Texting while driving

[DIGI]

This was brought up on the radio yesterday. 17 states in the US have already made it illegal. Whats your take? Im guilty, but I do it sparingly. I would definitely endorse a law. I cannot count how many times Ive almost wrecked due to some 17 year old brat. Some people were asking for laws as strict as DWIs and Im finding it kinda hard to disagree with them. It seriously could be just as dangerous.

[Burnout18]

Some people were asking for laws as strict as DWIs and Im finding it kinda hard to disagree with them. It seriously could be just as dangerous.

I agree. Texting is 1000 times worse than talking on the phone. I still have a razor and can text with one hand using my T9,,,, but people with iphones and shit with touch screen keyboards now have two hands on the phone and will rest thier forarms or whatever on the wheel. I have a friend who does this, and it bugs the shit out of me. Seriously i would rather get in the car with him drunk, then have him texting.

[faz]

psa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ttNgZDZruI)

[jabumbo]

for sure it is worse than talking on the phone. i only send messages when i hit red lights and such, and even then its too annoying for me to really bother if i can help it.


i don't know about anybody else, but i can't send a text message without staring at my screen for longer than possible while driving. so i'd be fine with pretty stiff enforcement

[mickill]

I'd endorse a law that would allow fellow drivers, pedestrians or law enforcement to publicly beat you with a phonebook if you've been caught texting while driving. That's not to say I've never ever ever ever done it (once or twice - I'm not proud), but I do think it's pretty reckless.

[Echewta]

Its illegal here in the good ole State of Austria, I mean California.

The phone thing has been illegal for sometime but i always see pinheads talking still and not paying attention. OMG I SUDDENLY NEED TO TURN HERE SIGNAL TURN OH I SHOULD LOOK SOWWYYY MISTER ANYWAY YES WEEDS WAS AWESOME LAST NIGHT WITH MY GLASS OF RED....

[Adam]

It is fucking stupid - think its illegal in the UK, I know talking is. I was surprised how many talk on the phone while driving in the US. Obviously their lives must be so important that they feel putting themselves and other members of the public in danger is worth it. But some of these are the same idiots who don't wear their seat belt so hopefully they'll die the quickest (y)

[insertnamehere]

I feel confident in my abilities to talk on the phone and drive, but yeah, texting is a no go. Like someone said, I might knock one out at a light or something but that's it.

It irritates me when people text me when they know that I'm driving over to their place. It actually happens a lot.

[paul jones]

Bus Driver of The Year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M74j8LvX6k

[Freebasser]

I might knock one out at a light or something

Kinky.

[Adam]

I feel confident in my abilities to talk on the phone and drive...

Hi Rachael *waves*

I feel confident in my abilities to talk on the phone and drive...


I feel confident in my abilities to drink and drive...


I feel confident in my abilities to be high and drive...


I feel confident in my abilities to not wear a seatbelt and drive...


I feel confident in my abilities to use drowsy medication and drive...

but it doesn't make it safe.

...just sayin'

[Randetica]

when i saw that english "shocking" text while driving clip i thought who is retarded enough to text while driving? they deserve death

[TAL]

Roadhead (y)

[Adam]

Dude, I'm getting roadhead
send
*beep beep* *beep beep*
SMS Received

[jabumbo]

I'd endorse a law that would allow fellow drivers, pedestrians or law enforcement to publicly beat you with a phonebook if you've been caught texting while driving.


people still use phone books?

[Dorothy Wood]

I'm guilty of texting while riding my bike. it's pretty dumb, I usually wait til I'm at a light though.

[QueenAdrock]

people still use phone books?

Sure, for beating

I have a friend who has road rage AND texts. It's terrifying driving with her.

[Micodin]

I don't drive that much due to living in a city. But, I never ever talk on the phone or text when I do drive because I'm not a fucking dumbass!

[Audio.]

I don't drive that much due to living in a city. But, I never ever talk on the phone or text when I do drive because I'm not a fucking dumbass!
same here

[Gareth]

it'll be illegal here in nov
i'm glad
it pisses me off when i see people yapping on their phones while driving
i never do that, but occassionally i will read a txt
wont compose a txt though

[Randetica]

Roadhead (y)

Radiohead (y)

[insertnamehere]

Adam -- I don't see why a phone conversation would be any more distracting than conversation with a passenger in the car.

[Micodin]

It's not just about having a discussion with a someone (passenger or not). It's about driving hands free.

A 20something girl hit someone on a bike (and killed him) a month ago in my part of the city because she was on the phone. She's now facing some jail time. The parents no longer have their child.

My dad lives in Maine. In his town a girl in a truck was on her cellphone and wasn't paying attention to the road and crossed the yellow lines. She struck a motorcycle that had a sidecar. Both of the people (man and wife) were killed.

Nowadays with modern technology cops ask you if you were on the phone or texting when you were driving during a accident. People try to say no, but they call pull your phone records and get to the exact time you were on the phone.

[QueenAdrock]

Talking to passengers can be distracting, too. I've had many close calls when I've had multiple passengers in the car, so I've made a point to stop talking when maneuvering my car (i.e., making turns, merging) so I can pay attention to the road 100%. Yapping away and being deep in a conversation with a passenger can be just as bad, so people should monitor that and be aware of that sort of distraction, too.

However, sometimes you need to drive someone somewhere, so it's just something you have to be aware of and careful with. I still haven't heard a good excuse for talking on the phone while driving. It's a convenience, not a necessity. We managed to survive in the 1990s with no cellphones in cars, if we were late, we'd explain it when we got there (or if necessary, would pull off the road and use the pay phone). When I drive, I pull off to the side of the road if I need to talk.

I know quite a few people who say they can drive and talk at the same time, but really are bad at it and have NO idea how terribly they drive. I've also seen one too many people almost plow into one another (or actually following through) while talking on a cell and not paying a damn bit of attention. It's sad, because if you tell someone not to drink and drive, they reply "Well, duh, that's a bad idea," but if you say "Don't use your cell when you drive," they get defensive and say they NEED to -- but in actuality, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving while on the cell have been studied and the effects of both are the same. If it's been proven that texting/chatting on the phone are as bad as drunk driving, how can anyone have a good argument for it? It's like saying "Yeah, I had one too many alcoholic drinks, but I needed to be back home by morning." It's just not a good enough excuse, IMO.

[Fern]

Texting while driving doesn't bother me, its the facebooking while driving. I am actually driving while I am typing thus....

[paul jones]

Texting while driving doesn't bother me, its the facebooking while driving. I am actually driving while I am typing thus....

you just knocked down Marsellus Wallace

[Videodrome]

i text while im driving, except when im doing 90 on the freeway...

[DIGI]

Like Whoa?

[mickill]

Plus I'm gettin brain from this chick

[insertnamehere]

It's not just about having a discussion with a someone (passenger or not). It's about driving hands free.

A 20something girl hit someone on a bike (and killed him) a month ago in my part of the city because she was on the phone. She's now facing some jail time. The parents no longer have their child.

My dad lives in Maine. In his town a girl in a truck was on her cellphone and wasn't paying attention to the road and crossed the yellow lines. She struck a motorcycle that had a sidecar. Both of the people (man and wife) were killed.

Nowadays with modern technology cops ask you if you were on the phone or texting when you were driving during a accident. People try to say no, but they call pull your phone records and get to the exact time you were on the phone.

You say it's not about the distraction, it's about being hands free, but I very much doubt that girl hit the kid on a bike because one hand wasn't on the wheel. And you say the other chick wasn't paying attention.

Is talking on the phone really any different than having a passenger and driving a manual? You have equal amount of distraction and probably most of the time only one hand on the wheel. I usually only keep my left hand on the wheel anywya, tbh.

Now talking on the phone while driving a stick shift is tricky. I've done it but I'll also tell the person to hold on and let the phone drop if need be.

And I almost plow into things when I'm not talking on the phone, SO THERE.

[destructo]

I sometimes wish I could use the force so I could push people off the road when they are on the phone and driving.

[YoungRemy]

eating. and putting on make up. in a mad rush at the traffic light...

morons

[QueenAdrock]

A friend of a friend lost her eye because she was at a red stoplight putting on eyeliner and she got rear ended and shoved into the car in front of her and *POP*!

Even at red lights, some things can be risky.

[b i o n i c]

^ thats fucking horrible! ^

when i was a kid in the 80s i thought my uncle was the coolest dude ever because he shaved with a rechargable razor while driving

[YoungRemy]

A friend of a friend lost her eye because she was at a red stoplight putting on eyeliner and she got rear ended and shoved into the car in front of her and *POP*!

Even at red lights, some things can be risky.

I'd actually like to see a Canadian or British PSA of this.

[Adam]

I find driving a manuel car less distracting than an automatic and safer. Clutch to disengaged the engine, engine breaking and higher revs to control the car, no extra breaking so less chance of skidding.

Automatics feel too that - you can't feel the car as much, you have less control (we d'uh adam)

When you're driving a car, you're in charge of over a ton of metal - the less you concentrate on this the more likely you'll lose control.

I get the impression many of the pro-doing another activity while driving are the younger drivers as they have yet to see too many accidents or be in one. Just hope you get a chance to learn your lesson - not everyone is that lucky for a 2nd chance.

[ericlee]

When I was on vacation I got a rent a car and it was the first time I drove in a few years.

I caught myself texting while I was driving and quit immediatly.

Right now, I'm typing this while I'm drivvvvvv aaaaahhhhrrrhhhhh!!!

[yeahwho]

I'm actually chiseling out text on a huge flat sheet of granite while driving.

People see me cruising down the road with a mallet in one hand and a chisel in the other and it drives them bonkers.