This Texting While Driving is really starting to get to me!

[WTR]

I have not seen the new law criminally enforced as I believe it should. However, I have seen some very heavy civil penalties accessed.

[flechero]

I'm not saying punctuality isn't a hallmark of a productive person, but on the other hand every time a manager is hard on someone for showing up late, it's a little vote for more multitasking behind the wheel.

Or maybe just set the alarm 5 minutes earlier?

We're all adults... by the time you are gainfully employed, you know (or should know) how to be on time. Besides, the vast majority of people aren't "working" on their phone. They could show up a few minutes early and text a bit before clocking in, or while waiting for the meeting to start.

Blaming your boss for multitasking while driving to work has nothing to do with the price of tea in China.

[Abraham]

flechero,

Your post is spot on.

Badly paraphrasing an anonymous writer: Being on time is late, arriving a bit early is on time...

treadlightly,

You posted: "but on the other hand every time a manager is hard on someone for showing up late, it's a little vote for more multitasking behind the wheel."

Really?

Would that 'someone' be you?

I'm curious, is that quote a justification for texting while driving?

Do you text while driving?

It's a sincere question, as I think some believe they can do it safely.

Thanks!

[rotor]

The cell phone manufacturers could help with the problem by disabling the text feature while the phone is in motion. A passenger could still use the feature but would have to deactivate it for each incoming or outgoing text. There is a way to do this.
Wichita Falls just started a city wide ban against holding a cell phone while driving (except for those gifted few like LEO- ha!) and I told my wife not to text me anymore. I can blue tooth a phone call but not a text message. My F250 will sometimes pick up a text and play it but it always picks up a phone call. All of these phones have gps so they know if the phone is in motion. Many features of my vehicle smart screens are deactivated while the car is in motion. This is not an impossible fix.

[Abraham]

At what point do we stop accepting the countless reasons people who text and drive can't be stopped?

Agreed, the law regarding this is hard to enforce. So, give up trying to prevent it? It's too difficult?

How many lives and maimings must we endure before this menace is stopped?

TAM, discussed a hypothetical drunk waving a loaded pistol around in public. Texting and driving is it's equal.

Until you or your loved ones are destroyed or maimed by those who insist it's their right to text and drive perhaps some more workable solution will be found. First though, a lot of people must be killed or maimed.

I know someone who was brain damaged and in coma (never to walk again) for a very long time hit by a person driving while 'talking' on a cell phone, not even texting while driving.

Please, don't try to convince me this menace 'can't be stopped' it can, but more creativity has to be employed...

[uthornsfan]

For a nicely focused view of drivers who text, ride a motorcycle. There you are, in a state of elevated awareness because second by second you're actively involved with your fate. The tragic comedy of drivers and cell phones is crystal clear.

And very personal.

This +100000000gazilliongooglebilliontrillion

Some people want their cars to just get them from point A to point B. When I am on my motorcycle, I just want to get from point A to point B alive, without a detour to the hospital.

[Abraham]

uthornsfan,

Yep, or the morgue...

[anygunanywhere]

It all boils down to personal responsibility, a trait that is sorely lacking in today's world.

[carlson1]

Texting and driving are a deadly combination that nothing will stop or even significantly curtail. As TAM said, it's caused either by addiction, irresponsibility or both.

As a lawyer and former LEO, I want to look at the new law from an enforcement perspective -- it won't work. There's no way for an observing LEO to determine a person is texting as opposed to dialing their phone, entering an address in Google Maps, punching up a song to play through the car radio, etc. If the driver is stopped and tells the LEO (or refuses to answer the texting question) he/she wasn't texting, then there will be no basis on which to issue a citation. Sure, the LEO can ask to see the phone, but the driver is not required to give it to the officer. If they do and the phone is locked, the driver isn't required to give the officer the password. The LEO will be powerless to do anything, unless he/she has grounds for a warrant. Absent aggravating circumstances, that's not going to happen.

I fear the only thing the new texting law will accomplish is the opening of Pandora's Box. Get ready folks, other laws to prevent illusory "distracted driving" will be introduced in coming sessions. Eating, drinking (coffee, water, anything), listening to the radio, talking to passengers, driving with children in the car, have all been falsely claimed to create a dangerous condition by distracting the driver. As a pilot I find claims that people aren't capable of multi-tasking to be as silly as the Flat-Earth people. Granted, some pilots are better than others as is the case for drivers. But the lowest common denominator philosophy is dangerous ground when dealing with restrictive laws.

Remember, most people in Salem were thrilled when the first witch was burned, but . . .

Chas.

Perfectly stated. I have said this years ago when it was first brought up. I was hoping Gov. Abbott would follow Govt. Perry and not sign it into law.

[canvasbck]

This issue is personal to me.

In September of last year, my daughter and granddaughter were rear ended by someone who was (admittedly) texting. The lady who hit her and her 14 year old child special needs child were both life flighted from the scene. Four months later (January of this year), my wife was broad sided (at 60+ mph) on the driver's side. The girl who hit her was checking her facebook post when she blasted through the red light. The girl who hit her got a helicopter ride, no longer has a spleen, and has had multiple orthopedic surgeries. (Thank God and Volvo, all of my family members are OK)

As a libertarian, I don't want to see laws dictating exactly what you do. I do not want to see laws against texting and driving. What I do want to see is people who injure others because they are obsessed with their phones charged with assault. We do it for drunks, why not for someone who injures/kills because they couldn't put their <darn> phone down? If it can be proven that you injured/killed someone because you were intentionally ignoring everything around you, there should be consequences! Making the conscious decision to stare at the phone screen is, IMO, just as bad if not worse than deciding to drive after a night of drinking. At least with the drunk, there is a chance that they will see what's going on and react, the person who CHOOSES to stare at the phone sees nothing.

[\rant]

[Abraham]

From what I can tell, texting and driving is on a tremendous upward increase.

Once it reaches it's zenith in death and destruction, maybe, maybe it'll be reined in.

The passive acceptance of this insanity reminds of the acceptance of terrorist deaths in Europe...while those in power continue to play their fiddles while the murdering continues...Just accept it as
part of living in the U.S. etc. rather like the London mayor's acceptance of terrorism being part of everyday living in a big city, yeah sure, just passively moan and groan, nothing can be done, my aching posterior
nothing can be done...texting and driving is completely unacceptable and can be stopped if there's a will to stop it...

[Papa_Tiger]

Let me re-word that for you and see how you like it:

From what I can tell, gun violence is on a tremendous upward increase.

Once it reaches it's zenith in death and destruction, maybe, maybe it'll be reined in.

The passive acceptance of this insanity reminds of the acceptance of terrorist deaths in Europe...while those in power continue to play their fiddles while the murdering continues...Just accept it as
part of living in the U.S. etc. rather like the London mayor's acceptance of terrorism being part of everyday living in a big city, yeah sure, just passively moan and groan, nothing can be done, my aching posterior
nothing can be done...gun violence is completely unacceptable and can be stopped if there's a will to stop it...

See how that works? I dislike the law personally.

From my view, Adam couldn't live up to it with 1, the Israelites couldn't live up to it with 10, the Jews in Jesus' time couldn't do it with 365 (simplified to 2 by Jesus), we certainly can't do it by adding layers upon layers.

The law is there to punish those who harm others. We already have laws that do that. How are they not currently applicable?

[Abraham]

Papa_Tiger,

Please quote me where I said More Laws would be effective to stop texting and driving?

If I did I was wrong.

I want to stop texting and driving, but I don't think I stated new laws about it will suffice.

I think I stated creativity about stopping it. Not new laws.

So, show me where I sponsored new laws and I'll retract that with apologies.

What I see, is passivity i.e. there's nothing to be done, so we can do nothing to stop it.

New laws against it? Pfffsttt. No, of course that won't help, so we have to be creative to stop it...

How is that to be done?

Technology!

Then, when caught, into prison.

You mr/ms texting while driving will go to prison for a minimum of a year in county lock up or maybe 18 months into the big one...

This offense isn't minor....

[Charles L. Cotton]

Then, when caught, into prison.

You mr/ms texting while driving will go to prison for a minimum of a year in county lock up or maybe 18 months into the big one...

This offense isn't minor....

You have gone completely off the rails!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jail or prison for texting when no one is hurt? That's just plain nuts.

Chas.

[SewTexas]

This issue is personal to me.

In September of last year, my daughter and granddaughter were rear ended by someone who was (admittedly) texting. The lady who hit her and her 14 year old child special needs child were both life flighted from the scene. Four months later (January of this year), my wife was broad sided (at 60+ mph) on the driver's side. The girl who hit her was checking her facebook post when she blasted through the red light. The girl who hit her got a helicopter ride, no longer has a spleen, and has had multiple orthopedic surgeries. (Thank God and Volvo, all of my family members are OK)

As a libertarian, I don't want to see laws dictating exactly what you do. I do not want to see laws against texting and driving. What I do want to see is people who injure others because they are obsessed with their phones charged with assault. We do it for drunks, why not for someone who injures/kills because they couldn't put their <darn> phone down? If it can be proven that you injured/killed someone because you were intentionally ignoring everything around you, there should be consequences! Making the conscious decision to stare at the phone screen is, IMO, just as bad if not worse than deciding to drive after a night of drinking. At least with the drunk, there is a chance that they will see what's going on and react, the person who CHOOSES to stare at the phone sees nothing.

[\rant]

you are contradicting yourself. first you say you don't want to see laws against testing and driving, then you say you want them charged with assault....you have to have laws in order to charge people, so which do you want? Not sounding very libertarian...