Woman Answers Cell Phone, Drives off Highway 154

I see that same woman all over town........where is enforcement of cell phone law??

Wow, that is an extreme case of someone being distracted by answering a cell phone! It does show the dangers of allowing yourself to be distracted by anything, especially while driving on a twisty road. The 154 already has enough reasons to make it dangerous folks, be careful! Besides the natural dangers there are psycho drivers on it that think it's okay to pass on the corners, to tailgate you even if you're going the speed limit and to drive erratically. So glad that these women did not die or become seriously injured!

it's too bad she had a passenger with her that had to suffer the consequences of her actions. i hope she gets jail time for reckless endangerment. some laws aren't simply written to annoy, but to protect.

Due to this accident, CHP is stepping up their enforcement of cell phone laws. If they see you talking on your phone while driving, they WILL cite you.
And BTW, it is LEGAL for police, firefighters, etc. to talk on their cell phones. I was surprised to discover this, but I guess with all of the communication and other equipment in those vehicles, cell phones are just one more minor distraction. Driving with many distractions is a part of thier training.

I take the pass to work and in addition to the fact that almost everyone speeds--many of them *well* in excess of the speed limit--I see quite a few of them talking on their cell phones without headsets yakking away obliviously.

The cops really need to step up enforcement and not just occasionally park on the side of the road thinking they are deterring people by their presence.

@ p38Tricia

According to a CHP spokesperson, there's no truth to the statement that officers are stepping up their enforcement or have recently done so. He said today that officers have been handing out a great many citations and will continue to do so.

HA good for her. It's just to bad someone was with her. I hope she does time for that. just like if you dui and crash with a passenger. More harsh of a sentence. Do the crime do the time. But, that doesnt apply to lets say Heather Locklear

So did the women get cited for causing the accident? Had she been under the influence of alcohol she would have been charged with a felony because of the passenger. Studies have shown cell phone use while driving is as dangerous as driving under the influence. Are we serious about safe driving or NOT!!

...I was halfway to Chumash, and my cell rang. I had to pick it up, I thought it was the United Talent Agency, but yet again, just another creditor.-Heather Locklear

drew: Please relay to whoever you speak to that they need to do much more than they are doing. I appreciate what they have done, but the speeding is still absolutely out of control on the 154.

"there are psycho drivers on it that think it's okay to pass on the corners, to tailgate you even if you're going the speed limit and to drive erratically." -santabarbarasand-

Exactly! The drivers santabarbarasand describes are everywhere, and they tend to be even more aggressive when they drive big pickup trucks. (For those who drive big pickup trucks who are not speeders, this obviously doesn't apply to you, but as a rule, Chevy pickup trucks are usually the most aggressive drivers)

this article should have noted the weather conditions that day. it was raining, foggy & slick. i drove over the pass about 2 hrs after the crash & couldn't see more than a few yards ahead.
of course, the driver ought to have had greater caution because of the conditions but they are part of the story.

Why the hell isn't the cell phone law being enforced? Are the police going to let this stupid scoff-law off without even a ticket for violating the law and endangering a pasenger, not to mention others? If they are not going to enforce this law, why should anyone think that they will enforce a law about texting while driving, should one pass? The law enforcement people are as toothless as the laws they do not enforce. How can you respect them?

"I still think it would be wiser for [police] to use a hands free devise"

Actually, studies show that it's not holding the phone that's the problem. It's holding a converstation with someone who isn't there that distracts the brain.

That's why the National Safety Council is calling for a full ban on cell phones while driving.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/hea...

I am so sick of people and their cell phones, just shut up and drive!

Not a day goes by that in my 1 mile "commute" to my office, either on bike or by car that I don't see some moron talking on a hand-held phone doing something (else) stupid. Like not stopping at a stop sign, blowing through a red light, even driving on the wrong side of the road.

Not a day goes by that I don't witness police officers on motorbikes or in patrol cars witnessing these violations and doing nothing.

Now with regard to the woman on the pass: by all accounts, as she was driving on violation of the law, she should be cited for that, not to mention reckless endangerment, not to mention that her insurance wont have to pay for a dime of her damages. She might get the message, but I doubt that all this dialog will do a damn thing to modify the behavior of the vast, ignorant, plugged-in, tuned-out who will continue to risk their lives and those of rest of us on the road.

Budget solution!!!!!!

Enforce cellphone use while driving law.
Enforce turn signal law.
Enforce stop sign law (including on bicyclists).
Collect fines.

Fix budget.

Hope she has to pay for the rescue, like mountain climbers. She took the risk, we shouldn't have to pay for it.

Oboy; Weezie, hold me back. I've considered carrying a bag of rocks just to get the attention of murderous, or at best negligent, cell-phone-yakking drivers. Several thousand pounds of moving vehicle trumps a soft, slow pedestrian every time. Fortunately, like Dubya, I have quick reflexes.

All seriousness aside, to paraphrase Arlo Guthrie, luckily she didn't drive into the mountain--she went over the cliff. Otherwise there might've been a really ugly head-on involving some unknown number of innocent drivers going the other way.

There is a high incident of people getting brain tumors from using Bluetooth or cellphone headsets. If you don't believe me check out DrMercola.com. Use the alternative dashboard devices for your cellphone, this is a lot saver, but hey if you still don't believe me by all means continue wearing those headsets...I hope this person wasn't hurt badly or her passenger!

How about those guys in the giant pickups who "rush" or "push"....They speed up as they close in on the tailgating position, which scares the crap out of you, so that you have no choice except to speed up a little to get some space until you can pull over to let them pass. I think the cops really need to focus on these "rushers who push". They will cause death otherwise.

Hi Lazlo,

With all due respect ( I agree with the bulk of your commentary) I see just as many male drivers blythely disregarding the law and yakking away on cell phones the "old fashioned way", holding them to the ear. They are usually "young" 20-somethings in those big pick-em-ups.