Is Hands-Free Working? Maybe
Hands-free is now the law in Colorado. And some people are actually obeying the law.
I took a short, no-big-deal ride on Sunday, just my monthly run to the wine store that I do on a bike as often as weather permits. But then I started checking to see if I could spot anyone using their phone in their car.
That practice became illegal earlier this year and theoretically there should be fewer people doing it. And also theoretically, you ought to be able to notice a lot more cars with hands-free attachments on their dashboards or windshields. I don’t search extensively; I’ve got a motorcycle to ride after all. But especially when I’m on a multi-lane street and I’m easing past someone it’s not hard to take a quick glance in as you go by them.
What surprised me was how many hands-free mounts I saw. Wow. People really are taking their safe driving seriously. Some at least.
That’s not to say that everyone is. I did see one woman with her phone pressed up to her ear, and another one who was looking into her lap rather than at the road ahead. I actually favor the one with her phone to her ear because at least her eyes were on the road. At that moment. Who knows where they had been a few moments before or after.
Mostly what I saw was people driving their cars. What a concept.
Driving while using your cellphone is not specifically a motorcycling issue, it’s really a motorcycling, driving, walking, bicycling and whatever else issue. Those people cause crashes. I know this first hand; fortunately I was uninjured by this red-light runner. My car was totaled.
Be smart. Be considerate. Don’t use your phone when you’re driving. And call out any of your friends who still just don’t get it. The life you save may be your own.
Biker Quote for Today
You own a car, not the road.
Tags: hands free, hands-free legislation
