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Author Topic: New Jersey Bill: Tuning a Car Radio Could Cost $100  (Read 11296 times)
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Bill, KD0HG
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« on: January 18, 2006, 09:05:59 AM »

A bill making its way through the New Jersey state legislature would give police officers the discretion to pull over and issue a $100 ticket for any activity the officer claims is "distracting." Introduced by Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), the bill would turn the crime of using a cell phone while driving into a primary offense. Currently, a police officer can only issue a cell phone ticket to a driver if he is pulled over after committing a moving violation... According to the legislative summary, the bill "specifically prohibits a driver from engaging in any activity not related to the operation of the vehicle in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of the vehicle."... That means tuning the radio, drinking a cup of coffee or anything else an officer chooses to write on the ticket can justify a stop.... The bill, if passed, is expected to result in thousands of extra citations every year generating significant revenue.... "Much like we did with our seat belt law, upgrading the use of a hand-held cell phone to a primary offense will lead to greater enforcement and compliance," Wisniewski said in a statement. His bill passed in the Assembly Transportation Committee by a vote of 12-0.
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KL7OF
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« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2006, 10:10:33 AM »

You see people doing everything but driving the car....Especially on a morning commute....Shaving ,applying makeup, brushing hair, eating, drinking, even trying to read mail while in motion.....But It's OK cause I hear that they have a system coming out that will control the car for a short period of time while the driver has some driver attention defecit disorder going..I saw a driver with a hamburger and a letter in one hand propped on the steering wheel and a cell phone up against the ear while moving  in traffic....multi=tasking
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K1JJ
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« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2006, 11:10:00 AM »

I can foresee the demand for more voice operated controls in the car. Like on Star Trek: "Computer, tune radio to 3885."   Grin

Though, I've always maintained that it's really a division of mental attention that causes cell phone related car accidents, whether hands free or not.  You're on the phone and someone says something that really grabs your attention -  the car is now an unguided missle. 

Auto-pilot is good for driving in the fog, in an intoxicated stupor, and only while slapping yourself every 15 seconds.

T
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John Holotko
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« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2006, 11:25:55 AM »

You see people doing everything but driving the car....Especially on a morning commute....Shaving ,applying makeup, brushing hair, eating, drinking, even trying to read mail while in motion.....But It's OK cause I hear that they have a system coming out that will control the car for a short period of time while the driver has some driver attention defecit disorder going..I saw a driver with a hamburger and a letter in one hand propped on the steering wheel and a cell phone up against the ear while moving  in traffic....multi=tasking

It's a sign of the times and part of this "mobile society" we have created. Nowadays it's almost mandatotry human beings multitask and at  the veryleast most employers EXPECT it.   Not only are you expected to take work home, or stay at work all night long, but you are expected to get certain things done while  in transit.  Things like checking your emails, dropping a few calls  to clients, scanning that report that came in yesterday are considered to be things that can be done while in transit.  I don't like it but unfortunately it's how we live now. Some days  I am hard pressed to try and spot somebody who doesn'thave a cell phone glued to his/her ear, putting on makeup, brushing their teeth, or clicking a laptop all while blazing along behind the wheel.

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KB2WIG
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« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2006, 12:58:13 PM »

I once had the pleasure of taking a ride on the CDTA (Albany, NY) bus line. The driver was reading the paper as he drove. ...  Really.....   klc
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John Holotko
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« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2006, 06:21:31 AM »

That's typical of New Jersey, "The Nanny State", whose legislators have a "strong tradition" of overregulating EVERYTHING. Some years ago, that state even had a law prescribing a fine for any restaurant that served "runny eggs" (eggs sunnyside up, soft boiled, etc.). That law was abolished after Johnny Carson mentioned it in a monologue on the "Tonight Show", embarrassing Gov. James Florio. In most parts of the state, getting a permit to put up a tower is like pulling teeth. Come to think of it, all those who support the ARRL petition and subband restrictions should move to New Jersey. "New Jersey and Overregulation--Perfect Together!"

The ARRL should certainly consider moving HQ from Connecticut to New Jersey. I can think of some real garden spots in Newark or Camden where they could put their headquarters!

Like the ARRL petition, this proposed law stinks to high heavens. Follow your nose to New Jersey!

And I thought New  York state was  bad. Actaully I could almost understand  that anti-runny eggs law or the soft boiled egg law in light of the fact that eggs should be properly cooked so as to reduce the possibility of contracting serious bacteriological food poisioning. However, yeah, I have heard New jersey does have a tendency to go overboard in "protecting it's people".
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2006, 11:53:31 AM »

In Massachusetts you just about need to get a permit to take a leak in your own backyard - probably would need a hazardous waste disposal team to come clean it up afterwards.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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K3ZS
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« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2006, 03:59:37 PM »

In New Jersey you can't find a self-serve gas station, you must have someone pump your gas.  However, in Pennsylvania, you can't buy wine, food or beer in the same store.  You will have to go to three or four stores to get each..  You even have to go to separate stores if you want a six-pack or a case of beer.  Living in a college town with many out-of-state people visitiing, there are many new and confused shoppers in the supermarkets trying to make sense of where to buy their beverages.
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W1RKW
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« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2006, 04:45:44 PM »

So I does this means if I'm freezing my ass off in the car when it is -40 out while I'm in NJ and I 'm seen adjusting the heat in my car while I 'm behind the wheel I could be fined.  However, if I don't adjust the heat and my teeth are chattering and my body is convulsing and shivering so hard my head hits the roof while I'm driving that's OK as long as I'm paying attention to the road and that wouldn't be considered a distraction.

If I get pulled over for messing with the radio I wonder if the old climate control excuse will work to get out of it.

These lawmakers need another job.
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Bob
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2006, 04:32:31 PM »

Then billboards along the highway should be outlawed.  Those things are a lot more distracting to a driver than reaching to retune your radio or sipping on a cup of coffee while driving, because they invite you to take your eyes off the road long enough to read the advertisement.

I recall ages ago when I was in high school drivers' ed class.  The instructor asked us what a driver should do when he sees a farmer's barn on fire.  The correct answer was that you shouldn't have had your eyes off the road long enough to have noticed the burning barn.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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wa2zdy
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« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2006, 07:26:12 PM »

Phil is correct about the legislators and such here in NJ.   Unfortunately the reality is that there are so many friggin idiots with drivers' licenses and the traffic density in much of this gawdforsaken place is so high that a law like this was bound to be enacted sooner or later. 

I like to think that most hams can tune their rigs without it being obvious.  I operated CW mobile for decades without a problem.  But I was also smart enough to know when NOT to operate.   If more people had an ounce more sense, these measures would not be necessary.

As I've always told folks, drive first, do other stuff, like tune the radio, talk on the ham rig, only if you know you can do so safely.  And if you do get stopped by a cop, don't be a shithead.  Things get worse when you do that.

 
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