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

[joe817]

I remember sliderules in high school and early college, AND being slightly intimidated by my first calculator in college - a TI SR-50.

As do I. I still have my Keuffel & Esser 4081-3 Log Log Decitrig Duplex Slide Rule from high school, still in the original holster & belt loop. I love that thing! Why I still have it , I'll never know.

[WTR]

My first Chem prof at A&M would not allow calculators. I remeber calculator labs with HP calculators instead of computers.

[twomillenium]

How does the phone know you are not a passenger?

[carlson1]

How does the phone know you are not a passenger?

I use the Waze as my GPS. If you are moving it will not allow you to type in an address unless you select "passenger."

The new IPHONE is supposed have software that you can set where it will not function if the car is moving. It is my understanding it allows you to override it.

There are some police departments that have software on their MDT's that turn them off when the car hits a certain speed like 5 mph.

I think the software turning off the MDT's and phone is the way to go and it should have been that way from the start in my opinion.

[wheelgun1958]

Yes, texting is horrible but, I can't imagine why you didn't fly out of Austin?

Me neither.

[txhighlander]

They know it won't work, I am a commercial driver going on 22 years currently driving a fuel tanker. We have had a texting, holding phone to ear , and other electronics band for years. The first offender find is up to $2750 to the driver and up to $11,000 to the company. I see every day drivers of big trucks texting and talking on the phone held to their ear. No care in the world. I have talked to a few DOT officers about it an it's used as a tool to charge someone with if they have a wreak. For all of your mentioned reasons it isn't enforceable. If they don't have the common sense to not do it on their own then no matter how high the fines are people will still continue to do these things.

[E.Marquez]

I'll just stick with failure to maintain a single lane of traffic.

And Id be happy if officers of all departments would do that...or that and left hand lane not passing obstructing the flow of traffic or that and obstructing the flow of traffic by driving significantly slower then the posted speed limit in conditions that do not warrant the slower speed or that and not moving left or slowing down for emergency vehicles to the right of them.....
This is a feel good law that will either be ignored by LEOs' as they see it as unenforceable and add on when they already have you stopped and you are silly enough to tell them (Allocution, Like...., "I was speeding? Oh I did not notice I was answering a text") or as another mentioned, the citation will be written anytime a cell phone is observed in the drivers hand, letting the court hash out if it was an actual violation....the last is the one that concerns me most as it will be costly and time consuming to the driver that yes had a phone in hand, but was only looking at the mapping program at the stop light for his next turn....or a million other things that are no more (or less) distracting then dozens of other things allowed by law, eating and driving, using the radio and driving, looking at a mapping program and driving....using voice to text on a cell phone mounted on a dash holder that still commonly requires you to READ the incoming text even if you are "Hands free" using blue tooth headset.

[treadlightly]

Better yet, just use a detonator to explode the phone's lithium battery if you hit "send" while moving more than 5 mph. But to make it stick, you'd probably have to add a provision to the law to suspend the driver's license on the third detonation. No, wait, revoke their Facebook accounts, that would be much more effective.

I jest, of course, but I remember a wonderful point made by the inestimable Walter Williams on one of his guest host appearances on Limbaugh's show. He reinforced a point by saying a lot of things were like airbags on cars, which do nothing to stop collisions. He said the way to stop collisions was to force everyone to pull out the airbag in the steering wheel and replace it with a spear point. That, he said, would stop drivers from taking so many chances.

That may have been the same show, long ago, when he said the best way to stop airline hijackings was to force everyone who boards the plane, crew included, to go through a metal detector. If you find anyone who isn't carrying a gun they must either accept a loaner handgun or they can't get on the plane. No more hijackings.

While his plan may have certain flaws related to training and the high incidence of drooling idiots in this world, there is some merit to the idea. It could work.

[chasfm11]

Yes, texting is horrible but, I can't imagine why you didn't fly out of Austin?

Me neither.

I don't know how things are now but I drove to Austin from DFW to fly to Washington State because the fare from DFW to the same destination was $300 per passenger higher. Saving $900 for my family was worth that drive and long term parking.

[RogueUSMC]

I can put my phone in "drive mode" and it will auto respond to the sender with a text telling them I'm driving and will reply soon. This is a manual process I must initiate. The manufactures could make this an automatic process using the already installed technology such as the GPS and accelerometer. Once the phone is moving at a certain rate of speed it could automatically switch into drive mode.

Passengers that are not driving could have a way to override this via a manual process that takes some effort. This would not be 100% effective but would be more effective than making more ineffective laws.

My phone is set to do this automatically when my phone connects to my truck. The only manual manipulation required is to turn it off I I desire it turned off...

[RogueUSMC]

*snip*...Until then, I'll rail against it.

BTW, I'm not for ineffective laws against texting and driving, I'm against texting and driving per se. however it can be stopped...*snip*

You really can't rail against Moms Demand because they use the same arguments against guns. We always talk about them not being in full control of rational thought. Those people are not in full control of their emotions and need temperament.

[mojo84]

I can put my phone in "drive mode" and it will auto respond to the sender with a text telling them I'm driving and will reply soon. This is a manual process I must initiate. The manufactures could make this an automatic process using the already installed technology such as the GPS and accelerometer. Once the phone is moving at a certain rate of speed it could automatically switch into drive mode.

Passengers that are not driving could have a way to override this via a manual process that takes some effort. This would not be 100% effective but would be more effective than making more ineffective laws.

My phone is set to do this automatically when my phone connects to my truck. The only manual manipulation required is to turn it off I I desire it turned off...

There are still many vehicles on the road that do not have Bluetooth. However, for those that do, it works the way you say if it is set up to do it.

It would be easy for phone manufactures to incorporate the automatic drive mode function using the accelerometer and/or GPS. That way our would not be dependent upon a Bluetooth enabled vehicle. The problem is which carrier or phone manufacturer wants to go first by forcing the issue and upsetting a certain number of its customers?

[gtolbert09]

That way our would not be dependent upon a Bluetooth enabled vehicle. The problem is which carrier or phone manufacturer wants to go first by forcing the issue and upsetting a certain number of its customers?

Actually Apple is working on a device (iPhone) that's disables hand held use based on an algorithm that uses speed, g-force and other physics. You either have to have a Bluetooth headset or a vehicle with Bluetooth in order to use the phone. To use the map, you need to key in the destination before you start driving, once you start moving, the ability to type is disabled.

Other manufactures are working similar technology that forces you to use voice to text while driving.

Yes I am employed by a major wireless company. ;)

[Abraham]

gtolbert09,

Very welcome news!

[apostate]

What about a kidnap victim in the trunk? What company is going to invite a wrongful death lawsuit because they blocked their call or text for help?