Posted on 07/01/2019 1:33:37 AM PDT by Kaslin
Someone like me who circles the mid state every day seven days a week 150-200 miles
Am I going to pull over now to answer my phone 15-20 times a day
I detest these assholios
Jurisprudence has, over the ages, slipped from addressing actual wrongdoing to addressing the *potential* for wrongdoing.
Creating another opportunity for revenue and your expense.
Used to be you only had to worry at night about intoxicated people crossing the center-stripe.
Now, thanks to texting, it’s a 24/7 concern. Who hasn’t experienced oncoming traffic drift into their lane?
Such laws give the police an all purpose excuse to pull people over. If the cops don’t like your looks, you look out of place, you’re going too slow, there’s something minor wrong with your car, and other things like that, you’re pulled over. Now it’s “distracted” driving.
But cell phone usage is unlike many of the other “distractions” that are often cited, like eating, talking to a passenger, changing a radio station, etc. All of those things can be postponed if a road situation requires it.
But a cell call or an incoming text is impossible for many people to ignore as if somehow a call going to voicemail, or a delayed answer to a text, is some sort of social blunder or an insult to the other party.
People like these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYgTM1pPjKQ
It’s funny when these cell phone zombies do stupid stuff to themselves, but it’s not so funny when they do it while driving.
The stupid - it burns!
Could just have same laws as that for truckers. I drove hoppers or grain haulers during the last oil bust. If you get stopped by DOT trooper with cell phone in cab and no headset, it was around a 13,000 dollar fine. People texting are truly dangerous. They could use voice text at least.
Many of those “distractions” are needed breaks to prevent us from falling into road hypnosis. In heavy traffic, people will automatically devote more attention to the road. But in light traffic, where there is no reason to focus so intently on the road, boredom can quickly set in, causing sleepiness or “zoning out”, which is extremely dangerous.
Has there been a study on the effects of completely removing “distractions” on people’s ability to keep as much attention as necessary on the road? I would predict that “distraction-free” driving is just as dangerous as driving around watching your cellphone.
Several years ago, my son and I drove on a straight desert road in California. There was nothing out there, no trees, light poles, or structures. Yet the road was lined with crosses, more than I have ever seen on any other road. I wonder, could some of those crosses be the result of drivers being so bored on a straight and featureless road that they fell asleep and crashed?
billboards are distracting
we should ban them
“billboards are distracting
we should ban them”
Good point.
Thinking is the biggest distraction....and it applies to 100% of our drivers.
I recently gave up my drivers license due to my age. (More about this in a freepmail)
But when I was still driving I never answered my phone when it was ringing, I also did not turn the radio on while driving. I do this not because it is the law, but for my own safety.
Bump for later.
Checking my rear view mirror takes my attention from the road.
Screw em all - I have airbags
“”” Do you put your code in and restart the program “””
“”” Its a long trip and the podcast that was so great at keeping you alert ends. Itll just take a couple of swipes and your code to move to the next one. “””
Strange; I have a smart phone and don’t have to put in a code to do anything. To get out of screen lock, we just hold a finger on the screen for a few seconds. Our last pone, we had to swipe a certain way. That and I think all of them these days can be used in hands free mode. Takes a little time to set up and get used to it.
Most people only text while they’re on the cell network and then do everything else when they’re connected to wifi because it all uses data on the cell network and most people don’t have unlimited data plan. I think every plan comes with unlimited text messaging. Of course texting is about the hardest thing to do hands free. That would take a lot of speech to text training.
I tried to use the GPS one time but I couldn’t see the screen as it was daytime. Cheap phone though. I had to pull over and shield the phone with my hands to barely see it.
What about all the new cars with touch screens built into the dashboard? Some of them run the whole car. It’s a smooth screen so you have to look at it. Not like reaching for that fan speed switch or radio button that sticks out from the dash. You can do that without looking.
“Today, Tennessee becomes the 19th state to make de facto criminals out of a significant percentage of its citizens by passing a law that makes it illegal for anyone to touch a cell phone while driving.”
Good for TN! I have been rear-ended TWICE by dumbass kids playing with their ****ing cell phones!
“... talking with the person sitting next to you, ...”
**************************************
How sexist! That only applies to women, who have to look at each other when talking. They have to see the reaction to whatever they’re saying. lol
...Don’t believe me? Watch women in cars, walking, in coffee shops, etc.; they have to see the emotional facial expression to what they say.
Men don’t have to look at a passenger when driving and talking.
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