Comments on: Shady Data on New Jersey Cell Phone Ban

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:26:21 +0000

the whole argument is ridiculous. If the law were working, the number of tickets being written would have to go *down*, not *up*. All this means is that they’re writing more tickets because they can. Saying the cell phone ban is working because more tickets are being written is like saying that laws against violent acts are working because more people have been locked up lately. If they were working, it would follow that we would see a decline in such things, rather than saying “hey, we caught more people, yay us! Just a thought.

And case law can bite my ass. Just because a police officer or what have you is allowed to cell phone or text while driving doesn’t mean he/she is able to do so in a technical sense. I am legally allowed to skip rope down my driveway if I’d like, but I’m not coordinated enough to pull it off. I always end up tripping over the damn thing. So just because I can doesn’t mean that I actually can or should.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:02:24 +0000

Thanks for the comment, TRH. A few counterpoints for the readers to consider…

First, I can take creative liberties because this is a personal blog/opinion website. This is not a news site nor does it want to be a news site.

Second, I am fully aware of the case law surrounding law enforcement’s ability to perform their duties. However, I am also aware enough to know when case law builds upon case law which builds upon case law, you can often wind up with a final directive/piece of policy that is unconstitutional.

By: TRH

TRH — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:19:53 +0000

I agree with your origional idea which is that the article provides no proof of the cell phone law working. Actually, I would suggest still too many folks ignore it. To your other statement that most folks with cell phones do ignore it, this I dispute. Quite a few do, but most folks I know have acquired a hands free device and use it religiously… so perhaps the arthur of the article is not the only person who writes that takes creative liberties; take a look at yourself. Truely, it is a serious public safety issue and I have been nearly struck several times (I am behind the wheel daily for a living) by users of cell phones not abiding by a red signal, stop sign, or just plain drifting into my lane. Finally, you should become better informed to realize that there is case law excusing law enforcement when in performance of their official duties, not all communications are put over the air waves.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:48:49 +0000

I agree with the premise of your writing… there is little evidence that the law is working. We need to see data on crashes or have independent surveys confirm that less people are on their phones while driving. However, I would HOPE that having a law in place and enforced DOES actually help – there are millions of law-abiding citizens out there who will think twice about making or taking an unnecessary phone call while driving, just because it is against the law. And that helps.
For the rest of us, who rely on our phones and our cars for work and productivity, I also have a suggestion – check out http://www.EasyHandsFree.com – a company that installs hands-free systems in almost any car. These systems are great, they allow drivers to take/make calls without even touching the phone. Eyes stay on the road and hands on the wheel. For people who really need to keep in touch while on the road, EasyHandsFree is a great solution, and you can get a proven, quality system installed for less than $400. I have one in my Jeep and it works great!