Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on June 27, 2007

Click here to view bill details.

go home. Quit taking away our freedoms. If you do something stupid while on the phone there are numerous laws with which you can be spanked. Take your nannyism and go get a real job.

The only problem is that most people have a VERY difficult time talking on the phone and driving at the same time. Waiting until one of those BAD multi-taskers hits someone and kills them to do something about it is clearly stupid. That's ok though, they'll go to prison and add to the 51,000 + population, so you will end up paying for it that way too and what if the person they hit is your loved one? But, like most other things in this state, we have a "wait and see" attitude where "if it doesn't directly affect me, then I don't care". It usually doesn't affect anyone until it hits their pocketbook. Then they really get pissed off and create a very large fuss about it.

If that is the case, shouldn't we ban passengers in cars? After all they make try to hold a conversation while you are driving. How about radios? Won't they distract you too? The truth is, there is an inherent risk when you use the roads. If you can't accept the risk, use the roads.

You can't legislate total safety. You do gooders are willing to give up every freedom just so you feel safe in your little prius. Learn to live, buy a larger vehicle, quit trying to impose your will on everyone. Maybe we could just build little cages with iron bars and put everybody in one, that would make you safe. How far are you guys willing to go?

If anyone absolutely NEEDS to speak to someone over the phone while they are on the road, they should have to PULL OVER off the road. On the road chatters range from a driving nuisance to an extreme danger. On the city streets they can't figure out that the light has turned green until it is nearly red - and they have the nerve to get pissy with anyone who honks at them for their ignorance. Some go as slow as turtles, while others pay absolutely no attention to the speed limit or the traffic around them while they speed along with only one hand on the wheel. It is no fun being a passenger with one of these idiots driving. They are dangerous to everyone in the car as they laugh, yell, etc. their way down the streets. Worse yet, is when one of these boneheads babble along as they are going 70 miles per hour down the highway. It PLAINLY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED! There was a time when the average person did not have cell phones - and we actually managed to get by just fine! Casual conversations DO NOT NEED to be CONDUCTED ON THE ROAD!!! If a call is an emergency, then a driver would be able to think more clearly if they pulled over to the side for a moment anyway. So for everyone who is bawling about their rights being taken away - Do you think it is fair for you to take away the rights of everyone else who wants to be safe on the road? Because as things are right now, you are! Hang Up and Drive - or Pull Over to Jive!

It's not holding the phone that's distracting, it's the conversation. The biggest offenders will spend $50 on a hands-free and go on talking. It's cheaper than a ticket. Try to enforce that.

We are in finiacial ruin in this state and people are struggling to make it paycheck to paycheck and the bafoons want to impose some anti-freedom money grab law to bleed out what little blood we have left.This congress really need to go on break get out of Lansing stop voting no explanation needed.I mean really these idiots won't be happy till everyone in the state is either on uneploymed,on welfare,or bankrupt or maybe all three.I tell you it makes a guy really think if the government wants so much control over my live than I'll just jump in the welfare line and they can pay for my life as well.I love to work and pay my way though but man these leeches have to stop enough is enough.

Of course passengers can be distracting. But there are valid reasons to have passengers in a car. Talking on the phone is NOT a part of driving. There is no legitimate reason a call can't wait until you park the car.

That is our present form of government. They are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

ourselves at least partially responsible for this kakistocracy? WE elected the kakists into office. WE keep re-electing them. WE allow them free reign to do as they will without oversight. WE allow them unfettered access to our wallets by accepting the taxes, fees, and fines they impose without even a whimper. WE built the monster, and now it's time to be good citizens and destroy it. get out the pitchforks and light the torches.

The combination of holding the phone (allowing only one hand to handle the wheel and a big lack of moving their head left or right to observe traffic around them) and mind consuming conversation, make hand-held cell phone use in the car explosive and dangerously distracting! It would be far preferable for drivers to use a hands-free device while talking on a cell phone! This bill is not attempting to police the hands-free devices because it's clearly not as hazardous!

is not one iota better than a handheld phone. The problem is the total lack of concentration. Still, it would be foolish to pass more laws giving more power to the state. If you crash because you are gabbing all day long then there are already laws on the books. We don't need anymore laws.

enforce the 'wreckless endangerment' laws around here? driving while talking on a phone is intentionally putting those in other vehicles around you into mortal danger. you should be held criminally liable. YOU chose to talk on the phone, and due to YOUR innatention, people get injured or killed. that makes you criminally liable.

"We as Catholics do not believe in responding to violence with more violence. I'm proud of our state for not having the death penalty." Father Bob Byrne, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, 2004.

mr. cut-and-paste.

"when i got sent to michigan after seminary, i was appaled by the high murder rates in detroit and flint. i was also surprised at the reluctance of the people to properly punish those that commit those crimes." Fr. Emmanuel Montecino, Educational Services, Archdioces of Detroit.

on your cell phone?

I guess I'd road full of careening phone-yakking retards than a police state, which is where this state seems to be headed. What if all the money collected from fines and seizures had to go to non-profits in another state? I wonder if we'd be nannied to death to the extent that we are today.

Next we will be ticketed for talking to someone else in the vehicle with us! Is it our fault that Michigan gov. is forcing people out of here by the thousands, the answer is yes and no! I did not vote for those yahoos but plenty of people did! Now everyone has to try to make up the money the gov. is loosing by forcing people to go elsewhere for employment! WHAT NEXT?

your logic sounds like the witch scene in Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail. Talking on a cell phone is just as valid as having passengers. Has anyone considered the amount of productivity gained by being able to conduct business while driving, say from Detroit to Grand Rapids. This is just one more way to decrease productivity in Michigan and drive out more business. If I could sell mine, I'd move too.

Who can say they were hit by someone on the phone? I can't. I have been hit by women though four different times. None of those times had any of those women been on the phone. To go beyond that, only one of those times was I injured, and that was because the was driving a well oversize suv. So lets be safe then if we are going to nanny-state. Lets bad suv's and women driving. Obviously I don't really think that, but it makes about as much sense as this law would.

Every day we need to hear about the accidents, injuries and deaths of children/adults by someone who was behind the wheel of a vehicle and texting or talking on the cell phone. This innocent child killed, because it was important for someone to take a call while driving. CAN WE STOP THE USE OF CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING. Come on people, please consider making your calls or messaging before and after you get behind the wheel of a vehicle. We know you NEVER have any intentions of harming anyone... but, this is why they call it accidents. Thank you.

A couple of years ago, I actually witnessed this while walking in downtown Flint on my way to get a sandwich from a friend: I saw a lady talking on her cellphone while stopped at an intersection. As she was doing that, a man who was walking with a cane was crossing the street, perfectly right to do so for the lady was supposed to be stopped at a red light. But, while she was yakking, her car suddenly lurched forward, and knocked the man off his feet. I went to the guy immediately and thankfully, he was okay. The lady gave me a disbelieving look, like she didn't know the guy was even there. It also looked like she did not want to take responsibility for her actions. This incident is clear indication that hand-held cellphones should be banned while driving. Is it that important to be well connected that you have to yap on your cellphone while in traffic? Especially when there is an alternative that has proven to work - a headset with a microphone? How I long for the day when we didn't have cellphones, which was really not that long ago. Unfortunately, the PC has been around for just a bit longer. As I said, I was happy to see the guy was okay. But I put myself in a position to try to help if he wasn't. BTW: I do not drive or go anywhere with a cellphone.