Texting while driving

[CrimsonRequiem]

Bad example I guess, but it's amazing to me what people choose to focus on and what they feel is best left on the back burner.

Obviously some things are more distracting than others...

Well I guess eating and drinking doesn't require a lot of attention. However you are right about being attentive. You never know when you have to swerve to dodge something.

When I was living back east, I almost had near fatal accidents with deers in icy slick road conditions. Not to mention that one time a giant wheel fell off a truck and bounced right over my car. I thought for sure it would have went through my windshield.

 

[Stretch]

I completely agree with the ban, but much like the talking on a cell phone, there is going to be no way to enforce it.

 

[Dysfunction]

Except there is no such thing as multi tasking when it comes to people. They think they are but they aren't. Studies show that if you are trying to multi task the quality and concentration isn't there.

.

Very true, we task swap. Huge distinction. I've really almost gotten to the point where I generally hate driving.. unless there is NO traffic.. it's 10 times scarier on a bike.. well, maybe more like 100 times since you run into idiots (like the one that swung his hand out at my head and the 3 others I was with on our ride Sunday, at ~25mph)

 

[WolfsBane]

Texting, in particular, while driving is becoming one of the most dangerous activities in the US. And it is something that is being looked at all over the country. A day does not go by where I read or hear that someone involved in a car accident either injured themselves or killed someone else because they were more interested in texting someone than paying attention to what they were doing while driving.

If you are driving a vehicle... your attention needs to be focused on that activity ALONE!!!

 

[bungy]

Don't make it sound so dramatic, the odds of killing someone are fairly slim and, to be frank, I'm willing to risk it.

If you want to risk your own life then that's fine by me, but no-one else has given you the right to take risks with their lives.

 

[Dysfunction]

So, as I said.. it's impossible to convince someone they can't do something they're convinced they can

 

[baggss]

If you want to risk your own life then that's fine by me, but no-one else has given you the right to take risks with their lives.

Anytime you get in your car and drive, you are giving someone else the right to take risks with your life. Anytime you walk across a street that has cars driving on it, you have given someone else the right to take risks with your life. Anytime you step out your front door into the big bad scary world out there, you have given someone else the right to take risks with your life. Bad things happen everyday, it's the way life is.

We have become a society of worry warts. Everything is bad for you now and anything you do put others at risks. If you don't like the odds then stay home under the covers.

 

[Dysfunction]

Well actually, most Americans don't drive. They point their mobile couches down the road. Ever wonder why the Autobahn has a lower per-capita accident and death rate than US highways? It ain't the speeds.. it's the lax driving, task-swapping, idle nature of American drivers. But, I'm digressing... I'm not a worry-wart, I just know you're (random plural, not to anyone in specific) not paying attention, so I don't expect you too and watch out for it. Over twenty years of personal history on the road in the US (and elsewhere) has proven this to be the case.

Like I said earlier, you'll never convince someone they can't do something as well as they think they can. Even my insurance adjuster friend.. who KNOWS that you're over 40 times more likely to get in an accident while texting (that's an order of magnitude higher than while driving impaired btw) still texts while driving. I hope ya'll are lucky Stay safe out there.

 

[cwa107]

Well actually, most Americans don't drive. They point their mobile couches down the road. Ever wonder why the Autobahn has a lower per-capita accident and death rate than US highways? It ain't the speeds.. it's the lax driving, task-swapping, idle nature of American drivers. But, I'm digressing... I'm not a worry-wart, I just know you're (random plural, not to anyone in specific) not paying attention, so I don't expect you too and watch out for it. Over twenty years of personal history on the road in the US (and elsewhere) has proven this to be the case.

Like I said earlier, you'll never convince someone they can't do something as well as they think they can. Even my insurance adjuster friend.. who KNOWS that you're over 40 times more likely to get in an accident while texting (that's an order of magnitude higher than while driving impaired btw) still texts while driving. I hope ya'll are lucky Stay safe out there.

Agreed. But I also think there's an element of egotism at work too. Armed with a sense of anonymity, most drivers here tend to act in ways that they otherwise wouldn't in person. If people would just follow the golden rule, we'd probably have half the incidents of 'road rage' we encounter on a regular basis.

 

[WolfsBane]

Anytime you get in your car and drive, you are giving someone else the right to take risks with your life. Anytime you walk across a street that has cars driving on it, you have given someone else the right to take risks with your life. Anytime you step out your front door into the big bad scary world out there, you have given someone else the right to take risks with your life. Bad things happen everyday, it's the way life is.

We have become a society of worry warts. Everything is bad for you now and anything you do put others at risks. If you don't like the odds then stay home under the covers.

I don't think so. There is a huge difference between becoming the victim of an unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance, and losing life or limb because someone decided to be irresponsible, not only with their life, but the life of others on the road. I read and hear too many circumstances of whole families losing their lives because they were hit by a vehicle driven by someone who was more concerned with texting on their phone, than the car that they were driving at the time.

 

[baggss]

I don't think so. There is a huge difference between becoming the victim of an unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance, and losing life or limb because someone decided to be irresponsible, not only with their life, but the life of others on the road. I read and hear too many circumstances of whole families losing their lives because they were hit by a vehicle driven by someone who was more concerned with texting on their phone, than the car that they were driving at the time.

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.

As I have already said, I don't do it going 80 on a crowded freeway and I don't speed. You can disagree with me, and that's fine. Nothing is really going to change my mind on this subject, especially some cheesy made for teens movie on the web. You don't have to like it and that's fine.

 

[gagnerants]

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.

I agree with the first part in bold, however, driving a vehicle is like running a machine a single screw up can alter someones or your own life until you pass away. There is enough distractions while driving anyways, one less by enforcing a law is gladly welcomed. I would want enough rules and laws in place so that my future child could walk the streets safely.

 

[baggss]

I agree with the first part in bold, however, driving a vehicle is like running a machine a single screw up can alter someones or your own life until you pass away. There is enough distractions while driving anyways, one less by enforcing a law is gladly welcomed. I would want enough rules and laws in place so that my future child could walk the streets safely.

I can see that. Sadly, it's a law that is fairly hard, if not impossible, to enforce. If I am texting and get stopped I can simply say I was searching for a song on my iPod (something NOT illegal in most places) and the officer would have a hard time disproving that. Unless they can clearly see me texting, it's a tough call. Sure, I can get a warning, but getting an actual ticket, that's another story.

A law you can't enforce is a stupid law. Period.

I like people who leave negative rep without their name. To bad they aren't mature enough to at least be honest when doing so.

 

[Ballr24]

this is really dangerous on ontario u cant talk while driving (phone in hand, blutooth and hands free are allowed) starting oct 1

 

[NMMI89]

No matter what. A phone call or a text isn't THAT important in the grand scheme of things when you are behind the wheel of a moving machine that has the potential of killing you or others.

 

[CrimsonRequiem]

I can see that. Sadly, it's a law that is fairly hard, if not impossible, to enforce. If I am texting and get stopped I can simply say I was searching for a song on my iPod (something NOT illegal in most places) and the officer would have a hard time disproving that. Unless they can clearly see me texting, it's a tough call. Sure, I can get a warning, but getting an actual ticket, that's another story.

A law you can't enforce is a stupid law. Period.

I like people who leave negative rep without their name. To bad they aren't mature enough to at least be honest when doing so.

Umm the law that they are enforcing in Cali is that you have a hands free device for your phone. That would pretty much cover texting.

 

[baggss]

Umm the law that they are enforcing in Cali is that you have a hands free device for your phone. That would pretty much cover texting.

Yes. But to stop you they have to believe you are doing something you shouldn't be. If they can't see that you are texting, they can't tell that you are not simply fumbling with an iPod or a pack of smokes even. Talking on the phone while driving is easier to see since the phone is up to your face. Texting is a bit different and harder to determine. An officer can THINK I was texting, but if I was really just looking for a song on my iPod, there's no way he can tell. Since my iPod is on my phone, it's even harder to prove.

Again, A law you can't enforce is a stupid law.

 

[technologist]

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.

 

[D3v1L80Y]

No matter what. A phone call or a text isn't THAT important in the grand scheme of things when you are behind the wheel of a moving machine that has the potential of killing you or others.

Exactly.

If you really, really, absolutely, positively need to take that call or make that text... pull over first... then deal with your phone.
If you can't pull over, too bad. The call/text will have to wait until you've reached a safe area to do so.

 

[XJ-linux]

Yes. But to stop you they have to believe you are doing something you shouldn't be. If they can't see that you are texting, they can't tell that you are not simply fumbling with an iPod or a pack of smokes even. Talking on the phone while driving is easier to see since the phone is up to your face. Texting is a bit different and harder to determine. An officer can THINK I was texting, but if I was really just looking for a song on my iPod, there's no way he can tell. Since my iPod is on my phone, it's even harder to prove.

Again, A law you can't enforce is a stupid law.

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.