Nine in 10 Americans say ban texting while driving

Reuters

Council Member
Jun 2, 2007
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ninety-one percent of Americans believe sending text messages while driving is as dangerous as driving after having a couple of drinks, but 57 percent admit to doing it, a poll released Tuesday said.

Reuters
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
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Oshawa ON
I saw a recent stat (and how they arrive at these things is worthy of an investigation on its own): driving while texting is equivalent in danger to a driver who's reached the legal blood-alcohol level. (Now, of course, this varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction - natch!)
A texting driver is asking for trouble. And if it arrives it's likely other drivers - who had and used their brains - will be involved. It's a self-centred, stupid thing to do but like cellphone use - which is rampant while driving in this area - how are you to contain it unless there's a law? Appealling to common sense ain't working. Because it is, like they say, uncommon.
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
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Location, Location
I don't know why you have to specifically ban something that is
already against the law (driving without due care & attention)
and
so utterly stupid in the first place

Who taught these people to drive?

When my kids are old enough to start driving, if there is such a thing as texting by then, I will tell them that if I ever catch them doing something that stupid, they will lose the car for a month. What's wrong with people?
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
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Toronto
I regularly look at porn on my cell phone while I zoom along on the ttc, it's a great distraction. :)
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
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Well, that explains everything! One hand on the cellphone, one in your lap and none on the wheel. Makes me understand all those happy faces I see in traffic.
 

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
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Minnesota: Gopher State
I don't know why you have to specifically ban something that is
already against the law (driving without due care & attention)



A good lawyer will convince a jury that the law is too vague and that a driver is not under legal notice to avoid such a hazardous situation under those circumstances.
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
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As usual it comes down to enforcement. There are a lot more people using seatbealts because of education, nagging of warning lights and buzzers and of course cops checking for it so they can level a healthy fine.

Maybe new cars should be built with a signal jamming device that works when the car is running.
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
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Oshawa ON
Enforcement. That is the card. It's routine here to see drivers driving while using cellphones. Maybe it's the water here, maybe it's the geography, maybe it's the generally low IQ spawned by me-culture and a child-first paradigm. There's only one way these folks are going to put their toys away.
A good law and good enforcement to back it up.
 

Tonington

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Oct 27, 2006
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I saw a recent stat (and how they arrive at these things is worthy of an investigation on its own): driving while texting is equivalent in danger to a driver who's reached the legal blood-alcohol level. (Now, of course, this varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction - natch!)
A texting driver is asking for trouble. And if it arrives it's likely other drivers - who had and used their brains - will be involved. It's a self-centred, stupid thing to do but like cellphone use - which is rampant while driving in this area - how are you to contain it unless there's a law? Appealling to common sense ain't working. Because it is, like they say, uncommon.

I've also seen that driving while talking on a cell phone is worse than a couple of drinks, never heard the texting one but that makes sense as well. While driving your focus should be on the road, not what aisle you have to head down at the grocery store to pick up something requested for supper at home.