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Blandocyte

(1,231 posts)

10. My car was rear-ended by a driver looking down at their phone

Fri Mar 15, 2013, 11:32 AM

Mar 2013

She thought our lane of traffic's light had turned green because the left-turn lane was moving. Our light was red. My rear bumper and rear door were damaged, and the impact was great enough to herniate a disc in my back. Took 3 months to be able to walk without pain.

Now I get embarrassingly angry when I see people looking down to check their phones at red lights. Most of the time they don't know when the light turns green so are delaying traffic. Inconsiderate a-holes. Their smart phones are smarter than they are.

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Study: 1 In 3 Americans Text And Drive [View all] Redfairen Mar 2013 OP

That's Insane. drm604 Mar 2013 #1

I can read a text at a glance. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #2

You're defending it? drm604 Mar 2013 #3

Thanks, but I know what the fuck I'm doing. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #5

Love the title. One of those "famous last words" things Blandocyte Mar 2013 #13

Happy to oblige. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #15

Talking with a passenger in the car is a little different ... JustABozoOnThisBus Mar 2013 #56

If I caught myself AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #64

The biggest reason I don't text while driving ... JustABozoOnThisBus Mar 2013 #65

How about talking to a blind person while driving? Ter Mar 2013 #69

I imagine everyone who texts and drives believes that very things, also. LanternWaste Mar 2013 #21

And most people who text and drive (a rather large percentage of americans apparently) AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #22

I'm sure most people who exceed the speed limit and run red lights never crash doing it. sangsaran Mar 2013 #33

Sure, but there are always exceptions. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #35

Not causing a crash and avoiding someone elses mistake One_Life_To_Give Mar 2013 #48

I love my damn mysterious wand of power... Agschmid Mar 2013 #120

"I know what I'm doing" Ash_F Mar 2013 #122

I hope you don't kill someone Marrah_G Mar 2013 #34

I am extremely carefult about it. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #52

What you're referring to is called highway hypnosis. Butterbean Mar 2013 #59

All I need to know is in this one sentence: TM99 Mar 2013 #126

Yet you still get behind the wheel of a car. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #127

No it is not a slightly different position. TM99 Mar 2013 #128

So let's weigh risks. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #129

It is impossible to have a rational debate TM99 Mar 2013 #130

No, you're not going to get away with that. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #132

Simple analogy for you. TM99 Mar 2013 #133

Nope. I'm a gun user and carry concealed. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #134

My analogy still stands, however, TM99 Mar 2013 #137

The analogy fails, and must fail. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #139

You are an idiot. we can do it Mar 2013 #60

Thanks, love you too. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #62

If a dog or cat ran in front of your car, do you think you would notice it as quickly ZombieHorde Mar 2013 #72

Still movement so yes. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #73

research suggests you stop your behaviors while you are still ahead. truedelphi Mar 2013 #90

Sure. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #92

LOL Skittles Mar 2013 #77

Look. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #80

LOL, telling me to "LOOK"? Skittles Mar 2013 #82

I chose the word for a reason. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #86

That's still three accidents. UnrepentantLiberal Mar 2013 #97

Uh huh. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #104

I'll give you that one. UnrepentantLiberal Mar 2013 #112

It helps to stop with a safety cushion between the car and crosswalk. love_katz Mar 2013 #114

I did. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #118

Put down the phone and drive - DEFENSIVELY. Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2013 #141

How could I have avoided it? AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #142

I've done it while driving a stick shift Ter Mar 2013 #68

Ah - I was going to enlightenment Mar 2013 #4

The really hard part is to try to text, load a bowl snooper2 Mar 2013 #17

...and not spill your drink jberryhill Mar 2013 #19

Yeah, and I drink Martinis. Those are a pain in the ass to drive with. Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2013 #144

Use blunt end olive skewers jberryhill Mar 2013 #145

This Seems RobinA Mar 2013 #6

Is there an application Seedersandleechers Mar 2013 #7

Many newer phones do offer that. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #11

That's built in to the iPhone jberryhill Mar 2013 #20

Windows Phone 8 as well. I imagine most of the droid devices have it too. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #36

My Siri doesn't obey me Rosa Luxemburg Mar 2013 #136

iOS: Activate Siri, Say 'Text (name),' Dictate your message, Say 'Send.' nt onehandle Mar 2013 #28

The way the laws in most (all?) states are written AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #37

And the research out there seems to indicate that the distraction of even truedelphi Mar 2013 #40

This applies even to operating non-essential car functionality AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #45

Again scientists are showing each other, and those of us truedelphi Mar 2013 #47

I'm aware of the studies. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #50

It could be argued that talking on a cell phone or texting is far less essential... love_katz Mar 2013 #115

Our law requires the device to be held in your hand. dkf Mar 2013 #79

Which state? AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #81

Hawaii. dkf Mar 2013 #83

Sounds like you guys did it right. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #84

Yes, that's how I do it. Xithras Mar 2013 #38

Some people are better at multitasking than others ZOB Mar 2013 #8

Nobody is capable of driving safely when they take their eyes off the road slackmaster Mar 2013 #12

And if it's not necessary to take your eyes off the road? AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #16

Visual cues affect depth perception and focus perception LanternWaste Mar 2013 #24

More complex than that. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #26

That is good information to use to point out the dangers truedelphi Mar 2013 #88

The difference is that the road sign is near infinity optically. The phone is inches away. slackmaster Mar 2013 #31

Ok. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #32

Road signs tend to be on highways truedelphi Mar 2013 #41

Science proves you wrong. truedelphi Mar 2013 #39

I note that the 'get the facts link' never differentiates between AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #63

Here's some food for thought - few of us eat all day long truedelphi Mar 2013 #93

Average texts per day for me, in a vehicle is probably not a whole number at all. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #94

How old are You? n/t MoclipsHumptulips Mar 2013 #99

36 AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #105

Research indicates that people cannot multitask. longship Mar 2013 #96

I understand that theory ZOB Mar 2013 #98

Define 'multitask'. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #107

Yup. That's multitasking. longship Mar 2013 #108

I certainly do have a degredation in typing output. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #109

Keep it illegal. longship Mar 2013 #110

That's a lie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LiberalFighter Mar 2013 #9

My car was rear-ended by a driver looking down at their phone Blandocyte Mar 2013 #10

Sorry to hear you've been injured. What amazes me is that people here on DU are truedelphi Mar 2013 #43

It is amazing Blandocyte Mar 2013 #57

This is what makes the tech industry Tien1985 Mar 2013 #14

What if google glass can offer safety stuff for driving? AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #18

If that were possible Tien1985 Mar 2013 #23

Hold on... Gotta merge onto the highway... Ok, now I can respond... onehandle Mar 2013 #25

'I'm not texting officer. I'm in Gmail..' AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #27

'I'm not texting officer. I'm playing Angry Birds.' onehandle Mar 2013 #29

I'm sure there are people who make love while texting olddots Mar 2013 #30

Why cant the cellphone companies fix it? cstanleytech Mar 2013 #42

Actually, the rate of harm is just as great at 35 mph truedelphi Mar 2013 #44

Sir, it not only required our undivided attention then... love_katz Mar 2013 #116

How would it work if GPS is turned off (we all have that option)? Ter Mar 2013 #70

Cell towers can triangulate you as long as the phone is on, whether the GPS is on or not. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #78

How are they supposed to differentiate between the driver, and a passenger, even a AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #76

They clearly wouldnt be able to however cstanleytech Mar 2013 #100

How are you going to do that, exactly? AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #106

How to stop texting while driving or in this case when movement is detected? cstanleytech Mar 2013 #119

I think you missed my point. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #121

I think grisly photos of the aftermath of accidents caused by texting while driving should be... slackmaster Mar 2013 #46

People have got to put the damn phone down RoccoR5955 Mar 2013 #49

On the 101 in Los Angeles it looks like 2 out of 3 upaloopa Mar 2013 #51

2 out of 3 isn't bad on the 101 at the 405 olddots Mar 2013 #53

That's because they are not driving. MindPilot Mar 2013 #55

That would usually be stop and go traffic treestar Mar 2013 #135

THERE IS A SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL FOR PEOPLE WHO TEXT AND DRIVE!!! beachgirl2365 Mar 2013 #54

We were following a brand new shiny red SUV into truedelphi Mar 2013 #91

I think texters are worse. They are not looking at the road. we can do it Mar 2013 #101

In every article or story about how dangerous it is to text and drive prole_for_peace Mar 2013 #58

People who text while driving are too stupid to live. forestpath Mar 2013 #61

Bravo! love_katz Mar 2013 #117

My 'favorite' near-miss was some moron texting *on two phones at once* Posteritatis Mar 2013 #66

The cops type and drive all the time Trascoli Mar 2013 #67

On their laptops, cell phone, trunked radio, you name it. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #74

.......... Skittles Mar 2013 #85

That's actually pretty cool they are trying to do something about it. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #87

Police cars seem to not have turn signals anymore . olddots Mar 2013 #95

The problem isn't the texting it is the driving. People are as a rule unfit to drive, Exultant Democracy Mar 2013 #71

That's coming too, which is pretty awesome. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #75

The only distracted accident I witnessed was a driver talking to their passenger. dkf Mar 2013 #89

I witnessed this yesterday Doctor_J Mar 2013 #102

A/K/A: 1 in 3 Americans too stupid to drive. flvegan Mar 2013 #103

The answer is to carry a phone jammer. dipsydoodle Mar 2013 #111

Great idea. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #143

Driving is multi-tasking all on its own, if the driver is doing a good job of it. love_katz Mar 2013 #113

Every. Single. Time you get behind the wheel of an automobile and hit the public roads AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #123

This same discussion was had 100 years ago about radios in cars marshall Mar 2013 #124

And as a society, we deal with the extra risks TM99 Mar 2013 #131

I can't text worth a damn sitting still ... Myrina Mar 2013 #125

Everybody always thinks they're the exception. Others can't safely text and drive--they can.nt raccoon Mar 2013 #138

I watched another driver do it yesterday. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #140

Wow. I didn't think it was that much. ICallBS Mar 2013 #146

Message auto-removed april rain Mar 2013 #147

Amusing how ~1 in 3 of the replies to this post is by a fanatical believer ... Nihil Mar 2013 #148