[tony20009]

My question below isn't about the verity of the AAA study (also referenced below) or what you think of it. I just want to know what your state laws say.

The Question:
Does anyone know if using the voice commands in our cars counts -- as per their local laws -- as texting while driving?

I realize that one need not take one's eyes off the road or involve one's hands to use the voice command feature, but I also know that if one happens to be in an accident, the cops can check with one's carrier to find out if one sent/received text messages at the time of the accident. I also know that hands/eyes not being involved in texting while driving doesn't mean one's attention is on driving and the road/surroundings, and that even hands-free texting and/or talking puts one in a "tunnel vision" situation. (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...tudy_says.html)

All the best.

[PTinVT]

Vermont law enacted last year says you can not use any mobile electronic device in "hand-held" mode, except to put it into hands-free mode; but "hands-free" operation of mobile devices is legal. Voice-command texting, or any other function, is not specifically prohibited.

The law was updated this year to close a loophole that allowed people to handle their devices while stopped in traffic.

[NEFARIOUS]

Voice recognition came a long way, but still has its flaws... Even today it picked up the wrong words when I was asking the manager about a document... Yes, like I'll use dog mints in a business setting . California does allow for voice recognition or other uses of the phone (e.g. music or GPS), but we were among the first states to apply the handsfree law.

In my opinion, all it did for some douchebags was just shift where they're holding the phone. I know someone that texts/drives all the time, and before the law, she held it at eye level and drove just fine. Now, it's more like either trying to get it to say the right words by talking like a robot (which is OK), but the dangerous part is when the phone messes up a word and she has to hide it near her lap and take her eyes completely off the road, and I tried telling that idiot to focus on the road, no matter how many airbags her frickin' Benz has (and yes, here's a hint: she's from a nation that has ignorance and self-serving deeply ingrained into their culture, plus a widely known stereotype for bad drivers).

But whatever, seems like every law these days must stoop to the lowest common denominator, and here I was hoping for Darwin's Law to take effect and those idiots that put other people's lives in danger get what they deserve in the form of a brick wall and a sudden turn [/sarcasm].

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by PTinVT

Vermont law enacted last year says you can not use any mobile electronic device in "hand-held" mode, except to put it into hands-free mode; but "hands-free" operation of mobile devices is legal. Voice-command texting, or any other function, is not specifically prohibited.

The law was updated this year to close a loophole that allowed people to handle their devices while stopped in traffic.

TY

All the best.