Sound Off: Cellphone ticket / LJWorld.com

Sound Off

Do police give tickets to people talking on cellphones while they drive?

Not in Lawrence, said Lawrence Police Sgt. Trent McKinley. Because no state law or city ordinance bans the use of cellphones while driving, McKinley said, Lawrence officers do not issue citations “solely based on individuals talking on the phone while driving.”

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Curtis Lange 4 months, 2 weeks ago

They should...

TheSychophant 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Why should they? Its not against the law. If its dangerous, they need to make itt illegal, and if such a law is passed, tnen they should issue tickets.

appleaday 4 months, 2 weeks ago

I think it would fall under the inattentive driving laws.

jafs 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Yep.

Food_for_Thought 4 months, 2 weeks ago

If you look at the inattentive driving law, that particular law only applies (is considered a violation) when it causes an accident.

webmocker 4 months, 2 weeks ago

No fair confusing people with facts.

hujiko 4 months, 2 weeks ago

The police officers in Lawrence are too busy talking on their own cell phones to even care.

LarryNative 4 months, 2 weeks ago

LOL. Every time I pull up next to LPD they are on a cell phone.

Food_for_Thought 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Police talk on their radios and use computers in their cars too...perhaps we should ban those too?

oletimer 4 months, 2 weeks ago

hujiko, REALLY? typical response around Lawrence. Fact of the matter is, even if they made it illegal, cry-babies like hujiko would cry all the way to court. Most would say it is their right to yap into their phone, even if driving becomes dangerous. My right is to live another day without morons yapping into their phones hitting me because they have no clue.

appleaday 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Exactly. God forbid someone would have to give up a privilege in order to protect the safety or the life of another person.

hujiko 4 months, 2 weeks ago

You must be severely confused, I in no way advocated the use of cell phones while driving. I too believe it is a wholly reckless and dangerous behavior that should be outlawed. In fact, I regularly see law enforcement officers driving while using their cell phones, so I would find it hard to believe they would even notice other drivers should they become illegal. Don't be so quick in jumping to conclusions, it makes you look like a fool.

appleaday 4 months, 2 weeks ago

I was agreeing with you.

hujiko 4 months, 2 weeks ago

My contention was with oletimer, not you.

ryankruse 4 months, 2 weeks ago

This is easily the best response to a stupid comment I have ever seen on this trashy comment site. Thank Thank you oletimer, you made my Sunday

hujiko 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Stupid comment, huh? You must think it's acceptable for law enforcement to drive around distracted on their phones like everyone else. Setting the bar real high today.

Cant_have_it_both_ways 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Have a couple of drinks and you get screwed for a couple of years. Text, chat or have some other form of inattentive driving and that is just fine. The guy with a couple of beers is at least watching the road. Screw some and let others go.

ridikkulus 4 months, 2 weeks ago

EXACTLY, CHIBW. Talking with a cel phone glued to one's face is every bit as dangerous as driving drunk. The accident statistics for a "hands-free" device drop dramatically. I can't, for the life of me, imagine what is so incredibly important about any conversation that it can't wait.

Cai 4 months, 2 weeks ago

"The accident statistics for a "hands-free" device drop dramatically."

Research shows that, in all actuality, the hands free headset bits don't change much. It's the act of conversing with a person who's totally unaware of the driving situation that pulls your own attention out of the car. Hands free can't fix that.

ridikkulus 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Ooo... Hadn't read that one. Good to know, thank you!

Cai 4 months, 2 weeks ago

passengers shut up when things get dicey. You tune out the radio when you have to concentrate.

Walking and chewing gum isn't a good analogy - chewing gum is an automatic behavior.

And we've got proof that people, in fact, can NOT walk and talk / text on their cell phone. Driving is more attention demanding than walking. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/30/texting-while-walking_n_1717864.html for the proof, among many others found via google search).

Ron Holzwarth 4 months, 2 weeks ago

"passengers shut up when things get dicey."

Not always. Sometimes they start screaming.

PikesPeakJhawk 4 months, 2 weeks ago

When an individual is operating approximately 2000 lbs. of machinery (moving metal), they owe it to themselves and those around them to concentrate on the road.....not anything else...

rduhrich 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Get ready for a change in the law. My brother got a $340 ticket in Grapevine, Texas, for using (talking or texting) a cell phone in a school zone. I'm tired of seeing ignorant twits driving cluelessly while obsessed with blabing on their cell phones. Hang up and drive!

George_Braziller 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Five times in the last two years I've narrowly missed being hit by someone driving while on the phone. Two blew through a stop light, without even slowing down, two pulled out into cross traffic at a stop sign, and another ran a stop sign and almost hit me while I was crossing a street at a crosswalk.

Ron Holzwarth 4 months, 2 weeks ago

You should always assume that the trajectory of a moving automobile is going to be totally random.

A look at accident statistics will prove that I'm correct.

George_Braziller 4 months, 2 weeks ago

The trajectory of a moving vehicle is generally forward regardless of what's in the path. A Cadillac blowing through a stoplight at 40 miles an hour would have probably killed me on impact as I was turning if I wasn't the one who was paying attention. Saw him coming but he had a cell phone glued to he his head and didn't notice traffic moving into the intersection. Crazy red lights -- who needs them? Obviously he didn't think he did.

Missed my front bumper by about 18 inches and he never even tapped the brakes.

merrill 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Law enforcement and emergency service drivers are exempt from theses types of ordinances.

Cell phone talking while driving has been equated to a DUI. This activity is obviously a distraction demonstrated by the many times all of us have been stuck at intersections etc etc etc waiting for cell phone talking drivers in front of us to get moving.

Cell phone talking drivers put pedestrians crossing streets in the endangered species zone.

My guess is if at each accident cell phones were confiscated and searched we might find a ton of cell phone chit chat as the culprit.

Studies have estimated that about 10% of drivers can cell phone talk and drive. Which leaves the other 90% a huge problem.

cheeseburger 4 months, 2 weeks ago

'Cell phone talking while driving has been equated to a DUI.'

And our weak DA seldom prosecutes DUI's, so what makes anyone think he'll work very hard to prosecute cell phone infractions? The answer is: He won't.

Liberty275 4 months, 2 weeks ago

I can talk and drive at the same time.

KS 4 months, 2 weeks ago

There is probably already an ordinance on the books. It would be called "inattentive driving".

auntmimi210 4 months, 2 weeks ago

How 'bout one called "Inattentive Reading" ?

Lynn731 4 months, 2 weeks ago

I have a bluetooth, and I can drive and talk at the same time. I am retired, but when I was working my job was multitasking, so I am used to doing several things at the same time. I do advocate bluetooth technology, so you don't have to hold the phone up to your ear. Doing that is more distracting than simply driving and talking.

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