Texting While Driving

I think there is big difference between listening music and operating a cellphone, You can not operate a cellphone with subconscious mind but can listen music with it.

your arguments suggest that ban on opium should be lifted as it is imposed by politicians,

until you reach to tune or adjust the volume of the radio.

All of my music controls are on the steering wheel, on the back side so that when you have both hands on the wheel, they are right at your fingertips. Good bit of focused engineering.

As is "Heads up display" and paddle gear change. But lets not get into the workings of paddle gear changing, the idea is to keep the drivers hands.. both of them, on the wheel at the "9" & "3" o'clock position, due to the safety airbag now fitted as standard in the steering wheel.

In the UK.. a motoring program called "Top Gear" featured (correct me if I have the wrong car) a Porche, that had a very small thingy that would accept your cell phone sim card. As the presenter stated on that point alone...

"It makes this the largest and most expensive mobile phone ever!"

It IS dangerous to text while driving. However, it is more damaging in the long run for bureaucrats to charge down the path of obfuscation by continuing to generating a staggering numbers of new laws every year.

Like so many other examples, this agreeably dangerous activity does not require passing additional laws, because the activity is already illegal.

If someone is distracted sufficiently to impair their driving, charges for careless driving or reckless driving or reckless endangerment may be appropriate.

Laws aimed at the actual dangerous activity (carelessness or recklessness) are more direct and effective than attempting to outlaw all the possible activities which might lead to recklessness or carelessness.

Imagine trying to outlaw all path that lead to reckless/careless driving. Just consider a few

--What about driving while applying makep/shaving using the visor mirror?----

---or, Attempting to drive while suffering from a severe Y chromosome deficiency?---

----and of course, Driving while trying to fend-off blows from a y-chromosome deficient person who takes offense at the idea that she cannot be blamed for her driving since she did not choose her chromosomes.---

While most agree these things are serious impairments to safe driving, there is no shortage of causes of impairment. As such it is better to rely on the laws already on the books.

The real reason for the hype is that politicians want their names on bills that 'solve' critical social issues. I know nothing is solved, but I am curious how much the politicians whip up public concern in an effort to create a perceived problem...so that a bill with their name can come to the rescue...

You are quite right. GA from me.

Ban opium???

YOU MUST BE CRAZY!!!

So if your method was implemented, texting while riding on a bus, train or being a passenger in a vehicle would be disabled. right.

Dammit, I hate it when I say stupid things._{(And get caught)}

But, I've gotten used to it, over the years.

I still think it's dangerous to text and drive.

i totally agree...i can tell which drivers are talking or texting...those that are travelling about 10kmph slower, brake late, and can't stay within the lane.

My solution is to turn the phone off while driving, or if i have my wife in the car, she can answer the phone or read the sms (obviously this may not work for some like Tiger Woods )

Some big differences between the radio and texting:

It is possible to operate the radio by feel without taking your eyes off the road.

It doesn't take concentration to push one button or even two or to twiddle a knob - Eyes on the road, at least one hand on the steering wheel, one finger pushing a button or turning a knob ears doing the discrimination.

texting is a different matter - often two hands on the phone - one to hold, one to push buttons, and both eyes on the phone keypad and screen to input and check the input .......

and talking on the phone unless it is in a hands free cradle fully occupies one hand for long periods of time (relatively) leaving the other to cope with steering, gears, indicators and anything else......

and that does not take into account the concentration involved in either texting or participating in an emotional conversation .......

again not that i condone such behaviour but my kids (teenagers) can text with one hand by feel and eat a weeks worth of groceries at the same time and many people can type and not even look at the keyboard. its taken me an hour to type two sentences.

just pushing the envelope a little further.

In the last week or so a lad here died while he was texting - he was walking along in a multi-storey carpark concentrating on the message he was composing, walked into a waist high guard rail, fell over and down several storeys to his death ...... some may be able to text one-handed without looking some of the time .... but that is only some of the time!........ , but then what about the reply they receive that they just HAVE TO READ immediately .....

not to make light of the death of another person but if laws protecting stupid people from the consequences of their mistakes worked, that group would grow so large that......................never mind.

What you say is not stupid. What about the video of the woman that was just shown on the news. She was walking while texting and walked and fell right into the fountain in front of her. At least the phone was soaked and probably wrecked...but do you really want her driving and texting.

Too the point texting while driving should be listed as a manslaughter felony offense and then reduced if possible in a mandatory court hearing. I have seen more people swerving, changing lanes or off the side of the road in a ditch. The worst was a young lady that was swerving next to me on East Bidwell, a road with a 50 mph limit with traffic lights. I pulled up next to her put down my window and asked her to stop texting. Funny a bird flew from her hand and gestured to me.

Well it was three lights later that her 4 Runner was parked in the back of a Tahoe at a light that turned red. The woman in the Tahoe was out on the side of the road, the Husband was pinned with a broken neck since she pushed the back seat to the front seat and of course she was fine on the side of the road. Texting means eyes, hands and mind are not on the road. The girl was probably just chatting with her friends about what to wear to the prom while she just took someone else's life and changed the others complete future. BECAUSE OF TEXTING WHILE DRIVING!!!!

The radio argument is foolish at its best, and it would be a fool that would discuss that it is the same. It would be great if the phone was made so it could not text while receiving a mobile GPS signal. As far as the Bus, train or plane scenario....get your ducks in a row before you leave....get organized and not lazy which this technology has enabled us to be. Do we really need to be that CONNECTED to each other. Is there really that much insecurity in your / our life's? For an emergency the technology is great, but really get organized like your parents and grandparents had to be that did not have the technology.

OK Sorry my rant is done. I obviously seen no need for twitter, texting or a Gee dude watch ya wearing today society.

Statistics in the UK indicate that the chances of being involved in a road incident while using driving and using one of those toy telephone thingies are greater than were one to be under the affluence of incohol (hic). Digital television channels here provide 'entertainment', and certainly generate interest, by broadcasting the way that the police deal with incidents of both situations in an effort to promote greater safety on the roads. It is a sad fact that despite every effort there are still over 3000 road deaths per annum in this country, and only a few of them make national headlines. Compare that to, say, a commercial aircraft over-running a runway and ending up in the grass with passengers shaken and not stirred, which is certain to make the 6-o'clock national television news the same day as the first item.

Would those who advocate the removal of prohibition of toy telephone use while driving also like to consider the removal of prohibition of alcohol similarly?

Do those who behave in that way ever give a slender thought to the individuals whose daily lives are disrupted and devastated by their actions?

Should the removal of prohibition ever happen, there will certainly be an increase in travel by rail and by bus as a survival mechanism, starting with this household.

Comparison invalid. Listening to music is passive, texting is active and takes almost full attention.

i am in no way saying that operating a cell phone / texting while driving is not a distraction, infact i cannot drive and talk on the phone because i feel myself not paying attention to what i should. i have done this prior to laws being passed against such actions. i just didnt feel safe while driving and holding an important conversation on the phone at the same time.

the problem as i see it is that we blame objects for human behaviour. perhaps some people are able to text and drive at the same time. i cant. the laws should prohibit recless driving regulardless of reason being drinking, drugs, texting, ect. we should hold people responsible for their actions, not what they are capable of doing. now i know that contradicts the dui argument and that can be discussed further.

the radio discussion was not geared towards listening to music (although ive witnessed many people driving and singing like they were possessed and in no way focused on the road) but rather changing the station, volume, or whatever on a car stereo. some new stereos are impossible to operate without being distracted from the road.

OK,

I see two major reasons why you could be correct, if the radio were invented today.

Lawyers and insurance companies. Both contribute to political campaigns and insurance companies probably contribute a HUGH, HUGH amount of cash to politicians.

Except when you're Hugh Jim Bissell....

No conversation on the phone is as important as the correct and safe control of a moving motor vehicle!

"the problem as i see it is that we blame objects for human behaviour. perhaps some people are able to text and drive at the same time."

In this matter we are not blaming objects we are blaming human behaviour. A cellphone without anyone operating it is not a problem. I doubt that a significant number of people can text or operate a cellphone safely while driving.

Nothing new:

This should be exactly what you are looking for, but not sure where to rent it...

I drove friends Audi for awhile.. Holy jeezus! The layout for any and all of the million controls was mind blowing, confusing, and controversial at the very least!

Way more dangerous to operate than anything I've ever encountered.. Pretty sad for such a nice (cough) car.

I think the "no hand held devices while driving" law's came from people driving these nice (cough) cars..

There is no way they could heat their buns, adjust the foot pedals, scratch their neighbors tummy, open the roof, pull back the articulating visors, shift from 2R to 3F, down periscope, operate the radio, regulate the airstream, circumnavigate the GPS, monitor the systems check, ...drive..., and take a call at the same time...

Texting While Driving is almost as dangerous as texting while I'm trying to talk to you.

if the law say you don't use a pohne.. then the smart people don't.

Simple really!! but I am surprised and somewhat alarmed at the amount of drivers who either don't care or are just plain stupid.

A driving licence is not a God given right.. and those who don't follow the rules should have their licence taken away. If you are caught drunk driving or DUI... then you end up in court and in the UK, more and more drivers are being given a custodial sentence. do the same for those that flaunt the other driving laws, like using a phone, eating or drinking while driving.

In the UK the Road Traffic Act... not to be confused with the HIghway Code, states that a motor vehicle MUST be operated in a safe and compedent manner and the operator MUST be in FULL control at ALL times.

Go figure people... prison is coming for those that use phones and drive, it took years for it to happen to drunk drivers, but it did.

And it can't happen soon enough for phone users!!

A driving license is not a God given right..

exactly, its a privilege

Texting while driving was banned in Massachusetts last year. Now the media is reporting an increase in texting related auto accidents. This is said to be caused by texters who are hiding their phones so they won't be caught breaking the law. In a related story: In the 1920s, the Rickenbacker Car Company introduced brakes on all 4 wheels as a safety measure to provide faster stopping. Prior to that, cars had brakes on only the rear wheels. The other American auto manufacturers immediately began an advertising blitz claiming that brakes on 4 wheels was dangerous because in the event of a rapid stop the driver and/or passenger could hit their head against the windshield.

Then God invented seatbelts!!

What car manufacturers can install in vehicles is a tamperproof (lets wait on that one) device that will stop cell phone signals... Yes?

Yes, but it violates federal law (FCC) by willfully interfering with a transmission.

Then there is the issue when someone may need to dial 911 (either when moving or stopped). I know of a number of instances where a moving vehicle needed to call 911.

The real issue is you can't legislate morality or even common sense. It's been tried over and over again and it always has bad consequences.

Sorry.. I do think you are way off topic and using the FCC purpose and their actions in the example to support your earlier statement.

It is clear that, in your example, the unauthorized transmissions were in breech of FCC rules one of which is NOT to interfer with legal transmissions. Agreed!

So how does having a device in your car, that you know is there, that is there for your safety and that of other road uses, that only stops you cell phone while in your car be a breech of FCC rules. Lets be honest in the US you are to us Brits over ledgislated somewhat.. and if (BIG IF) this device was fitted to vehicle, do you not think the FCC would be involved?

I've got to vote you OT as it is not a good arguement or example for this discussion

Huh?

I am confused about your counter argument.

You wrote, "So how does having a device in your car, that you know is there, that is there for your safety and that of other road uses, that only stops you cell phone while in your car be a breech of FCC rules."

The answer is, any RF jamming device is illegal in the US (probably elsewhere, too). It doesn't matter if you know about it or if you are jamming your own signal or not. It's illegal and that is a Federal law.

No car manufacture or aftermarket manufacture is legally allowed to advertise or market such a device. How could you expect the car manufacture to install one?

This argument has been brought up before in Congress and so far the Communication Act of 1934 still stands. Until Congress changes that law it is still illegal regardless if you feel it is off-topic or not.

I am less informed on international law, but the International Telecommunications Convention also governs RF jamming, so I suspect that not only would such devices violate US federal law, but would violate international ITU law, Article 133 (I think).

Now, if you personally designed a jamming device and installed it in your own car, chances are you would never be caught nor hunted down. However, if you were an auto manufacture and attempted to do that you would have government officials all over you like white on rice.

My personal solution, which is the cheapest and does not violate any law, is to simply not use the phone while driving, particularly in traffic. In fact, my car is so noisy that it annoys callers and they just don't bother to call me and talk when I am driving. ;-)

sorry AH.. can't agree there.. however as we live on different side of "the pond" I do understand that your civil rights etc are very different from the UK.

The first ammendment.. "freedom of speech" please correct me if I'm wrong here.. would not be violated by such a device if it stops you from committing "vehicle manslaughter" for driving while not in control of a motor vehicle. Wasn't the Bill of Rights written before there were cell phones?

As for FCC, Federal Communication Commission, is there to regulate and control radio and other forms of communications, if they were not there, it would be impossilbe to communciate or recieve TV signals etc.. I don't think (could be wrong) that they would have a say in a little device taht would block your cell phone while driving.

What about theaters & movies houses (a tad off subject, but relevant) already have them.

and again.. I cannot agree with you that it is a requirment to call the emergency service while driving.

The real issue is you can't legislate morality or even common sense... True.. but what every repsonsible governemt does is put in to effect laws/ledgeislation to (hoepfully) prevent and /or limit the exposure to risks and hazzards caused by the mis-use of of cell phones.

As a foot note.. the device, could be wired to the ignition, so if the engine is off, so is the device... what do you think?

Very Prophetic, tons of insight!

Virtually every law on the book was brought into being because a fractional few have surrendered all self control, so everyone suffers for the misdeeds of a few.

Self Control is a concept that left during the Clinton administration. I think that statement should be written in stone and and posted in front of the steps of the Supreme Court.

Very thought full and insight full.

Thanks

Personally...I believe they should revoke the license of anyone caught texting while driving for 5 years.

Every time you see an idiot wandering over the line....erratic with their speed.....and most times causing accidents....its because they are more wrapped up in their "it can't wait until I get home" cell phone call.

If you are going to drive....then drive. If you want to test or yap...get off the damn road until you finish.

First let me state that I am not in favor texting while driving for a multitude of reasons. However, if we are going to push for restricting texting while driving in the name of safety, then we should also consider restriction of eating while driving.

According to this article, 80% of car accidents are caused by eating while driving. The article goes onto quote a statement in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study. It implies but does not explicitly state if the study which found 80% of accidents caused by eating was the same study done by the NHTSA mentioned in the next paragraph.

But, officer, I moved my dog-on-a-stick shift to neutral, and still the car kept going....

I have seen a woman eating a bowl of cereal while driving in peak hour traffic .....both hands off the wheel!

There is no cure for stupidity, and you are right legislation will not cure it ..... does anyone have a viable solution? - perhaps mandatory unpaid work in an ER Trauma centre for all those apprehended.....but again that is legislation.....or maybe include a period working in a trauma centre as a part of everyone's education so that it becomes a learning and community service exercise rather than punishment.....

I used to own a car with a manual transmission. It was not impossible to eat while driving, but the selection of manual transmission friendly food was limited.

Actually, I found it cumbersome enough that I didn't do it often. I recall stopping and getting some fast food then pulling away from the restaurant into traffic before realizing that it would be another 10 minutes before I was at a point on my trip where I would be able to eat (unless I pulled over) because there were just too many areas where I would need both hands and both feet. Once I got on the open highway, I was able to eat my cold burger.

My 9 year old daughter recently asked about getting a cell phone. Many of her friends have them. Our position is to hold off as long as we can. I've seen the phenomena that you are referring to and am concerned we are doing our children a disservice by letting them engage in such behaviour if they can't do so responsibly. I have no concrete proof, but just seems disastrous. I am reminded of the crew on the the spaceship in the movie 'Wally'.

Are we slowly evolving ourselves to a similar physical state?

You're quite right. I recently had the temerity to call my son on his phone. He was totally taken aback. I don't think he realized that you can actually talk into these things. The art of conversation and discussion is lost on kids today.

I just drove my teen to met his girlfriend and he was texting the whole time

Chimps in the jungle man..... calling to each other............."_{^{I'm here, so am I, me too"}}

When I see someone texting or talking on the phone, or otherwise not paying attention to what in the heck they are doing, I enjoy honking the horn to redirect their attention. If they occasionally end up in the ditch, so be it. I do know that if there is a traffic accident and they suspect someone was on the phone or texting they will subpena their cell phone records. If you are the one on the phone, you lose! Doesn't really matter if you weren't apparently at fault at the time of the accident. My Brother in law was hit by a lady on her phone, and since he was a commercial driver they were blaming him. He kept telling them he saw her on the phone as she was plowing into the side of his rig, they finally called up her cell phone records and found that she was on the phone (and had been for 20 min) when the accident occured.

Perhaps we are looking at this from the wrong direction. It is clear that stopping the cell transmissions is prohibited for numerous reasons.

As such, the clear approach should be doing it the other way, it would be very easy and cheap for the car makers to install RF sensing equipment in a car that would kill the vehicle's ignition system when a radiated RF signal over a given threshold was transmitted from within the vehicle.

This would address most all of the concerns. If an emergency call was needed to be made, kill the vehicle and make your call.

I think the unfortunate result of that would be more deaths on the road. Immagine pull out the phone turn off the car at 70mph and lock the stearing wheel.

Nah... sound a warning buzzer, then after 30 seconds, kill the ignition but leave the steering and other functions working.

Problem with that is someone other than the driver may be able to put your car out of commission with a RF pulse

maybe cell phones need to have safety interlocks 2 hands required to read or write texts

I gotta wonder what kind of Burger JB is eating that requires both feet? :D

I don't touch that kind of meat........ I mean burger

It wasn't the burger that required both feet. I was driving a manual transmission car (1989 Nissan 240SX). One foot for the gas and brake, the other for the clutch. One hand for the steering wheel, the other multi-tasking between the steering wheel, stick and burger.

In case you are still curious, it was a Carl Jr. Burger.....too messy to really have behind the wheel.

to expand on the interlock scheme

maybe a wireless safety circuit, the car's running no power to the phone, no blocking of signals involved

or the black box most cars have could detect when a call is happening inside the passenger compartment, to be held against the driver in the event of an incident

"...a call is happening inside the passenger compartment, to be held against the driver in the event of an incident "

But what if the driver wasn't the one using the phone? Does that mean even if a passenger uses the phone, the driver is held accountable?

sure, maybe RFID burgers too :D

Doesn't sound tasty

Kidding aside

there are ways short of outright blocking of the signal to discourage the use of handheld communication devices while driving

Although talking on the phone while driving can be hazardous, I think the level of danger and foolishness pales when compared to texting while driving.

Perhaps the answer is to simply disable the texting portion of a phone while in a car, leaving the phone intact. Some kind of sensor set-up. 16,000 fewer people killed per year (including innocents).

I'd support that kind of regulation (now waiting to be bombarded by those who feel that we don't need stinkin' regulation taking away our God given right to text in the stinkin' car)

see #108

the service providers could show some corporate responsibility & implement something along these lines, with the existing gps tracking feature & a bit of software...

no government involvement necessary

Right on. I was going to add that point, but I would have blown another opportunity to irritate the pseudo-anarchists :)

Bunch o Tea Partiers

they can tell you all about what they don't like but can't come up with any solutions, beyond back to the constitution blah blah blah

most government action is the result of an failure of the market to act responsibly

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"...they can tell you all about what they don't like but can't come up with any solutions..."

You got it, brutha. I've actually run out of sighs and eye-rolls, when I hear them yap.

Oh they'll yell at me in the morning :D

That's nice, but it's reactive

not preventative

the problem is a deficiency in the system [technology].

like a buggy computer program, the system that allows a driver to receive & send texts, can be changed so that option is not possible

....or maybe include a period working in a trauma centre as a part of everyone's education so that it becomes a learning and community service exercise rather than punishment.....

That is Pre-emptive

You think this is possible or practical?

would this be a requirement for licence renewal?

sounds much like punishment for those of us who don't even text moving or stationary.

Traffic school anyone?

I was thinking more of it as a module of High School education...

That is 16,000 deaths over a six year period.

That works out to 2,667 per year.

To put that in some perspective, drunk driving still accounts for more than 4 times the number of texting deaths each year.

Total traffic deaths each year in the US is about 43,000, about half of what is in China and India.

About 6% of all US traffic fatalities are caused by texting.

LOL... I can almost see it now, people would mount "RF Guns" in the front grill work to disable the car of the clown driving like a moron. Many a time, I wished I had grill mounted phasors, a la Star Trek.

Seriously... the circuitry could be set just sensitive enough to only trigger on a RF source "inside" the car.

I'd settle for a semi- auto paintbal gun LOL

not a bad idea

And the other problem is that should the caller be a passenger in the vehicle and not the driver, then the passenger's actions will affect the control of the vehicle. Legally, that is unacceptable, as in nearly all jurisdictions, it is the driver who is responsible for the correct control of the vehicle, not the passenger.

One does see people texting (what a horrible verb) while cycling. One of them nearly became a casualty recently.....

In essence the law on cell phone use in motor vehicles also covers cycles, motorbikes and perambulators.. kiddies buggies to everyone else.

The law is STILL in effect that you can be proscecuted for being drunk while riding a push bike AND in charge of a buggy.

the owner/driver can be ticketed, when your passenger has an open container, not wearing a seatbelt, carrying drugs[car impounded]...

Here's a Blackbox presentation

insurance companies may be the instrument of change. Computing power & data storage is so cheap there will be the day when the BB will tattle on you teen driver for driving to fast, going places other than they were supposed to, all manner of behaviors

let the handwinging begin :D

I have already heard of insurance companies offering (for a small fee I would imagine) similar devices so parents can monitor their newly licensed drivers (teens). Also, just this week I heard on the news of insurance companies offering rate discounts for customers who install monitoring/data gathering devices.

I saw the same things from more than one source, but of course couldn't remember where lol

Do we have a right to speed?

are traffic laws just suggestions?

what if the source of the control is a insurance company, car company or other private sector force

what if your car gave you feedback related to your driving skills?

would you pay a premium to drive badly?[realtime insurance rates]

You wrote, "what if your car gave you feedback related to your driving skills?"

It already does. ;-)