Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

http://media2.myfoxtwincities.com//p...06_320_240.JPG

The Associated Press has reported that a group of Democratic Senators is proposing legislation to ban texting while driving to help prevent deaths and injuries resulting from drivers being distracted while operating handheld electronic devices.

In a study released earlier this week, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device increased risk of collision about six times in cars and trucks.

The proposed law would require states to ban texting and emailing while operating a moving vehilce or face losing up to 25% of their federal highway funding. This law would not be enforced if the vehicle is stopped.

If passed the Transportation Secretary will issue guidlines 6 months before the measure is signed into law and states would have two years to approve the ban on texting and emailing.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

Lets see the data on smoking a cigarette, drinking a can of soda, bottle of water, tuning the radio, choosing a CD, operating you iPod.

I think that targeting texting as a specific offense is really bad law; just give the LEO the discression to pull over and cite anyone who is driving while seemingly distracted. That seems to make sense and would even help in those cases where intervention is probably a welcome thing - a parent reaching over the seat to get at an out of control child. How many parents would welcome a traffic stop so that the LEO could correct the little one? :)

Best regards,
-boggsie

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I agree that the law only targets one bad behavior but I gotta admit I text while driving (I try not to do it when moving and in traffic anymore) but it's not safe really.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

We're waiting on a similar ban here in Ontario, Canada. This is already in place in certain Canadian Provinces (Quebec and Nova Scotia at least I think). Ontario is scheduled for later in the year, and other provinces are following suit! We will have a complete ban on cell phone use though, not just e-mail and texting. Headsets will be permitted though, but you cannot touch your phone e.g. to dial. So voice dialling is okay along with a headset.

It's a joke really when you consider everything else people do in their car...other than driving!

The cell phone and cell phone accessory companies love it..."You're going to need a new voice activated cell phone. Oh, and you'll need a nice new headset to go along with that. Step right this way". We've already got companies jumping on the bandwagon early wording their commercials as if the ban is already in place and for you to come and take advantage of their savings now!

I don't debate for one minute that this will help with accident prevention / reduction. I just don't understand how they can limit the ban to one specific type of distraction.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I think the ban on texting is a great idea, I have recently seen WAY to many drivers staring at their phones instead of watching what they are doing. Honestly, 80% of the drivers around here dont pay enough attention to what they are doing, even if they are not using their phone.

However, I think bans on cell phone use is idiotic if hands free is allowed. I has repeatedly been found that its not holding the phone thats the problem, its the conversation. Personally, I would rather somebody look down for a moment and dial a number, which is FAR easier on non-touch phones, than have somebody fumble around with the constantly tangled wired "hands free" headset.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

this is already a law in califorina

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

Yep this law already exists in 14 states and DC. I'm for this and the use of hands free devices while driving. Today on the way home I passed 4 drivers on their phones while driving holding up traffic. You know something is up when they are going 50 in a 70.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

Worst I ever saw was a guy in a SUV using both hands on his mobile device whilst driving on the highway! He must have been using his knees to steer or something. Again, he was doing way under the speed limit and everyone was passing him. A few minutes later he comes bombing past everybody else....must have finished his message!

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

i have to agree on this one. i do it all the time, but it is definitely not safe.

but while we're at it, require all phones to support voice dailing and bluetooth for hands free operation. i see more problems with people talking on their phone going 40 on the interstate than anything else

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

This is the point I was trying to make with my post earlier in the thread. Targeting only texting is easy, because most boomers and older folks really aren't much into the texting thing, but they do talk on the phone.

My thought is to give the LEO a wider range of distracting behaviors to target ... eating a sandwich, drinking a starbucks, reading a book ... these are all activities that we know we have observed and they should be addressed as well.

Best regards,
-boggsie

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I'm so thankful they are finally bringing this to Florida....it is the worse place for accidents with cell phones involved

I do it as well, but no where near as much as my friends....they scare me when i ride with them :'(

And for the people who think this is stupid....your stupid because when you or a loved one gets killed by a person texting, NOT A DRUNK DRIVER, youll see the good in this....hopefully

Because the rates of getting in an accident while texting is much worse than a drunk driver doing it....and drinking a can of soda or smoking cant compare, you can pay attention to the road and do those easily, try looking down at your phone and text then trying drinking a can of soda. Amazing you can see the road when drinking the soda, unless you made some new way to drink a can of soda looking down?

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

California's law is for all cel phone use except bluetooth....that will most likely be the law, not just texting....cause how will an officer beable to tell if your dialing a number or texting? Exactly, the law will be for all use of a cell phone except hands free operations

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

on my flip phones i could txt and drive and not look at the phone. when i was done i would glance at it to proof read the message and hit send. now i have the touch pro and its not that hard to txt and drive. i use the slide out keyboard and use one hand. i tried to use the SIP while driving but i was looking it so much and slowing down. i try to get it so it doesnt effect my drivign habits. if i have to txt somebody and my habits will change i wont txt them.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I do not text and drive. I do however want my family to know, that I'm not just ignoring them when they try to reach me. I don't even read my texts when I'm driving - like to see who they're from.

So I installed this neat little program some time ago:
SMS Minder http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?p=3138123

I turn it on before I get in the car. Each time I get a text message, it sends out an automatic reply for me.

Mine reads: Auto-reply: I'm driving and will check my SMS later. If urgent, please call me instead.

Then I can use my handsfree and people know right away to call me instead of wondering and waiting, why I'm not answereing their sms.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I completely agree. we really need to start putting more focus on ENforcing existing laws. what good does banning driving while txting do? at best it's a crackdown for a few years, and besides more cars and phones ect are FINALLY starting to come out with speech recognition. so basically the law would let them look @ your records and say oh, you sent sms @ 12:00 and you got in a crash @ 12:01; Bam more charges, regardless of actual proof that you were not paying attention to the road.

it's kinda like how everything is now the leading cause of preventable death. (smoking) even though cars kill more.
or how pot is bad, and not necessary for medicinal reasons because there are other drugs on the market for stuff? Never mind the fact that thousands of ppl die every year from prescription meds. Heck they recently made Tylenol change thier dosage due to ppl ODing. ever seen anyone OD on pot? I bet they were just napping..

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

That seems to be a step in the right direction, but I still think it is bad law.

Innocent until proven guilty; take the minute statement and texting records to court for the day in question and prove that I was not texting nor was I talking on my cell phone. I don't know what the LEO thinks s/he observed, but I wasn't texting or talking on my cell phone. Based on the evidence presented, the judge wouldn't have much choice but to dismiss the charges.

However, if the legislation writes law that is based on observed behavior as opposed to a particular device, then it's a little more difficult to get a case thrown out in the scenario described above.

According to statistics from the National Insurance Institute, the accident rate does not differ appreciably between drivers engaging in the use of bluetooth hands-free devices and those holding the handset to their ear. I don't necessarily believe the statistics, but it is purportedly recognized as a scientific study.

In the hopes of stating my goal clearly; I believe that any (clearly observable) activity, which could serve to distract a driver, should be something that LEO is permitted to pull over and investigate. I don't want them put in a box that only covers cell phone use, texting, ect.

The point being that I have acquaintances who can tx9 on their cell phone without looking at the keyboard or screen of their phone. They need to see the messages they receive, but they can compose and send without looking at their phones. I can quite easily drink a McDonald's Sweet Tea with a straw and not in any way be distracted by the road. Making either of those activities explicitly illegal is bad law. However, giving the LEO a discretionary ability to stop any driver that appears to be distracted by whatever they are doing behind the wheel is a step in the right direction.

IMHO ...

Best regards,
-boggsie

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

i agree with everyone on this its stupid... if you take the overall car fatalities a yr and ban txting nationwide even, i bet it goes down like 1%...

we have laws against drunk driving, not like that stopped the DD fatality rate any...

and whos to say i was txting and i wasnt muting a phone call?? or turning on my BT for my car stereo? or dialing a phone number??

this is so stupid, what about chicks puttin on makeup, people eating, discipling kids....or my personal fav, people who drive with their dogs on their laps-i freakin hate that one..

state are going broke quicker and quicker... just another way to bring in money to the state... look cali is getting so broke, their about to completely legalize pot in order to tax it.... the states just want that money...

headbanging in a car isnt illegal, whos more likely to crash, someone txting, or someone slammin their head around...

this is like the stupid nothing hanging from your rear view mirror stuff, yes in alot of states/counties/cities you can get a ticket for something hanging form your rear view... but yet that gps thats suctioned cupped to your windsheild just below it is A O K lol..

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I propose we ban people in cars...999/1000 fatalities are caused by people being inside cars. ](*,)

But there was an incidence where one person was driving a car while texting I think her boyfriend and ran over him cause nether she or he were looking ahead and were busy texting >.>

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I think it's a good idea!

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I think this is a great idea. You don't need to text while driving. Just today I saw a teenager around my age nearly rear-end someone who was turning. I looked at him and noticed that he had one hand on the wheel, and his face and other arm were directed at his phone, clearly inputting things on a keypad (i'm guessing he was texting)

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I think its a great idea. There was a report on the news about a week ago where a lady ( In my opinion MOST females are bad drivers) was texting and driving and hit a lady and her baby and sent them almost 60 feet in the air. The mother and girl landed in the next door driveway.
I see it happening everyday people driving and texting. I'm not saying you can't cause harm to other people by driving while eating, changing the radio station...etc, but to me it takes more concentration to text and drive.
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...born_hts_crash
----------------
Listening to: Twista - Misunderstood Ft. Buk Of Psychodrama
via FoxyTunes

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

What should we ride then? Scooters and bike? Definately not good if the snow comes down. Caterpillars? Eh? Or.. maybe we can have natinwide bus transportation! Then everyone should start killing each other trying to get onto the bus :D

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

The thing about Texting and driving is there is a record down to the second. If you have an accident, even unrelated to the texting, the lawyers are going to have a field day, way more so than even talking on the phone. If forbid you should kill someone or they are killed even by their own fault, you will be demonized and the lawyers will take everything you own now or in the future and some judgements are bankrupsy proof. It will stand up in any court, your phone and you were driving. It is a risk I will never take. I ran into a car at a light when I was a kid reaching for a cassett tape that had fallen on the floor. It only takes a second to look down, drift and overcorrect, hydroplane when the road looks dry, sun in your eyes, ect and have to pay for the rest of your life. It's just not worth it. I don't need a law, just common sense. If you are texting, then in the eyes of the law you are guilty.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

so I got a question.. what about signing (talking to a deaf person with sign language) while driving? I saw someone doing that the other day, and was clearly not being attentive to driving.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

Wouldn't that be discrimination against deaf people? People just got to use common sense when trying something out of the ordinary when their life and others are at stake... People are just trying to multi-task too much nowaday when they are in the driver seat of their car. It might be 'funny' when you hear some news like this or doesn't really care about it in general, but just imagine when you get into one of these situation yourself. Personally, I have never got involved in any situations like this, but I can see how one's life will be changed forever once they killed a passenger that is so related to them or some stranger. Common sense people, common sense...

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I'm for LESS government, LESS laws and LESS personal liberties being stripped.

Any time I see laws like this I think of two things:

1. "Won't someone please think of the children?" Knee-jerk reactions.
2. Obvious "money grab" by local and state municipalities.

I personally don't text while driving and tell all of my friends and family members the same. I'm all for PSA (public service announcements) but I don't want to see this go into law. There are too many abstruse laws to contend with now.... ](*,)

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

on the one hand I do agree with the law but on the other with all the bad things you do in the car...will this really minimize accidents?

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

I just don't think this or most of other things considered "bad" have to be made into laws. People just have to use their head and think about what is best for them and their surrounding. I mean, this is America and you only get one life.. live it to the fullest and not be dumb your reckless decisions. But as usual, everyone is different and I personally just avoid those people in real life that I considered unsafe for myself and my significant others.

About law in general, I agree.. there are too much rules out there and yet 80% of them are useless/junk. We need a major clean up, but everyone know that changing isn't easy for politicians.. Overall, quality > quantity

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

The key words to remember for this Century are "BIG BROTHER."
While I agree that is is distracting to text while driving; so is talking, eating, playing with the radio, putting on make up, reading the paper, reaching for the lighter to light your cigarette or whatever you smoke :), yelling at the kids in the backseat, getting in your car after having an argument with your loved one, etc., etc. You get the idea.
Text Messaging is just the flavor of the day and as was pointed out, can be documented to the second.
Soon their will be a whole Industry having to do with prosecuting text messaging cases.
There will be designated Parts in the Courthouses with its own Judges, Attorneys, stenographers, court officers, etc.
Also gives law enforcement more reasons to pull you over.
They used to just have to say they saw you swerve in the lane.
Now they have a whole menu to choose from.

I know all too well about the abuse of Laws and Power. I live in New York City :(

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

this proposal has good intentions but like with alot of these types of laws will not have any effect on accidents caused by un-attentive drivers. There are too many people that are behind the wheel eating/drinking/putting on make-up/reading/googling the hot blonde in the car next to them/ext.... so unless they find a way to make all people put their hands at 10-2 with both eyes on the road at all times accidents are going to happen.

One thing that needs to be realized is that texting and any other task being performed in a car is dangerous but combine that with being inside city limits where watching out for stop lights, pedestrians and other drivers the possibilities for bad s___ to happen are endless. Inside city limits i believe everything should be put on the back-burner until you've arrived at your destination or pulled to the side of the road. On most highways and interstates casual use of your phone i don't see a problem with.

that being said I work in western kansas where driving just comes with the territory, on average i drive 300-400 miles per day. That mostly happens on highways and interstate and yes i text, surf the web, and talk on the phone on a regular basis when i'm on the highways but when i'm inside city limits the phone goes into it's case and all attention goes to driving. All together it's been 12years and 0-accidents.

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

Knock on wood :)

Re: Lawmakers to Propose Ban on Driving While Texting
 

That Law takes effect in Ontario Canada in a couple of months