Cell Phones and Driving

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13

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  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
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    I just came across this in my RSS feeds...

    Road Rage App Lets You Express Your Driving Frustrations Through WP

    http://www.xda-developers.com/windows-mobile/road-rage-app-lets-you-express-your-driving-frustrations-through-wp7/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+xda-developers/ShsH+(xda-developers)

    In the eternal words of Madonna...express yourself!
  • foyboy
    foyboy Posts: 49
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    Came across this video a few weeks back, I think it does a great job of driving the message home (no pun intended):


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebhWD6ljZs


    I think if this gets spread around, people will get the idea . . . lets hope anyway.
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebhWD6ljZs&feature=relmfu

    This could be called, "Documentary About Anything Other Than Keeping Your Hands In the 10-2 Steering Position, Going Exactly the Speed Limit, Keeping Your Eyes On the Road, and Functioning in a Clear, Stable Environment with Mental and Emotional Clarity while Driving with Minimal Extra Noise."

    Not to be callous (because I am sure it comes off as such), but "shock value" is not a weak--not to mention facile--argument.

    Furthermore, I never said that texting while driving or even being on the phone while driving did not create another potential distraction. I just stated that I often balance the potential distractions the same way that someone may change the radio or look at his or her child in the rearview mirror.
    -wtk
  • Mrs_McFadden
    Mrs_McFadden Posts: 1,139
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebhWD6ljZs&feature=relmfu

    This could be called, "Documentary About Anything Other Than Keeping Your Hands In the 10-2 Steering Position, Going Exactly the Speed Limit, Keeping Your Eyes On the Road, and Functioning in a Clear, Stable Environment with Mental and Emotional Clarity while Driving with Minimal Extra Noise."

    Not to be callous (because I am sure it comes off as such), but "shock value" is not a weak--not to mention facile--argument.

    Furthermore, I never said that texting while driving or even being on the phone while driving did not create another potential distraction. I just stated that I often balance the potential distractions the same way that someone may change the radio or look at his or her child in the rearview mirror.
    -wtk


    As you can see - weak arguments given the proper PR and shock value usually rule the day and empirical arguments are considered a killjoy to slog through in a chit chat forum lol.
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
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    As you can see - weak arguments given the proper PR and shock value usually rule the day and empirical arguments are considered a killjoy to slog through in a chit chat forum lol.

    I like you.
    -wtk
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    It seems to me when ever im driving somewhere the people on the road driving the worst are the ones on the phone.
    Almost got in a fist fight with a lady in the wal mart parking lot,she was so distracted talking on her phone she almost hit me and my daughter turning into a parking spot.
    I snatched her phone out of her hand and tossed it across the parking lot,im a little suprised she didnt bring the cops in on this but all the witnesses were on my side.

    You're my hero. :flowerforyou:
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
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    It seems to me when ever im driving somewhere the people on the road driving the worst are the ones on the phone.
    Almost got in a fist fight with a lady in the wal mart parking lot,she was so distracted talking on her phone she almost hit me and my daughter turning into a parking spot.
    I snatched her phone out of her hand and tossed it across the parking lot,im a little suprised she didnt bring the cops in on this but all the witnesses were on my side.

    You're my hero. :flowerforyou:

    Yeah, it sure is a good thing that assault, battery, petty theft, and damage to property valuing less than $500 aren't bound to governmental laws.
    -wtk
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    It seems to me when ever im driving somewhere the people on the road driving the worst are the ones on the phone.
    Almost got in a fist fight with a lady in the wal mart parking lot,she was so distracted talking on her phone she almost hit me and my daughter turning into a parking spot.
    I snatched her phone out of her hand and tossed it across the parking lot,im a little suprised she didnt bring the cops in on this but all the witnesses were on my side.

    You're my hero. :flowerforyou:

    Yeah, it sure is a good thing that assault, battery, petty theft, and damage to property valuing less than $500 aren't bound to governmental laws.
    -wtk

    Oh, get off your argumentative high horse.
  • NYIceQueen
    NYIceQueen Posts: 1,423
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    You know what? Accidents are caused by all kinds of things. Blaming texting for really bad crashes is silly.

    I used to work for an insurance co in FL. Here are some cliff note examples of what I dealt with:

    1. 17 yo girl killed 4 people when she swerved across the center line and hit a pickup truck head on while applying her lipstick.

    2. Man killed 3 people because he was getting "serviced" by a girl while driving. He swerved when he got to the end and crashed.

    3. 4 people (2 on each motorcycle) were killed (1 impaled on a fence) because they were speeding down a road and one swerved to avoid a cow.

    4. 14 yo boy killed his 10 yo brother and his 2 friends when they stole their dad's new BMW and rammed it into a tree at about 130 mph. Dad left the keys at the house.

    5. THE COUNTLESS ELDERLY DRIVERS WHO ARE CONSTANTLY MISTAKING ACCELERATORS FOR BRAKES....constantly into buildings, had one go into a school bus stop and kill 6 kids, driving into creeks, etc.

    6. THE COUNTLESS NUMBER OF PARENTS BACKING UP OVER THEIR KIDS WITH THEIR SUVs due to blind spots.

    7. Woman stopped to pay her toll and was rammed from behind, sending her car flying and putting her in a coma for 4 months because the guy was in med school and hadn't had any sleep and ended up passing out at the wheel.

    8. The ever-present car full of teens that don't put on seatbelts and get killed when tossed from their car in a wreck, where they might have survived otherwise.

    9. Two people who died in a really bad crash with a truck on I75 because their belts got stuck, car caught fire, and they couldn't get out.

    10. I had 15 wrecks in one year caused by men reading the newspaper while driving, 20 from coffee spills, several from smoking, and quite a surprising number from moms with cars filled with screaming kids who turned around to yell at the kids, then turned the wheel while they were turning around and then wrecked.

    Soooooooooo to follow the logic of the current laws, we need to outlaw makeup, leaving keys at your house, outlaw coffee, outlaw sex, outlaw smoking, outlaw screaming kids, outlaw newspapers, outlaw cows coming into the road, outlaw NOT wearing your seatbelt, outlaw WEARING your seatbelt, outlaw old people....

    In other words, yes laws are there for a reason, but common sense will need to prevail at some point - otherwise, the government will need to put laws against EVERYTHING. Too "1984" for my tastes. God gave us common sense. Use it. Otherwise, it's called natural selection. :smile:
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
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    ...yes laws are there for a reason, but common sense will need to prevail at some point - otherwise, the government will need to put laws against EVERYTHING. Too "1984" for my tastes. God gave us common sense. Use it. Otherwise, it's called natural selection. :smile:

    I like you, too.
    -wtk
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
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    My son had a great idea. Cars should come with a way to 'tag' another car like laser tag. If people see some one breaking the law they could 'tag' that car. Enough tags and when a cop rolls by you he can see that you've been tagged 100 times and pull your dumb-*kitten* over. :tongue:
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    My son had a great idea. Cars should come with a way to 'tag' another car like laser tag. If people see some one breaking the law they could 'tag' that car. Enough tags and when a cop rolls by you he can see that you've been tagged 100 times and pull your dumb-*kitten* over. :tongue:

    That would be to easy to grief people. Or gang up on someone. I guess if they could pull the records of all the tags and keep a database of who was tagging that might be ok. Btu then the cop would have to make a judgement call on site or your given a notice to appear in regards to your tagging. Still im not sure. There would need to be a penalty for false tagging.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPpzj4PjNjU


    of course it's not just when driving that texting is a problem. Ever been bumped into by someone texting? Ever been driving safely when someone walks out into the road in front of you suddenly, texting?

    The point is, anything that takes your mind off concentrating on the road -whether texting, chatting, changing the radio or shaving your bikini area (really??????) is a problem.

    It's all very well to say 'natural selection wins' but when you are reponsible for a ton of metal hurtling along a country road at 80kph (whatever that is) it's not just about 'will I get killed if I do this?'.

    It's worse - will I live to remember the person I ran down, the legs I can no longer use, the dribble that is coming out of the side of my mouth. Natural selection shouldn't apply to the passenger or passer-by.
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
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    My opinion is that there are enough inattentive drivers to begin with, without adding in the fact that they want to yak on the phone or text or put on make up or giggle with their girlfriends. My daughter and I were almost hit last night while crossing the street at a crosswalk with the WALK signal. The lady didn't even notice us and proceeded to make her right hand turn. It's a good thing I was alert and cautious.

    I don't think that anything we have to say is SO important that it can't wait until we put the car in park.

    I am also a motorcycle rider and people terrify me becasue they just don't pay any attention. I think it speaks to where society is heading towards total self-importance and no regard for others.
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
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    ^This is true. Many times people just don't pay attention whether on the phone of daydreaming or picking their nose. Drivers need to be alert. Think Ahead - Look Ahead - Act Ahead.
  • frostiegurl
    frostiegurl Posts: 708 Member
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    I don't talk, text, surf, etc while driving. In fact most of the time I don't even have the radio on as I find it too distracting. I'm hyper aware of everyone around me as I find a vast number of drivers on the road are engaging in other activities while driving and aren't paying attention to their surroundings.

    Pretty much, I hate driving and avoid it at all costs because I hate feeling like I'm constantly on guard while on the road.
  • AdamATGATT
    AdamATGATT Posts: 573 Member
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    My opinion is that there are enough inattentive drivers to begin with, without adding in the fact that they want to yak on the phone or text or put on make up or giggle with their girlfriends. My daughter and I were almost hit last night while crossing the street at a crosswalk with the WALK signal. The lady didn't even notice us and proceeded to make her right hand turn. It's a good thing I was alert and cautious.

    I don't think that anything we have to say is SO important that it can't wait until we put the car in park.

    I am also a motorcycle rider and people terrify me becasue they just don't pay any attention. I think it speaks to where society is heading towards total self-importance and no regard for others.

    Agreed. I commute year round, and the number of drivers I see talking on the phone or texting while driving is astounding. I do not mind hands-free units as much, but what irks me are the drivers who are driving with one hand because their other is holding a cell to the side of the head, blocking much of their peripheral vision. I've had people swerve into my lane too many times because they were texting or chatting on the phone and just didn't check to see what was beside them. I've all ready been rear-ended once, because a girl in her Lexus SUV was checking her phone at a red light.

    Everyone who thinks they're entitled to text while driving will have a wake up call the day they seriously maim or kill someone. It'll happen eventually.
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
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    Everyone who thinks they're entitled to text while driving will have a wake up call the day they seriously maim or kill someone. It'll happen eventually.

    I would love to see the evidence behind that one.
    -wtk
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
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    Everyone who thinks they're entitled to text while driving will have a wake up call the day they seriously maim or kill someone. It'll happen eventually.

    I would love to see the evidence behind that one.
    -wtk

    I agree that there are many factors that contribute to distracted driving and accidents, as you have pointed out.

    Isn't texting while driving one of them? Do you belives that it does not contiribute to the problem?
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
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    Of course it adds to the problem. Any time that a driver is not 100% focused on what is happening around him or her (which, I would contend, is never), there is the propensity for an accident. But guess what? Even if a driver was 100% focused, an accident could happen. That's why they call them accidents.*

    I think that it is a slippery slope and something that cannot be fairly and accurately managed. Many phones can send a text message with a voice command, and a lot of texters do not even need to look at his or her phone while texting. Is that so different than switching discs in a CD player? Peeling a banana?

    My point is two-fold. First, people should make empirical arguments based on both facts and logos rather than appealing to emotions. Secondly, a law against using cell phones or texting while driving would do very little to deter people from using cell phones texting while driving. Those laws can be good as they raise state revenue; however, in most cases, the ticket is given out after an accident anyways (per Maryland Department of Transportation).

    With that said, I do believe that I can juggle talking on the cell phone, texting, surfing the internet, listening to music, eating, talking, and whatever else I do while driving. The last thing in the world I want while driving is to be in an accident; When I decide to compromise a little safety to do other things, I will take all precautions.

    And to answer your private message, it is very easy to play Devil's advocate when someone says, "100% of people who text while drive will kill or maim someone" and "I hope you are prepared to look a family in the eye and tell them why your text was more important than their child's life."
    -wtk


    *I would have italicized that if the boards recognized HTML coding.

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