Lesson Five: Wireless Phone Laws & Etiquette © 2006 Consumer Jungle

Safety vs. Convenience Wireless Phone use is the #1 distraction while driving. (According to a California Highway Patrol study) # 8 (According to AAA Driving Study) Driving and talking on a Wireless phone at the same time can be dangerous. Consider Hands-Free California Highway Patrol Study http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffdl28.htm What do you think? Where does talking on a wireless phone rank as a distractions to drivers? © 2006 Consumer Jungle

Hand Held Ban State-wide Hand Held Ban Means it is illegal to use a hand held Wireless phone in a car. Legal Alternatives? Headsets Mounted Wireless phones with speakerphones. State-wide Hand Held Ban Connecticut (effective 10/1/05) New York New Jersey District of Columbia © 2006 Consumer Jungle

Wireless Phone Bans Colorado Connecticut Delaware Maine Maryland States that Ban Wireless Phones for Teens in the Graduated Licensing System Colorado Connecticut Delaware Maine Maryland New Jersey Tennessee Most common for: Teenagers learning how to drive. School bus drivers. Public bus drivers. Airplanes Check the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website for state-specific information. The graduated licensing system is the process of obtaining a learner’s permit, intermediate license, and a full license. “Twenty four states have matched or exceeded all component parts of the model GDL law adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the National Safety Council (NSC). Those states are: California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin. Forty states have changed their licensing laws that pertain to young novice drivers since 1996.” Source: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/outreach/safesobr/21qp/html/fact_sheets/Graduated_Driver.html Illinois prohibits the use of Wireless phones for drivers under the age of 18, unless it is an emergency. (effective 7/15/05 © 2006 Consumer Jungle

Number Portability Effective since November, 2003 Federal Communications Commission Allows consumers to keep phone number in local area, but may have to buy new phone. 8.5 million ported numbers Number Portability: Federal law that allows consumers to keep their phone number when changing Wireless phone carriers in the same area. You can’t keep your number if you move to another area code. Number Portability allows consumers to keep their phone numbers, but may have to buy new phone: T-Mobile phones can’t work on Sprint’s network. Some carriers lock the phone’s software so that it won’t work even with a compatible carrier. © 2006 Consumer Jungle

Wireless Phone Courtesy The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Your Wireless Phone © 2006 Consumer Jungle

Wireless Phone Etiquette Silence in Public Movie Theatres Restaurants School Appropriate Ring Tone & Volume Take Calls when appropriate Hands Free Driving *This would be a great time to have students discuss times in which they experienced others using poor Wireless phone etiquette in public areas. Discussion point: What are some other public areas or events where Wireless phones should be silenced? © 2006 Consumer Jungle

Camera Phone Do’s DO: Ask for permission. Be careful of minors. Follow venue-specific photography rules. Respect international, photography customs when traveling. © 2006 Consumer Jungle

Camera Phone Don’ts Post to the internet without permission. Use in areas with expectation of privacy. Use to take objectionable pictures. Don’t take, download, and post photos on the Internet without the subject’s permission. Don’t use a camera phone in an area where people have an expectation of privacy, such as a clothing store changing room, swimming pool, or gym. Don’t use your camera phone to take and distribute content that could be deemed objectionable. You may be violating obscenity laws. Source: 2005, June 10. “Dos and Don’ts of Using Your Camera Phone.” www.point.com articles. © 2006 Consumer Jungle