Cell phones and driving?

[E.Marquez]

The fact you address me as "my Friend" and then imply Im lying ends the discussion with you.. As I will not be baited by a troll.

Have a great day.

First, I did not imply you were lying. Exaggerating and lying and two very different things. I implied that perhaps you are mistaken.

Second, I have been a member here for awhile and am not a troll. As long as you've been a member, and the number of posts that you have, I would think you would know the rules regarding personal attacks.

And finally, your complete overreaction to my statement implies that there is some truth to it that you know but are not willing to admit.

Spin how you want,, you implied I was not telling the truth, that is known as a lie where I grew up.. It's not appreciated, and is not acceptable.

Second,, Id suggest if YOU can not observe unsafe driving of others due to there distractions, YOU are not paying attention... Please pay attention and not be so detracted, lest you be one of those I observe daily..

Back to the topic.

Ask any LEO that works the streets, if they see distracted drivers as a menace.. with observable infractions daily... Again I don't have the answer, but I do know there is an issue...
The respected lawyer says,, Do nothing, it cant be stopped, and we should not create legislature against the issue.
Perhaps.... but as taking the issue into ones own hands is frowned upon by the law as well.. What is the solution?

[cyphur]

In my first year in law school, I took a class called "Remedies." The professor made a statement that really stuck with me; "in a free society, not every wrong has a remedy." In this case, we have remedies when people injury, kill, or damage property while doing something negligent. If the act is sufficiently "wrong," then criminal penalties also apply. You want to criminalize acts that are done hundreds of thousands of times every day without causing injury, death or property damage, simply because they may (not certain, MAY) cause harm in a very small percentage of situations. I cannot support such laws. Again, I don't have a conceptual problem with texting and driving, but it would be an unenforceable ban for the reasons I stated.

Chas.

Chas, thank you for putting perspective on this. My primary intent with this thread was not necessarily to get a new law put into effect(we do indeed have far too many), but to stir the pot and get some conversation going.

Right now, drinking and driving often leads to folks making it home at night with nothing bad happening, except some undue risk being taken. I see the exact same thing occurring with texting and driving.

Yet, when drunk drivers are caught, or when their act results in an accident, the outcome has become quite penalizing, and for good reason. I would like to see the same thing happen for texting while driving. I am all for individual rights, I personally think the government has no business in my home at any level. However, when so many people take to public roads and put others at risk like this, I feel like something should be done. I do not have the answer, if I did I would have said "we should do exactly this".

I've run into a lot of stupid drivers in my life, but nothing trumps almost getting smashed by a mom driving a minivan full of kids texting away and ignoring the red light.



At the bottom of all of this is a staggering lack of personal responsibility and accountability from a social perspective. I know this, and no law will fix this. However, a DUI can really ruin your life these days - I know plenty of people scared to death about getting one, especially those of us who run in the Defense/Federal circles. I'd love to see new drivers scared to death of getting caught texting while driving. I am not sure a law will change this, but I feel strongly something has to occur. Simply saying "well it is the parent's failure", sure it is, but that does not change anything. Laws cannot make people responsible, but they can certainly make them accountable.

[Abraham]

I thinks it's a given that some of us won't draw the line when it comes to scorning those guilty of texting and conversing on a cell phone while driving.

That said, here's what I witnessed in the last 10 days that wasn't overtly unsafe, but still a giant pain...And that's the other knock on these witless cell phone drivers, their sense of entitlement and the heck with the rest of the world.

To wit: A man who simply wouldn't stop diddling his phone once the traffic light was green. I was positioned directly behind him with a clear view of what he was doing. I waited a slow count of 7 and then someone behind me tapped their horn beating me to it. Cell phone jerk just sat there steadily diddling his phone. I finally blasted my horn. No result. There was a line behind me who chimed in. With little green left on the light, he abruptly took off. What a jerk.

On Hwy 6, I pulled into a line of cars laboriously passing a woman fully engaged in a conversation on a cell phone, utterly oblivious to the speed limit of 55. Her speed? Approximately 40/45 mph. Chalk up another jerk.

I'm certain there are countless stories of this sort of cell phone driving/jerkdom abounding, not counting the hideously hair raising kind of cell phone driving anecdotes...

Do cell phone driving jerks, plus the overtly unsafe phone drivers exceed the garden variety non-cell phone driving kind?

In my experience - they do now!

So what to do?

I dunno, join the crowd. Set up a front seat re-loading station or build model airplanes or start a business. I could put my driving time to better use than merely paying attention to the road.

Why not?

Nobody'd mind...

[Jim Beaux]

The NTSB has now issued a report claiming that all forms of distracted driving should be outlawed. They are demanding that the feds and states enact laws that criminalize or create civil fines for any act within a motor vehicle that is not directly related to the task of driving. What crap!! I presume this means you can't eat or drink a Coke while driving. I feel certain they claim a radio is distracting, as are talking passengers. If we buy into this "distracted driving" garbage, then there's no end to the limitations we'll see coming down the road.

I don't oppose such laws "just for the sake of it;" I oppose them because they are unnecessary, ineffective and yet one more way for elected officials to impose their personal preferences on citizens.

Chas.

Chas, then how does one effect and mitigate those that are a menace to other drivers, due to, well I know you dislike the term, but "Distracted driving"?
Only punishing after they have wreck, maimed or killed someone? Seems a little reactive..

I as well would not like to be told (punished) for inserting a CD when it DID NOT cause me to come out of lane, impede another driver or cause an accident. But I do want the driver that can not control the vehicle they are driving FOR WHAT EVER REASON .. talking, texting, calling, eatting,, to have his actions rebuked, and punished.. even if it does not cause an accident.

Perhaps there are enough statutes, laws on the books now for a LEO, ADA, Judge to charge and convict a person for these things.. I DONT KNOW If so, them Im ok with doing away with ALL specific forms of law that deal with distracted driving.

There are a few laws on the books that could be applicable. ie: improper lane change, etc.

[MeMelYup]

The NTSB has now issued a report claiming that all forms of distracted driving should be outlawed. They are demanding that the feds and states enact laws that criminalize or create civil fines for any act within a motor vehicle that is not directly related to the task of driving. What crap!! I presume this means you can't eat or drink a Coke while driving. I feel certain they claim a radio is distracting, as are talking passengers. If we buy into this "distracted driving" garbage, then there's no end to the limitations we'll see coming down the road.

I don't oppose such laws "just for the sake of it;" I oppose them because they are unnecessary, ineffective and yet one more way for elected officials to impose their personal preferences on citizens.

Chas.

Chas, then how does one effect and mitigate those that are a menace to other drivers, due to, well I know you dislike the term, but "Distracted driving"?
Only punishing after they have wreck, maimed or killed someone? Seems a little reactive..

I as well would not like to be told (punished) for inserting a CD when it DID NOT cause me to come out of lane, impede another driver or cause an accident. But I do want the driver that can not control the vehicle they are driving FOR WHAT EVER REASON .. talking, texting, calling, eatting,, to have his actions rebuked, and punished.. even if it does not cause an accident.

Perhaps there are enough statutes, laws on the books now for a LEO, ADA, Judge to charge and convict a person for these things.. I DONT KNOW If so, them Im ok with doing away with ALL specific forms of law that deal with distracted driving.

There are a few laws on the books that could be applicable. ie: improper lane change, etc.

Yes, the laws would have to be enforced first and not broken by the PO.