Comments on: No Phones In School Zones http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/08/12/no-phones-in-school-zones/ Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:08:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Christian Sinclair http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/08/12/no-phones-in-school-zones/#comment-8558 Christian Sinclair Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:16:17 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1111#comment-8558 Another option with possibly much more efficiency is to have the school staff teach the children that drivers talking on the cell phone (anywhere) is a dangerous thing to do for everyone in the car. (It could be part of road safety/awareness/bike safety etc. Parents getting scolded by their kids changed a behavior at a local KC school when the kids were taught idling cars (from parents waiting to pickup their kids) makes the air unhealthy around the school. The kids educated the parents and voila no more idling outside the school. Another option with possibly much more efficiency is to have the school staff teach the children that drivers talking on the cell phone (anywhere) is a dangerous thing to do for everyone in the car. (It could be part of road safety/awareness/bike safety etc.

Parents getting scolded by their kids changed a behavior at a local KC school when the kids were taught idling cars (from parents waiting to pickup their kids) makes the air unhealthy around the school. The kids educated the parents and voila no more idling outside the school.

]]> By: George http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/08/12/no-phones-in-school-zones/#comment-8501 George Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:06:19 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1111#comment-8501 John, Being primarily a pedestrian (time wise) for the last nine years, I see that cars are always getting in my way not the other way around. I live near a school where most parents are afraid to let their kids walk to school. The cars that speed near the school (and elsewhere) are the very same parents. Go figure. George John,
Being primarily a pedestrian (time wise) for the last nine years, I see that cars are always getting in my way not the other way around.

I live near a school where most parents are afraid to let their kids walk to school. The cars that speed near the school (and elsewhere) are the very same parents. Go figure.

George

]]> By: John http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/08/12/no-phones-in-school-zones/#comment-8496 John Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:09:55 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1111#comment-8496 My cynical side wonders if cell phone use is illegal for pedestrians since they're the ones getting in the way of cars. At least that seems to be Gov. Perry's attitude. Given that speed limits aren't enforced in school zones I can't imagine a cell phone ban would be too. :-( John in Austin My cynical side wonders if cell phone use is illegal for pedestrians since they’re the ones getting in the way of cars. At least that seems to be Gov. Perry’s attitude.

Given that speed limits aren’t enforced in school zones I can’t imagine a cell phone ban would be too. :-(

John in Austin

]]> By: Botswana Meat Commission FC http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/08/12/no-phones-in-school-zones/#comment-8488 Botswana Meat Commission FC Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:34:52 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1111#comment-8488 Great post! This is just the epitome of bad government policy. The question I have is WHY? Why don't Texas' traffic engineers speak up? And it's not only on this specific issue, but in other areas like roundabouts and using narrower roads to slow down drivers. Why does it seem like the actual engineers in state and county governments are so... ignorant? I'm genuinely curious about this. Are the people working in government just way behind the times? Or are they actively hostile to doing things in new ways? Do they just get ignored by elected leaders? What is it? Great post! This is just the epitome of bad government policy.

The question I have is WHY? Why don’t Texas’ traffic engineers speak up? And it’s not only on this specific issue, but in other areas like roundabouts and using narrower roads to slow down drivers. Why does it seem like the actual engineers in state and county governments are so… ignorant?

I’m genuinely curious about this. Are the people working in government just way behind the times? Or are they actively hostile to doing things in new ways? Do they just get ignored by elected leaders? What is it?

]]> By: geografree http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/08/12/no-phones-in-school-zones/#comment-8486 geografree Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:32:56 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1111#comment-8486 Happy to report that NZ has just banned handheld mobile phones in cars. (hands-free is still allowed.) About time. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10590719 Happy to report that NZ has just banned handheld mobile phones in cars. (hands-free is still allowed.) About time.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10590719

]]> By: Ian Turner http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/08/12/no-phones-in-school-zones/#comment-8478 Ian Turner Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:39:34 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1111#comment-8478 Tom, you missed one more piece of confusion: Why ban use of handsets but permit hands-free devices? There's no evidence of a safety difference between the two. John, there is evidence that speaking on a hands-free is more dangerous that speaking with a passenger, because a passenger is aware of the road context and the conversation can naturally pause as necessary. A phone conversion does not have this advantage, so that the other party may (for example) continue to talk even while there is something on the road that requires the driver's attention. Cheers, --Ian Tom, you missed one more piece of confusion: Why ban use of handsets but permit hands-free devices? There’s no evidence of a safety difference between the two.

John, there is evidence that speaking on a hands-free is more dangerous that speaking with a passenger, because a passenger is aware of the road context and the conversation can naturally pause as necessary. A phone conversion does not have this advantage, so that the other party may (for example) continue to talk even while there is something on the road that requires the driver’s attention.

Cheers,

–Ian

]]> By: John http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/08/12/no-phones-in-school-zones/#comment-8476 John Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:47:31 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=1111#comment-8476 Mr. Obama, are you reading this website? How about a Federal law-- only hands-free devices allowed (recognizing that, although brain-free i.e. potentially distracting, no more so than talking with a passenger). Be done with all the confusion and lateral heirarchy. And, to enforce this, since there will not be enough police to observe, let us tell on each other with a dedicated _11 number, not only for handheld cellphones, but for ANY bad driving habits. Just call and report a license plate. If there were a hundred calls per day on this plate, law enforcement would take special interest. Roads would become much safer within a few years. Mr. Obama, are you reading this website? How about a Federal law– only hands-free devices allowed (recognizing that, although brain-free i.e. potentially distracting, no more so than talking with a passenger). Be done with all the confusion and lateral heirarchy.

And, to enforce this, since there will not be enough police to observe, let us tell on each other with a dedicated _11 number, not only for handheld cellphones, but for ANY bad driving habits. Just call and report a license plate. If there were a hundred calls per day on this plate, law enforcement would take special interest.

Roads would become much safer within a few years.

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