Texting While Driving

[LoraJ]

This is now my number one pet peeve. I just cannot understand why people think it is okay to do this. I nearly got sideswiped yesterday by a guy who was using his BlackBerry while driving and today I witnessed a woman swerving all over the road while texting.

The video in this article below show just how dangerous this is and how much worse it is than driving while drunk. Please watch this video.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31545004/site/14081545


There is really absolutely no reason to text while driving. No one is that important. Well, if they are, they already have someone else driving them.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

This is now my number one pet peeve. I just cannot understand why people think it is okay to do this. I nearly got sideswiped yesterday by a guy who was using his BlackBerry while driving and today I witnessed a woman swerving all over the road while texting.

The video in this article below show just how dangerous this is and how much worse it is than driving while drunk. Please watch this video.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31545004/site/14081545


There is really absolutely no reason to text while driving. No one is that important. Well, if they are, they already have someone else driving them.

Exactly!!!!!

 

[SCHBR'smom]

This happened to me today. I was going to pick up my oldest DD from camp, all the other kids were in the car with me. We were on a two lane road and the guy in front of me was driving the speed limit, when all of a sudden he drastically slowed down. I had no idea why, but once traffic was clear on the other side, I passed him. Guess what, he was texting. It was a rural 2 lane road without shoulders, he could have easily driven slightly off the road and lost control effecting both of us. Not to mention that I had to slam on the breaks once he quickly and unexpectedly slowed down.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I simply don't understand how a person can text while driving. It requires you to read whatever it is the person you are texting has written you which means you are not focused on the road, and it requires the use of at least one if not both hands. The concentration it takes to text is much greater than the concentration to talk to a passenger, adjust your controls, etc. There's just no safe way to do it.

 

[JessicaR]

Texting while driving has become a huge issue and one that must be dealt with harshly. My sister works for Geico and the stories she tells me are mind blowing. It is SO dangerous.

 

[JR6ooo4]

it is a great way to make the lights change to green though.

Every time I want to send a text I wait 'til a red light. It seems that when I need a red light they are never red. If I do catch one it changes to green almost immediately.


but you still have to keep your eye on the light. Or you will get the evil horns from behind!

Mikeeee

 

[nile455]

And you can expect traffic accidents to increase, thanks in part to the phone industry no longer making phones with buttons (which will be the case within 2 years). The only thing worse than texting while driving, is texting on a phone that doesn't have buttons where you are FORCED to look at your phone screen. All this is doing is increasing the number of accidents.

They better make this stuff illegal quickly, or there will be a lot more tragedy on the road in the near future.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

Sooo bad. Much worse than talking on the phone while drving, IMO.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

And you can expect traffic accidents to increase, thanks in part to the phone industry no longer making phones with buttons (which will be the case within 2 years). The only thing worse than texting while driving, is texting on a phone that doesn't have buttons where you are FORCED to look at your phone screen. All this is doing is increasing the number of accidents.

They better make this stuff illegal quickly, or there will be a lot more tragedy on the road in the near future.

Those phones are not evil because some people will misuse them. I don't care if a phone has buttons or not, it is dangerous to text at all while you are driving. I have a touch screen phone but would never even for a minute think that it is okay to text while driving. Plus, my phone has a feature that allows me to do voice commands so I do not have to look at a screen to do most things. I'm sure as the technology gets better we'll see a lot more of these phones which could actually have the opposite effect- allowing people to access a feature such as dialing a phone number to get directions without ever taking their eyes off the road.

It is already illegal to text while driving in every state as it would violate any number of already existing laws such as reckless endangerment. A cop already has the discretion to pull over any driver s/he believes is driving dangerously and cite them accordingly. If you cause an accident due to texting you will be at fault and can again be cited under any number of ordinances/laws that already cover reckless/distracted driving even if texting per se is not illegal.

 

[nile455]

Those phones are not evil because some people will misuse them. I don't care if a phone has buttons or not, it is dangerous to text at all while you are driving.

It's dangerous either way, but it is more dangerous with a phone that doesn't have the standard 12-key buttons. All other phones require the user to look at the screen, while the old fashioned 12-key phones can be used without looking at the screen. Sure all texting while driving is dangerous, but I bet it's a lot more dangerous if you're taking your eyes off the road which is what QWERTY and LCD phones require you to do.

The irony is, more people than ever are texting while driving (26% of all Americans), and yet the phone manufacturers are making phones that are harder to text while driving. While this would appear to be a good thing (you'd think it'd discourage people from doing it), my feeling is it's not working. I see drivers texting from Blackberries and other 2-handed texting phones (shudders).

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Don't blame the phone manufacturers for taking technology to the next level. Blame the morons who think it is okay. I'm happy with my phone and hate that some people will think that these types of phones shouldn't be made because people will misuse them.

People misuse cars all the time and I'm sure modern cars make it easier to get into accidents: cruise control might lull somebody into complacence/decrease attenion, better climate controls might cause somebody to fiddle wit hthem at the wrong moment, cars meant for highways are capable of going much faster than their older counterparts and more speed=more danger, the list goes on and on. But I don't see people expressing outrage over this because some people are inconsiderate morons.

Advances in technology make certain crimes including identity theft and child pornography easier to perpetrate and harder to solve, but nobody is saying that we should stop advancing computers to the next level.

There will always be peopel who misuse technology. It is not the company's fault that people don't excercise the common sense they were born with. You cannot expect companies to slow down progress in order to force people to adhere to a moral standard. That is not their job.

 

[Geoff_M]

Don't blame the phone manufacturers for taking technology to the next level. Blame the morons who think it is okay.

Ding, ding, ding!!!

A couple of weeks ago I was flabbergasted to see a young woman in the car next to me "knee driving" down a busy city street while both hands were busy on her phone's QWERTY keyboard while keeping her eyes on the phone most of the time.

 

[minniebride]

It is already illegal to text while driving in every state as it would violate any number of already existing laws such as reckless endangerment. A cop already has the discretion to pull over any driver s/he believes is driving dangerously and cite them accordingly. If you cause an accident due to texting you will be at fault and can again be cited under any number of ordinances/laws that already cover reckless/distracted driving even if texting per se is not illegal.

Is it considered illegal though? Could a person actually get a ticket if they were caught texting while driving or could they dispute it and win? I am asking because I have a co-worker who texts while driving all the time & I would love to get her to stop.

It is not even illegal to talk on your cell phone & drive in my state and I wish it was-it's just as bad as driving drunk!

 

[LoraJ]

Ding, ding, ding!!!

A couple of weeks ago I was flabbergasted to see a young woman in the car next to me "knee driving" down a busy city street while both hands were busy on her phone's QWERTY keyboard while keeping her eyes on the phone most of the time.

That's what the guy I saw the other day was doing. We honked at him and DH yelled at him to pay attention to the road and he gave us the one finger salute. It's illegal to use a cell phone while driving here. IF texting was made illegal, idiots like that guy would still continue to do it. Law enforcement needs to step up to the plate.

It sucks that there even should have to be a law. There are really that many people out there who have no common sense.

I am going to write the lawmakers in my sate about this. Something needs to be done. Maybe even write a letter to the editor at the local paper.

There was an accident here recently where a man crossing the street was critically injured by a 19yo who blew through the red light at 45mph. It was a hit and run and it was captured on a security video. The kid did not try to stop or swerve and did not stop either. I suspect he was texting. He finally got caught and I think he said he didn't know he hit someone. Is there any way I can find out if he was texting? I'd want to send this example to my state reps if this was the case.

 

[Kimberly]

I had an ex who would text while riding his motorcycle...

 

[Ohiodislover]

no longer making phones with buttons (which will be the case within 2 years). The only thing worse than texting while driving, is texting on a phone that doesn't have buttons where you are FORCED to look at your phone screen. All this is doing is increasing the number of accidents.

They better make this stuff illegal quickly, or there will be a lot more tragedy on the road in the near future.

My new phone is a touch screen. I love the phone, but no being able to feel those buttons is terrible. I don't call anyone while driving, unless they are in my phone book. I haven't had the phone for long, but need to see if I have voice dialing.

I don't understand how people can facebook, and text while driving, and seriously think they are doing it safely

In Md, they just passed a law that makes it illegal to text while driving starting 10/1 , but I really don't see how they will enforce it. It will probably only mean anything if there is an accident, and by then it will be too late.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

That's what the guy I saw the other day was doing. We honked at him and DH yelled at him to pay attention to the road and he gave us the one finger salute. It's illegal to use a cell phone while driving here. IF texting was made illegal, idiots like that guy would still continue to do it. Law enforcement needs to step up to the plate.

It sucks that there even should have to be a law. There are really that many people out there who have no common sense.

I am going to write the lawmakers in my sate about this. Something needs to be done. Maybe even write a letter to the editor at the local paper.

There was an accident here recently where a man crossing the street was critically injured by a 19yo who blew through the red light at 45mph. It was a hit and run and it was captured on a security video. The kid did not try to stop or swerve and did not stop either. I suspect he was texting. He finally got caught and I think he said he didn't know he hit someone. Is there any way I can find out if he was texting? I'd want to send this example to my state reps if this was the case.

You'd have to check his phone records. There was a terrible accident less than 2 miles from my house a few months ago. It nearly killed a family's baby, star flight had to be called in to take him to the hospital. On the news the dad said they were going to get the phone records of the girl who hit them to prove she was texting. He's also been on lobbying for a law against texting while driving. I'm sure that message wasn't worth that baby's life.

 

[kathie859]

I don't care who you mention this "texting while driving" issue to, it seems that a majority of us have witnessed it, almost been run off the road by someone drifting over the lane lines or know someone who is an offender and doesn't see that it's a problem.

While I admit that I may grab my cellphone to answer it when I am driving, I don't initialize calls while actively involved in driving. I can't imagine texting and driving and doing both well

I hope that like the drinking and driving message of years ago, the word finally gets out that texting and driving are a bad mix, too.

 

[LoraJ]

You'd have to check his phone records. There was a terrible accident less than 2 miles from my house a few months ago. It nearly killed a family's baby, star flight had to be called in to take him to the hospital. On the news the dad said they were going to get the phone records of the girl who hit them to prove she was texting. He's also been on lobbying for a law against texting while driving. I'm sure that message wasn't worth that baby's life.

I contacted the reporter who has been working on the story for the local paper. Not sure if it will go anywhere. I am sure I can find several other examples somehow.

That report shows how much more dangerous texting while driving is compared to DUI, if that is the case, then I believe the penalties for texting should be even harsher.

 

[Pin Wizard]

There was a law against this passed in Virginia. Hope anyone that does it in the state now gets a hefty fine!