Texting while driving

[Black Mamba]

California drivers not complying with texting ban, AAA says

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_14975233?source=rss

"Moving violations typically require the (Department of Motor Vehicles) to impose a point, and there is little reason that this dangerous traffic violation should be treated differently than others," Bloch said.

Courts and juries are recognizing the danger of texting and driving, Bloch said.

In one case this month, Martin Kuehl, 42, of Costa Mesa, was sentenced to four years in prison for killing a pedestrian while texting and driving, Bloch said. The prosecutor used cell phone records and witness accounts to show that Kuehl was texting behind the wheel during the half hour leading to the fatal crash.

So is there a body count requirement to get stiffer sentences?

[SP01715]

I was in very heavy traffic this morning (in the rain) in San Diego, and the lady in front of me was applying makeup for a good 20 minutes. There needs to be a law against this as well. She was all over the road...

[October-1881]

I'm retired and throughout my commuting life have noticed everything from guys shaving to people reading books while they're driving. I text a lot and whether you are either sending or receiving a text, you're eyes are not on the road. I think the technology is available to make texting not workable while driving either with the cell companies or the auto industry. I firmly believe that fines should be heavy and include a loss of many points.

[Bill Bess]

How many more people will die just because our law makers fail to take action on this issue.
As far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't be able to use your cell phone while operating a motor vehicle period. Pull over and call.

[Ron61]

Bill,

With the exception of emergency vehicles, police, fire, & etc., I think all new vehicles should have a screen built in that will block any type of cell or text message as long as the motor is running. I have not seen a single person around here that even knows of anyone that has been stopped for talking or texting while driving. And there have been several minor accidents because of this and one major one. I would bet that if you watch the vehicles go by, two out of three will have a darn cell phone stuck in their ear and will be changing lanes without even looking. People managed to get by before cell phones and there is no reason they can't drive without them now.

Ron

[OZCOBRA]

In a recent Police blitz on Texting and mobile phone use in our local main street, plain clothes Officers acting as shoppers and pedestrians observed motorists using such equipment and relayed a vehicle description to officers further down and over a 4hr period in excess of 60 to around 100 people were fined around the $235 mark and lost 3 points as well.
Should be a regular event in our area.... it is fairly heavily policed on a daily basis anyway around here!!!!

[Ron61]

Originally Posted by OZCOBRA

In a recent Police blitz on Texting and mobile phone use in our local main street, plain clothes Officers acting as shoppers and pedestrians observed motorists using such equipment and relayed a vehicle description to officers further down and over a 4hr period in excess of 60 to around 100 people were fined around the $235 mark and lost 3 points as well.
Should be a regular event in our area.... it is fairly heavily policed on a daily basis anyway around here!!!!

I wish they would do that around here but they have laid off so many police and other people that they only respond to real emergencies. It seems that enforcement of any traffic laws here has taken a big drop as they just don't have the people any more to patrol the area. I am not sure how the CHP has fared but I don't see nearly as many patrol cars as I used to. And to top that off, they are tearing down the only doughnut shop that we had here. That last was just a joke for the LEOs, but they are tearing it down as the last people that took it over were shut down by the health department and now the old building is just a disaster.

Ron

[tcrist]

I agree with everything that has been said.

I think that after they passed the "no talking on the cell phone while driving" here in Ca the question came up about texting. They were talking about changing the law to "anything disctracting". That is too vague. They could ticket you for blowing your nose if they wanted (although they can probably do that anyway).

However, you need to get the police to stop using their cell phones while driving before the citizens should be required to stop. I see it all of the time here in central Ca. How can the police justify giving someone a ticket for something they are doing themselves.

[OZCOBRA]

Originally Posted by Ron61

And to top that off, they are tearing down the only doughnut shop that we had here. That last was just a joke for the LEOs, but they are tearing it down as the last people that took it over were shut down by the health department and now the old building is just a disaster.

Ron

There you go Ronnie.....That explains our boys enthusiasm down here Doughnuts at every 100yrd mark and I would say a Cafe or Burger shop in between those marks ....4hr limit on their blitz those boys couldn't eat anymore!!!

[Rick Parker]

How about unmarked cars in traffic focused on this. It would be a huge revenue generator for cities. Fewer Police layoffs too.

[Ron61]

Rick,

The CHP up here has a couple of plain white cars but they focus more on seat belts than anything. I have never heard of them giving out a ticket for using a cell phone. They may have, but the only people I talk to who seem to know a little about them call them the seat belt patrol. Most likely not true and certainly not fair to label them that way since they do have the authority ti issue tickets for any infraction.

Ron

[Maurice Johnson]

Hi Ron,

Not to hi-jack the topic, but how about this?
Yesterday, on a talk show here in Bermuda, the subject was about a police officer telling a young pedal cyclyst that he could not carry his girlfriend side-saddle on the cross bar of the cycle,
Appears that there is still a statute on our books that says no object which will impair the vision of the driver, or restrict his ability to control the vehicle, shall be ahead of the driver.
This has been on our books since 1946, which is the date our motor vehicle act was introduced.
Before you " 'merkins" built the base here in 1941, Bermuda didn't have motor vehicles, to speak of.

[Ron61]

Hi Maurice,

You never hijacked the thread. And I am starting to wish we didn't have so many motor vehicles here. Maybe we could send them to Bermuda. At least they seem to enforce their laws.

Ron

[SP01715]

Originally Posted by tcrist

I agree with everything that has been said.

I think that after they passed the "no talking on the cell phone while driving" here in Ca the question came up about texting. They were talking about changing the law to "anything disctracting". That is too vague. They could ticket you for blowing your nose if they wanted (although they can probably do that anyway).

However, you need to get the police to stop using their cell phones while driving before the citizens should be required to stop. I see it all of the time here in central Ca. How can the police justify giving someone a ticket for something they are doing themselves.

They are exempt.

[tcrist]

Oh, that figures. Do as we say not do as we do. Makes a lot of F-----G sense to me.

I'd better stop now, no political threads allowed. And rightly so.

[392cobra]

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.