This is bull! The real cause of car accidents is cars. If an engine disabler were installed in every car, imagine all the lives that would be saved!
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said using a cell phone while driving is so dangerous that devices may soon be installed in cars to forcibly stop drivers — and potentially anyone else in the vehicle — from using them.
“There’s a lot of technology out there now that can disable phones and we’re looking at that,” said LaHood on MSNBC. LaHood said the cellphone scramblers were one way, and also stressed the importance of “personal responsibility.”
The hosts of Morning Joe pushed the secretary about the possibility of requiring scrambling technology installed in vehicles.
“I think it will be done,” said LaHood. “I think the technology is there and I think you’re going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones. We need to do a lot more if were going to save lives.”
Wake up, Sheeple. Every day we throw more and more of our freedoms away.
Don’t fly, refuse to buy cars with this technology, Rage Against the Machine!
This also means disabling our ability to call 911 for help in case of emergency. I’ve called 911 multiple times from my vehicle to report things. Now I need find a place to pull over, shut off the engine to call? BS!! I can’t believe the FCC will go for the type of signal blocking that this would require.
It all depends on how the wireless phone companies want this to go. They have the lobbyist to buy the law they want. However, if they realize that by forcing areas where we can’t make phone calls means they get to charge the same fees and take a burden off their network, then look for cell phone free areas to spread others areas such as movie theaters.
I have seen and heard that a visible cell phone is a good way to tell the police that someone is harassing you on the expressway (I live in the country with few autos on the highway).
I wonder how much money mr. lahood is going to make off of this.
Over on TTAC.com I’ve often read a recommendation that cars should be equipped with sharp metal spike in the steering wheel pointed straight at the driver’s heart. Perhaps that is the only way to get drivers to focus 100% on the task of driving, and driving safely and with care.
Does anybody remember that horn rings were called cookie cutters? Ahhhh, the good old days.
This will also disable cell phones used by passengers in the car.
And in busy cities like New York City with lots of cars and pedestrians; some of the pedestrians will suffer from drop outs.
The radio can be a distraction, especially satellite radio receivers with more complex dialing processes.
Eating a Big-Mac can be a distraction.
Passengers in the car can be a distraction, especially children. Will the federal government ban them as well?
Using a cell phone in a car is only dangerous if it’s moving above some ? speed. If the cell towers just ignored usage (except 911) from phones that are moving above some ? speed…..
#9 – What about calls made by passengers? 911 calls? Calls from people on a bus? On a train? The very idea is dumb. You can’t remove its fundamental stupidity through the method of implementation.
And they’ll do the same with CB radios too? Will police cars be included in the ban? What about fire and ambulance?
Because the auto industry isn’t hurting enough that they should be giving people more reasons not to be buying new cars.
It’s funny though almost every time I see someone riding the line or swerving around on the road they’re using the phone. Common sense isn’t so common.
Just pull over and use your precious phone. Pedestrians, bikers, other drivers, etc. thank you.
I can’t take morans who are always yappin on a phone.
#11
It (#9) clearly states (except 911) i.e. those calls would be allowed.
As for passengers, a life is more important than all their calls.
Any blocking, jamming from the car or fone would be hacked and disabled.
e? if a cell phone distracted driver runs you over, that’s ok.
UncDave – “The real cause of car accidents is cars. If an engine disabler were installed in every car…”
Bull shit. The real cause of accidents is drivers. We should install a heart disabling device at the same time we issue a driving licence.
#15 McCullough – I agree with you. And that one reason why I never use my phone in my car. Now, I don’t break the law so tell me why I should be required to pay whatever it’s going to cost to install this equipment so I won’t break the law? I bet you don’t mind the enhanced pat downs, either do you. Just knowing they exist keep you from trying to strap a bomb to your dick.
What’s the old saying? When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns. You know that applies here. The business man who just knows he’s so important he can’t be out of contact for a minute will find a way to bypass these devices.
It couldn’t happen too soon for my liking!
I can remember leaving a freeway one time, and had a car in front of me that was weaving on the exit ramp. It turned out it was some woman (well dressed by the way) yakking on a cell phone. She should have been arrested, but there were no police around.
So let me get this straight:
OnStar would be disabled in all GM vehicles while the engine is running?
Everyone who has paid extra to have a hands-free, in-dash phone installed in their car would be screwed?
When there is a traffic jam, everyone who wants to call ahead to say they will be late will be turning off their engine – literally turning a highway into a parking lot?
Yeah! This will fly…
#14 and 15 have it right. But I don’t have a problem with passengers using the phone, and I’m not sure how you would make it work.
Oh, and #1, you have no freedom to endanger the general public. In a Libertarian world, with privately owned roads, you bet your sweet bippy that cell phones used by drivers would be banned. Think of the liability for the road owners!!!
That’s ridiculous if this actually goes through. granted no one should be talking on the phone while driving, I see around 30% of drivers talking (and driving poorly) on their cellphones during rush hour. i personally think it should be illegal as you are endangering everyone else around you and taking away their freedom to drive safely. It should be a very hefty fine and have police actually looking for them (assuming they’re not on their phones as well which i see a lot) and issuing tickets. to totally strip away someone’s right of having their personal property used in their personal automobile is the wrong way to go. talking on a phone while driving is not the same as adjusting your radio but similar to eating in the car but still much worse than both. generally someone messes with the stereo for a second or 2 or eats for a couple minutes, people are on their phone for the entire drive, 30+ minutes. that means for that entire time they don’t care about anything else but themselves and that god damn phone call. people are assholes.
Damn Republicans taking away more and more of our freedoms, oh wait, never mind.
I think we should just eliminate the position of Secretary of Transportation. Elizabeth Dole pushed seatbelt laws, and now Ray LaHood, who was a brilliant choice by Obama to pick out an idiot Republican to make that party look bad, just as Bush did with Norman Mineta.
“Ah, smoking is not good for you, and it’s been deemed that anything not good for you is bad; hence, illegal. Alcohol, caffeine, contact sports, meat, bad language, chocolate, gasoline, uneducational toys and anything spicy. Abortion is also illegal, but then again so is pregnancy if you don’t have a licence.”
Mello greetings citizen, the world of SanAngelous awaits. Just make sure you read the manual on how to use the 3 seashells.
If they jam the cell phones how will the secret government tracking networks know where i am all the time?
Do I,
pay the gov to protect ME from myself?
NO WAY IN HELL.
being an IDIOT is part of population control.
and we need to WEED THE FLOWER PATCH.
Countermeasures! Let the EW begin!
Yahoo!!
#5, # 25 –
Ray LaHood is a Republican and a former U.S. rep. from Illinois serving 14 years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Peoria, Illinois is in Secretary LaHood’s district. Caterpilar, Inc. is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.
I don’t know about any of you, but my GPS unit uses Cell signal to check out traffic conditions.
So no GPS either?