Freakin cell phones, blackberries, GPSs, iPhones, etc.

[Checkswrecks]

Eveyone knows there is a easy fix to all of this, at least where you as an individual is involved. Get one of these The Cell Phone Answer and put it on the bike. Just press a button and the problem is solved. At least around you. Screw civil rights, those have already been taken away by big brother. This is the solution. They make them specifically for in car use Vehicle Blocker

As much as I like the idea, and as legal as it is outside of the US, blocking cell phone calls is something the FCC does take VERY seriously. Besides causing the cell owner to focus solely on why his/her phone isn't working.

When enough people die, the cell phone companies will probably have to find a way to regulate the way a cell phone is used. I know in my old Tom Tom GPS, when the bike is in motion certain features are disabled. I don't think it would be hard to adaptthis to cell phones.

They can do it today with a programming change for the towers that the phones communicate with. Of course, we'd be infringing on somebody's right to be a threat and cutting into cell company income.

I totally agree that people in society ought to, should, must, whatever TAKE responsibility or face the punishment. It's like saying the original concept of communism was a nice idea and similar to what the Bible said. Nobody can argue with the philosophy of screw up and face the music. The reality is that things don't happen that way and since violators don't get punished by the courts, all we are doing is feeding the personal injury lawyers. A great example is I-95 in Florida - the highest fatality rate in the nation and source of the highest rate of personal injury lawsuits. Since that's the reality and we don't want to pay higher taxes to get enough officers to enforce laws already on the books, what's your answer?

What is sad is that the kid who videotaped getting pulled over, is facing 16 years for illegal recording of the police. But people are killing people everyday because of inattentive driving and they are walking away.

I assume you mean the kid in this thread. It was near where I am sitting, there was a LOT more to the story, and he deserved the punishment. Ironically, this goes back to the topic of people thinking they (as individuals) were wronged and shouldn't deserve punishment:

motorcyclist pulled over videos officer

 

[wheatonFJR]

Distracted driving sucks...cuz people die. clicky

 

[jocko87]

I was already thinking, as RenoJohn illustrated, that we might have quite alot of people around here that are guilty of the same infractions you are complaining about. While I've never browsed a message board or texted while riding, I do have a phone, GPS with weather and XM radio to flip through along with a map on the tank bag etc.etc.etc plus driving a more demanding vehicle. I do put a small amount of blame on distraction from the GPS towards one of my get off's (checking weather).

Nearly everyone here has a GPS or something but how many actually pull over to program it?

If you want to ban cell phones while driving you better be ready to remove your GPS's for many of the same reasons.

 

[Silver Penguin]

The people reading, putting on makeup, breastfeeding their kid, or doing any of the other 10 billion things people do except drive get Careless Driving cites. Haven't lost one yet!

A big Thank-You to HotRodZilla for making some of these folks think twice. I do agree that a culture change is needed. It has become quite acceptable for driving to be a secondary activity to whatever else drivers want to spend their time doing. Thanks to packed schedules, multi-tasking has caused a big decline in driving skills. Modern cars are easier than ever to drive, freeing up the driver to do other things instead.

Making new laws isn't the answer because they cannot be widely enforced.

Our lives were forever changed by a driver who 'didn't realize' that traffic was stop-and-go on the freeway, when she supposedly looked down to adjust her radio. She took out two cars and a motorcycle, I wonder if that had any effect on her life? Did she care? Does she ever think about the man she almost killed? who is in daily pain thanks to her carelessness? I don't think so.

What's it going to take, to encourage drivers to pay attention? How bad do things have to get, when it doesn't seem like a big deal to paint your nails while driving? I wonder if that driver ever thinks about the motorcyclist who she killed, and her family?

 

[Knifemaker]

Sorry, but it is important if it is problem to make a law dealing with it. Keep in mind of course that there are laws about killing folks, stealing, etc...but folks still do it. So one could argue laws do not work.

But you need to send a messeage by creating a law so folks will realize it is wrong. Ask someone to stop doing something that is not illeagal and their first response is always :

" Hey, there is no law against it ! "

So , in a way, making it a law that one can't use a handheld phone or text while driving creates a negative social stigma to it, and you are more likely to get folks to convert. Look what they did with smoking in the past 20 years.

Along with just making it illeagal, you need to reinforce it with propaganda...which they are in fact doing. Have you seen the ads on TV about not texting? ( "This is the messege my daughter was reading when she crossed the yellow line and died in a head on crash " - " What up?" )

And one of our local TV stations has joined up with an area hospital to start a "Pledge Drive".....asking folks to "pledge" that they will no longer use their cell while driving.

Granted, it may take awhile, but if enough folks start getting vocal about it, (and with a law to back it up) I see no reason why we can't get it to the point that there is such a bad social stigma to doing it folks will quit ....just like they did with smoking.

And I am sorry, I do belive there are those that can drive a car and talk on a phone, but for every one of them there are two or three idiots who can not walk and chew gum at the same time and should put the damn phone down before they kill someone. You can not make laws for the exceptions...you need to make laws that work for everyone. I can easily avoid using my cell in my car if by doing so it might make someone else do it too...

And a big thanks to you cops that target "innattentive" drivers, be it cell phones, PC's, or other idiot behavior.

KM

 

[palerider]

already laws for bad driving, these (phone/texting) laws are just another way to get more control of daily behavior. Bad bad bad, and the people that support it can blow me.

But not while you're driving.

 

[greg97224]

already laws for bad driving, these (phone/texting) laws are just another way to get more control of daily behavior. Bad bad bad, and the people that support it can blow me.
sent from my blackberry

68mph southbound hwy 395

some people just don't get it, if you want to be stupid and use your devices, and your were the only ones that were hurt by this fine. But, most often, innocent people get killed. I don't mind pulling over and using my phone, if it will help to save someones life. I was a professional firefighter for 29 years, and I have seen it time and time again.

So BLOW ME.

 

[RsvlFeej]

Distracted driving sucks...cuz people die.

Yup. HATE the fricken things. Quit counting the number of times I've correctly guessed which car ahead is meandering because the 'operator' is playing with his/her e-vices while driving. Recently heard (then watched the aftermath) of a rear-ender on the highway outside our office building. Several people were less than supportive of my, "I hope her fricken cell phone ripped her fricken ear off when the air bag deployed."

I believe everyone has the right to risk their own life in pretty much any manner they want, but their rights stop when their chosen behavior endangers the lives of people who cannot opt out of being potential victims of said behavior. If the damned twits won't believe that yapping on a cell phone or texting while driving is comparable to drunk driving, then enforcement similar to drunk driving laws is the obvious next step.

As greg97224 says, "some people just don't get it, if you want to be stupid and use your devices, and your were the only ones that were hurt by this fine. But, most often, innocent people get killed..."

Thanks for enforcing, HotRodZilla.

 

[dustyrains]

Eveyone knows there is a easy fix to all of this, at least where you as an individual is involved. Get one of these The Cell Phone Answer and put it on the bike. Just press a button and the problem is solved. At least around you. Screw civil rights, those have already been taken away by big brother. This is the solution. They make them specifically for in car use Vehicle Blocker

Most people will just try to keep reconnecting while driving, thus defeating the whole point of jamming.

 

[dustyrains]

You can crackberry all you want as long as your vehicle stays away from mine. .

You better bring your fucking "A" game if you want to tell me how to ride -this is the problem with this law and people in general, everyone is so eager to tell other people what to do.

...and why are you going 68mph when the speed limit is 75? Are you crackberrying in the left lane?

I was at Washoe Lake, 55MPh speed limit. any other questions?
Sent from my blackberry,

73MPH, Northbound hwy 395

We don't need no stinkin laws against driving or riding drunk, either. Or stoned. Damn people and their laws, tryin to tell us what to do.

 

[FJReady]

Has anyone ever been/seen/heard of/read about a ticket issued for texting/talking/gaming on a cell fone BEFORE an accident?
Me either. What a bunch of hooey. Pass a law that is unenforced/unenforceable.

I write them all the time. About 5 a week or more. I have an unmarked SUV, so it makes it pretty easy to look across and down into someone's car and see they are screwing off on the phone. Unless they are paying attention, they don't know mine is a cop car until the pretty lights come on. I was issuing the cites for "Careless Driving" because the state did not have a cell phone law. However, now we do, so depending on their actions, they get one or the other.

The people reading, putting on makeup, breastfeeding their kid, or doing any of the other 10 billion things people do except drive get Careless Driving cites. Haven't lost one yet!

HRZ,

Can you move to Massachusetts please? We need more like you. I'm all for LEOs making the roads safer and correcting the ass-hat bad driving behavior.

 

[Warpdrv]

+1 on the phone / txt / web jackwagons - everywhere, you can't get away from them.

On the freeway whenever possible I tend to drive at least 5-10mph faster then traffic when there are enough lanes so I know exactly where all the vehicles are on the road (ahead of me) and not have to worry so much about getting rear ended or lane swervers encroaching into my lane. I know this is not always possible but it sure helps that I don't constantly have to watch my @$$

Its scary out there all the time - I really need to upgrade my HORNS, I use them an awful lot - more and more each day it seems.

Oh and a few times I have been extremely lucky to have a cop behind me while I was driving and someone veers into my lane - I veer quickly away and just look at that person and SHAKE MY HEAD from side to side, make the phone jesture with my hand (pinky and thumb out) to my head with my hands and slam it down to hang it up.... Cop pulls these people over immediately seeing what just happened. I smiled for the rest of the day !!!!!