Bikers Rally For Toughter Texting Penalies!

[WilliamH]

I'll argue that saying "Okay there, Turbo. Call my wife." and then talking to her through my Truck's hands free system isn't much more distracting than putting a window down. I'd just be happy if people would read their owners manuals so they could figure out how to use their turn signals!

Don't know you or your wife, but I am willing to bet your level of distraction would increase by an order of magnitude if she was crying, hysterical, and somewhat incoherent while you were trying to find out what was wrong.

 

[Ty]

Don't know you or your wife, but I am willing to bet your level of distraction would increase by an order of magnitude if she was crying, hysterical, and somewhat incoherent while you were trying to find out what was wrong.

True. Same would be said if she were in the car with me... probably would be worse in that case as I'd be ducking elbows. I just meant that talking to my truck isn't any more distracting than talking to anyone else in the vehicle. True, if we all just drove along, signaled correctly, didn't listen to music, or talk radio, and didn't change lanes 19 times just to save 4 seconds (Seriously, I watched a guy change lanes 19 times in a 4 mile stretch to end up one vehicle in front of me), we'd all be better drivers.

 

[grampi]

I'm still trying to figure out why people think it's time to get on the phone because they're driving...I swear some people think exactly this! Why do people think it's critically imperative to either be talking on the phone, or texting ALL THE TIME? Seriously, you can't put the phone down until you reach your destination? What is so damn important that it simply can't wait?

 

[Jim H]

As much as this sucks, let's be honest: I'm betting that 90% of accidents are from 'distracted driving'. Someone not paying attention. There are very few mechanical or 'act-of-God' moments on the road. Someone's not doing what they should be doing.

• eating
• talking to passengers
  
• adjusting the radio
• texting
• reading
• make-up
• speeding
• swerving
• fast braking
• day-dreaming
• etc.

So maybe the penalty for getting in a wreck isn't steep enough in general, but do we really need to single out texting?
Maybe we do... I don't know.

YES WE DO (caps intended)

 

[Jim H]

There are necessary distractions...reading road signs, adjusting your vehicles HVAC controls, etc, and there are unnecessary distractions like playing with the radio or messing around with a cell phone...obviously all distractions can't be done away with, but cell phones could easily be made not to work when they're within a certain distance of a vehicle ignition. The problem with this is that most people today would not be okay with not being able to use their phones while driving, therefore there would be a huge uproar if any such mandate was put in place...

Las Cruces is among the cities that mandate hands free cell phone use

 

[Jim H]

Don't know you or your wife, but I am willing to bet your level of distraction would increase by an order of magnitude if she was crying, hysterical, and somewhat incoherent while you were trying to find out what was wrong.

And what did people do before they developed cell phone umbilical cords? For real emergencies you called 911 and all others waited until you had personal contact with another person.

 

[grampi]

Las Cruces is among the cities that mandate hands free cell phone use

Doing ANYTHING with a cell phone while driving (even hands-free devices) needs to be banned nationwide, AND IT NEEDS TO BE ENFORCED! We have a law here in IL against using a phones while driving (if they're not hands-free), but it's never enforced, so everybody violates it, even the cops. Like I said earlier, doing ANYTHING with a cell phone while driving is not necessary and therefore should be banned everywhere...

 

[JEBar]

Doing ANYTHING with a cell phone while driving (even hands-free devices) needs to be banned nationwide, AND IT NEEDS TO BE ENFORCED! We have a law here in IL against using a phones while driving (if they're not hands-free), but it's never enforced, so everybody violates it, even the cops. Like I said earlier, doing ANYTHING with a cell phone while driving is not necessary and therefore should be banned everywhere...

I have no doubt that this law would be unpopular and would be violated as mentioned above ..... if using a cellphone for conversation was truly dangerous, truly presented a clear and present danger, directly contributed to accidents .... Illinois roads should be littered with wreckage .... one shouldn't be able to drive very far without seen evidence that it is dangerous .... I do drive through Illinois and just haven't seen that as being the case

 

[grampi]

I have no doubt that this law would be unpopular and would be violated as mentioned above ..... if using a cellphone for conversation was truly dangerous, truly presented a clear and present danger, directly contributed to accidents .... Illinois roads should be littered with wreckage .... one shouldn't be able to drive very far without seen evidence that it is dangerous .... I do drive through Illinois and just haven't seen that as being the case

I will ask you the same question I ask everyone else...why is it necessary to talk on, or do anything for that matter, with a cell phone while you're driving? Doing anything with a cell phone while you're driving is an unnecessary distraction. There is nothing going on in anyone's life that can't be dealt with on a phone either before a person leaves in a vehicle, or after they arrive at their destination. If something is so pressing that it can't wait until they arrive, they can pull over into a parking lot and do whatever...point is, it doesn't NEED to be done while driving...

 

[CompTrex]

I will ask you the same question I ask everyone else...why is it necessary to talk on, or do anything for that matter, with a cell phone while you're driving? Doing anything with a cell phone while you're driving is an unnecessary distraction. There is nothing going on in anyone's life that can't be dealt with on a phone either before a person leaves in a vehicle, or after they arrive at their destination. If something is so pressing that it can't wait until they arrive, they can pull over into a parking lot and do whatever...point is, it doesn't NEED to be done while driving...

I have (and I'm not necessarily proud of this):

• given directions to someone traveling
  
• negotiated the sale/purchase of a house while driving
• discovered while driving that my son broke his arm and was in the hospital

Nothing that probably couldn't have waited, but still, pretty convenient; all hands free, and no one got hurt. (except my son!)
Please, guys and gals, don't bash me, my point it that some things are important that happen while traveling.