TXTing while driving...

[j_garcia]

I had a discussion on another forum about this and was surprised to see what some of the people had to say, so I thought I'd see what the AH people had to say on the matter.

The driver sent six texts and received five texts, with the last text just before his pickup traveling at 55 mph crashed into the back of a tractor truck, beginning a chain collision. The pickup was rear-ended by a school bus, which in turn was rammed by a second school bus.

Driver sent or got 11 texts in 11 min before crash - Yahoo! News

And a subsequent article I came across, no doubt related to that one.

Why Cell Phones Will Never Be Banned In Cars - Yahoo! News

 

[Adam]

It's a tragedy, regardless of the reason.

Here are my thoughts - there's no proof that the texting caused the accident, but that will be the typical conclusion. What I'm wondering is why did the first bus rear end that pickup truck? The bus should have had clear visibility in front of the pickup truck and should have seen if there was a barrier (such as the tractor truck) just in front of them. That bus should have slowed down.

 

[j_garcia]

So some additional factors if you didn't read the whole thing:

Both buses were found to have brakes that were not properly maintained.

The driver of the truck sent a TXT within 1 minute of the accident, so it is safe to say it was a factor, though not necessarily the cause. He could have survived the initial crash, but once that bus hit....

I agree, the first bus driver is also a HUGE factor in this one, since he is driving a fully loaded bus.

 

[Swerd]

Compare cell phone use laws while driving to laws requiring the use of seat belts. Seat belts began to appear in cars in the US in the 1960s. It took until the late 1980s before their use became required by many states. That's about one generation.

The NTSB is ahead of the curve on this. To argue that people should be free to use cell phones while driving, no matter what, doesn't hold water for driving on public roads. If they own their own road, or drive in the boonies where they can guarantee there will be no other traffic, then they can pursue happiness any way they want.

Auto insurance companies are well ahead of state laws on this matter. Lawyers who handle damage or injury claims or lawsuits from traffic accident already can and do subpoena phone records to use as evidence. If there is any evidence to suggest phone activity near the time of the accident, insurance companies refuse to pay the claim.

 

[Alex2507]

If there is any evidence to suggest phone activity near the time of the accident, insurance companies refuse to pay the claim.

In related made up news insurance companies refuse to pay the
claim if there is any chance of it costing them one red cent.

 

[Rickster71]

It's the usual case of the tail of a powerful lobby wagging the dog.
I'll bet the way this will play out... it will end up with the government threatening to withhold federal highway funds unless the states comply with a ban. It's a great money maker (Traffic fines) for the states to enforce the ban.

I wonder if they will be as vigorous to change Insider Trading Rule for the millionaire lawyers in Congress?
Insider trading laws do not apply to members of Congress or their staff.
It's a major felony for the rest of us. (Sorry, I'm off topic. Don't get me started)

 

[MidnightSensi2]

I don't agree with the Yahoo article. I mean, Chicago has cell phones banned and will ticket for it (I have a friend who has some to prove it). Also Smoking and Obesity are personal health hazards (not touching the gun example because people get too passionate - including myself lol).

I really think there needs to be something done. It's crazy down here. I can't think of anyone that is so important they need to talk or text on the phone while they drive a machine that weighs a few tons on a road full of people. Pull over or call when you get to where you can stop.

Part of the problem is mobile phones have made it where people EXPECT to get you and are almost 'pissed' if you don't answer. So I think there is also some pressure to answer the phone in the car. It's become even a cultural thing, which makes it more difficult than if it was banned from the get go.

 

[Alex2507]

Texting should result in a road side pants around the ankles spanking with video footage to be aired on the local news. Talking should be illegal for women. You can all tell your wives I said this because I don't care if they get pissed at you for what I said but nobody breath a word of this to Cheryl. She'd have my nuts.

 

[lsiberian]

I may not have been around as long as most of you, but I have learned one thing. People are stupid myself included. Sometimes you have to protect them from themselves. I think cellphone use is dangerous, but the solution is not in laws. It's in automating vehicles. The next generation is not as eager to get their license as mine was or the one before because technology is more interesting to them. Automating vehicles will eliminate a lot of traffic accidents. Unfortunately we aren't quite there yet.

 

[Swerd]

… I think cellphone use is dangerous, but the solution is not in laws. It's in automating vehicles. The next generation is not as eager to get their license as mine was or the one before because technology is more interesting to them. Automating vehicles will eliminate a lot of traffic accidents. Unfortunately we aren't quite there yet.

I strongly disagree. One cannot be free to endanger others on publicly funded and used roads. It is up to state or local governments to make and enforce these laws. As Rickster pointed out, the feds can influence this with the carrot of federal $ for road building.

If you try to solve the problem through automation, some knuckleheads in the following generation of drivers, coming after you, will take it as a personal challenge to find some way to drive even more stupid than the level of stupidity that the automation was designed to fix. Stupidity always leads technology.

 

[Alex2507]

Stupidity always leads technology.

That's why I don't have a smart phone.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

That's why I don't have a smart phone.

Yet!

 

[itschris]

Just a few months ago I passed a young girl probably in her 20's on the very busy 4 lane highway that goes past our Carillon office complex. She had a coffee in one hand and her other hand was holding her phone while resting atop the wheel sorda keeping the car straight.

Mind you traffic is typically moving at about 40mph, but frequent quick stops happen all the time because it's a main artery leading across the bridge connecting Clearwater to Tampa.

So I pass her, comment to my wife (we ride in together most days) because she's drifing and going about 5+ mph slower than everyone else causing an issue all it's own.

A few minutes later as we approach my office, my lane pretty much comes to a halt, as does the other lane next to me but is about 5 or 6 car lengths clear to the next car. I just happen to look to my left and that same girl blows by us and I definately saw her hand still atop the wheel holding something as she went by as she slammed full speed into the stopped cars that were ahead of her.

Two bayflight helicoptors later, 3 people...including her were in critical condition.

I see it everyday on my commute. People driving with their knees, etc, drifing back and forth in their lane, driving 10mph slower than everyone else causing everyone else to swerve around them... slamming on brakes because they didn't realize traffic was slowing or the light had changed... and for what? So you could check to see what moron commented on your latest retarded Facebook post?

Seriously... there isn't anyone of us who is that important that we need to have instant communication like that. Wait until you're at a light ... or better yet, train your friends and family that sometimes they just need to wait a bit until they can answer your unimportant text. I get about 15 or more txts and emails from my office during my commute. I don't even look at my phone unless I'm at a light. When the light turns green, it goes back on the console, even if I have just a couple more words to read or type. All of it can wait.

 

[highfigh]

In Milwaukee, too many people act like they went to the Stevie Wonder School of Driving anyway and when you add texting, the rest of us who actually know how to drive are just waiting to be their victims. I don't like government intervention/regulation but I watch people drive through intersections, wait at stop lights after the light turns green and two weeks ago, I was almost hit while I was on the freeway by someone who should have seen that the cars ahead of us had stopped. I see people do incredibly stupid things while driving and the common thing- they have their phone jammed in their ear, covering one eye to what's happening on that side. Using a hand-held cell phone has been banned in the suburb where I live and I don't really like it but laws exist because people can't bring themselves to stop doing stupid things, with their justification that "I don't like being told what I can and can't do". People are dying because of this- it needs to happen. If someone hits me while they're on the phone, I'm not sure what I'll do but I suspect I'll be incredibly pizsed off. We all know that insurance companies hold drivers partially at fault regardless of whether they hot someone or were hit, which usually increases their rates. My record is spotless and if my rates are jacked because some pinhead hits me when I'm not doing anything to contribute to the situation, it's gonna be a bad day for them.

 

[Alex2507]

Just a few months ago I passed a young girl probably in her 20's on the very busy 4 lane highway that goes past our Carillon office complex. She had a coffee in one hand and her other hand was holding her phone while resting atop the wheel sorda keeping the car straight.

Mind you traffic is typically moving at about 40mph, but frequent quick stops happen all the time because it's a main artery leading across the bridge connecting Clearwater to Tampa.

So I pass her, comment to my wife (we ride in together most days) because she's drifing and going about 5+ mph slower than everyone else causing an issue all it's own.

A few minutes later as we approach my office, my lane pretty much comes to a halt, as does the other lane next to me but is about 5 or 6 car lengths clear to the next car. I just happen to look to my left and that same girl blows by us and I definately saw her hand still atop the wheel holding something as she went by as she slammed full speed into the stopped cars that were ahead of her.

Two bayflight helicoptors later, 3 people...including her were in critical condition.

I see it everyday on my commute. People driving with their knees, etc, drifing back and forth in their lane, driving 10mph slower than everyone else causing everyone else to swerve around them... slamming on brakes because they didn't realize traffic was slowing or the light had changed... and for what? So you could check to see what moron commented on your latest retarded Facebook post?

Seriously... there isn't anyone of us who is that important that we need to have instant communication like that. Wait until you're at a light ... or better yet, train your friends and family that sometimes they just need to wait a bit until they can answer your unimportant text. I get about 15 or more txts and emails from my office during my commute. I don't even look at my phone unless I'm at a light. When the light turns green, it goes back on the console, even if I have just a couple more words to read or type. All of it can wait.

Was she hot?

 

[itschris]

Was she hot?

Probably not anymore after flying through the windshield.

 

[jinjuku]

It's the usual case of the tail of a powerful lobby wagging the dog.
I'll bet the way this will play out... it will end up with the government threatening to withhold federal highway funds unless the states comply with a ban. It's a great money maker (Traffic fines) for the states to enforce the ban.

I wonder if they will be as vigorous to change Insider Trading Rule for the millionaire lawyers in Congress?
Insider trading laws do not apply to members of Congress or their staff.
It's a major felony for the rest of us. (Sorry, I'm off topic. Don't get me started)

All I know is two weeks ago I almost got creamed by a women talking on her cell phone as she ran the red light in her Highlander.

I agree: No cell phone use while driving. I let mine go to voice mail and if the call is that important I pull over somewhere. There is ZERO research that backs up any claims that cell phone usage while driving doesn't impair.

You are NOT immune regardless of what you think.

 

[lsiberian]

I strongly disagree. One cannot be free to endanger others on publicly funded and used roads. It is up to state or local governments to make and enforce these laws. As Rickster pointed out, the feds can influence this with the carrot of federal $ for road building.

If you try to solve the problem through automation, some knuckleheads in the following generation of drivers, coming after you, will take it as a personal challenge to find some way to drive even more stupid than the level of stupidity that the automation was designed to fix. Stupidity always leads technology.

Anyone with half a brain could beat a citation on this. In civil court you can destroy them, but in criminal court you can only win if they fess up.

 

[Swerd]

This topic comes close to one of my favorite rants of all times, cell phones.

Remember the Borg on StarTrek – The Next Generation? "Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated." All the good guys on the Enterprise were shocked and terrified by the prospect of being assimilated into the evil Hive. So they resisted any way.

This was, of course, science fiction. The dreaded Borg Hive is, in reality, AT&T/Verizon, and instead of fear & loathing, it is welcomed with open arms. "We are AT&T/Verizon, resistance is futile, you will open your wallets."

I wonder whether the Borgs' fearsome power and efficiency was overestimated. It is more likely that such a collective network would be paralyzed by overuse of twitter or angrybird. Stupidity always leads technology .

More regulation of cell phone use while driving might be the wrong idea. Instead, maybe we should issue drivers' licenses and smart phones to all 14 year olds and let them kill themselves before they can reproduce. This would, of course, open up the internet to endless online debates whether natural selection still works today, causing total paralysis.

 

[Adam]

A couple things come to mind.

One - you can't effectively ban driving distractions. People get distracted by all sorts of things, including thoughts. I love the fact that I can talk to people while I'm in my car, hands free on my phone through my car speakers and built-in mic. I find it less distracting then when there's someone else physically in the car talking to me. So, should we ban passengers in cars? Spouses, children, friends, dates? I'm guessing not many will think so.

Two - we don't need to rely on laws to keep people focused. You can always be an active participant in society. For example, honk at them. A honk and friendly wave might bring them back to the task at hand. Sure, they might get all mad and flip you off, but at least you tried. That wouldn't be easy for me to do, as I tend to take social anxiety to a whole new level, but I'd like to think that I'd get in the game if I thought that lives were at stake. Plus, if you're willing to honk at someone because of a one-second pause after a light turns green, you should be willing to honk at them if they're potentially going to get in an accident and cause you a lot more than one second.