News

Actions

Locals weigh in on 'Hands-Free Electronics' bill

Posted at 7:19 AM, May 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-30 12:07:00-04

People use their phones in their cars...

"All the time," Susan Edwards said.

Be it calling…

"I definitely talk on the phone while driving,” K.C. Lott said.

Texting...

"I only really ever do it at stoplights," Morgan Hamelink said.

"I've been guilty of that," Lott said.

Even looking at your GPS.
|
"We're all kind of guilty of 'Oh I don't really know where I'm going' so you can sneak a peek at your phone and it is unsafe,” Eve Kucharski said. “You think you're being safer because you're looking at a map instead of a text message, but your eyes are off the road."

A new bill could mean you're not gonna be able to fiddle with your phone while driving anymore. Even if you're just trying to get back home. Instead if you are gonna use your phone while you're in the car, it needs to be hands free and attached to a dashboard mount.

Lott thinks it's a good idea.

"I think the technology is there where you can do all of that without having to look down at it. It might just take a few extra minutes on the front end of your trip to stop and get that set up,” Lott said.

Eve thinks it will cut down on distracted driving and will encourage the use of blue tooth... But...

"There will always be people who will be on their phones," Kucharski said.

And Edwards thinks putting a phone on a dashboard isn't going to solve anything and the law is fine the way it is,
"They're still gonna be playing with their phone, they're still gonna be looking over at their phone, just like how they're looking at the radio and stuff so it's still a distraction to drivers," Edwards said.

Lott says the bill would change his habits while driving. He says he has bluetooth, but doesn't even use it.

“Probably like a lot of people think well, that'd be a good law for everybody else except for me, i can handle it. But if that was the law I'd certainly abide by it," Lott said.