Texting while driving

[ginzo]

Swerving through traffic, not using indicators, following too close etc etc let's start enforcing all of the other stuff too then

 

I'm all for this. I imagine aggressive driving is possibly even more dangerous than texting while driving.

 

One of the things I notice while driving in Germany this summer was that the drivers were MUCH more polite in general. Nobody tailgated or passed you on the right. And this is because Germany hands out fines for these offenses. We should as well.

 

Also, it's considered a cardinal sin to go slow in the passing lane over there. That's another thing we should honor.

[ParkTrips]

I would be cool for adopting driving laws like the Germans, even if it meant no use of the phone at all. My favorite law is the one that fines people for being stupid and running out of gas (and thus causing a hazzard)

[Carnage]

I have trouble enough texting while not driving. I definetly wouldn't try it while driving.

 

Last year a lady at work had a son killed in an accident. He was texting while driving, got distracted, and veered across the center line hitting a garbage truck head on.

[haux]

I'm all for this law. I get that it also should cover a variety of things while driving: eating, putting on makeup, playing with the stereo. But the popularity of texting has exploded, so it's really the first thing that comes to mind.

 

A friend of mine has been in numerous wrecks, and one of the last times I was with him, we were on a trip, and he was constantly texting or talking on his phone. He's like that anyway, regardless of whether he's driving, but he can't even stop when driving. Just has to be connected! I no longer go on trips with him when he's driving. It's just too terrifying. The fact that a few wrecks he'd been in weren't because he was texting is enough to keep me out of a car while he's driving.

[Chris Benvenuto]

^ So it's ok to say it's illegal to listen to your car radio? That's one of the things that I do not get about the extended distracted driving law. I can see applying for makeup, reading, phones, but making it illegal to listen to music while driving is pushing it. The stereo in your car is fine, but putting on an iPod while driving is stupid (as in, pulling one out and listening).

 

I've also seen that PSA Elissa's referring to, and it's graphic but sends a very shocking and real message to the problems and horrors of texting/talking while driving.

[ebl]

^ Your car radio is built into your car. No one needs to hold it. Your car radio also has preset buttons for the various stations---no need to fumble through them looking for a station if they're set to ones you like. Your car stereo may have a CD changer, again, something that doesn't need to be hand held to operate.

 

Eric

[astroworldfan1]

I have a buttons that control the radio on my steering wheel. Honestly, I don't even like texting. It's pointless. I think there's a law in Louisiana saying you can only have 1 earphone in your ear while driving. I'm not too sure, though.

 

Check your PMs, Eric.

 

-Tatum

[Angry_Gumball]

The closest to texting I've done when on the road was sending short quick text while riding my skateboard down a gentle slope...and that was probably hard enough as I needed to see what was ahead of me. If anyone tries to call me while I"m driving, I will either A: Pick up, put on speaker, still don't have a bluetooth device, B: Pass the phone to a passenger and have them answer, or C: Just let it ring, then check as soon as I can get a chance to pull over.

 

I've never attempted anything else behind the wheel while actually driving...Ok, I lied. I tried Changing a song on the iPod; it was probably hard enough and didn't get the song I was aiming for so it waited until I reached a stop light (that I knew I had time to change music). So pretty much, I'm a "2 hands on the wheel" person, feel much safer than doing things 1-handed.

[haux]

^ So it's ok to say it's illegal to listen to your car radio? That's one of the things that I do not get about the extended distracted driving law. I can see applying for makeup, reading, phones, but making it illegal to listen to music while driving is pushing it. The stereo in your car is fine, but putting on an iPod while driving is stupid (as in, pulling one out and listening).

 

I've also seen that PSA Elissa's referring to, and it's graphic but sends a very shocking and real message to the problems and horrors of texting/talking while driving.

Reread what I typed. I said, "playing with the stereo," not playing the stereo. Changing CDs, manually trying to find a radio station or fixing the treble while driving is a bit dangerous because you take your eyes off the road and a hand or both off the wheel.

[paintballer]

My mom got pissed because I made her stop Texting while driving today. Not because I don't mind texting while driving, because she takes 30 minutes to figure out how to type and focuses on it like it's a freakin' test.

 

I don't approve of it.

[ParkTrips]

Your car stereo may have a CD changer, again, something that doesn't need to be hand held to operate.

But where are CDs kept? In the glove box? (which is where some older cars have their changer catrtige at!) In the back seat? On the visor? Getting the CDs would get the distraction

 

The more and more I read and see people the more I am becoming ok with this. I think some people can handle it, some can but take it too far, and some just need to keep the phone off in the car.

 

Honestly, I don't even like texting. It's pointless.

whatever you may think of them, there are a heck of a lot more text messages being tossed around than phone calls these days.

[Gav]

Granted, there are plenty of distractions in a car, but I think texting sits in a category above everything else because of the amount of time it takes compared to other activities, and the fact you actually have to focus on a screen and hence not on the road, and do multiple keystrokes to complete a full message. It's a bit more involved then some of the other tasks you can just do by feel.

 

Here the law is that if you want to use a handheld device you must pull over, and I think this is the most common sense approach.

[Vekoma Fan Boy]

I'm all for this. Honestly the only thing more dangerous than texting while driving is texting while driving with ME in the car. I will raise all f*cking hell if you do that. (I've even punched friends once we've gotten out of the car for doing it.) Seriously. Pass it to a passenger and have them read it to you and type your response for you. ITS THAT FREAKING SIMPLE!!!

 

As for things such as GPS systems, makeup and eating, the makeup can go. I have no problem with a GPS system guiding you so long as you have a shred of common sense. And again, so long as you have a little itty bitty tiny amount of common sense, eating a chicken sandwich while driving shouldn't be a very big distraction.

 

Vekoma "Understands that a car is a 3000lb death machine traveling at 60mph!" Fan Boy

[King of Ka]

Your car stereo may have a CD changer, again, something that doesn't need to be hand held to operate.

But where are CDs kept? In the glove box? (which is where some older cars have their changer catrtige at!) In the back seat? On the visor? Getting the CDs would get the distraction

 

Yes, but if you put three CDs in the changer before you start driving, you can switch to a new one when the first ends without having to look for a CD or put in a new one.

 

whatever you may think of them, there are a heck of a lot more text messages being tossed around than phone calls these days.

 

True, but you have to take it into consideration that a conversation that could be had in one call takes multiple texts.

[ebl]

^ Right. When I mentioned a CD changer, I made the assumption that it would be loaded before the driving began. At least if I had a changer, I'd load it first to avoid having to do so while behind the wheel.

 

Eric

[Cameron]

One of the things I notice while driving in Germany this summer was that the drivers were MUCH more polite in general. [...] Also, it's considered a cardinal sin to go slow in the passing lane over there. That's another thing we should honor.

 

I believe that getting ones license in Germany (and much of Europe) is quite a lengthy and costly ordeal .. such a thing would never fly in the US. When I moved to the US and had to get tested, the woman at the DMV crossed out half of the written questions and told me not to do them because it was Saturday and there were too many people waiting in line. The driving test included one trip around the block; not only was there no free-way driving, but I didn't even have to make a single left turn!

 

The real solution to reducing accidents in the US is not red light cameras, it's not speed cameras, it's not texting and phone bans, nor is it stupid PSAs .. it's education. Sadly that will never happen because the government can't afford it, besides it's much easier to just fine people for breathing instead.

 

Cameron.

[mcjaco]

^ Actual enforcement of the laws would help too.

[SharkTums]

And even when states are passing stricter laws about licences they're not following through on them due to budget and bureaucratic problems.

 

For example, Florida finally got one of those laws passed that make older people have to go into the DMV to get an eye exam instead of just renewing their license by mail. Well except, they realized this would cost too much money and couldn't get their act together so they're still sending brand new licenses to 90 year olds with cataracts that are then mowing down people on the road.

[BeemerBoy]

Basically, until we can teach common sense, those of us born with it will just have to look out for those of us without it.....unfortunately.

[Sasquatch]

This all boils down to how the government in most countries (mostly the USA and UK lol) is run. Which, everyone knows, is frankly terrible.

[ginzo]

Basically, until we can teach common sense, those of us born with it will just have to look out for those of us without it.....unfortunately.

 

I'm somewhat torn between this viewpoint and the idea that we could produce better drivers through stricter licensing requirements. Cars are dangerous. I don't see a downside to having a lot more stringent requirements to getting a license.

 

At the same time, how well is education going to sink in on those people that can't figure out that tailgating someone at 80 MPH is a bad idea?

[ParkTrips]

I believe that getting ones license in Germany (and much of Europe) is quite a lengthy and costly ordeal ...

yup, its about $2K and the license lasts for a lifetime, whereas I think I paid about $50 for my first license and just $15/5 years to renew. A lot more people can get licenses if its that cheap, and without the required instruction that Germany has (though its getting more thorough, even from when I was first licensed less than a decade ago) people just won't take it as seriously. I mean when I hear about people who failed DMV tests, written or road, I'm just baffled.

[Coasterlvr_nc]

^ it baffles me too! I passed both the written, and driving test with flying colors both times.

 

I also dont understand why people cant grasp the idea of not texting while driving. If I have to text, or even call I will pull over first. As for eating or changing a CD. Honestly, as long as you know where everything is you can change the song just by presssing the correct button.

 

It seriously amazes me that people can be so bad at driving. For me, my dad wanted to make sure that I knew more than the average driver. So before I ever took any drivers ed classes I already knew how to change oil, as well as diagnose basic problems. After I got my learners permit, my dad took me on icy roads in a parking lot. This basically taught me how to properly dive with icy and or wet conditions. I think that because of this as well as the fact that I do not text or call while driving, is one of the biggest reasons that I have yet to be the cause of any kind of accident.

[Vintage]

This explains it all.

[TheRapidsNerd]

Personally, I'm hoping they ban all cell phone use while driving. Your attention should be on the road, not who your talking to, or texting.

- mcjaco

 

Heartily agreed. Frankly, typing on a cell phone while driving is dangerous, ignorant, and foolish.