General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPlease, Please....Be careful of sudden lane changes due to drivers texting and on phone.
Today I saw two of them, at the last minute change lanes to make turns. One a left from the far right lane on a busy city street, and the other to make a right turn, in front of me in the right lane. Both drivers had something in their hands. I know this is extremely dangerous because these people got to make that turn when they want to. Nothing else matters. Not waiting to the next street and make a couple more turns to up for missing a turn. Or the next exit on an expressway. I saw one a few months ago, who came within 3 feet of knocking over a man driving a bicycle. That man driving the bicycle was totally within the law.
I have seen more of this in the last 3 years, then in the last 20. These idiots do not look to see if there is someone in that lane, they just move . Lot of summer driving coming up, and traffic police only rarely stop people texting. Perhaps police are stopping more, but there are so many that is almost impossible to stop them. At least there is a stigma to "drunk driving" I am really concerned because someone here at DU is going to get hurt or worse. Please be aware of the other driver, he/she often is not aware of you/me. Oh, and I might add that many people walking are too busy texting to look up. Watch for them too.
Thanks
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)to be excused..and they were not young people.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)on route to Santee. We were behind that. We knew that if that happened our story chasing would have become medical aid, and request of units.
Yup, the idiot on the Pick Up dooley was texting. How did you guess?
dionysus
(26,467 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)lethal behind the wheel.
The Straight Story
(48,121 posts)Just allow those in government to own cell phones that do.
Our founders lived just fine in a world where no one had cell phones. I don't own one.
People don't need fully pumped up cell phones that have text and all that, they should be locked away when in a car if you are allowed to have them at all.
Texting While Driving Causes:
1. 1,600,000 accidents per year National Safety Council
2. 330,000 injuries per year Harvard Center for Risk Analysis Study
3. 11 teen deaths EVERY DAY Ins. Institute for Hwy Safety Fatality Facts
4. Nearly 25% of ALL car accidents
Texting While Driving Is:
1. About 6 times more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated
2. The same as driving after 4 beers National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
3. The number one driving distraction reported by teen drivers
Texting While Driving:
1. Makes you 23X more likely to crash National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
2. Is the same as driving blind for 5 seconds at a time VA. Tech Transportation Institute
3. Takes place by 800,000 drivers at any given time across the country
4. Slows your brake reaction speed by 18% HumanFactors & Ergonomics Society
5. Leads to a 400% increase with eyes off the road
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)won't let you type in directions when the car is in motion, although you can still alert fellow users if there is a cop ahead or traffic.
https://www.waze.com/
They need to make cell phones motion sensored, although I am not sure how difficult that will be, or how easy one can figure out a way to disable the motion sensor.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)bigwillq
(72,790 posts)It will be difficult to monitor sensor but I believe with WAZE, it lets you type as a passenger, just not as a driver. Not sure how it knows the difference.
Stuart G
(38,365 posts)dionysus
(26,467 posts)Ilsa
(61,675 posts)In Settings. It returns a text message saying you are driving and can't respond if the car goes over something like 25mph. You can turn it off though, as would be necessary for passengers who wish to surf, text, or call.
Newer cars allow syncing up cell phone Contacts lists so you can press a button on the steering wheel and command the car to "Call Louise at Home". Totally hands-free, but still some distraction.
Stuart G
(38,365 posts)I am sorry..
They are from a texting and driving site..
http://safetextingcampaign.com/AccidentsCausedByTextingWhileDriving.aspx?cms=7131
JI7
(89,182 posts)if it just resulted in themselves being hurt or killed it would be one thing.
but they often hurt others .
Stuart G
(38,365 posts)You take your eyes off the road much longer texting, then other auto activities. Anything can happen in a split second.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)She and her boyfriend were in the back, her boyfriend's mother was driving. They were headed south on the state road. An 18 year old was driving his truck headed north and veered into their lane. Both vehicles going 50 or so, so the impact was 100+mph.
The mother was killed immediately. Boyfriend was critical with 5 broken ribs, but released within a week or so. Co-worker's daughter has traumatic brain injury. She spent over a month in an induced coma on a ventilator. They removed a piece of her skull to reduce the pressure on her brain. Each day they lifted her briefly from the coma and gave her instructions, which she was mostly able to follow.
She only recently was taken out of the coma and off the vent. It was a couple more weeks before she was able to speak a few words. The good news being, of course, that she hasn't lost speech. How much damage and how permanent remains to be seen. Every case is individual and the length of time in a coma doesn't necessarily correlate to the amount of lasting damage or recovery time.
I expect this could also be a serious financial hardship for them. Maine insurance laws don't require a whole lot of medical coverage (I think half a mil) and the 18 year old was in an old truck so likely had minimum insurance and has no assets.
CANDO
(2,068 posts)They did a piece on truckers using cell phones. Well, I'm a truck driver and I swear that at least 50% of the car drivers are on their smart phones as they drive by. It just seemed odd that they were singling out truckers as though it's exclusively us who are on these devices while driving.
CrispyQ
(36,231 posts)Has anyone noticed on TV & in the movies the characters take their eyes off the road for such long periods of time? I can hardly stand to watch scenes like that, as I'm screaming, "Look at the frickin' road you dumb shit! It's been over 10 seconds since you have!"
REP
(21,691 posts)I'm in CA, so horrible driving is everywhere and I think my bright red car may actually be invisible. I stay away from other drivers as much as I can.
My car has integrated hands free Bluetooth, but I rarely answer the phone when I'm driving, and never on the highway.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)again. Except in their 'watched for massive ticket revenue' school zones and many of the 'neighborhood associations' private police departments.
Coventina
(26,874 posts)End of story.