Posted on 09/25/2007 8:13:40 AM PDT by skyman
KSL News) A Tremonton man accused of causing a fatal car accident while texting has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say Reggie Shaw was texting on September 22 when his car drifted over the center line on State Route 30 west of Logan and slammed into an oncoming car.
The driver of that car died instantly. The passenger was also killed.
Highway Patrol troopers say Shaw continued to send and receive text messages as he was questioned about the accident.
I suppose if the officers had yanked the cellphone out of his hands, the stupid driver would have cried foul and hired a lawyer to sue.
A couple of years ago, my wife was t-boned in Albuquerque when a lady was more interested in talking on her cell phone than watching as she passed through an intersection. I lost a very clean older Camry which I had just cancelled my collision insurance on. No tickets were issued. Since then Albuquerque has passed laws to regulate these moronic drivers.
As distracting as it is talking on cell phones while driving (whether hands free or not) at least you are looking at the road.
I don’t know if any studies have been done with people sending/receiving text messages but typing and reading messages while you are driving has to be 10x worse.
The yakker basically walked because there is no law agaist it. There should be. Hands free options are available.
Yes, my cell plan made sure to offer, almost insisted that I take it, and it was 'free' with the plan.
But why talk when texting is so much 'cooler'?, she said with some sarcasm. And you can't text hands free. Sadly.
I once watched a guy with a sandwich in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other hand and a newspaper held between both hands across his steering wheel which he was reading while driving to work in the Nor Cal Bay Area. Every time the traffic came to a stop, he would just barely hit his breaks in time to come to a screeching stop. It is not just cell phone idiots out there.
I think I see more people on phones while they drive since they supposedly outlawed that here in CT. Infuriates me to see morons oblivious to traffic yammering away and laughing while going through some of the most dangerous intersections.
how about just calling numbers?
touch screen provide zero tactile sensation.
how about those phones with teeeeeeeeny tiny buttons?
now we even have text dialing. You don’t type a number, you type an name to call someone.
The most successful way to prevent accidents is education.
Perhaps we should require everyone to go through a refresher accident avoidance class every 10th year of their lives.
I have also seen studies which state changing the radio dial is just as dangerous as talking on a cell phone.
The issue is educating people about DISTRACTED driving.
Otherwise we might as well outlaw EVERYTHING in cars. No radio, no cup holders, no talking to the driver, no eating, no chewing gum, no singing, and under no circumstances is smiling or happy thoughts to be allowed.
How about those idiot agressive drives too? The ones that do not wait in line to make a left turn but tear around everone and cut into the front of the intersection in order to make their turn without waiting.
We can outlaw to minimal effect.
We can educate to more effect.
But cand can’t legistlate away or educate away stupid.
Back in July, five recently-graduated cheerleaders from Fairport, New York were killed in a horrible crash when their SUV smacked head-on into a tractor trailer and caught fire. They’d been text messaging between friends in another car behind them just moments before the crash occurred.
I agree. It's the mental distraction, not the physical.
I used to live in San Mateo, and a neighbor of mine was reading while driving and hit someone. I found out when I saw the front of his car all wadded up and asked him (half-jokingly), "were you reading?"
The irony of the situation was that his father was a Sergeant in the CHP. He probably caught it from his dad when he found out about it.
Recently a young girl driving an SUV full of her friends lost control while texting, killing herself and three or four of her friends. Death by stupidity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.