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I've read various comparisons, texting/using a cellphone while driving is 4X, 6X, even 8X more dangerous than driving drunk on the roads, and that depends on their blood alcohol level.
Here, in Nevada, the fine for texting/using a cellphone while driving is a measly $50, for a first offense, compared to a drunk driving charge of $2000+.
Now something just doesn't add up here on my calculator! You would think, given the comparison, that the former fine should be close to $4000-$5000.
Yes I agree completely. It needs to be taken far more seriously.
In fact it might even deserve to be penalized much stiffer.
They give people DUIs nowadays for very very low BA levels. There is a HUGE difference between driving with a .08 and driving with a .25. Texting is 100% distracted and not even looking at the road. That is far more dangerous than somebody driving after they've had a couple of glasses of wine at dinner, yet that person will lose their license and pay ridiculously high fines and the person not even looking at the road will get a $50 slap on the wrist.
I've read various comparisons, texting/using a cellphone while driving is 4X, 6X, even 8X more dangerous than driving drunk on the roads, and that depends on their blood alcohol level.
Here, in Nevada, the fine for texting/using a cellphone while driving is a measly $50, for a first offense, compared to a drunk driving charge of $2000+.
Now something just doesn't add up here on my calculator! You would think, given the comparison, that the former fine should be close to $4000-$5000.
What do you think?
I think driving while not looking at the road for 5-10 seconds at a time is madness.I'm surprised a device isnt incorporated into cars that prevents cell phone use from the drivers seat while the car is in motion.
It's been a long time since I've been in an accident, and never been in one that I caused. But of the maybe 10 close calls I've had in the past 8 years, in every one the other driver was on a hand-held cell phone, and a couple were texting. I'm okay with hands-free cell phone, but texting should be absolutely forbidden with extremely high fines.
On a side note, I have Onstar, which I really like. Every once in a while a screen will pop up with a long paragraph explaining why you shouldn't be watching the Onstar screen for more than a couple of seconds.
Sure, it needs to be taken more seriously. But think back to early DUI fines - they were MUCH less than now...and the level needed to be considered DUI was higher, so you needed to be more impaired to be classified as such. It is only with awareness and a change in public opinion that higher fines will be supported.
It used to be a joke if someone was driving drunk and weaving around on the road...now there has been a 180 degree turnaround such that it takes YEARS for a DUI to fall off your record and you'll pay thousands of dollars in fines. The American public doesn't like gray - black and white only, thank you very much! So the pendulum will swing as there are more studies quantifying the degree of "impairment" from texting, probably making comparisons to DUI and publicizing accidents related to texting.
Now we'll need the same thing for pot, tranquilizers, sedatives, etc...and maybe screaming kids in the back seat!
It's been a long time since I've been in an accident, and never been in one that I caused. But of the maybe 10 close calls I've had in the past 8 years, in every one the other driver was on a hand-held cell phone, and a couple were texting. I'm okay with hands-free cell phone, but texting should be absolutely forbidden with extremely high fines.
On a side note, I have Onstar, which I really like. Every once in a while a screen will pop up with a long paragraph explaining why you shouldn't be watching the Onstar screen for more than a couple of seconds.
So this is ironic, right? The length of time to read the long paragraph is much longer than the 2 seconds max you should have your eyes off the road? Not well thought out at all and shouldn't really keep them free of liability.
It's been a long time since I've been in an accident, and never been in one that I caused. But of the maybe 10 close calls I've had in the past 8 years, in every one the other driver was on a hand-held cell phone, and a couple were texting. I'm okay with hands-free cell phone, but texting should be absolutely forbidden with extremely high fines.
Are you aware that multiple studies have shown that using a phone "hands-free" is just as risky as holding the phone? The distraction is due to talking on the phone, not just taking your eyes off the road. Drivers should pay attention to their driving, not talking about minutiae on the phone, like what you want for dinner. 99% of calls can wait until the car is pulled over and off the road.
Are you aware that multiple studies have shown that using a phone "hands-free" is just as risky as holding the phone? The distraction is due to talking on the phone, not just taking your eyes off the road. Drivers should pay attention to their driving, not talking about minutiae on the phone, like what you want for dinner. 99% of calls can wait until the car is pulled over and off the road.
Yes, I am aware of that. But there are limits to what we can expect. It's like states in which it's illegal to drink from a water bottle when you're driving. That's an unreasonable limitation, in my view.
You can also be distracted by looking at some building passing. Shall we make "looking" illegal, also? If you look at a billboard should you get 3 points?
Yes I agree completely. It needs to be taken far more seriously.
In fact it might even deserve to be penalized much stiffer.
They give people DUIs nowadays for very very low BA levels. There is a HUGE difference between driving with a .08 and driving with a .25. Texting is 100% distracted and not even looking at the road. That is far more dangerous than somebody driving after they've had a couple of glasses of wine at dinner, yet that person will lose their license and pay ridiculously high fines and the person not even looking at the road will get a $50 slap on the wrist.
I agree. I think the fines for texting should be the same if not higher than DUI.
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Not well thought out at all and shouldn't really keep them free of liability.