My van has never had a handsfree but Steven Joyce’s nanny state approach has forced me to install one.
Interesting thing for me is that because it is mounted on the dash sort of above the steering wheel it is really easy to read texts and emails. Couldn’t do that when it sat on the passenger seat or in my pocket between phone calls.
Will have to avoid the temptation but I’m not sure it is a great step for road safety.
Frankly I think selecting music on an iPod is far more distracting than chatting to someone on the phone while driving, yet the latter is the one they have made illegal.
Well I disagree with both of you and support the decsion to make it illegal, even though I do it myself.
See my previous post on this (which I think has the best headline, even if I say so myself)
I think that the law was a no-brainer, but it relies on people using commonsense. In that, it’s exactly the same as every other road safety rule, like wearing seatbelts and not drinking alcohol.
If someone really can’t resist the urge to read emails while driving, I’d suggest the problem isn’t with the law but with the driver!
You could perhaps mount it further from the steering wheel?
“Steven Joyce’s nanny state approach has forced me to install one.”
In fairness dude, it was Annette and Harry Duynhoven who put the proposed rule change out for consultation in early 2008 – Joyce just got it through cabinet after the election.
All forms of cell phones are dangerous so research shows.
Politically Nanny State gone mad!
Safety-wise good!
Trolling One month ban Trevor
Hey Trevor, calling govt regulation “Nanny state” is really really annoying. I guess its just used to to point up the hypocrisy/inconsistency in National’s current love affair with regulation but it was always was, and still is, a pretty obnoxious term. Cheers though, I mostly really like your posts
@ Jen – but it does seem to bring out the worst in the Nact apologists. And I get a perverse pleasure in that.
@ Nathan – but if it was mounted further away it would be harder to dial and answer.
Even better! LOL. Have to admit though, I’m biased. I LOATHE cell phones, despite the fact I’m tied to one (and up to three) thru work. 21st century slave bracelet, I’ve heard them described as, not wrong IMHO.
Ever tried one of those phones that you could call out a name and it would (supposedly) dial it? No great wonder they never took off, absolutely useless!!
@ nathan – the issue with the phones you call a name out to dial or answer is you have to use a strange voice with an odd electronic accent in order for it to understand you
As much as we moan about the use of technology – most of us could not live well without our ‘crackberries’ and our ‘google fix’. (I do wonder how I managed life without google in the dark days before the internet)
@Nathan – I have a phone with voice dial, but you have to press so many buttons and go through so many menus to get it that it takes longer than dialing the number and you can’t go through the menus with your voice.
@Ianmac –
The voice dial has trouble with Maori names. Can a gadget be culturally insensitive?
You mean you use the voice dial Kelvin? I get freaked out by that thing on the Blackberry that barks “say a command!”. I’ve tried “sit” and “stay” but it doesn’t seem to work.
Use it like a stick,throw it away and if the dog brings it back ……