Should Tex ting while driving be banned

WaveCameCrashinWaveCameCrashin Posts: 2,929
edited August 2009 in A Moving Train
Personally I think so, due to all the recent accidents that have occurred just this year. But How would it be enforced ?

What do you think ?
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Comments

  • AbuskedtiAbuskedti Posts: 1,917
    sure, it should be banned. Your driving privleges should be removed

    but how can you enforce that when everyone is too important to repsect the police.
  • Probably, but it's almost unenforceable...

    Here in NY, talking on the phone while driving is illegal (without a handsfree setup)... Driving around everyday, EVERYONE is talking on the phone, including the police... I only know of one person who has ever gotten a ticket for it.

    But is texting any more dangerous that looking for a song on your ipod, or switching CD's or trying to unwrap the burger you just bought at the drive thru?
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  • Most definitely, it’s such a dangerous thing to do. It is already illegal over here but most people get away with it because the police don’t seem to do anything about it.

    It really pisses me off when I see someone driving along talking or texting on their phone.
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  • South of SeattleSouth of Seattle West Seattle Posts: 10,724
    Hard to say. I agree w/ BlackRedYellow kinda

    It's a secondary offense here. You can't be pulled over for it, but if you're pulled over for something else and you're on the phone or texting during the violation you'll get a ticket.
    NERDS!
  • VINNY GOOMBAVINNY GOOMBA Posts: 1,818
    I think most people would agree that it should be illegal. However, it's up to the states to decide for themselves. From what I can tell right now, their plan for implementing a national ban comes via the federal government denying money for roadwork and infrastates that do not make laws that enforce this ban. It's just another example of how the Federal Government expands its power with the use of the "printing press," to get the states to comply with them.

    I think it's enforcement will be just like seatbelts. People get pulled over for seatbelt violations all the time, and are able to buckle up on the sly before the officer approaches the car-- or the seatbelt may have been on the entire time and out of the policeman's view. Either way, it's all about getting people into court and paying a fee.
  • How is it enforced though?

    I can see if an accident happens where someone is really injured or dies and there is a suspicion of texting, the police can maybe try to get your cell phone records, but just to pull you over for it? How do they prove that you were texting? Maybe I was just checking the time, maybe I was taking a shot on a tiger woods golf game or picking a song to listen to or checking directions on mapquest.... are those illegal to do while driving?

    You'd almost have to outlaw any use of a phone while driving, but that gets you into another argument... is reading mapquest directions on a phone illegal, but reading them from a piece of paper or a map allowed? Is checking news headlines on CNN mobile illegal, but glancing at a newspaper front page that you just picked up legal?
    My whole life
    was like a picture
    of a sunny day
    “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
    ― Abraham Lincoln
  • VINNY GOOMBAVINNY GOOMBA Posts: 1,818
    How is it enforced though?

    I can see if an accident happens where someone is really injured or dies and there is a suspicion of texting, the police can maybe try to get your cell phone records, but just to pull you over for it? How do they prove that you were texting? Maybe I was just checking the time, maybe I was taking a shot on a tiger woods golf game or picking a song to listen to or checking directions on mapquest.... are those illegal to do while driving?

    You'd almost have to outlaw any use of a phone while driving, but that gets you into another argument... is reading mapquest directions on a phone illegal, but reading them from a piece of paper or a map allowed? Is checking news headlines on CNN mobile illegal, but glancing at a newspaper front page that you just picked up legal?

    I hear what you're saying... I didn't even think of all of the other umpteen uses of the cell phone while driving, but give politicans 1,200 pages to say whatever they want in legislation, and I'm sure they'll find ways to make any use of a cell phone while driving illegal.... Andy why stop there? Newspapers, maps, directions, ILLEGAL! Don't you know we can't think for ourselves anymore? ;)
  • pandorapandora Posts: 21,855
    I agree with less legislation too but just like the helmet/ seat belts it took alot of deaths and injuries before laws were enacted.
    I guess if these silly texters have a car crash- snap their right femur clear in half or break their pelvis
    they will probably wish the laws were already in place. In place to help them with the common sense law of keep your damn eyes on the road!
  • stuckinlinestuckinline Posts: 3,381
    it is illegal in my city, and i agree with this law 100%


    Cleveland texting and driving ban now in effect

    CLEVELAND -- Before you leave your house today, make sure you write that last minute text or email. It's illegal to text and drive in the city of Cleveland. The law went into effect Sunday.

    According to the national safety council, drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash while using their mobile device. Its something just about everyone has done at one time or another.

    Now if you send a message in the city of Cleveland, it's not only going to compromise your safety but it will cost you a pretty penny, too.

    "She was on her way to school. It appeared she had been texting on the ride," says Melissa Martin, mother to 17 year old Amanda Martin.

    Amanda is one of roughly two thousand people nationwide who lost their lives during a texting and driving accident.

    "She was such a great kid and it was an accident and accidents happen. But I just feel every parent really needs to drive home the message to their children that death is the ultimate result."

    Stories like this are what prompted Cleveland city council to pass a ban, making it illegal to text and drive.

    The fine for the first offense is $100 dollars, the second offense jumps to $250 dollars. And the third time a driver gets caught texting behind the wheel, it jumps to $500.

    "People recognize the dangers, yet even when they recognize the dangers they still admit they do it," says Brian Newbacher of Cleveland AAA.

    Texting while driving is responsible for thousands of accidents a year. But a private insurance agency study found that 20 percent of all drivers still send or receive messages behind the wheel. And 66 percent of 18-24-year-olds admit to texting or emailing while driving.

    Just last week, Missouri passed a state wide law banning the act of texting and driving. Twenty-three states in the US have either full or partial texting bans. Ohio is not one of them.

    If a driver is suspected of texting while driving, the officer is able to confiscate the driver's phone. And if a case goes all the way to court, a judge can request that drivers cell phone records.

    © 2009 WKYC-TV
    http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_art ... 14&catid=3
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,626
    People need to realize that texting requires a lot of attention. There is no way to safely text while driving.

    I am always amazed at people who start texting while they are walking in front of someone...seems as if they automatically walk slower, even though they may not realize it.
  • Solat13Solat13 Posts: 6,996
    Philly has passed a law that banned texting and talking on cell phones while driving, biking, rollerblading, and skateboarding in April. But the law won't be enforced until November 1st.

    But because Philly's new law is different than the state law of PA the state will be withholding funding from the city to the tune of $280 million over the next three years.

    So I have a feeling once Nov 1st comes around there will be a lot of tickets given out in Philly. ;)

    But personally, I don't think texting should be banned. There are so many other things that distract drivers in cars that you can't isolate one thing.
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  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    I guess it should be banned, but I don't know how you could enforce it.

    Furthermore, being the short-sighted government that it usually is, why are they just talking about texting? I have an iPhone and I can surf the web, check facebook, etc..

    What I'm saying is that texting is not the entire problem.

    I'll also say that I do not think that talking on a cell phone while driving should be banned. If it should, then we should probably ban talking to the passengers in your car as well. If the issue is holding the phone to your ear, then we should make it illegal to drive with one hand too, etc.
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  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    It should be banned, as it is obviously dangerous. I take my dad's iPhone away from him when he's checking it while driving, just because it makes me nervous.

    However, I don't know how to enforce it.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    How is it enforced though?

    I can see if an accident happens where someone is really injured or dies and there is a suspicion of texting, the police can maybe try to get your cell phone records, but just to pull you over for it? How do they prove that you were texting? Maybe I was just checking the time, maybe I was taking a shot on a tiger woods golf game or picking a song to listen to or checking directions on mapquest.... are those illegal to do while driving?

    You'd almost have to outlaw any use of a phone while driving, but that gets you into another argument... is reading mapquest directions on a phone illegal, but reading them from a piece of paper or a map allowed? Is checking news headlines on CNN mobile illegal, but glancing at a newspaper front page that you just picked up legal?

    Wish I'd have seen this post before I wrote mine. I agree completely. You can't just outlaw texting because there are so many other distractions that they're almost limitless....but you also can't outlaw everything that distracts the driver or takes his/her hands off the wheel either
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,300
    I would think that if they are going to ban texting (which yes, should NOT be done while driving) they'd have to ban cellphones from use while driving alltogether.

    Seems like if a cop saw you entering in numbers or pushing buttons on your phone to call someone (which would still be legal), then there would be a big debate and battles over "what that driver was really doing".
    To the cop, he'd assume texting even if they driver was making a call.

    Even hands-free devices still usually require some sort of handheld input. Yeah, voice recognition is still annoying as shit...
  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    prfctlefts wrote:
    Personally I think so, due to all the recent accidents that have occurred just this year. But How would it be enforced ?

    What do you think ?

    i tbink yes.

    a few weeks ago i was driving on an expressway doing 110kmph. there was a 4WD in the lane beside me(and i use that term loosely). the driving was erratic and it wasnt even safe for me to even attempt a pass at that point cause the car was weaving across 2 lanes so much. i figured it was just shitty driving but being collected by this car wasnt on my itinerary that day so i bided my time and managed to overtake them when they wandered left. as i passed i looked over and the fucking bitch was texting. anyhoo a few kilometres down the expressway the same 4WD came roaring up behind me too close for comfort obviously wanting to be in front of me. clearly she finished her txtconvo and decided to apply herself to the task at hand. fucking idiot.
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  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    mca47 wrote:
    I would think that if they are going to ban texting (which yes, should NOT be done while driving) they'd have to ban cellphones from use while driving alltogether.

    Seems like if a cop saw you entering in numbers or pushing buttons on your phone to call someone (which would still be legal), then there would be a big debate and battles over "what that driver was really doing".
    To the cop, he'd assume texting even if they driver was making a call.

    Even hands-free devices still usually require some sort of handheld input. Yeah, voice recognition is still annoying as shit...


    driving isnt a right... its a privilege. and if you choose to put yourself and other people at risk then you dont deserve to be behind the wheel.

    whats so important you cant wait? and if its that important pull over, make your call and then continue on your way... too inconvenient??? too bad.
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
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  • Solat13 wrote:
    Philly has passed a law that banned texting while skateboarding in April. But the law won't be enforced until November 1st.


    No way...I can see it now some kid doing a 540 pop shuvit,kick flip,variel,to manual whlie tex-ting.
  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    prfctlefts wrote:
    Personally I think so, due to all the recent accidents that have occurred just this year. But How would it be enforced ?

    What do you think ?
    ...
    It should be banned.
    and the way you enforce it is with extremely strict and harsh penalties for those people who get into accidents while texting.
    For example... that Moeisha person was texting on the down grade of the Northbound 405 approach to the 101 interchange. She slammed into a car that was stopped due to heavy traffic that is normal for that exchange. She was texting. The woman in the other car died as a result of the crash.
    Moeisha got off with a minimum penalty (although I suspect there was a wrongful death lawsuit in there somewhere).
    She should have gotten a Manslaughter charge at minimum and thrown into prison for at least 5 years... minimum.
    Put up tough penalties... and allow the dumping of phone records as proof (just like that did dfor that Amtrak engineer who was texting and ran through a stop signal, killing passengers) and put in mandatory jail time... and most of the people will stop.
    And if you get caught by the cops... and they write you a ticket... $3,000.00 fine.
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  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    already is banned here... thankfully.
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • As long as it is not my car they are rearending, go ahead and text while you drive. Nothing like seeing people get thrown through their windshield because they are tools.

    I can't see any reason why they can't jam those phones while in a car that is in drive anyway.

    The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08

  • Nothing like seeing people get thrown through their windshield because they are tools.
    :shock: damn,that's pretty harsh don't you think ?
  • mookeywrenchmookeywrench Posts: 5,937
    JOEJOEJOE wrote:
    People need to realize that texting requires a lot of attention. There is no way to safely text while driving.

    I am always amazed at people who start texting while they are walking in front of someone...seems as if they automatically walk slower, even though they may not realize it.

    the getting stuck behind zombie text walk in a crowd is the worst!
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  • prfctlefts wrote:
    Nothing like seeing people get thrown through their windshield because they are tools.
    :shock: damn,that's pretty harsh don't you think ?

    No! Would you close your eyes and count to ten doing 120km on a highway? Crowded at that?

    The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08

  • Red Mosquito75Red Mosquito75 Moline IL Posts: 1,037
    They just banned it in illinois $75-$150 fine
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  • whats so important you cant wait? and if its that important pull over, make your call and then continue on your way... too inconvenient??? too bad.

    so many people these days are so inconsiderate when it comes to cell phones . It drives me Ape shit when Im standing in a checkout line somewhere and someone is talking on there phone when they are in front or behind me. One time I told this girl to say hello for me and she looked at me like I was nuts.
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    prfctlefts wrote:
    whats so important you cant wait? and if its that important pull over, make your call and then continue on your way... too inconvenient??? too bad.

    so many people these days are so inconsiderate when it comes to cell phones . It drives me Ape shit when Im standing in a checkout line somewhere and someone is talking on there phone when they are in front or behind me. One time I told this girl to say hello for me and she looked at me like I was nuts.
    Thats awesome! I'm gonna have to try that sometime...

    Yeah cell phones are nice, I'm 18 so I've grown up 'always connected'... But texting while driving is stupid!
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    As long as it is not my car they are rearending, go ahead and text while you drive. Nothing like seeing people get thrown through their windshield because they are tools.

    I can't see any reason why they can't jam those phones while in a car that is in drive anyway.

    You did hear about the person in NYC texting on the sidewalk and walked/fell into a manhole.

    I don't understand the deal with texting anyway, I text maybe once a month if that to only 2 people I know. My ex, a friend mainly because they texted me and the rest are somebody selling something. I'd rather talk to the person rather than get finger arthritis texting someone. Even with the large letters on the new Iphone.

    Is the purpose of texting to avoid talking to someone or what?

    I love it when I walk into a hotel lobby or dept store and they're signs NO Cellphones Please.

    Peace
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  • No it shouldn't be. You can drive and eat, you can drive and drink, i'm talking non-alcoholic, you can drive and change the radio station, pick your nose, read a map, set your GPS, fix your hair, look at ads on the side of the road, try and get the hottie's attention in the car next to you ... Let people be FREE to do stupid shit. Let people have FREEDOM and less laws and government. It's bad enough here that you can legally ride a motor cycle without a helmet but you can get a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. Auto accidents will happen all the time. Having cops pull people over for texting is a waste of time. Just give the stupid people enjoying thier phones the finger like i do, or start screaming at them when you can. It's a new thing so people think it causes so many accidents. It's no worse than any of the stuff I mentioned above. Stupid people are going to make stupid choices. And I know this liberal world is all about choices, right???
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    ccucf1996 wrote:
    No it shouldn't be. You can drive and eat, you can drive and drink, i'm talking non-alcoholic, you can drive and change the radio station, pick your nose, read a map, set your GPS, fix your hair, look at ads on the side of the road, try and get the hottie's attention in the car next to you ... Let people be FREE to do stupid shit. Let people have FREEDOM and less laws and government. It's bad enough here that you can legally ride a motor cycle without a helmet but you can get a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. Auto accidents will happen all the time. Having cops pull people over for texting is a waste of time. Just give the stupid people enjoying thier phones the finger like i do, or start screaming at them when you can. It's a new thing so people think it causes so many accidents. It's no worse than any of the stuff I mentioned above. Stupid people are going to make stupid choices. And I know this liberal world is all about choices, right???

    So if someone is driving while texting and they're driving all over the road and as you say accidents will happen are we then supposed to let that go?

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


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