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prole_for_peace

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58. In every article or story about how dangerous it is to text and drive

Fri Mar 15, 2013, 04:27 PM

Mar 2013

there are always people who chime in with "I can text and drive safely. Never been in an accident." But how do they know they didn't cause an accident? The people I see driving while texting or talking on the phone don't even notice that they are driving way too slow and/or drifting into another lane.

And when I give them a "watch out jackass" horn beep they look at me like I'm the one driving like a jackass.

They could be causing accidents all day and not know it. Drifting into another lane or straddling the line could cause other cars to swerve to avoid the idiot on the phone. Then those cars could end up getting in accidents and the texter would just drive on oblivious as always.

And what the hell is so important that it can't wait until you are stopped?

I send about a hundred texts a day to friends and family but manage to do it when I am not behind the wheel. Because I don't think that everything I do is so important that I have to endanger myself and others.

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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