Texting while driving

Here's a radical idea:

Why not just obey the Law?<whatta concept!> That way, your bases are covered and you don't have to feel compelled to compromise your ethical principles in lying to the police officer.


Laws that are difficult to enforce may appear "stupid", but they are usually a "work-in-progress" and are refined/ modified as needed.

technologist said:

It's actually pretty easy to enforce; just ask the mobile phone company for a copy of the records.

That's a lot easier and more reliable than the procedures already used to test for DUI.

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Lets see, we're talking a misdemeanor here. Getting my phone records would require a warrant and so on. That's a lot of work, and paper work, for a minor traffic violation. Now if there was an accident involved, that's a different story. My post was simply about texting and driving and getting caught by a passing police officer.

XJ-Linux said:

I'm pretty sure that few people, if anyone, ever get arrested for actually doing something. We don't have to prove anything other than probable cause. Most folks are arrested, for example, for suspected driving under the influence. The prosecutors then get to decide, based on collected evidence, totality of circumstance, and collective testimonial statements, whether to press charges. They then work with other folks to collect and verify evidence, subpoena witnesses, records, etc... All that really needs to happen is an observation ie: driver was weaving left and right, tailgating, ran into a curb, appeared to be repeatedly fumbling with an object resembling a <cellular phone/crack pipe/handgun> etc... An arrest is then made for suspicion of driving under the influence (of drugs, alcohol, sleep deficit, etc...). The person can admit to it, submit themselves for testing, or refuse cooperation all together. At that point, statutes kick in. For example, refusing to take a breathalyzer after an arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence in Illinois is a mandatory forfeiture of ones license and driving privileges for a time. I'd imagine, depending on how the laws work in a locale, that refusing to provide usage records of one's phone, in a suspected "driving while texting" case, would bear the same sanctions. Of course, we'll be taking your phone during the whole process, as material evidence to be examined. Then again, what do I know.

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Again, I'm talking about getting stopped if an officer believes you are texting. You aren't going to get arrested for that. Accidents, as stated above, are a whole different story. Most of the cops I know, and I know several, are pretty adept at telling if someone is under the influence from the point they make contact with them. Odd driving may be a key, but they are not likely to take you in for a DUI if you blow a zero on the field test, if they even get that far. Again, if the officer can't clearly see that I am texting, it's hard to enforce. There are other, perfectly legal, things I could be doing that distract me while driving. Equating fumbling with a phone to fumbling with a crack pipe or a gun, while all are distractions, is blowing this discussion out of proportion.

Sleep deficit is a different story and most cops will let you go or escort you home if they think you really are just tired. I once knew a guy who got pulled over for that and the cop let him go. Then his rental car came up as stolen and they chased him down again. Long story short, he made some bank off the rental car company and the local police force. A good lawyer helps.

hrsetrdr said:

Here's a radical idea:

Why not just obey the Law?<whatta concept!> That way, your bases are covered and you don't have to feel compelled to compromise your ethical principles in lying to the police officer.


Laws that are difficult to enforce may appear "stupid", but they are usually a "work-in-progress" and are refined/ modified as needed.

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So you obey every law out there? You never speed? You always stop completely at a stop light or stop sign when making a right hand turn? You never drift in a lane by mistake? Work in progress implies there may be a better way. There really isn't a better way in this case, at least not without violating other civil rights in the process. Education will help, but we are all taught not to speed and yet we all do it anyhow.

Frankly, If I got stopped I'd probably cop to it, but that's just me. Lying is too much trouble in the long run. It's easier to pay the fine and move on and my ethics wouldn't be tarnished. Funny how people seem to assume that because I take a contrary view I'm some sort of horrible, lying, law breaking individual.

baggss said:

I don't feel it's any more unsafe than searching for a radio station (no, I don't have steering wheel controls and it must be done manually), but that is my POV. )

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Agree with you 100% here buddy.

I've got nothing against people texting and driving, I'm just not very good at it!

Personally, I don't wear a seat belt. Someone actually told me you can get a fine if caught here without one which IMO madness, but like you with texting I couldn't give a toss!

martyp said:

Agree with you 100% here buddy.

I've got nothing against people texting and driving, I'm just not very good at it!

Personally, I don't wear a seat belt. Someone actually told me you can get a fine if caught here without one which IMO madness, but like you with texting I couldn't give a toss!

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Unlike texting though, it is easier for the police to detect since most cars have integrated shoulder belts and they can tell if it's not on. It's illegal in pretty much every state in the US to drive with no seatbelt. While I have no real issue with the law, I think it's a silly one, albeit a fairly easily enforceable one.

baggss said:

Funny how people seem to assume that because I take a contrary view I'm some sort of horrible, lying, law breaking individual.

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I don't think you are horrible. I do think you are a law breaking individual, since you announce that you break the law.

XJ-linux said:

I don't think you are horrible. I do think you are a law breaking individual, since you announce that you break the law.

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Me and 95% of the drivers in the US when we get behind the wheel.

That wasn't really aimed at you anyhow.

baggss said:

So you obey every law out there? You never speed? You always stop completely at a stop light or stop sign when making a right hand turn? You never drift in a lane by mistake? Work in progress implies there may be a better way. There really isn't a better way in this case, at least not without violating other civil rights in the process. Education will help, but we are all taught not to speed and yet we all do it anyhow.

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I never implied that I was a perfect driver, but just for clarification- I do try to be, simply because moving traffic violations are horrendously expensive here in Calif. Yes, I agree- education will help; it's hard to detect crimes/infractions that are usually committed in circumstances where observation is difficult(eg: tagging at night, littering, texting etc).

baggss said:

Funny how people seem to assume that because I take a contrary view I'm some sort of horrible, lying, law breaking individual.

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Those words were not in my post.

baggss said:

Lets see, we're talking a misdemeanor here. Getting my phone records would require a warrant and so on. That's a lot of work, and paper work, for a minor traffic violation. Now if there was an accident involved, that's a different story.

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Oh, absolutely. I'd much rather it be a felony to be involved in an accident while texting.

But as far as your "iPod defense" goes, cops don't care. What they testify to is fact, unless you have some physical evidence to the contrary. Cop says you were speeding? You were speeding. Cop says you ran a red light? You ran it, unless you just happened to have a video camera pointed out your windshield that recorded the status of the light. No? Pay the fine.

Cop says you were texting? You were texting, unless you have phone records that prove otherwise.

technologist said:

Oh, absolutely. I'd much rather it be a felony to be involved in an accident while texting.

But as far as your "iPod defense" goes, cops don't care. What they testify to is fact, unless you have some physical evidence to the contrary. Cop says you were speeding? You were speeding. Cop says you ran a red light? You ran it, unless you just happened to have a video camera pointed out your windshield that recorded the status of the light. No? Pay the fine.

Cop says you were texting? You were texting, unless you have phone records that prove otherwise.

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I agree. To be honest, I've gotten out of more tickets in my life by simply telling the cop the truth and owning up to "just being an idiot" than lying. The truth will get you far, especially when the person you're talking to is use to being lied to. As for red lights, well, for the most part red light cameras don't lie.

It is not that hard just to wait on a text while you are "running" a machine that could ends someones life so easily...

I can't believe this has become a big problem, I think we feel way to safe in our cars.

I can't believe this thread has gone on for 4 pages....

Yeah. Texting while driving: bad idea. End of story.

I am reminded of this.
Click For Cars

LogicBox said:

I am reminded of this.
Click For Cars

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That was a trippy music video. Too bad I was too young to remember the early 80's.

technologist said:

Oh, absolutely. I'd much rather it be a felony to be involved in an accident while texting.

But as far as your "iPod defense" goes, cops don't care. What they testify to is fact, unless you have some physical evidence to the contrary. Cop says you were speeding? You were speeding. Cop says you ran a red light? You ran it, unless you just happened to have a video camera pointed out your windshield that recorded the status of the light. No? Pay the fine.

Cop says you were texting? You were texting, unless you have phone records that prove otherwise.

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Exactly, GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.

Derek McNelly said:

Exactly, GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.

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That'll teach you to trespass on clearly marked private property!

baggss said:

That'll teach you to trespass on clearly marked private property!

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We're bad people, baggss.

baggss said:

I disagree. Everything you do in life is subject to someone else's irresponsibility. That's just how it is. Driving a car is no different no matter what other drivers, or you, are doing. You almost sound like you are equating (mixing up perhaps?) texting and drunk driving..

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4 pages WOW
But i agree with you whole heartedly baggss ...........
I drive a 26 mtr B-double

Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

up and down the east coast of Aust..
I see some horrific things people do while driving, the worst being a woman with a child in a car seat, with a news paper on her steering wheel and a laptop open on the passengers seat doing 100 k/hr on the freeway.... Now thats dangerous.

i have text someone while driving this 62.5 ton beast and probably will again. I dont do it religiously, but when it comes down to it ive seen it more dangerous trying to put my ipod onto a new song...... It being on the left of the dash away from my line of sight of the road.
When i have text on my phone its in front of me where i can still see the road.
i dont agree with what i have done but that is life and take full responsibility if ever i do have a accident whist doing it...

They condemn texting, talking on phone but i can get away with talking on the UHF constantly and that has to be in the same league of talking on the phone ????? ( one hand on the wheel and the other with the mic to my mouth ) Same as using a phone..

How ?? Why ??
Well i know i was late but had to put my 2 cents in

Is this still alive?