Should cell phone usage be banned in automobiles?

Yes: 59% (895 out of 1522)
No: 41% (627 out of 1522)

By a 59% to 41% margin, the EPI Poll respondents favored passage of a law banning cell phones in cars. 895 yes to 627 no.

It seems stories appear every day about a cell phone being at least a contributing factor in an accident. There is little doubt that trying to manipulate the key pad to make a call, or driving with one hand while holding the phone with the other during a call is a formula for disaster. As one respondent so eloquently put it, "Should a hair dryer be used in a bathtub?" Another told the story of being hit from behind by a driver who was using a cell phone. The driver got out of his car and waited for the police to arrive while still talking on his cell phone. Extreme, yes, but it is happening.

The vast majority of respondents, pro and con, commented on the need for "hands free" use of a cell phone in a car. Many of the "Yes: voters would be satisfied with a requirement for "hands free" usage. Several visitors to the site from other countries pointed out that their countries already have laws requiring "hands free" operation and they find that this restriction is really in everybody's best interest.

The second most often made comment was for the driver to pull of to the side of the road to make a call.

Both of these recommendations make sense and are born out of a legitimate concern for safety. Many of the "No" voters also pointed out that other "mobile" gadgets from radios and CDs to the new GPS displays also distract the driver and yet they are not banned. Others worried about the over regulation, "big brotherism" such a law might represent.

Cell phones are one of the "hottest" topics we hear about. People are becoming very frustrated with the inconsiderate, disrespectful, and in some cases dangerous uses of cell phones. As a society we are faced with a new technology that begs for a set of guidelines to define usage that is both considerate and respectful of people around us. If a significant portion of the cell phone users continues to operate phones in a disrespectful or inconsiderate manner, then we may well face formal regulation of cell phones in AND out of vehicles. In our opinion a better path to follow is for cell phone users to apply common sense to the use of their cell phones.

The considerate and respectful approach to using a cell phone in a car is to use a hands free device and/or pull off to the side of the road to talk on your phone. Better yet, because many phones come with voice mail, just turn the phone off. Collect your voice mail messages when you are making a pit stop and can safely return the calls.

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