Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Police Study Shows Cell Phones Not That Distracting

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2003 15:50:08 -0500

Police Study Shows Cell Phones Not That Distracting

A review of 1,300 accidents by Delaware State Police found only 14 were caused by drivers
who acknowledged being distracted. Of those 14, mobile phones were listed as a factor in
only 4 of the accidents. These finding led Rep. Deborah Hudson, chairwoman of a panel
considering whether to ban hand-held mobile phones for drivers, to state the six-month
study found insufficient evidence to merit a change in the law. While she opposes a ban,
Rep. Hudson believes consumers need to be educated about the safety benefits of hands-free
wireless phones.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Task force: No need to ban hand-held cell
phones

By PATRICK JACKSON
Dover Bureau reporter
04/02/2003

A legislative task force on Tuesday recommended driver education and
tougher enforcement of existing traffic laws to reduce the hazard
posed by people driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone.

But the group did not recommend legislation that would ban or restrict
a driver's right to use a hand-held phone while driving.

"I think the evidence shows there's not a need to ban hand-held cell
phones," said Rep. Deborah Hudson, R-Fairthorne, the task force's
chairwoman. "The better approach is focusing on education, especially
of younger drivers, about the dangers of not paying attention, and
cleaning up the laws we have now."

The task force, set up last June to look at the effects of cell phone
use and other distractions on highway safety, met for the last time
Tuesday and is expected to issue a final report in about a month.

Among other things, it will recommend that:

• Student drivers be required to learn more about avoiding
distractions, including use of cell phones, while behind the wheel, as
well as developing a plan to include driving distractions in the state's
graduated drivers license program.

• Revising Delaware's law against "inattentive driving" to make specific
note of such distractions as using a cell phone or eating. The law
allows police to stop and ticket a motorist for inattentive driving but
lacks specific examples of distractions that might cause the offense.

• Retaining inattentive driving as a primary traffic offense, which gives
police the power to pull motorists over and ticket them for the offense
alone.

• Banning school bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones, except
to report emergencies or unless the bus is not equipped with a
two-way radio.

Task force members also asked state police to continue to provide
updates on the role driving distractions play in accidents. At Tuesday's
meeting the state police updated an earlier report with data gathered
up to March 26. The review of more than 1,480 accidents showed only
five crashes where there was evidence that a cell phone played a role.

While he agrees with Hudson's contention that no new laws are needed
to address the hand-held cell phone issue, Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf,
D-Rehoboth, said the study is misleading because it only listed people
who admitted to being on a phone at the time of a wreck.

"There's no box on a police report where you check off if a person is
on a cell phone and police weren't told to specifically ask if someone
was on a phone," said Schwartzkopf, who until January commanded
State Police Troop 7. "If you asked those questions, it might change
the result. But there's still no need for a new law because we already
have one on the books."

Rep. Joe Miro, R-Foxfire, said he plans to introduce a bill incorporating
the task force's recommendations for specific language in the state's
inattentive driving rules and ordering the Department of Education to
increase information about distractions in driver's education classes.

Miro wanted Delaware to mirror New York, which banned the use of
hand-held cell phones in cars. But he couldn't rally support for the bill
and opted to back the resolution setting up the task force.

Miro said he'll introduce his bill this spring after the task force formally
issues its report. By changing the rules of the road instead of creating
a new law setting up a new criminal offense, Miro avoids needing a
two-thirds majority in the General Assembly.

In a Monday interview, Miro said he wanted his bill to require cell
phone companies to provide education about safer alternatives to
hand-held cell phones, but he decided to drop the requirement
because of industry opposition.

But representatives of the cell phone industry say they are being
unfairly singled out.

"We support safety," said Joe Divis, Cingular Wireless' director of
external affairs. "But we don't feel it should be mandated ... You don't
require [McDonalds] to tell people, 'Now, you really shouldn't eat that
hamburger while you're driving,' and eating is a distraction, too."

http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2003/04/02taskforcenoneed.html

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