Cell phones bigger road fear than guns, statewide survey finds

Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services

April 27, 2007 - 6:55AM

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Arizonans are more concerned about motorists with cell phones than they are about those with guns.

A new statewide survey shows residents nearly evenly divided on the question of whether it should be illegal for drivers to have loaded weapons in their vehicles.

Fred Solop, who conducted the poll for the Social Research Laboratory at Northern Arizona University, found 48 percent of those questioned support a law to make it illegal to drive while armed.

By contrast, Solop said 54 percent of the 602 people questioned think it should be a crime to talk on the cell phone while behind the wheel. That figure rose to 62 percent when people were asked if it should be a crime to try to send and receive text messages while driving.

So why are Arizonans more comfortable with guns in vehicles?

Solop said some of it may simply be that so many people already drive while armed. He said a survey conducted several years ago showed more than 14 percent of people questioned admitted they actually have weapons in their cars.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

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My comment disappeared! What's going on?

Todd Stallion

You don't have to make it a crime to talk on the cell phone. There are already reckless driving laws. And yes, talking on the phone while driving is reckless.

As far as driving while armed, the 2nd amendment covers that. Suggest removal of this comment

April 27, 2007

Unbelievable

What I can't believe is that 48% of those polled thought it was ok for criminals to carry in their cars and not law abiding citizens.

They must have polled the Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia, Mau Mau, bloods, crips, etc... or at a local valley thug/gangsta watering hole. I don't know why I'd want to be protected from them..

I'm hoping, after I leave my gun at home today, that I can get car jacked while my kids are in the car! Who knows, maybe I can get killed in front of them... Suggest removal of this comment

April 27, 2007

Sean

"What I can't believe is that 48% of those polled thought it was ok for criminals to carry in their cars and not law abiding citizens."

Idiot, where does it say ok for criminals to carry in their car? Where does it say that law abiding citizens cannot? I'll give you a hint, nowhere. Did you not read the entire 10 sentence article before making a stupid comment? Suggest removal of this comment

April 27, 2007

paul

IF YOU WANT STUPID LAWS ,HEAD WEST,CALIFORNIA HAS THE MARKET ON THEM Suggest removal of this comment

April 27, 2007

not_so_angry__

Lame! Amount of people with loaded guns in their cars.. 2% (estimated). Amount of people with mobile phones in cars.. 95%(estimated).

For some people it is reckless to talk on the phone while driving. For some people it is reckless to walk and chew gum. I talk on my mobile phone all the time while driving, just like I would probably talk to passengers in my car. If it is something more serious... requires my undivided attention or my writing something or remembering something, I tell them to send me an email.

Eating while driving is reckless, Applying makeup while driving is reckless, Reading while driving is reckless, Texting while driving is moronic.

I have spoken, so let it be written, so let it be done. Suggest removal of this comment

April 27, 2007

Unbelievable

Wow Sean, you are the idiot. I'm sorry for your parents. See, like those polled, you seem to think criminals are law abiding citizens who will leave their guns at home if a law was passed to do so. When in fact, good law abiding citizens will not be carrying guns in their cars, while the criminals, who do not care for the law it turns out, will have them. THEREFORE, 48% think its OK for criminals to carry in their cars. Not an entirely new concept, but criminals don't follow laws, that's what makes them criminals.

Same with gun control in general, you want to take them out of the hands of good citizens, and keep them in the hands of criminals.

You kind of have to learn to read between the lines, but that requires some intelligence. Some people... Suggest removal of this comment