[carboy]

Originally Posted by root

Despite the fact that I may be considered old fashioned, just what did people do before mobile phones? Speak on a land-line when they had to!!!

Hear! Hear!

I am all for banning handsfree, handsnotfree, bluetooth everything. Very few of us are so important that a call can't wait. For those of us who are - they probably have a chauffeur.

I keep my phone on silent/novibrator when driving as far as possible.

[singhsid]

I can't locate the link but a few days back in Delhi 1 person was killed and another seriously injured because they were crossing a railway track while listening to music on their mobiles. Only god knows why did they need to keep the volume so high that they could not hear an oncoming train!!!
Personal freedom is fine - but at what cost? Without a doubt - earphone/headphone usage while driving has to go away!

[alpha1]

I have voted for not banning.
But in addition there should be a caveat:

Any pedestrian/two wheeler rider found wearing ear-gear while at accident shall forfeit his/her rights to claim the other party guilty.

[fine69]

What all can one ban in a country? If a pedestrian chooses music over safety then I say, let it be. How far would you go to instill this common sense that anything that distracts a pedestrian/2-wheeler/4-wheeler/18-wheeler while on the road isn't right. If I choose to ignore this plain simple fact then I say, run me over!

This thought, like many others, needs a stricter direction and action from the law-keepers side. Remember when tints were banned in Delhi some years ago? I still remember reading an accord-wala furious over how traffic cops removed the tints on his car with his girlfriend sitting inside. He called up his driver to get another car from his garage as this one was ruined. Traffic cops that time went on a tint-removing spree like hell, they just wouldn't care if it belonged to any minister or super-rich guy.

Moral of the story: If law-keepers really want to do something, they sure will! In the meantime, lets discuss the infinite bans that we can exercise, after all, its a forum.

[pganapathy]

I don't think this should be a rule. For me, it should happen by people in the interests of their safety. The problem with this rule is then it gets very complicated. Can we then say that music in cars should be banned as it is distracting. Taken to an extreme it will lead to talking to people in your car or your pillion on the bike should be banned as well as it is distracting. Do we really want to live with big brother telling us what to do.

I will say that people need to start accepting responsibility for themselves. If you plug your ears up in such a way that you can't hear traffic, remove your rear view mirrors and refuse to wear a helmet, do not be surprised when you get badly hurt while riding a bike.

[ramzsys]

Why only 2 wheeler/ pedestrian? Why not cars too?

If you see a nice car being driven slow in the center lane of a free road, rest assured, the driver is engaged in a phone conversation.

[carwatcher]

Earphone can be used by a person in ONE ear if he/she wants to enjoy music and taking calls on his mobile while driving but its easier said than done. That sounds better compared to using headphones in both ears and risking oneself's as well other's lives.
As regards banning, earphones on 2-wheelers should be banned alongwith people listening loud music in cars.
But can anyone explain how a person wearing crash helmet using earphone and how a person listening loud music in car will be caught.

[Blue_V]

What about the umpteen number of times I have seen a person driving a car busy with a cell phone (comeon get a bluetooth set atleast), maybe head cocked to one side (just like a two wheeler rider does) or driving with single hand, that really sets me off, and the driver is puttering along at 10 km/hr having the conversation. Im use both the car and mostly the bike, so i really think its unfair that people driving cars pass judgments on lowly(?) two wheelers.

[motomaverick]

Though it should not be banned as it would encourage 2 wheelers to just hold the phone to their ear and talk while riding (though its quite prevlant these days but it may increase) but incase of pedastrians walking on the side of the road or crossing and some mishap happens then the pedastrian should not blame the other car or bike as it was obvious he/she was not paying attention on where they were walking.

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by alpha1

I have voted for not banning.
But in addition there should be a caveat:

Any pedestrian/two wheeler rider found wearing ear-gear while at accident shall forfeit his/her rights to claim the other party guilty.

If a pedestrian is walking on the road rather than the footpath/ just crossing from wherever they feel like, and meet with an accident, it is them who should be blamed rather than the motorist.

However, as far as two-wheelers are concerned, even though banning head phones will lead to another risk (that of them holding the phone with one hand and riding with the other), in case of an accident, it is them again who should be held responsible. I have seen several bikers on WEH wearing headphones and changing lanes, not bothered about the motorists honking behind them.

[KrisTvpm]

This must be absolutely banned, IMHO.

As proven in many tests, human brain is not well tuned to multi-task. Have noticed some of my colleagues riding 2wheelers with their earphones plugged in are listening to FM radio or their MP3 collection, also attending to occasional calls while on the ride! Needless to say, they are running a serious threat to themselves and to other road users - pedestrians & vehicle-users alike.

Just last weekend I was driving on the ORR in Bengaluru on the Marathahalli -- Koramangala stretch at about 6:00pm. A girl probably in her twenties was going ahead on a Yamaha Ray at a leisurely pace. Due to vehicular traffic on adjacent lanes I couldn't overtake her and go ahead, hence flashed the headlight couple of times. Even then she wouldn't budge, tolerated for another 1km or so, honked lightly. No response, just the leisurely ambling along with absolutely no cognizance to the surroundings! Somehow I tried to gain space on adjacent lane, gave the lane-change indication and noticed the girl has the earphones plugged in firmly, speaking with someone articulately

OT: While getting out of my office tech-park, noticed a guy on a Chevrolet Optra setting up the mobile-phone on the holder. Didn't think twice, assumed he must be using the phone for GPS navigation/checking route traffic. But was aghast to see the guy put on some movie and watching it leisurely while driving ! *** !?

It's high time some strict traffic regulations are brought in, and forced people to adhere to also! Being inherently an undisciplined lot, we are sure to violate the rules unless forced upon.