I don't want to be on the road with an older fellow ham rag chewing anymore than I do with a teenage girl visiting with her friends.
We hams have the technology to operate 2-way radios hands free. Its called a headset and I believe they are legal to use in 6-Land. With that said, I will continue to use my VHF-rig mic as designed. 73
Are you a member of "me first generation "? Does your car license plate reads "K6SDW" or do you have "porcupine car"? I am sure it is being appreciated by many hams or drivers "in the know". Allow me to share. As a part of volunteer firefighter training we had "a presentation " from state trooper on how to SAFELY respond to a call driving personal car or department fire engine truck. That was few years back - about 40. To this day I rememberer his introductory statement: " One out of ten drivers on the road is unfit to drive..." And that was when only electronic device in wast majority of cars was dashboard AM radio. with "pushbuttons" which were the first thing to break in NEW car. Yes, technology has changed in 40 pl;us years, but the trooper was wrong - HALF of divers behind the wheel are not unfit, but dangerous when not paying 150% attention to driving - TODAY _ , period! OK, continue to use your " rig mic as designed" , but you COULD modify Smokey the Bear motto "only you can prevent mishaps" if you choose to do so. In an essence - it is your personal choice and in the long run (unwanted (?) ) responsibility. Since you and others will not take the responsibly voluntarily , now "the law", however vague, will hopefully make you. Enough preaching, how is DX? 73 Shirley .
I've mentioned this point a number of times in other places. I have Even brought it up with the ARRL themselves and each time I've suggested my point below I've had a cold response. The ARRL sadly didn't get my point either, so when my renewal is due I'm seriously considering not renewing it because I don't want to support an organisation which wont listen to common sense. We as Amateur Radio Licenses should be setting a good example and use our technical skills and ingenuity to allow us to use our radios hands free for communication while mobile. I am fully behind any state that wishes to pass a bill which will ban the use of any hand held device while driving. Its simply common sense.
Why? How is it different from talking with a passenger while holding a coffee? What about children? A screaming baby? Listening to the news? Steve KV6O
Steve, I think his point was 'keep yer eyes on the road and yer hands upon the wheel'. Coffee or no coffee.
I love the intro to this bill: "The 'PEOPLE' of California Shall Enact". Har, har. What is thy bidding, my Masters?
I understand your point, yes you are dead right, screaming kids and the likes are a dangerous distraction! Although I am living here now, I'm from Scotland where its illegal to eat or drink while driving anywhere in the UK, hand held cellphone use over there has also been illegal for many years and the phone accessory suppliers made a nice profit when this law was brought in. (BTW...I have no financial interest in any of this) Its also illegal in the UK to "adjust your car radio" controls unless they are built into a stock on the steering wheel. Depending on what you are listening to could also be considered a "distraction". There are parts of the law that state you have to be "physical and emotionally" fit to drive. Meaning for example, your not too tired to drive safely, or upset by some external events which would distract your attention from driving, some political news for example could very well account for that category. I don't remember if amateur radio has any exclusions in the UK, but I doubt it. There are devices available to connect a hands free mic to your mobile radio available off the shelf from one of the big ham suppliers in the UK, I was really surprised to find that they are not over here. Seems like a good market for someone to jump on! My main point is really that hams with the technical knowhow should be setting a good example to others by using hands free devices. I can understand non-hams who want to receive a phone call and cant legally do so being annoyed by the fact that hams who (most of) have not had any different driving training should be allowed to use a device while driving. Another thing that springs to my mind, I think CB radio would have been illegal to use even when the ham radio exclusion was in place. Whats the difference there??? Technically nothing I'd say, so why were they not allowed... maybe they were some how.. I haven't taken the time to look that up. I'm sure others on here would know that answer off hand. There are many angles to this whole topic. Like a lot of topics, sensible discussion back and forth is a good thing, it opens up different angles and thoughts in lots of peoples minds. I don't post many comments here, and when I do they are thought out and not just an empty statement fired off into the interweb with no meaning behind them. I also really appreciate your comment, and we all have our own take on different things.. its what makes us unique individuals and interesting. Cameron,
Anything other than eyes on the road and hands on the wheel can be considered a distraction. But the question is one of degrees. Is it a big distraction to look at the speedometer, or the fuel gauge, or the NAV map or listen to its instructions? How about adjusting the climate control? Looking at the scenery? And then there is drinking coffee or whatever. In my experience, using a PTT microphone on a radio is no more distracting than any of the above. However, tuning a ham radio is extremely distracting, just as bad as a cell phone IMO. The displays and controls are tiny and not designed for good ergonomics and a driving situation.
K5KNM, Those people you allude to do not exhale carbon dioxide but rather pure scented unicorn air. Therefore, they will be exempt from leaving California.
AND they drive on the wrong side of the road (Ducks) to boot Also trying to light something to smoke is dangerous, so is applying make up and Shaving. very dangerous when driving.
I hera from my truck driver friends that this doesn't apply to 'commercial' vehicles, allowing throwers to use their CB radios. I wonder, if this is true would it apply to my van with a commercial plate? I will continue to use my ham radio in my van anyway. The highway patrol couldn't make us do 55 MPH, or keep the flow of traffic below 80 MPH now, how the heck do they intend to stop me from using 2 meters?
