I think that cell phones should have a devise that automaticly shuts them off when they're inside a car.
Not just for young people but for all drivers.
People on cell phones have become more dangerous than drunk drivers.

Sent by Jim Carpenter | 3:06 PM ET | 07-16-2007

I think any cell phone use should be banned while driving - or limited to 1 minute or less (if there was a feasible way to do this)

Sent by k schuster | 3:18 PM ET | 07-16-2007

A couple of months ago I saw a lady almost cause an accident with a school bus full of kids. She was traveling in the fast lane while talking on her phone. She came up on her exit so quickly that she swerved in front of a bus that was traveling in the slow lane so that she would make her exit. Luckily, the bus driver was paying attention and swerved into the fast lane to avoid hitting the idiotic driver. It is time the police started enforcing the law as well as obeying the law. I have bluetooth in my car and a wireless bluetooth headset. So should everyone else. If you can pay $600 for a phone, you can afford a $50 headset.

Sent by Bo | 3:19 PM ET | 07-16-2007

Cell phones in vehicles should only be allowed for emergency purposes. There should also be a stipulation that the vehicle must be pulled over and stopped to be using a cell phone. If people need to chat while driving they should then invest in a no-hands system. However, I believe chatting still results in inattentive driving.

Sent by Chris Goodner | 4:00 PM ET | 07-16-2007

These days these kids are trying to do a million different things on the road. They want to eat, talk on the phone, play with the radio and switch lanes all at once. ANd now there text messages, how can one really foucus on the roach and message ppl at teh sametime, something has to be done. if anyone has any input contact me at peekamo.com.

Sent by Kory | 4:04 PM ET | 07-16-2007

A couple of years ago I was in the United Arab Emirates and was in a car going down a highway. The driver was steering perilously close to another car to our left, even though we were going at least 70 mph; he was going out of his way to pace the other car so they were driving in sync with each other. Then he rolled his window down and held out his cellphone, while the driver in the other car stretched his right arm as far as possible to his passenger seat, cell phone also in hand.

It was only after we demanded that the driver pay more attention to the road that we realized what he was doing. He was sending cameraphone pics back and forth to the other driver over a wireless bluetooth connection, then texting comments about the pictures he received. Leave photo swapping to parked cars if you ask me.

Sent by andy carvin | 4:06 PM ET | 07-16-2007

Until recently, I was on the road every day. the amount of people on cells phones is amazing and SCARY!. I have seen many cases of driver inattention and last moment swerves to exit,or going slow in the fast lane, etc. And it seems it is always the DRIVER on the phone, not the passenger. Can you say "type A personalities?. Even headsets are questionable. I used to use one, and when I got to my destination I could not remember driving there. Was that light green or red, and so on. I really belive that cell phones should not be in use while driving! I don't care who you are, your attention IS divided, even if you are a cop (yes, I've seen them doing it to!).

Sent by Ken Luth | 4:08 PM ET | 07-16-2007

I think people ought to stop trying to outlaw every little thing that happens in a car and mind their own business. What's next, are people going to push for ticketing drivers who talk while driving, or who eat fast food while driving? What about people who listen to Audiobooks or NPR while driving?

Driving while using a cell phone takes practice, just like anything else.

Sent by Cameron | 4:46 PM ET | 07-16-2007

How much do the public, media, or policymakers look at scientific evidence on topics like this? Since the mid-90's over 60 peer-reviewed studies have tackled various aspects of this issue, mostly in fields like cognitive psychology and ergonomics. Findings and conclusions from even mediocre studies tend to be more reliable, valid, and generalizable than personal anecdotes (though often drier). Granted, identifying, retrieving, and reading relevant empirical studies in academic journals can be tough; but librarians and Web tools like Google Scholar can help, and the Intro and Discussion/Conclusion sections are usually less technical. On this topic, a great starting place is the 2006 meta-analysis (study of studies) by W. J. Horrey and C. D. Wickens at the U of IL, in Human Factors (Vol. 48, pp. 196-205).

Sent by Adam Hafdahl | 4:52 PM ET | 07-16-2007

Indeed. While we are at it, let's also outlaw radios and passengers in cars.

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/

Sent by Harold Neal | 5:30 PM ET | 07-16-2007

I don't think that banning cell phones in cars would make any difference, it's something people enjoy doing.

So either we need to design cell phones not to operate within motor vehicles, or design cars that drive themselves and take drivers out of the image entirely.

Sent by Jody Sol | 5:31 PM ET | 07-16-2007

Yeah, I'll be real happy to be one of those casualties someday when someone is "practicing" using his or her cellphone while driving...into my lane.

Of course, those people who are complaining about "what next," banning people who eat while driving, etc. have a point. What we really need is to figure out some way that morons who think they have a "right" to multitask while driving only kill other morons who are similarly multitasking. That way they will all eliminate each other, and we won't have to listen to them whine about inconvenient laws that disrupt their important lives ever again.

Sent by Michael Johnson | 6:09 PM ET | 07-16-2007

Yet another story that pushes me closer to outright misanthropy... sigh...

Sent by angsty | 11:42 AM ET | 07-18-2007

Eighty percent of accidents are caused from distractions.* When texting while driving, the eyes and mental focus are not on the road. First, the eyes are on the screen and keypad; therefore, the driver is unable to see any developing situation around him. Secondly, if the keypad is supposedly "memorized", there is still a complex mental thought process occupying the mind to ensure the message is typed correctly. When a driver's mind is on texting while driving, it's impossible for him to pay 100% attention to the surrounding road conditions like a red light, lane changes, etc. Texting splits the focus of the driver.

I have tried once to text while driving and I haven't since. It feels like the equivalent of driving down the road with your eyes shut; your eyes are just not on the road. Even with "practice" (as suggested by Cameron) it is still too risky. Texting while driving should be illegal. Legislation should include stiff fines for those caught in the act and heavier penalties if it causes an accident.

* The statistic was found by The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, January-February 2007.

Sent by Jessica | 9:27 PM ET | 11-18-2007