I think this is awesome! Not that the man died, but that this is being taken seriously finally: Massachusetts Teen Aaron Deveau Found Guilty in Landmark Texting While Driving Case - Yahoo!
I agree with you that he should have been convicted. Having written many a police report, the charge of "Homicide by Texting" just struck me as funny. Jim
Preaching to the choir. Every time I see some yahoo on their cell phone (texting, reading emails, what ever) I imagine myself having a giant cartoon hand that I am able to reach out and ***** slap the offender with.
There was recently a case that I think was in NJ where the person that had texted a person that read the text while driving and subsequently caused a wreck was sued as well as the person that actually caused the accident. The argument was that the person that sent the text was contributory in the accident. Thankfully this was thrown out. Full Article
That would be ridiculous... you don't know what someone is doing when you text them. It's up to them to be responsible and not respond when it's unsafe.
A recent case here in Missouri, a 16 y/o girl was convicted of texting while driving, the woman she hit died at the scene.....she was convicted of manslaughter but was given 5 years probation, and her license was revoked for that period too. The text time corresponded exactly with the time when she hit the oncoming car, so it was easy to prove, that and the skid makrs where she lost control of course......in this case the right wheels went off the side of the road and she overcorrected trying to get back on - hard enough to do with 2 hands when you know what you're doing, let alone when you're a 16 y/o girl with limited driving experience and a cell phone in one hand! In Missouri, it's only against the law to text and drive if you're under 21! They also had a case a few years ago where a person died after he hit the back of a MODOT truck on the highway - he was on the cell phone talking to someone ....can you imagine being on the other end of that call when he hit that truck? what if it was your SO you were talking to?
All these things make my argument even stronger of leaving my phone in my purse when I'm driving. When I get to where I'm going I will text you back or call you back. WTF did we do before cell phones? :mad2:
I don't really like testing but I tried on my drive way once, it si 3/4 mile long and the trees tried to run out in front of me. I won't even read them while driving much less send one. Now if the kids are in the car they become the texter and reader.....
I don't understand why we have to be available to the world every moment of our lives either.....that said, it's a generational thing I think, and I feel like I'm the dinosaur and the ice age is rapidly approaching...... I ignore my phone unless I'm not driving, and texting is so difficult on my "dumb" phone that I don't even attempt it sitting on my couch at home - I think that's a good thing....
I remember my dad driving with one hand, while swatting at my sister and I in the back seat. Good times, good times! Dave
Yes but BIG EFFIN air horns work better. Or if I see someone being an idiot i wait until we get to a light and I get thier attention and tell them they have a tire going flat. (very low, I would pull over and check it) This way they hang up, pull over and get out to look as I drive away with them far behind me. Classic :lol::lol::lol::lol::devil:
hehe.....I've done that! Only it was for cutting me off. Figured it was funner than flipping them off.
I like that idea Dave! :lol: I love texting, I probably do it too much, but it keeps me awake at work. But in my car, the phone is in the purse, and I answer it for no one. I don't even look that way. Nothing is so important that it can't wait 20-30 minutes. I have a hard enough time somedays keeping an eye out for the Dodge Rams and the semis that think MINI May is invisible and try to merge into me. I can't imagine doing that while talking/texting!
The problem with distracted/drunk driving is that on a day to day basis driving is too easy. I have no numbers but many people text/drink while driving every hour of every day, most make it home safe. Do it enough times and people think they are able to do it without issue. They think they are above average. If there is a close call, it was the other guy. This is one of the reasons I hate the work multitask, it lulls people into thinking they can do two plus tasks at the same time equally well but they can't. See this Cracked article (yes it's a comedy site but they do quote their sources when mentioning studies)) 5 Scientific Reasons You're a Bad Employee | Cracked.com It's like a little kid, say he is climbing a the bookshelf in the living room. You tell him to get down, that he will fall and hurt himself. Well he has done it a few times before without you seeing him, so he "knows" he won't fall. All this to say I am glad there is more and more awareness out there, hopefully the message gets through to some. Last thing check these videos out. First is a PSA (bit gory NSFW) [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9krX9fHAfHM]Don't Text and Drive - YouTube[/ame] Second is just some random crashes, causes varied. Most of up don't see crashes actually happen all that often. Just a reminder to always pay attention. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQkRZrPV3hs]Cars on the road Compilation 2012 - YouTube[/ame]