Crack down on dumbass drivers...

N.C. may curb cell phones in cars North Carolina could be next to outlaw drivers using handheld cell phones. A proposed law would require drivers to use a speaker or headset, except in emergencies. The bill is scheduled for discussion at a House committee hearing today. Curbs on using cell phones behind the wheel are speeding up nationwide. New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., have laws similar to North Carolina's proposal. Chicago joined them this month. [Charlotte Observer]

About time too. Driving while holding a mobile phone was banned in the UK, which is a good thing, but the situation wasn't anything like it is here, in Charlotte atleast. Everytime I'm out in the car I'll see people on their phone while driving and more often than not they'll do something really dumb, proving they're not paying attention. Really makes me nervous sometimes and it's all thanks to people that don't give a crap (often from South Carolina as it happens). Anyway, it really get's on J and I's goats! Lisa, next-door-but-one to us, doesn't seem to be able to drive without her phone to her head... not that that means she can drive with it there, but you know what I mean. I saw this news story on the TV last night and it said that people will get $100 fines if caught... if I had the power to issue these fines to Lisa everytime I saw her on her phone while driving, she'd have had to re-mortgage her house by now. Man, when she told me about her party the evening before the thing, she had her phone to her head, almost in her mouth - while talking to me - I could barely tell what she was saying. I shudder to think what her mobile bill is.

Cell Phones Add Years To Driving Age Chatting Adds 18 Percent To Reaction Times [WSOCTV.com]

What can drivers do at the wheel? Almost half of all motorists say they have been distracted while at the wheel by in-car gadgets, and thousands admit near misses as a result. So what can you do and not do while in the driving seat? [BBC NEWS | MAGAZINE]