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Old 01-10-2012, 01:58 AM
 
4,463 posts, read 6,202,838 times
Reputation: 2046

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Talking on the phone while leaving my rear window obstructed with snow makes my stress lower as I forget that I'm in a NASCAR race and just casually drive along. I think aggressive driving is a way bigger problem and goes on almost totally unenforced. Rapid erratic lane changes weaving through traffic etc. I hate being cut off or passed but if my rear view mirrors are down and I'm eating a burrito I could care less and am usually driving 10 mph under the limit. You know when someone is about to do a lane weave and pass you on the right and will cut you off so instead of taxing my transmission to match their speed I slow way down so I can eat lol
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Old 01-10-2012, 09:06 AM
 
Location: Orlando
8,274 posts, read 12,804,663 times
Reputation: 4136
Sooner or later the cops will be looking at foursqure and the other check in programs to see evidence for drinking and head to the offending location to make the arrest once in the car.
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Old 01-10-2012, 09:09 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth, TX
9,394 posts, read 15,640,076 times
Reputation: 6262
Quote:
Originally Posted by highlife2 View Post
Talking on the phone while leaving my rear window obstructed with snow makes my stress lower as I forget that I'm in a NASCAR race and just casually drive along. I think aggressive driving is a way bigger problem and goes on almost totally unenforced. Rapid erratic lane changes weaving through traffic etc. I hate being cut off or passed but if my rear view mirrors are down and I'm eating a burrito I could care less and am usually driving 10 mph under the limit. You know when someone is about to do a lane weave and pass you on the right and will cut you off so instead of taxing my transmission to match their speed I slow way down so I can eat lol
jackass.
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Old 01-10-2012, 09:19 AM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA
15,088 posts, read 13,384,494 times
Reputation: 14266
Quote:
Originally Posted by KUchief25 View Post
Well according to the government 18% of distracted driving fatalities were caused by cell phone usage. That leaves 88% caused by "other" distractions. You cell phone squealers best worry about other things then what you always see in the headlines.

Highlights
„„ In 2009, 5,474 people were killed on U.S. roadways and
an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor
vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted
driving

„„ Of those people killed in distracted-driving-related
crashes, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction
(18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes).

„„ Of those injured in distracted-driving-related crashes,
24,000 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction
(5% of injured people in distraction-related crashes).

http://www.distraction.gov/research/...iving-2009.pdf
That's actually a very significant chunk of such accidents causes by cell phones. If the other causes could be regulated, then they might warrant separate laws - but as it is, if you cause an accident due to whatever distraction, then the law is going to hold you accountable for any damage and harm caused.

Try as you might, there is no way that you can use your "freedom" to justify actions that have been shown as being significant contributors to damgerous accidents. The roads you share with other human beings are not your free-for-all. We can't make them 100% safe, but we should do what we can. Don't like it? Then stay off the roads.
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Old 01-10-2012, 12:20 PM
 
29,409 posts, read 21,907,774 times
Reputation: 5455
Quote:
Originally Posted by ambient View Post
That's actually a very significant chunk of such accidents causes by cell phones. If the other causes could be regulated, then they might warrant separate laws - but as it is, if you cause an accident due to whatever distraction, then the law is going to hold you accountable for any damage and harm caused.

Try as you might, there is no way that you can use your "freedom" to justify actions that have been shown as being significant contributors to damgerous accidents. The roads you share with other human beings are not your free-for-all. We can't make them 100% safe, but we should do what we can. Don't like it? Then stay off the roads.
No I think it should be the other way around. The cell phone squealers are just reading the headlines and blame every accident on cell phones. The proof is ONLY 18% come from the phones while 82% come from OTHER distractions. I guess you'll have to hole up with your legislators and find a way to either regulate ALL distractions or stay off the road yourself. Or realize that driving around a vehicle is a chance that you take. Nobody is forcing you to drive. Maybe just make everybody walk. Or we could go back to riding horses. Of course who will pick up all the doodoo? Hey union jobs would be created too. I think it's stupid to talk on your cell phone while driving around but to have cops sitting around pulling folks over for it while some yahoo drives by stuffing a burrito in his face (no offense to the previous poster lol) and diggin through his glove box looking for a map is just plain stupid in my eyes.
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Old 01-10-2012, 12:29 PM
 
Location: Palo Alto
12,149 posts, read 8,373,859 times
Reputation: 4188
It's generational. In the 60's and 70's there were no cell phones or iPods or GPS units. Of course, there were no airbags and seatbelts were for girls and grandmas. We drove with a beer in one hand and our arm around our sweetie. When we wrecked, they were violent crashes. Huge chunks of American steel. Body parts on the road.

Today, kids text and *** and fiddle with the GPS and watch a movie. When they crash the airbag deploys and the cars crumble around them. They often walk away with a few scratches. The technology has eliminated the perceived danger.

Distracted driving is a huge problem. I'd support stiff penalties on drivers who text and drive and are involved in an accident. To me it should be a felony. If a kid got liquored up and started shooting his gun randomly we'd charge him with a felony. A driver in a 3500# car completely distracted is a loose bullet.
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Old 01-10-2012, 12:41 PM
 
29,409 posts, read 21,907,774 times
Reputation: 5455
What about the other 82% of distracted driving casualties that don't have a cell phone as the fault? They get a pass? Apparently so. My point being it's a waste of time for law enforcement to sit around in a "sting" jumping folks who they see with a phone to their ear. Actually it's legal to have blue tooth wireless. That is somehow perceived as not distracting for some reason. The whole thing makes no sense. If your talking to somebody on the other line your distracted no matter if your arm is holding up the receiver or you have it stuck in your ear. Why is GPS legal in cars. How many wrecks come from some clown looking over at his GPS trying to find the local neeked bar?? The government has deemed cell phones as the enemy and want their tax collectors to go collect in my eyes. They don't really care if you die or not in a wreck all they want is the revenue.
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Old 01-10-2012, 05:31 PM
 
Location: Palo Alto
12,149 posts, read 8,373,859 times
Reputation: 4188
Plenty of that 82% have been charged with vehicular homicide over the years. They shouldn't get special treatment.
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Old 01-10-2012, 05:40 PM
 
29,409 posts, read 21,907,774 times
Reputation: 5455
No but they weren't ticketed for eating burrito's while driving either. That is my point. The headlines read "cell phone causes accidents" the folks eat it up and the government starts ticketing folks to make it seem like they are making some difference which they aren't. They are just padding their bottom line at city hall and telling their constituents how much they care about their safety. It's all a friggen joke in my eyes. Hell cops are distracted more than anybody driving with their radio's and computers on the dash etc.
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Old 01-10-2012, 05:48 PM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA
15,088 posts, read 13,384,494 times
Reputation: 14266
Quote:
Originally Posted by KUchief25 View Post
No I think it should be the other way around. The cell phone squealers are just reading the headlines and blame every accident on cell phones. The proof is ONLY 18% come from the phones while 82% come from OTHER distractions. I guess you'll have to hole up with your legislators and find a way to either regulate ALL distractions or stay off the road yourself. Or realize that driving around a vehicle is a chance that you take. Nobody is forcing you to drive. Maybe just make everybody walk. Or we could go back to riding horses. Of course who will pick up all the doodoo? Hey union jobs would be created too. I think it's stupid to talk on your cell phone while driving around but to have cops sitting around pulling folks over for it while some yahoo drives by stuffing a burrito in his face (no offense to the previous poster lol) and diggin through his glove box looking for a map is just plain stupid in my eyes.
Guess what? Distracted driving already is a crime in pretty much all states. If you drive by a cop eating a pizza, shaving, listening to your ipod, and reading a book at the same time - not to mention driving erratically - and they see you, you can bet that they have a legal right and obligation to pull you over. And if you hit someone and injure / kill them and evidence surfaces that you were screwing around with your life insurance forms at the time or whatever, you can bet that they will nail your ass to the wall with extra care for that in both criminal and civil court. You'll probably be doing time for voluntary manslaughter and then be sued for your life's worth and then some. So what are you going to do - protest that as a Constitutional infringement, too? You just don't have the right to do whatever you want in your car. There is no system that can stop every person doing every single possible stupid thing at every moment in time, but we can and should try to get at least the big ones where possible.
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