Zogby poll: Democrats far more likely than Republicans to support U.S. nationwide ban on cell calls and texting while driving

14 years ago

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of adults support a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving, a new IBOPE Zogby poll finds.

The IBOPE Zogby interactive poll of 2,099 U.S. adults conducted Dec. 22-27 finds that 41% of respondents strongly agree with the NTSB recommendation, compared to just 22% who say they strongly disagree.

Women (49%) are more likely than men (31%) to say they strongly agree with a nationwide ban on cell phones and text devices while driving. More than half of adults age 65+ (58%) say they strongly support such a ban, while those age 18-29 and 30-49 (34% each) are least likely to voice strong support.

Democrats (59%) are far more likely than Independents (33%) and Republicans (27%) to strongly agree with a nationwide ban.

A sampling of IBOPE Zogby International’s online panel, which is representative of the adult population of the U.S., was invited to participate. Slight weights were added to region, party, age, race, religion, gender and education to more accurately reflect the population. The margin of error is +/- 2.1 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. The MOE calculation is for sampling error only.

Source: IBOPE Zogby

MacDailyNews Take: Siri.

Someone get some iPhone 4S units over to the NTSB, get them up-to-date (for a change) and show them why we and millions of others haven’t even glanced at our iPhone 4S units to text, email, add calendar appointments, or for many other uses while driving (or not) since October 14, 2011.

Ban the lesser cellphones of the world outright, who cares, but Apple Siri-powered devices should be exempted. Plus, there is absolutely no way to enforce a ban of iPhone 4S Siri use while driving (not that enforceability has ever stopped some of the more legislative among us from banging out “laws”). You can write it down and sign it with a flourish, but you’ll never be able to prohibit drivers from simply talking.

Bottom line: Apple wins again and, since the release of iPhone 4S with Siri, is very likely saving lives each and every day.