Text Messages

[Lord Anubis]

What's every ones take on texting while driving? In the county where I live( Syracuse NY)... You will get a ticket as of June 1st? Safety issue or another way for the government to get $$$?

[McKitty]

Texting while driving is -worse- than normal cellphone usage.

I'm sorry. If what you're texting is that important, pull the damned car over; all you're doing is risking the chance that you're going to cause an accident.

It's a safety issue, end of story.

[Klark]

Speaking as a person who has texted while driving, I know it's a dangerous act. While I've been lucky and not wrecked while doing so, a few months ago I had to write a report for our newspaper on a fellow who was 40 and lost his life because he was texting while driving. He slammed into the ass-end of a semi-truck while texting.

Texting while driving places other people in jeopardy, so I believe it should be banned. It's a whole lot different from the seat belt thing, which I believe is another way for the government to make $$$. Seat belts only save your life, and doesn't affect anyone else on the road, unless they cream you and you die, but that's a whole 'nother story.

[Inkheart]

Where I live, if you get caught texting while driving, it's an automatic $100 ticket. I know because I got one! lol

[Chriz]

It's pretty dangerous, because it forces you to not only take your eyes off the road, but actually shift your attention focus to something just a foot or so from your face. It's far worse than talking on the phone itself.

I'm not a big fan of outlawing risky behavior like that, though. I'd prefer it more that your fine or penalty is increased if you were doing it when getting into an accident.

[Tempest]

I've been waiting to use this (http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSLI65189720080918?sp=true) article. Summary: a study found texting to be more dangerous than driving after drinking the legal limit of alcohol.

Texting while driving is extremely dangerous and the laws states are implementing are 100% for safety purposes. I expect to see all states enforcing a text messaging ban in the near future, and I'm thankful for it.

Edit - Chriz, the problem with what you suggested is that people have to actually fess up to texting when getting into an accident for it to be effective. It's hard to prove that someone was doing that unless they confess to it, and who's going to do that?

[Binkx]

I think it should be banned because it puts more than just your own life in danger.

[kathryn]

Seat belts, texting, using the phone, having the music especially loud, speeding, all of these can be risky. Anything that takes your attention off of the road while you're driving is a safety issue (Speeding shortens the reaction time and it can make other drivers feel unsafe). And it is proven that wearing a seat belt is safer than not wearing one and has a higher chance of preventing damage to yourself.

While I think that the government does over tax quite a bit, I think that getting ticketed for speeding laws isn't really something to complain about. I mean, what's easier, putting forth some effort to buckling yourself in, or paying $100 because a cop saw that you didn't have a belt on?

[Lord Anubis]

What lead to it here is three 17 year old girls died in a car crash while the driver was passing and texting......didn't take long after that for the ban to get passed.

[Chriz]

Edit - Chriz, the problem with what you suggested is that people have to actually fess up to texting when getting into an accident for it to be effective. It's hard to prove that someone was doing that unless they confess to it, and who's going to do that?

Text messages are documented by your phone provider.

[Klark]

Seat belts, texting, using the phone, having the music especially loud, speeding, all of these can be risky. Anything that takes your attention off of the road while you're driving is a safety issue (Speeding shortens the reaction time and it can make other drivers feel unsafe). And it is proven that wearing a seat belt is safer than not wearing one and has a higher chance of preventing damage to yourself.

While I think that the government does over tax quite a bit, I think that getting ticketed for speeding laws isn't really something to complain about. I mean, what's easier, putting forth some effort to buckling yourself in, or paying $100 because a cop saw that you didn't have a belt on?

Well, seat belts weren't the issue. It's just my personal view on the seat belt law taking away a personal choice that doesn't affect other drivers on the road unlike if you were texting, not looking at the road and slammed into someone. Whole different ball of wax, and therefore not a way for the government to make money.

Sorry if I created some confusion with that.

[blueeyes]

There was a bill in the works for this state, although I'm not sure if it ever went through completely. A number of cities and townships have fines, often ridiculous (http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=19005.0) ones, so it's something people hide from the cops whether or not it is lawful at the location.

I think it's a stupid, but that probably goes without saying. Don't like cell phones in the first place. Can't see enforcement making much of a dent when these people are using the same thing in schools constantly. Probably will end up with the law motivated by a demand for safety regardless of what can be done, and the fine motivated by falling tax revenues.

[McKitty]

Well, seat belts weren't the issue. It's just my personal view on the seat belt law taking away a personal choice that doesn't affect other drivers on the road unlike if you were texting, not looking at the road and slammed into someone. Whole different ball of wax, and therefore not a way for the government to make money.

Sorry if I created some confusion with that.

Honestly? I like the seat-belt law for one good reason.

If I get into an accident with someone not wearing their seat-belt, there's a higher chance of them dying. If they're wearing the seatbelt, less chance of the accident ending in death.

[kathryn]

Well, seat belts weren't the issue. It's just my personal view on the seat belt law taking away a personal choice that doesn't affect other drivers on the road unlike if you were texting, not looking at the road and slammed into someone. Whole different ball of wax, and therefore not a way for the government to make money.

Sorry if I created some confusion with that.
Umm... yeah, I think this is just changing into a general safety issue thread. :/ Sorry, I got off track. Those were just all of my thoughts on driving laws.

[Klark]

Honestly? I like the seat-belt law for one good reason.

If I get into an accident with someone not wearing their seat-belt, there's a higher chance of them dying. If they're wearing the seatbelt, less chance of the accident ending in death.

Ah, and we can hope that accident wasn't caused by texting. ;) :p

[Chriz]

Let's keep text messaging and seatbelts separate (maybe create a seatbelt thread if you want to get into that). They're really very different things.

Texting is dangerous because it takes your attention off of controlling your vehicle to a degree that talking on the phone, fiddling with the radio, or even talking to your passengers can't come close to. It's akin to not just driving buzzed, but driving smashed.

Even still, I stand by what I said earlier, that it should serve as a penalty multiplier rather than a penalty in and of itself.

[Lord Anubis]

I agree about the belts being a personal choice. But I personally do not want to get hit by the person sending a text instead of watching the road!

[GhostBat]

I like the ban on texting while driving, as the activity puts you and everyone around you in danger. I know several people, mostly teens, who have that mentality that nothing will happen to them, and they're constantly texting while driving.

It should be discouraged before it hurts or kills someone, not after.

[MorganaFang]

Hell, I don't even like when people are talking on their phones while they drive and texting is considerably worse.

When you are driving, drive. It's not the best time to have a conversation about how fat Becky's butt is on your phone in any form.

I wish they could do something about texting in theaters too. But they probably will not.

[Lore]

Texting while driving is also illegal here. However I've actually witnessed cops driving a paddy wagon while texting so you can see how diligently the law is being enforced. :shrug:

[kathryn]

Saw an off duty cop speeding. ;p O yeah, the cops are really diligent about keeping to the law *eyeroll*

[Tempest]

Text messages are documented by your phone provider.

So you're suggesting that for every accident, the government should check with the person's phone provider to see if they were sending a text at the time of the incident? Seems like a lot of time, considering how many accidents happen each day. Plus, as far as I know phone companies do not know you sent a text until you actually send it. So that complicates the matter because not everyone who gets into accidents because of texting happened to get into an accident right after hitting send.

[Chriz]

So you're suggesting that for every accident, the government should check with the person's phone provider to see if they were sending a text at the time of the incident?

Why not? It's just a simple request. It's not like they need to know it instantly, they can get it in time for the court date.

And it would probably function on a state government level, so it would be much more manageable. It's not like the federal government needs to get involved.

[Lord Anubis]

It will be a great way to identify who was at fault in some cases.

[Tempest]

Why not? It's just a simple request. It's not like they need to know it instantly, they can get it in time for the court date.

And it would probably function on a state government level, so it would be much more manageable. It's not like the federal government needs to get involved.

It still would not prove whether or not they were texting during the accident though. The bill would have to show that the person sent a text right before the estimated time of the accident. Otherwise, you have no way of proving that texting caused the accident. It just seems unrealistic to me. There were ~6,420,000 in the U.S. in 2005. I can't find how many of those involved the police, but even if 50% of them did not, that's a lot of calls and a lot of wasted time on both ends.

[blueeyes]

There were over 650,000 police within the borders of the United States a decade ago, and those numbers have not decreased over time. Even if there must be a judge to sign off on a warrant, there are still quite a large number of those, too. It'd still be a waste of time, but no more so than the dozens of other existing wastes of time.

[Tempest]

It'd still be a waste of time, but no more so than the dozens of other existing wastes of time.

That doesn't seem to be a very good excuse to waste even more time. :|

[Chriz]

That doesn't seem to be a very good excuse to waste even more time. :|

I'd rather waste cops' time than mine.

Not a big fan of restricting civilians' freedom to act just to make bureaucrats' lives easier.

[blueeyes]

That doesn't seem to be a very good excuse to waste even more time. :|

No, but it seems a good excuse to believe people find wasted time a low-value resource, whether or not that is the case. Several sides of this matter are arguing that something must be done suggests that there is a value in action, whether perceived or true, and there is going to be a cost in acting through every established method suggested so far. If you subscribe to that theory, this method is less invasive to those groups who have not harmed others directly.

[Vendetta]

Isn't that a bit like saying driving drunk is OK, as long as you don't get into an accident? I understand there is a big difference in scale, but in both your attention and judgement is being affected.

I'd rather waste cops' time than mine.

Not a big fan of restricting civilians' freedom to act just to make bureaucrats' lives easier.
You're OK with wasting tax-payer dollars with this too? I'm shocked.

[Chriz]

Isn't that a bit like saying driving drunk is OK, as long as you don't get into an accident?

Strictly speaking, that's perfectly true. What's the harm in driving drunk safely?

Of course, there is a difference. Driving while texting impairs you in a way that's similar to driving while drunk. But you can always drop your phone and become instantly unimpaired if traffic starts to tighten up or if you approach an intersection or something. You can't become un-drunk.

I saw an episode of Mythbusters that tried to show talking on the phone was as bad as driving drunk, but they put the drivers into unrealistic situations. For example, they weren't allowed to pause the phone conversation in order to pay attention during a tricky phase of the driving course. You can (and often will) do that with a phone, even if you just stop talking/listening for a few seconds while you do so.

You're OK with wasting tax-payer dollars with this too? I'm shocked.

Well, not really, but that ship has sailed. Our various governments have gone so far over the deep end in wasteful spending that there's really not much point in fighting it. I'm just jumping on the hope & change bandwagon.

[UNODRAGONE]

Hell, I don't even like when people are talking on their phones while they drive and texting is considerably worse.

When you are driving, drive. It's not the best time to have a conversation about how fat Becky's butt is on your phone in any form.

I wish they could do something about texting in theaters too. But they probably will not.

it is where I am, every theater that I have entered has a sign as you are walking in stating cell phones need to be off, no calls or texting allowed and I have seen them come in and check and removed those individuals, gawd I love it. There is one point no one has made, in order to text message (at least on my phone) I need the use of both hands, which means the wheel is on it's own! If that doesn't scream danger I don't know what does

[LV426]

Hell, I don't even like when people are talking on their phones while they drive and texting is considerably worse.

When you are driving, drive. It's not the best time to have a conversation about how fat Becky's butt is on your phone in any form.

I wish they could do something about texting in theaters too. But they probably will not.

The theatre by my house actually has cellphone deadzone hardware that they use. I can't send a text or get a call if I'm there. Not that I mind too much but when I'm on call with work it would be nice to know I got a call. I mean I keep my phone on vibrate so it doesn't bother anyone when I'm in the theatre.

[GoddessWolf]

I am all for the ban of texting while driving. I have a friend who gets so involved in her texting that she completely zones out on everything else around her. If she did that in a car, that is incredibly dangerous.

I'm not saying that everyone is like that.

Things are way to fast paced as it is. If you need to talk to someone that badly, seriously, make an actual phone call when it's safe to do so.


I'm a bit bitter on this subject because a woman speeding while on a phone was part of the reason my family and I were in a car accident.

[Shaun]

You ever notice when someone cuts you off or accidentally swerves towards your lane or isn't paying attention they are on their cell phone? True this isn't always the case but my bumper screams to make contact with the idiots car to rid the world of one less accident waiting to happen moron.

[Klark]

You ever notice when someone cuts you off or accidentally swerves towards your lane or isn't paying attention they are on their cell phone? True this isn't always the case but my bumper screams to make contact with the idiots car to rid the world of one less accident waiting to happen moron.

Wouldn't that actually cause the accident? It wouldn't rid the world of the accident-waiting-to-happen-moron, it would simply end the waiting. :P

[Zombie]

Its quite simple- If you recieve a phone call or text message, PULL THE F**K OVER AND TAKE CARE OF IT!!! It isnt rocket science people. Either that, or ignore it untill you are safely stopped in a parking lot. It is not worth risking your, or my life.

[Lord Anubis]

Yea they always seem to swerve when i am driving my 06 grand prix, but never when i am in my 97 dodge caravan...wtf....lol

I am glad this topic took off so well

[BlasphemousHeart]

I hate it when people are too busy texting to watch the road... especially when the driver has a jacked up truck that my car will fit under... I can't drive without almost being hit by one of those idiots

[Vendetta]

The theatre by my house actually has cellphone deadzone hardware that they use. I can't send a text or get a call if I'm there. Not that I mind too much but when I'm on call with work it would be nice to know I got a call. I mean I keep my phone on vibrate so it doesn't bother anyone when I'm in the theatre.
Solution is not to go to a movie when you are on call.

[Pinnz]

I'll admit that I text while I'm driving, and do it quite often, however, and I know that this in no way makes it any different, I don't look at the phone at all when I do it. Makes for some interesting messages but at least KI can keep my eyes on the road. What I rally hate, though, are those idiots who aren't even attempting to watch the road, and I've watched on-duty cops talking on their cell phones while driving around in patrol cars.

[Lysander]

Its a bad habit I think most of us have done on occasion. I havent done it much lately.. trying not to push my luck. When I do it now, ill do it at a red light so at worst I'll get a pissed off guy behind me instead of a smashed front end.

[J.L.R.]

http://gizmodo.com/5338475/texting-while-driving-psa-delivers-bloody-bone+crunching-message

This has to be the ulitmate PSA announcement...

I just saw this thread, but as "Driving while Intexticated" has become a frequent issue here in Oklahoma (recently too) I thought it was worth starting up again.

Just last week a 15 year old boy was killed in a car accident, because he was texting and didn't see the that the road curved. He drove right into a tree.

I hate using the phone while driving, as I readily admit that I have a hard time multitasking while driving my car.

[Ves]

This has to be the ulitmate PSA announcement...
And we should thank the good people of the Welsh emergency services for making it.

The thing that scares me about this is that it'll get played to kids at school and assuming they get past the fact that it'll be at least another year before they learn to drive (last year of compulsory school currently being when you're 15-16 here and you can't learn to drive until you're 17), what will very probably go through their minds will be limited to "crap, really hurt myself", possibly they might think that they might hurt or kill their friends - the fact that there are other people affected will probably not enter their heads. I know this is a cynical view of that generation, but sadly it's one formed out of experience.

As for driving while texting, I still can't believe that people even drive while chatting into the phone, let alone texting. While doing this, even if you're one of those freaks that can text without looking at the phone, your attention is not fully on the space around you (and let's face it how many people really can text without looking at the phone at all). Now I enter broken record mode...
Nearly 5 years ago I had a crash, it is possible that my attention wasn't on the road at the time because I might have had an epileptic fit while driving (this is actually not a proven fact incidentally). Now I nearly killed myself that day, I got really lucky, and I know one thing - it really fucking hurts to this day (even as I type my injured knee is hurting). But that's nothing next to the mental scarring and guilt I still feel - and I didn't even choose to do something stupid like using my phone. God alone knows what I would have been like if someone had been killed.
Before you pick up your phone while you're driving along, remember this - crashes hurt, and you may well end up wishing it hurt more to erase the guilt. No txt or phone call is that important that it can't wait a few minutes.

I'll end with another point. The average human reaction speed is around 1.5 seconds (it varies and is in fact getting slower believe it or not). If you are driving along at 50kph and you're texting someone, and some dickhead pulls out in front of you so you have to both brake and swerve, you will have moved around 20 meters along the road before you've even started to react. If you've now got to also think to drop your phone, that's more time and more distance that you really don't have.
The British anti-stupid driving adverts all have the logo THINK! on them... that really should be enough.