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Old 08-25-2009, 05:09 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
13,719 posts, read 29,493,074 times
Reputation: 9265

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The 3 foot bicycle rule is a bad idea for many roads. Do people think it is reasonable for a car to be forced to change lanes because of this rule?

How about Bee Caves Rd. in Westlake? It is a very busy road without shoulders. The potential for traffic snarls is very high and causing higher than normal lane change activity is a clear hazard.

This rule might have unintended consequences far worse than what it is trying to fix!

As for banning texting during driving - absolutely!
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Old 08-25-2009, 05:22 PM
 
Location: New London County, CT
8,949 posts, read 11,568,863 times
Reputation: 5144
Here's some other things that make driving more dangerous:

Eating while driving.... Dangerous.... BAN IT!
Drinking Soda Whie Driving.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Changing the Radio Station.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Putting on Makeup.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Reading commercial signage on the side of the road.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Writing something down.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Talking to Kids in the Car.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Talking to Adults in the Car.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Putting in a CD.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Looking for a CD.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Counting your money for a toll.... Dangerous! BAN IT!

Let's face it, the government can't make the world completely safe and this type of reactionary thinking results in way, way too many laws.

I agree that texting while driving is dangerous... However, many of you would also like to ban cell phone usage while driving... So why not just ban everything on the above list. It would make us safer.
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Old 08-25-2009, 05:24 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX!!!!
3,765 posts, read 8,663,587 times
Reputation: 1761
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlassoff View Post
Here's some other things that make driving more dangerous:

Eating while driving.... Dangerous.... BAN IT!
Drinking Soda Whie Driving.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Changing the Radio Station.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Putting on Makeup.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Reading commercial signage on the side of the road.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Writing something down.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Talking to Kids in the Car.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Talking to Adults in the Car.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Putting in a CD.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Looking for a CD.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Counting your money for a toll.... Dangerous! BAN IT!

Let's face it, the government can't make the world completely safe and this type of reactionary thinking results in way, way too many laws.

I agree that texting while driving is dangerous... However, many of you would also like to ban cell phone usage while driving... So why not just ban everything on the above list. It would make us safer.
If you can produce a scientific study showing that talking to kids in the car results in drivers mowing over virtual pedestrians in simulators then I will take your post seriously.
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Old 08-25-2009, 05:40 PM
 
Location: St. Augustine, FL. & Austin, TX.
440 posts, read 1,629,470 times
Reputation: 329

YouTube - CNN Airs Graphic "Texting Can Be Deadly" Public Service Ad
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Old 08-25-2009, 05:56 PM
 
1,148 posts, read 2,639,759 times
Reputation: 636
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlassoff View Post
Here's some other things that make driving more dangerous:

Eating while driving.... Dangerous.... BAN IT!
Drinking Soda Whie Driving.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Changing the Radio Station.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Putting on Makeup.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Reading commercial signage on the side of the road.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Writing something down.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Talking to Kids in the Car.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Talking to Adults in the Car.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Putting in a CD.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Looking for a CD.... Dangerous! BAN IT!
Counting your money for a toll.... Dangerous! BAN IT!

Let's face it, the government can't make the world completely safe and this type of reactionary thinking results in way, way too many laws.

I agree that texting while driving is dangerous... However, many of you would also like to ban cell phone usage while driving... So why not just ban everything on the above list. It would make us safer.
Many places do ban eating while driving. Also if a cop sees you with your eyes totally off the road putting makeup on in a mirror he can and often will pull you over for dangerous driving.

If all driving occured on a closed track with no one else around then people could do as they please. When we have statistical evidence that certain behavoirs cause injury and death to innocents whose only crime was sharing the road with a bonehead. Then obviously laws restricting those behavoirs have to be considered.

Last edited by orbius; 08-25-2009 at 06:05 PM..
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Old 08-25-2009, 06:34 PM
 
434 posts, read 1,023,586 times
Reputation: 155
Quote:
Originally Posted by satxguero View Post
While i agree with giving bicyclists safety and space should the city ban texting while driving?

Ban on texting while driving to be discussed Thursday (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/08/25/0825texting.html - broken link)
ban and severely punish people who text while driving ... $1000 minimum fine to $10,000 fine plus 3 months in jail.

what do you think?
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Old 08-25-2009, 07:00 PM
 
Location: Great State of Texas
86,052 posts, read 81,221,781 times
Reputation: 27707
That 3 foot deal will literally close off a lane on the street if everyone has to move over.
What do you do on a 2 lane road ... move into the oncoming traffic lane ?
As if Austin traffic wasn't bad enough...
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Old 08-25-2009, 07:49 PM
 
Location: Dripping Springs , TX
786 posts, read 2,646,433 times
Reputation: 237
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan View Post
What do you do on a 2 lane road ... move into the oncoming traffic lane ?
As if Austin traffic wasn't bad enough...
No. You patiently wait behind the bike as it proceeds at 5 mph. After a few days of this you decide that you can get to work just as fast (slow?) riding a bike yourself. So you become a cyclist instead of a driver. Eventually, no cars. Only bikes. Everybody is now equal and there is no need for bikes to share the road.

See??? I knew it was a conspiracy.
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Old 08-25-2009, 07:59 PM
 
85 posts, read 196,918 times
Reputation: 39
+1 for disapproval of the 3ft bike buffer. More examples than I care to share. However, traveling southbound on Lamar in 5pm traffic is already horrendous. When you finally get to the front of the line, what is holding everyone up? A cyclist struggling on a fixed gear bike to make it up the hill. There's a reason bikes now have gears. Think that 3ft buffer is going to create more auto/bike incidents.
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Old 08-25-2009, 08:08 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX!!!!
3,765 posts, read 8,663,587 times
Reputation: 1761
This is gruesome but I wonder if we need to have something like this to deter young people (or the not so young) from texting and driving.
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