Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Hand held devices and the law?

Idaho has no text/drive law. Boise passed one, and it was quickly overturned in state court.

But inattentive will get you a serious ticket.

Across the river in Oregon, any use of a handheld device will cost you $300 if I remember the sign along hiway 21 correctly.

Different folks have different capabilities. Hell, my youngest daughter at 35 years can barely herd her car down the county road. Heaven forbid she try to eat a burger or change the radio station at the same time.

I can do a pretty good job of scanning the roadway at 65 mph while calling Momma to ask if I need to stop for milk and bread on the way home from work, but I would not attempt to write a text.

And cops are expected to type on the computer with one hand and watch the monitor while driving and talking on the radio.

I like the way Idaho law works. If you can do it and drive safely, go for it.

But the Oregon law sure generates a lot of revenue.

When we are not willing to let Darwin do the weeding...we get laws designed to make it safe for the dumbest citizen. Going way way back...think about it, seatbelts, anti-skid, airbags, back-up cameras, drop proof firearms, self driving cars, self braking cars ad nauseum. My father said we would regret giving women the vote.

Well, in this case, the dumbest citizen, may take out your family.

We have here in Tn since July

I've driven passed 3-4 radar traps on my phone, trooper didn't even bother any of those times.

I can handle a phone and drive.


My old man is 70, both hands on the wheel and was an army aviation officer. He scares the hell out me just on a straight stretch of highway.

Idaho has considered outlawing local and county hand held bans to get rid of confusion. A number of towns and counties have done it and it's become a mess trying to know whether they're legal or not. They've talked about just doing a statewide law but I don't know what the status is at this point.

My understanding from local TV news is that the State Supremes tossed out Boise's text/drive ordinance because of state preemption laws.

The same preemption laws which keep the libs in Boise or Ada Co from writing local gun control laws.

Oregon will do anything for money.

Yeah, those laws are to protect us from the dumbest. Check out my tag lines.

I just posted this on the DUI thread but it's appropriate here, too.

Several years ago a college girl from SW Idaho was driving home from college in UT. All across Idaho on I-84 she'd been texting with her friends. As she passed the town of Hammett, she sent a text that she shouldn't be doing that as it wasn't safe. A few minutes later, she started up a steep hill on I-84 and proceeded to rear end a slow moving truck going up the hill. At least she didn't take anyone with her.

Boise saw an 18.2% population jump from 2010 to 2018 — and it was the fastest-growing city in the country between 2017 and 2018, according to Forbes. In 2019, the Idaho capital was ranked as the best place to live for millennials, as well as the best US city to buy a house.

Won't be long and Idaho will be just like the rest....Hey Google..text or call someone is hands free all eyes forward.

Try to buy a house in Boise now. Prices have skyrocketed and the market has gone nuts. People are buying as far away as Payette because they can't afford Boise.

Alabama did a study a few years ago and found that accidents while texting and driving had passed drunk driving. So they passed a law no texting. You can still make or receive a call, but no texting. Takes too much time off the road.

Also any accident that has a death in Alabama, the driver, or drivers of vehicles involved have a blood test to determine if it is alcohol related. They found out that 80% of traffic fatalities were over the legal limit of alcohol while driving. 80% is a huge number, so now drunk driving is automatic suspension of drivers license, and alcohol and drug rehab for at least 6 months. Drunk driving dropped and fatalities went down.

Oh, most of the fatalities were on Friday and Saturday nights. 50% of those were under 21. Daytime was mostly fender benders due to texting.

You guys are right, the laws if obeyed are for our protection. In the short term. However, if you save the dumb ones for generations, what have you done for the gene pool? More dumb ones to breed prolifically and the cycle continually worsens. Example, we send food to saharan africa, they breed copiously, the land cannot support the increased population, a worse famine...that happened in just one generation. Our answer, send even more food. Druggies and homelessness, what do we do? Supply them with clean needles, food, occasionally shelter and worst of all....Narcan. I realize I'm being criminally and morally reprehensible by my viewpoint, but the very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

I’m betting nowadays texting drivers kill almost as many people as drunk drivers.
I don’t text while driving. If I’m talking on the phone, it’s via Bluetooth.

Anybody realize the left is making an effort to take over another state by packing Boise with liberals and immigrants? Soros money.

I bet the majority of the folks that say " I never ever text and drive!" are the same folks that constantly drive 5mph under the speed limit. The safe drivers we all see. They are the same kids growing up, never rode their bikes with both hands in the air!
Now do I text and drive currently? Heck no, neither do I drink and drive`, but to say I have never done either one a time or two in me youth, now that would be a stretch to say the least. Does not make me a bad person, Now just an educated person.
I am curious as to how many of us go out to eat at the neighborhood bar/restaurant and have a beer or two <gasp> With their meal, then drive home? Impaired? Maybe/ Maybe not. Ticketed if stoped by police? Probably! Do you still chance it and drive home via the side/back roads home? How many of you hear your phone buzz while your driving and glance at it quickly to acknowledge who it is calling? Might even text a quick "driving" text back. Just wondering, would that be like having a beer with my meal?

if either aint bad enough, don't forget those that text while drunk driving.

I’ve had some close calls fooling with my phone. It’s best to leave it alone!

My 1996 C1500 pick-up was totaled from someone talking on the cell phone, not paying attention to the road and rear-ended me on the highway. I wound up with 2 slipped discs in my neck. The force on the truck hitting mine drove the bed into the cab, bent the truck frame and pushed me into the car in front that was also stopped. For those who say it's OK and you can handle talking on a phone and drive at the same time: think again!

A topic near and not so dear to my heart. Sitting at a light with my brother and his wife we out riding 2 years ago. He was in the lane next to us, all I saw was movement coming over my shoulder.
They were hit at 35 MPH we learned later. The bumper of the car matched up to the rear tire of his bike perfectly. Shot the bike out from under them and they and the tourpack hit the hood of the car.
Sister in law died instantly (her neck was broken), my brother both hips, and tail bone shattered along with multiple internal injuries. He spent 19 days in the ICU unit.
He had gone through 7 different surgeries, was still having a rough time, doing anything related to everyday life. They went to do one more surgery he did not come out the other side, died in the OR. Buried him this spring.
That accident is one of the many they used for their case for hand free here. There were so many cases introduced as evidence it was just stunning.
When someone is texting they are not focused on driving PERIOD THE END OF STORY.