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Another Idiot texting while driving!

I see it all the time during my commute every day.  Surely they have technology that would block it when in vehicles.  Don't you think?
 
Distracted driving - mostly cell phones - around here has overtaken drunk driving for causing death. By a long way.
 
ChipDoc said:
Sport Rider said:
I see it all the time during my commute every day.  Surely they have technology that would block it when in vehicles.  Don't you think?
Click to expand...

You live here in Tampa.  Haven't you been watching the news?

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/local/2014/04/30/fcc-seffner-man-caught-jamming-cell-signals-along-i-4/8500979/

That's what happens when you USE the technology that would block it when in vehicles...  :-[
Click to expand...

I thought he lived in NC?  Oh well, maybe I read his post wrong in one of my threads.  But I live in Tampa and yes that was a wild news story.
 
It may well be that it also happened in North Carolina; it's actually fairly common.  It's not even illegal if you keep the blocking signal to under 100mw and you have a ham license.  But the one they showed on the video was obviously 100w multi-band jammer and the guy apparently admitted to the enforcement agents that he had been running it every day for two years.  Sometimes it's best to just keep your mouth shut and let your attorney do the talking.
 
Since most phones now have some kind of GPS technology it would be easy to add a function that would disable text functions anytime the phone is traveling more than, say, 4 mph (walking speed). Passengers would no doubt complain but ... .  Personally, I'd like to see them disable text and talk (except 911 calls) anytime the phone is moving at speeds above a walking pace.  Had a driver a few days ago dang near run me into the median (was halfway into my lane, I was in the far left lane), I gave them a blast of my horn; they gave me the finger. WTH?
 
Chip...I'm in NC.  Not heard of it around here, but I also don't watch a lot of news.  just depresses me.  :motonoises:
 
The article on the girl that slammed into the 4 bikes has something that has always seemed odd to me.  Its seems 'Texting' is the only big no-no.

What if they don't find a 'Text' right around the exact time of the collision?  Does it reduce the charges?

She admits 'looking at her phone'.

Looking up or typing in a phone number, checking your email, checking the weather, are all as capable of fatal distraction as actual texting.

Some people consider voice recognition 'texting' as something different than typed texting.

Not to mention messing with GPS, the radio, the MP3, or reading a book / newspaper.  (I've seen it!)

Are these also considered 'Texting' or something else?

Distracted driving looking at or using a cell phone or GPS or anything else is:  distracted driving and it seems it should all be treated equally.
 
Sport Rider said:
....and some lawyer is going to use that wording in the law to get her out of it.  just watch and see.  :truce:
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^^^that.  Folks are beating the law in many states because folks as they claim in court they got a traffic ticket for texting but were actually using GPS on the phone. GPS is totally legal to fool with on any device while driving.
 
What I find disturbing is not only the attitude of the drivers, but now the riders that I see riding distracted.  Have actually seen a rider texting! Also have seen a rider go into oncoming traffic playing with his radio, and a rider blow a stop sign playing with his GPS. People discuss and disagree on what they can handle as distractions. I am not one that would ride the new BMW R1200RT, way too many distractions for me. Others swear by a bike like that. Hands free texting, some say no problem, others see it as an issue. As a society, we seem less able to handle time without "amusements" or distractions.  I guess when we have Google run cars and bikes all this will be fixed.  (sic!)  As I am on the lower end of the IQ spectrum, I also have no idea how this can be addressed .... :(
 
Distracted driving: it's hard to define in my mind. I've been distracted by a good looking woman in the convertible next to me, or the cool looking bike coming at me across the median. Just as bad as being distracted by a navigation device or radio, but what can be done about it? I try to keep my mind on the task of driving, but it's not easy. It can be a boring repetitive task a times and humans aren't so great at that kind of thing generally. Sometimes having a small distraction can prevent "white line fever". I used to have a much longer commute and there were times, especially in the car, that I would suddenly look around and didn't know exactly where I was (in the commute) and I was surprised to find that I was many miles further up the road than I thought. I hadn't fallen asleep, but I had "zoned out" enough that I lost track of my progress. How attentive was I to the traffic around me during that time period? And it's not just me, I've heard these same things from many people.

So to me this is not a cut-and-dried subject. Clearly trying to text while you are driving requires you to look away from the road too much. But what about changing the radio station, or even just talking to a passenger? I'm a Ham radio operator and have 2m rig in my car; is talking on the radio too distracting even if I keep my eyes on the road at all times? How about hands-free cell phone use? Lighting a cig, taking a sip of coffee, scratching your nose? Where do we draw the line? It's probably different for everyone. Some people are poor drivers even when all these "distractions" are eliminated (look, a pretty bird), and others can probably multitask well enough to fiddle with their Nav system and still keep up with the task of driving safely.

Maybe the best we can do is outlaw the behaviors (like drinking and texting) that no reasonable person can be expected to do without degrading their driving performance, and then just punish the rest when they fail and injure (or kill) someone. Perfect safety isn't possible, so some risk will have to be accepted.
 
PaulP said:
Distracted driving: it's hard to define in my mind. I've been distracted by a good looking woman in the convertible next to me, or the cool looking bike coming at me across the median. Just as bad as being distracted by a navigation device or radio, but what can be done about it? I try to keep my mind on the task of driving, but it's not easy. It can be a boring repetitive task a times and humans aren't so great at that kind of thing generally. Sometimes having a small distraction can prevent "white line fever". I used to have a much longer commute and there were times, especially in the car, that I would suddenly look around and didn't know exactly where I was (in the commute) and I was surprised to find that I was many miles further up the road than I thought. I hadn't fallen asleep, but I had "zoned out" enough that I lost track of my progress. How attentive was I to the traffic around me during that time period? And it's not just me, I've heard these same things from many people.

So to me this is not a cut-and-dried subject. Clearly trying to text while you are driving requires you to look away from the road too much. But what about changing the radio station, or even just talking to a passenger? I'm a Ham radio operator and have 2m rig in my car; is talking on the radio too distracting even if I keep my eyes on the road at all times? How about hands-free cell phone use? Lighting a cig, taking a sip of coffee, scratching your nose? Where do we draw the line? It's probably different for everyone. Some people are poor drivers even when all these "distractions" are eliminated (look, a pretty bird), and others can probably multitask well enough to fiddle with their Nav system and still keep up with the task of driving safely.

Maybe the best we can do is outlaw the behaviors (like drinking and texting) that no reasonable person can be expected to do without degrading their driving performance, and then just punish the rest when they fail and injure (or kill) someone. Perfect safety isn't possible, so some risk will have to be accepted.
Click to expand...

If you find yourself drifting while using a GPS pull over and do it. It really is a responsible thing and doing what is right. People cannot text and drive. If you just look around you when you ride you know this. A Cop on a bike could write tickets all day long and these are not GPS on the phone. Texting and driving is OUT OF CONTROL! Only thing that will stop it is fines.
 
ConcoursKZ said:
Only thing that will stop it is fines.
Click to expand...

I've always thought they should confiscate the phone too.  In Ontario, radar detectors are illegal, and you can get a fine if you use them.  They are confiscated on the spot too.  If it's blatant enough to get a citation, take the phone...

Jamie
 
Classvino said:
ConcoursKZ said:
Only thing that will stop it is fines.
Click to expand...

I've always thought they should confiscate the phone too.  In Ontario, radar detectors are illegal, and you can get a fine if you use them.  They are confiscated on the spot too.  If it's blatant enough to get a citation, take the phone...

Jamie
Click to expand...

I used to travel in Canada and they would confiscate radar detectors. I would have an escort hidden in the dash and a cheap Radio Shack as a decoy. I traveled from Detroit to Tobermory  Ontario most weekends. 
 
Stasch said:
The article on the girl that slammed into the 4 bikes has something that has always seemed odd to me.  Its seems 'Texting' is the only big no-no.

What if they don't find a 'Text' right around the exact time of the collision?  Does it reduce the charges?

She admits 'looking at her phone'.

Looking up or typing in a phone number, checking your email, checking the weather, are all as capable of fatal distraction as actual texting.Some people consider voice recognition 'texting' as something different than typed texting.

Not to mention messing with GPS, the radio, the MP3, or reading a book / newspaper.  (I've seen it!)

Are these also considered 'Texting' or something else?

Distracted driving looking at or using a cell phone or GPS or anything else is:  distracted driving and it seems it should all be treated equally.
Click to expand...

In Tennesse state law prohibits the sending, receiving, or reading of any electronically transmitted data and I've issued a citation to a lady who after being pulled over admitted to checking her facebook while driving.
 
Using Cellphones, using GPS, drinking (not just alcohol), eating, smoking, fiddling with the radio/CD, shouting at the kids, doing yer make-up, changing clothes (yes it has happened), having sex (that too!) and so many other things come under the heading "Distracted Driving" and they are all dangerous.
The problem is that too many people treat their car like a moving sofa so they do all these stupid things and then don't understand when they cause a wreck.
The problem is that with companies expecting people to work long hours they try to cram this stuff in to their travel time which is fine if yer on a bus or train (and not the driver) but stupid in a car.
 
Ok,mount a I'm busted light on roof of vehicles that identifies the vehicle when cell phone is in use.
 
Classvino said:
ConcoursKZ said:
Only thing that will stop it is fines.
Click to expand...

I've always thought they should confiscate the phone too.  In Ontario, radar detectors are illegal, and you can get a fine if you use them.  They are confiscated on the spot too.  If it's blatant enough to get a citation, take the phone...

Jamie
Click to expand...

^^^then you'd have folks suing because they couldn;t call E911 later on their journey.
 
:-X    :beerchug:

1391616_584776434903481_108933580_n.jpg



 
tn_popo said:
Stasch said:
The article on the girl that slammed into the 4 bikes has something that has always seemed odd to me.  Its seems 'Texting' is the only big no-no.

What if they don't find a 'Text' right around the exact time of the collision?  Does it reduce the charges?

She admits 'looking at her phone'.

Looking up or typing in a phone number, checking your email, checking the weather, are all as capable of fatal distraction as actual texting.Some people consider voice recognition 'texting' as something different than typed texting.

Not to mention messing with GPS, the radio, the MP3, or reading a book / newspaper.  (I've seen it!)

Are these also considered 'Texting' or something else?

Distracted driving looking at or using a cell phone or GPS or anything else is:  distracted driving and it seems it should all be treated equally.
Click to expand...

In Tennesse state law prohibits the sending, receiving, or reading of any electronically transmitted data and I've issued a citation to a lady who after being pulled over admitted to checking her facebook while driving.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU TN_POPO!!

You might have saved a life right there.
 
Sport Rider said:
I see it all the time during my commute every day.  Surely they have technology that would block it when in vehicles.  Don't you think?
Click to expand...

Sure... Just as they have the technology to stop drinking and riding - which is the cause of nearly 50% of all motorcyclist fatalities.  33% single vehicle motorcycle crashes are due to operator error in curves.  Think of the numbers of fatalities that can be prevented just by motorcyclists cleaning up their own act.

 
S Smith said:
Sport Rider said:
I see it all the time during my commute every day.  Surely they have technology that would block it when in vehicles.  Don't you think?
Click to expand...

Sure... Just as they have the technology to stop drinking and riding - which is the cause of nearly 50% of all motorcyclist fatalities.  33% single vehicle motorcycle crashes are due to operator error in curves.  Think of the numbers of fatalities that can be prevented just by motorcyclists cleaning up their own act.

+1, that^^^^^^
Click to expand...
 
+1  That is the reason I don't participate in a lot of good cause charity rides.  What sense does it make got poker runs, to go bar hopping, and consuming alcohol while operating a motorcycle?  Never understood this concept, but happens almost every weekend around here.
 
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