like...

"Mr. Speakah, how many more must die before we ban crossbows?"

[randlemanboater]

Here in NC drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving.

I would estimate that of those I stop for excessive speeding (20 + mph over the speed limit) over half are on the phone.

I don't know why you can talk to someone in the car with you with no problem but when talking on the phone, some people completely zone out and drive like morons.

I think Myth Buster's did a thing where they did a comparison of drinking drivers and cell phone distracted drivers, the drivers on the phone drove just like those at or near .08 BAC.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by randlemanboater

Here in NC drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving.

I would estimate that of those I stop for excessive speeding (20 + mph over the speed limit) over half are on the phone.

I don't know why you can talk to someone in the car with you with no problem but when talking on the phone, some people completely zone out and drive like morons.

I think Myth Buster's did a thing where they did a comparison of drinking drivers and cell phone distracted drivers, the drivers on the phone drove just like those at or near .08 BAC.

I believe it was more like a BAC of .12 there RM. I remember that one and the drivers that were at the legal limit did MUCH better than those on the phone.

[overboard]

Over here in CA, the cell phone ban goes into effect on July 1st. It only took me 3 tickets to conform to the seat belt law, I guess we'll see how long it takes me to conform to this new law. (I'm a slow learner!) I just hate the Blue-Tooth ear pieces. Mainly because of the people who wear them around like they are a fashion statement or something. It's funny, those people never actually seem to be using them, just wearing them:)

[parishht]

I thought about one of those BT headsets,
but then I remembered, if I get one then I can't screen my calls
and I am just not that important.

It's like being in a plane, some peope feal they can't live without the cellphone.
Are they afraid that they will miss something?
I don't answer the cell in the car except for my wife and kids
and then I tell them I am driving and I will call them back later, not more than a 15 second conversation.