Tom Gralish / Inquirer Staff Photographer
The light was red at the time of this photo, but the unidentified driver kept talking as she drove off yesterday when the light turned green.
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Tickets soar in N.J. for cell-phone talkers
Yet, fellow insulator Jack Driver, 54, of Lindenwold, liked the ban, because too many drivers talk on their phones.
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.
"I honestly do," he said. "It's too distracting. I don't think people realize how distracting it is."
Indeed, drivers having phone conversations are four times as likely to have an accident - even with hands-free devices, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
"You're still distracted," said Fischer, head of New Jersey's safety-promotion agency. "... You stop scanning the road, and you stop scanning the mirrors. You have tunnel vision."
Her advice: Those who choose to call while driving should "do it hands-free" and "make it as quick as possible.""Hang up and get back to driving, which is the only thing that you should be doing when you're behind the wheel."
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.
