I have mixed feelings about cellphones. I am required to have one for work, where I support construction projects and am on-call 24/7 for certain emergency response functions. I try to be judicious in how I use it - I avoid using it while driving (although I will occasionally take a call when I'm out in the sticks and traffic is light). In general, if I think it's unsafe or will annoy others, I just put it on vibrate so I know the call is coming in, and then find somewhere to return the call safely and unobtrusively. I resisted having a personal cell phone for years, but recently picked up one of those smartphone things because they have some nice applications I can use on the fly when I'm riding. Like many other things, cell phones are tools that need to be used appropriately and safely, and when used properly are generally a good thing.

But as others have noted, you have to be smart about it. I remember once, living in a college town, being tailgated by a young woman in a Jeep. One hand holding her cell phone, the other waving around as she talked to whoever. She was steering with her elbows, ranting about something. I hit the gas and got the hell out of her way. And I am sympathetic to the construction folks. I used to work for a state highway department and know how careless and thoughtless drivers can be when it comes to driving safely through a work zone. Personally, I think the penalties for killing a worker in a construction zone are WAY too low. I have absolutely no sympathy for people driving aggressively or inattentively in work zones.

I should clarify - when I say I use my smartphone when I'm riding, I don't mean that literally. It's nice to be able to check radar when you're fueling up, though, and if you need to find the nearest Harley dealership, being able to call up a map that shows where it's at beats stopping at a convenience store and asking the clerk how to get there. Technology ain't all bad as long as you don't misuse it.

As stated before, we have laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving here in Californiacation...... However, I have seen SEVERAL LEOs talking away on their cell phones while driving. Why ? The law doesn't apply to them !!!! Guess they must go through a "Safe cell phone use while driving" class !!!!!!! I saw a cell phone blocking devise on E-bay a while back. Said it blocks cell signals for several hundred feet. Was gonna order one and keep it on the bike till I found out possession of one in California is a felony !!!!!!

I have a phone that my work (partially) pays for and I was riding a couple weekends ago, felt my phone ringing multiple times but thought "it's a little risky digging it out at 70mph and I couldn't hear it anyway" so at the next town I pulled over under a tree and called back and got BIT*%ED out for not answering the phone by one of the VPs. If I didn't need this job to make the bike payments.........

What to talk distracted drivers? - Local LEO on the radio, checking dispatches on the laptop while responding and all crammed into a cruiser WAY too small for his big bubba butt.

Guess I would have to agree with everyone else, although I am still waiting on the jury to come in on hands free cell/call usage.....althought it would still be a degree of distraction it is better that holding a phone while driving. Talking on the phone (one almost got me last week in a store parking lot. She apologized in the store, and I politely reminded her that the distraction was what caused the almost collision. I asked her that in the future, when she is driving find a place to pull over, ans or return the call, and then get back on the road. She agreed and was actually pretty nice about it!)), texting, etc. are definately no-no's!

Oh yeah. I do have a cell phone. I carry it for emergencies. Woukldn't even think about trying to answer it or make a call while on the bike!!!

Just seen a news show,teen driver runs over Mom n daughter who were crossing street,he was driving while TEXTING?!?!?!?! WTF !!!! Has this whole world gone completely insane with this computer/cellphone crapola???
When is enuff enuff to realize some tech just aint worth it??? what when we are all dead from using the "product"???
sorry just had to vent a bit !!!

In South Carolina we dont have a cell phone law you can care free drive down the road talking texting away. The worst part is when the dumb ass runs over someone the only punishment is a citation for careless driving. I have been a cop for the better part of my adult life and have worked a collision where a 20 year old yelling at her boyfriend on the cell phone crossed the center line and went head on with a truck. Steering wheel through the chest into the back seat and the phone was crushed in her right hand like a cracker from force of impact. We in law enforcement have to use cell phones while driving sometimes there is some information that cant go over the raido due to scanners and other devices some bad guys use. It is no excuse not to be safe and pull over to take the call if your able.

We here in Mass. have a no texting ban while driving. The thing is now eveyone still does it only now the phone/smartphone are being held down at seat level so no one see them. Talk about being distracted even further. Now you see them lookin at the floor of there car/truck and not the road. We would be better off playing bumper cars. I've had smart phones and still have a cell phone. I ride to disconnect from that world of instant contact but I've never received a call,text or email that was that important (over someones life) that require me to act on it right away. It always can wait till you/they finish driving (anything). Yes I've seen some one on the phone driving there bike with one hand while riding down a busy main street.

Another reason to get the F@#* off the phone?






inhabitat.com/its-official-cell-phones-are-killing-bees/ 

a few months ago a bus driver killed a kid getting off the bus. He was on his cell phone. There was never anything else mentioned about it on the news. F*cking jerk

You know aht amazes is is how many people confuse our new "hands free" law with "ears free"

Now that we have a law that says when using a cell phone while driving it must be hands free, I see lots of people using the speaker phone feature and holding the phone in front of their face instead of on their ear. Do they really think they needed their ear free to drive safely???

they do make cellphone 'blockers'. I wonder if it would be against the law to mount one on my bike and drive around????

Well as Ron White says......."You Just Can't Fix Stupid"!
Dragon

Maybe you can't fix stupid, but a whack upside the head at least lets them know they are stupid!

IF I pull 'em outta their window, and smack the beejesus outta 'em...
u think they'll understand...THEN???

Ride Free
Tweek

You know walking and texting is becoming just as dangerous. I saw a lady texting and walking when she almost walked right into the side of a moving car. Damn people, texting is not that important - PAY ATTENTION to what you are supposed to be doing!

[blockquote]Lucky said: You know walking and texting is becoming just as dangerous. I saw a lady texting and walking when she almost walked right into the side of a moving car. Damn people, texting is not that important - PAY ATTENTION to what you are supposed to be doing![/blockquote]

Some of the extant data on this would seem to suggest that yes, more pedestrians are being killed in car accidents - overall, pedestrian deaths from traffic accidents in the US have increased by over 40% in the past ten years, likely due to an increase in both distracted driving and distracted walking since the mass-adoption of smartphones.

we should go back to pay phones and the days where people could read a map...