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No, it's the flippant attitude of indifference....such as your's, that is disgusting. That would be what should be outlawed.
My "flippant" attitude is because there are a lot of holier then thou folks in this thread. They seem to think that them looking from the road to watch people texting and driving somehow makes them a better driver, while they berate people who look away from the road to text. They are both looking away from the road.
No one is saying to take your eyes away from the road for 5 seconds. I wouldn't do it at all in town, or heavy traffic. But if I'm on the interstate and no one is around me for a mile ahead or behind, if I take a glance at my phone, or make a phone call, and I haven't hurt anyone, then there shouldn't be legal action against me.
Then again, you think my attitude should be outlawed. How very communistic of you.
That's fine when your car is sitting in your driveway, do whatever you want, but when you are out on the roads with the rest of us there are rules to be followed.
Do you speed? Come to a complete stop at every stop sign? Take your eyes off the road for anything?
You don't follow all of the rules of the road, I'd guarantee it.
I'm holier than thou because my high school best friend was killed in a car accident where someone texting while driving veered into her lane. This happened after my dad was involved in a serious accident when stopped to turn into his neighborhood (behind another car turning) when someone texting hit him so hard that he hit the car in front of him and completely totaled the car. Living in Boston (where driving my 8 mile commute can take over an hour), I've seen completely horrifying driving by those who are talking on their phones, in several cases leading to rear endings.
And I do follow the rules of the road, much to the chagrin of my fellow M*******s. I won't even cruise through yellow lights if I have space to stop (unlike most people who speed up) - leading to quite a few horn honkings.
After reading through this thread, I'm wondering how many of you have seen an accident due to either texting or talking on the phone?
I have- Two so far. One in town, the other on a 2-lane.
The first was a woman, who was stopped at a light waiting to turn left. She was so involved in the conversation that she talked all the way through the green light- I could see her conversation was very animated. She smiled while talking, listened intently, gestured with her hands, and mostly wasn't looking at anything, just abstractly glancing around.
When the car behind honked, she glanced up while talking, didn't register that the light had turned red, and turned straight into another car with the phone still up to her ear.
The second was a man, who was talking on a hands-free device in his car. He too was gesturing and engaged. I was behind him, and we were both doing about 60 mph on a country road. There was a 90º banked turn to the left in the road ahead that was marked with a caution sign first, then a speed limit and caution sign closer to the turn. Both were completely visible.
The guy never slowed down until he was already in the turn, and by then, it was far too late. His car flew over the bank, went airborne. The front tires snagged a fence and the car flipped over on it's top.
I stopped, but because I don't own a mobile phone, after seeing the driver was unconscious, I got in my car and drove to the nearest house, about 1/4 mile away, and called the cops. Then I went back to see what I could do.
There wasn't much I could do. Both doors were crushed closed when the roof flattened, and the guy was trapped. He did not respond to my yelling. I don't know if he was unconscious, unable to respond to me, or was dead.
I stuck around until the cops and an ambulance showed up, but only learned what became of the man later on while watching the news. He was dead in the car.
From those 2 experiences, it was obvious that both people were more engaged in their conversation than driving. The second, the man, had both hands on the wheel, except for his frequent gesturing, and was heads-up, but though his eyes were on the road, his brain wasn't.
The first, the woman, was doing everything but driving her car. Her gestures were more animated in her face, and she used both hands to gesture, and shifted her phone back and forth from one side of her head to the other. When the car honked, she just gunned it and turned. I don't know what became of her- the traffic was heavy, and I wasn't going in the same direction.
Both phone conversations were extended- several minutes at least.
I'm not implying any sexism here- just sayin'. But both sure led me to believe that driving while talking creates a situation where the driving responses are habits, while the conversations are not.
Whatever the conversations were about seemed to me that they weren't as important as the job immediately at hand, especially for the second. I have taken turns too fast many times, but never with a phone conversation going on... I'm too busy trying to keep all 4 wheels under the car to be talking when it happens.
The NTSB report was only a recommendation. Personally, I don't see any need for a Federal law for this, and I'm content leaving it up to my state and local legislature as to what they think needs to be done. But on the other hand, I haven't been injured yet by this, or have lost a family member. I may get a cell phone, but I'm not going to use it while driving. I don't want to be either a perpetrator or a victim. Whatever I have to say to someone can wait until I'm off the road.
Last edited by banjomike; 12-15-2011 at 08:12 AM..
I say go for it. As someone without a car, people are always zoned out on their phones blowing through crosswalks and not paying attention. Driving should be about driving, not working on your social life and blathering on the phone.
There is nothing unconstitutional about promoting safety and general welfare of the US and its citizens, and this kind of public safety issue definetly falls in that category.
The constitution says nothing about promoting safety... as far as the general welfare that is completely taken out of context. You could put every thing and anything under the general welfare clause if you believe that means safety. If you think general welfare means the welfare and regulating everything that might hurt yourself or others via usage of products it would never end.
General Welfare is to promote which would be to inform not to regulate and restrict or to provide.. They provide a common defense not provide general welfare. Also promoting liberty would be the goal.
The whole texting and driving is really a no brainer, are people that stupid that they can't figure out that is is dangerous to do this? We really do have stupid people living in our world.
and I have to wonder that what all these people are texting, is the text you do, really something of great importance?, that is has to be done at that time while you are driving.?
Our Mayor here in NY is worried about people breathing in second hand smoke, so we have smoking bans all over the place, I am more worried about some idiot texting while driving in a lane in front of me on the Belt Parkway......
These bans are overreaching. How much more government control do we need over our personal lives?! Might as well outlaw smoking while driving and listening to the radio or talking to another passenger too.
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