New Jersey lawmakers push bill to stop drivers from smoking

[tubaman]

They can all kiss my ***, if I want to smoke, eat,get a BJ or anything else in my own damn car I will:angerFU:

Ticket the litterers...:thumbsup:
Ticket the drivers that are driving recklessly:thumbsup:

But leave everyone the F*$^ alone:angerFU:

Ironman

Just my opinion

I don't know how anyone could disagree with that.

Yeah, but that just gets their foot in the door. Years later, they can warp the law to instruct police to pull you over only for that offense. Atleast that is what happened to the seat-belt laws here. Of course, it should be like that for seatbelts.

You really contradict yourself here. In one post you agree with Rich that the government should mind their own business, but later say the seat belt law, which the government thrust on us, is the way to go. Many people were against the seat belt law when it came about, but there is no denying more lives are saved than not by wearing seat belts. And there were many people that claimed "leave me the f*$& alone" when that law came about. The same thing goes for motorcycle helmets. These laws are there to protect you in case of an accident. I can't understand how anyone can argue the effectiveness and not use them. I know you are saying you agree with the seat belt law. But you are basically saying "That law is ok, but leave us alone" when it comes to cigars or whatever.

As to smoking, eating, using a phone, getting a BJ, whatever; doing any of these things IS an impairment on your ability to drive your car. Of course, we all drive much of the time using one hand, but any time you are doing something that takes your eyes off the road, you are operating your vehicle in an unsafe manner. Ever get ketchup on you eating a burger while driving? Did your cigar ever lose it's ash on you as you were making a left turn. How about drop your cell phone when you hit a bump and then have to start reaching down on the floor while still trying to see to drive at 60 mph? Honestly, I think doing ANY of these things while driving should be outlawed. This would be to protect the OTHER drivers on the road. Are these things as bad as DWI? Of course not, but they still are an impairment.

That said, I admit to smoking a cigar while driving on occasion. Reading this thread has caused me to rethink my position on this for my safety and for the safety of other people on the road. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Jwrussell]

I see where you are coming from Tuba, I just think there are more important things for them to be focusing on than something that is linked to 1 friggin' percent of auto accidents. As to the Helmet laws? We don't have 'em here in Florida. Never understood it. They didnt' have 'em in Delaware when I was in school either. So long as everyone else doesn't have to pay for the idiots that don't wear 'em I guess I'm fine with it. Very Darwinian, no?

 

[cvm4]

Ya'll are worried about helmets!!! Damn they should make full leathers and helmets mandatory. I could show some pretty graphic road rash that would make any motorcyclist rethink their riding strategy. Cruiser or sportbike, doesn't matter...

 

[The Prince]

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You really contradict yourself here. In one post you agree with Rich that the government should mind their own business, but later say the seat belt law, which the government thrust on us, is the way to go. Many people were against the seat belt law when it came about, but there is no denying more lives are saved than not by wearing seat belts. And there were many people that claimed "leave me the f*$& alone" when that law came about. The same thing goes for motorcycle helmets. These laws are there to protect you in case of an accident. I can't understand how anyone can argue the effectiveness and not use them. I know you are saying you agree with the seat belt law. But you are basically saying "That law is ok, but leave us alone" when it comes to cigars or whatever.

As to smoking, eating, using a phone, getting a BJ, whatever; doing any of these things IS an impairment on your ability to drive your car. Of course, we all drive much of the time using one hand, but any time you are doing something that takes your eyes off the road, you are operating your vehicle in an unsafe manner. Ever get ketchup on you eating a burger while driving? Did your cigar ever lose it's ash on you as you were making a left turn. How about drop your cell phone when you hit a bump and then have to start reaching down on the floor while still trying to see to drive at 60 mph? Honestly, I think doing ANY of these things while driving should be outlawed. This would be to protect the OTHER drivers on the road. Are these things as bad as DWI? Of course not, but they still are an impairment.

That said, I admit to smoking a cigar while driving on occasion. Reading this thread has caused me to rethink my position on this for my safety and for the safety of other people on the road. Just my 2 cents.

Sorry Tuba. I fail to see a contradiction of terms. A seat belt is a fundamental safety protection. A seat belt saves lives. I see nothing of the facts that would equate enjoying a cigar to buckling a seat belt. Quite a liberal interpretation you exclaimed. If we were to expound on your argument, might you include the radio as well? I mean, really, if need be, lets compare oranges to oranges.

 

[tubaman]

Sorry Tuba. I fail to see a contradiction of terms. A seat belt is a fundamental safety protection. A seat belt saves lives. I see nothing of the facts that would equate enjoying a cigar to buckling a seat belt. Quite a liberal interpretation you exclaimed. If we were to expound on your argument, might you include the radio as well? I mean, really, if need be, lets compare oranges to oranges.

In driver's ed classes I took in high school, I was always taught 2 hands on the wheel at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. If you don't have one on the wheel because you are holding a cigar, that goes against fundamental safety precautions, don't you think? Don't you think the manner in which someone operates their vehicle is pretty fundamental to the driver's safety as well as the other occupants and anyone else on the road? The whole point of outlawing cell phones while driving was a SAFETY ISSUE. Smoking a cigar is very simlar. You might be having a conversation with people in the car, or even using a handsfree device, but only one hand is on the wheel with a cigar and you drop it, or are having trouble getting it to stay lit. There are a whole host of things that can happen, the point is, you can be distracted while driving because of what you are doing. I think this is MORE important than the seat belt law because if you aren't wearing your seat belt, who suffers? YOU! If you are driving while distracted, i.e. cell phone, eating, whatever, you could hit someone else, endangering THEM. We can argue that one forever and never come to an agreement, that's what's great about our country.

But my point was that you contradicted yourself by agreeing with Rich's post about government not legislating what we can do while driving, and then saying the seat belt law is necessary, which many people complained about as over legislation. You contradict yourself because you say government should only get involved in SOME issues of driving, not others. The issues ARE related because they all involve safety.

As for your expansion on my argument to involve radios. All I will say is that my wife's aunt spent 7 months in a hospital because she was hit by a car while crossing a street by someone who said he looked down to adjust the radio. So, I could have included that one, but didn't. Luckily she is still alive, but has only 1 eye and 1 lung because of the accident. I only mention that because you brought it up and it's directly on point to what you said.

 

[The Prince]

Tubaman, all I can say is Wow. What a topic to get your blood pressure raging. Please, calm down. My inference regarding the seat-belt laws is that sometimes, you have to tell people what is good for them. ie. seat belts. The government had to make it a law before everyone was wearing a seat belt, thousand of people a year were dying because of not wearing seat belts. Are you disagreeing that everyone should not wear their seat belt? Nevertheless, How many people have been killed or seriously harmed from accidents involving a mobile phone or a cigar? I would dare say it wouuld be a miniscule percentage compared to the accidents involving the persons wearing no seatbelts.


Oh, and LMAO at "I think this is MORE important than the seat belt law because if you aren't wearing your seat belt"

 

[Wasch_24]

Hey, if only 1% of accidents are caused by peole smoking wouldn't it be better to mandate smoking...then 99% of accidents might not have hapened. :wink:

 

[tubaman]

Tubaman, all I can say is Wow. What a topic to get your blood pressure raging. Please, calm down. My inference regarding the seat-belt laws is that sometimes, you have to tell people what is good for them. ie. seat belts. The government had to make it a law before everyone was wearing a seat belt, thousand of people a year were dying because of not wearing seat belts. Are you disagreeing that everyone should not wear their seat belt? Nevertheless, How many people have been killed or seriously harmed from accidents involving a mobile phone or a cigar? I would dare say it wouuld be a miniscule percentage compared to the accidents involving the persons wearing no seatbelts.


Oh, and LMAO at "I think this is MORE important than the seat belt law because if you aren't wearing your seat belt"

:sarcastic :sarcastic

 

[Mr.Draned]

Bump. Seems to fit in with the FDA outrage!