Use bluetooth in your car, get a level 5 felony

[bwframe]

Someone else made a good point: this statute would effectively put ride-sharing services (Uber, Lyft, etc.) out of business in Indiana.

...and police.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I didn’t know trains in the U.S. had “best parts”?

I'm definitely looking forward to them, because flying sucks, trains are a joke in the US, and self driving cars is my best shot at being able to take a nap and wake up in Nashville.

....

 

[foszoe]

State Senator's Bill Would Make It Illegal To Use "Hands Free" Device While Driving | 93.1 WIBC

Heard about this wonderful bill being proposed this year. It states that you can't use a mobile phone while driving including a hands free bluetooth device or GPS units. You will earn a level 5 felony if caught, punishable by 1-6 years in jail.

Seems like a pretty harsh punishment for using a cell phone. I'm all for not texting, but using a hands free bluetooth device is no different than having a conversation with people riding in your car with you. As a field service tech who gets dispatched from job to job (by a cell phone), this bill would make it impossible for me to go where I need to. BS.

And I suppose a level 5 felony would strip a person of their right to vote and 2A rights...

Garmin a campaign contributor? I use WAZE on almost every drive.

 

[HoughMade]

Crazy idea- let people use a phone or whatever inside their own car and punish them when they cause harm, in proportion to the harm caused...and publicize it.

 

[rkwhyte2]

Crazy idea- let people use a phone or whatever inside their own car and punish them when they cause harm, in proportion to the harm caused...and publicize it.

Makes sense but won't happen.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I have to imagine the use of phones for GPS is more common than standalone GPS units. There's also the catchall "functional equivalent or successor device" clause which probably doesn't directly apply to standalone GPS, but could if you stretch the interpretation.

Which is still more severe than the base penalty for OWI

I agree that it is much more common now for a phone to be used than a stand alone gps. But it would be one heck of a stretch to consider one a PDA or similar, especially since they preceded them and do not have "telecommunication" abilities.

And while technically true, a OWI with a BAC between .08-.14.9 is a C misd. Ask any attorney how many times they have seen it charged without the "endangers a person" enhancement which brings it up to the same class.

Crazy idea- let people use a phone or whatever inside their own car and punish them when they cause harm, in proportion to the harm caused...and publicize it.

I could go with that.

 

[chipbennett]

Crazy idea- let people use a phone or whatever inside their own car and punish them when they cause harm, in proportion to the harm caused...and publicize it.

Exactly what I posted on Facebook. The state should concern itself with actual harm caused, regardless of how it was caused.

 

[churchmouse]

Exactly what I posted on Facebook. The state should concern itself with actual harm caused, regardless of how it was caused.

If only.

 

[Tanfodude]

Felony also to anyone singing along the radio.

 

[HoughMade]

Felony also to anyone singing along the radio.

Screw that. I'll sing along with this one every time. Consequences be damned.

[video=youtube;J3arEmkXZ8s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3arEmkXZ8s[/video]

 

[churchmouse]

Felony also to anyone singing along the radio.

Well....that guy in the Cheeto's commercial....Yes.

 

[Ggreen]

Well....that guy in the Cheeto's commercial....Yes.

Tell it to my heart brother

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Crazy idea- let people use a phone or whatever inside their own car and punish them when they cause harm, in proportion to the harm caused...and publicize it.

Could the same not be said of DUI?

 

[HubertGummer]

Crazy idea- let people use a phone or whatever inside their own car and punish them when they cause harm, in proportion to the harm caused...and publicize it.

Absolutely.

Most problems on the highway have little to do with phones I suspect. Zipping in and out of traffic along with aggressive tailgating is way more dangerous.

 

[churchmouse]

Absolutely.

Most problems on the highway have little to do with phones I suspect. Zipping in and out of traffic along with aggressive tailgating is way more dangerous.

How much driving do you do. Just curious.
I was out today and in my travels I counted 3 near incidents involving a damn phone. 2 of these were with me and 1 was just ahead of me all at different times/locations.
If I count the 2 heads down on the phone make me miss a light morons that would be 5 but this is just a senseless irritation. Not endangering anyone.
I see the zippers and the tailgaters but the phone is far worse.

As I have already mentioned this is a pet peave with me.

 

[HubertGummer]

I'm not sure how they got that it would ban using a GPS from the bill, it says a personal data assistant. That is not a GPS unit. Think more along the lines of the old palmpilots, you know the things that became almost obsolete with the advent of smart phones and tablets.

And in IN felons do not lose the right to vote. The only restriction for criminal disfranchisement is if you are currently incarcerated.



And how would it make it impossible for you get where you need to go? If you get a call, pull over at the next available place and call back. It would be an inconvenience but not an impossibility. I know a service tech or two who get dispatched by phone, they usually get a call and then a text or just a text with the actual address so legally they would have to stop to check the address anyway. Unless they have a text to talk feature. If they got the address by voice they would have to write it down/program their GPS while attempting to drive also.

I'm not saying I agree with this law, not at all.



I enjoy driving usually, but I could see that having a car that had the ability to drive itself could be nice at times. I used to have an hour-hour and a half each way commute to work. To be able to just set the destination and do other things during that time would have been handy. Or a long drive at night on the interstate where there isn't much scenery to see or the light to see it with. To me there is a difference between driving/traveling and simply commuting from point a to b.

I got GPS from the article:
"It would also include "personal digital assistants" such as a GPS or Garmin. "

Ok so we don't lose the right to vote, we still lose the right to bear arms.

And yes, a major inconvenience.If I pulled over every time time I got a work related call, I'd barely make it out of my driveway. I don't find using a bluetooth to be all that distracting. Both hands on the wheel, both eyes on the road. In my 13 years of doing this job, I've never found having a non emotional conversation to impair my ability to pay attention to the road. I guess I'm just weird.

 

[KMaC]

The stoplight phone checker is my pet peeve. They are 4 out of every 5 cars so there is no chance of getting through a stop light if you are further back in line than 3 cars. The really frustrating part is that the phone checker that holds everyone up is the last guy to make it through the light. You get to sit through another cycle.

 

[HubertGummer]

How much driving do you do. Just curious.
I was out today and in my travels I counted 3 near incidents involving a damn phone. 2 of these were with me and 1 was just ahead of me all at different times/locations.
If I count the 2 heads down on the phone make me miss a light morons that would be 5 but this is just a senseless irritation. Not endangering anyone.
I see the zippers and the tailgaters but the phone is far worse.

As I have already mentioned this is a pet peave with me.

35k to 40k miles a year, for the past 13 years. I know people who have their eyes on the phone are dangerous, no argument there. From my experience, people are just as likely to cause an accident driving like an impatient wiener as they are using a phone. Some people just cannot use good judgment and stop doing stupid things, phones or not.

 

[HubertGummer]

The stoplight phone checker is my pet peeve. They are 4 out of every 5 cars so there is no chance of getting through a stop light if you are further back in line than 3 cars. The really frustrating part is that the phone checker that holds everyone up is the last guy to make it through the light. You get to sit through another cycle.

That is very irritating, but all they care about is that they made it through the light. Very inconsiderate.

 

[bwframe]

Felony also to anyone singing along the radio.

[video=youtube;Utknl3WYbPE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utknl3WYbPE[/video]