# Texting while driving..........



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I'm sure that you all have heard of this by now. I'm thinking of all the lives lost and lives effected by what the 20 yr. old driver did. I can't imagine having to live with that for the rest of my life.

I'd like to think that others who text while driving will take it to heart and change their habits. They won't though.

Witness: Truck driver in Texas crash that killed 13 was texting


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

I would see him charged with thirteen counts of second degree murder, along with a few other charges, and let him rot in prison for the rest of his life.

Here is the problem with this. We tend to think that so-called vehicle accidents are accidents, when in fact they are deliberate, premeditated actions which result in dire and horrendous consequences. A car that hits another vehicle while running a red light or stop sign is not an accident. The driver meant to run that signal. It was a deliberate action on his part.

Same thing with this driver in question. He was texting. He deliberately and with premeditation, directed his attention to something other than controlling his vehicle. That is NOT an accident. We need to stop pussy footing around with people who do these things and call their actions what they really are.


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

Commuting in the Phoenix area, I see this pretty much every day.
Along with people eating cereal from a bowl, putting make up on, and blow drying their hair.
This multi-tasking is not the answer.
Concentrate on the one thing you are doing, and you do it better.


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

SouthernBoy said:


> I would see him charged with thirteen counts of second degree murder, along with a few other charges, and let him rot in prison for rest of his life.
> 
> Here is the problem with this. We tend to think that so-called vehicle accidents are accidents, when in fact they are deliberate, premeditated actions which result in dire and horrendous consequences. A car that hits another vehicle while running a red light or stop sign is not an accident. The driver meant to run that signal. It was a deliberate action on his part.
> 
> Same thing with this driver in question. He was texting. He deliberately and with premeditation, directed his attention to something other than controlling his vehicle. That is NOT an accident. We need to stop pussy footing around with people who do these things and call their actions what they really are.


And the same goes for street racers who kill while racing on public streets.


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

I was thinking about that crash yesterday. I was approaching a green light but I noticed people stopped in the lanes next to me, so I stopped, thinking maybe an elderly person was crossing. Nope...a young guy around 20 staring at his phone, texting, crossing on a red light; he didn't even know it was red.

I doubt he will still be here next year....


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

win231 said:


> I was thinking about that crash yesterday. I was approaching a green light but I noticed people stopped in the lanes next to me, so I stopped, thinking maybe an elderly person was crossing. Nope...a young guy around 20 staring at his phone, texting, crossing on a red light; he didn't even know it was red.
> 
> I doubt he will still be here next year....


That is a horn honkable offense.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Driving is a privilege, NOT a right. 

We as a nation and a society, need to get tough, very tough, on those that abuse that privilege.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

win231 said:


> And the same goes for street racers who kill while racing on public streets.


I agree. Add to that drunk driver's and a host of other "causes".

BTW, I used to street race a lot when I was young. It was what we did (this was in the 60's). I learned my lesson and fortunately never hurt anyone or destroyed any property. It was foolish then and it's foolish now.


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## JoeH (Mar 6, 2017)

It's bad enough with people not moving when the light turns green, especially when it's a left turn arrow. I've never used my horn so often as this past year.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

SouthernBoy said:


> I agree. Add to that drunk driver's and a host of other "causes".
> 
> BTW, I used to street race a lot when I was young. It was what we did (this was in the 60's). I learned my lesson and fortunately never hurt anyone or destroyed any property. It was foolish then and it's foolish now.


Me, too. My hot-rodding during my teen years seriously risked my life, and many others, on more occasions than I care to think about. I believed, at the time, that I could escape any situation with my superior skills. Reflecting back on those days, I am thankful that I didn't kill anyone. If I had, I believe I would have submitted to whatever the justice system handed out, and still not have felt like I had been punished enough.

People who text and drive should be treated the same as drinking/drunk drivers.


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## Blackhawkman (Apr 9, 2014)

State Govts should make it Illegal to TXT and drive, Jeesh! Period!


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Blackhawkman said:


> State Govts should make it Illegal to TXT and drive, Jeesh! Period!


We don't need any special laws for texting or any other thing of the sort, here. Failure to pay full attention to one's driving is already a violation.


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## almanor (Jun 15, 2013)

Many states have anti cell phone while driving laws including texting. Works almost as well as gun laws keeping the streets safe. Oh I know!!! lets pass a few hundred new laws and that will keep stupid people from texting. Ya that will work this time. I still think cars should have a cell jammer that blocks cell phone transmissions when the car is in gear. Or maybe just a screen in the body that blocks radio in the cell range. Sure piss a bunch of cell junkies off though.


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## Argon18smith (Nov 4, 2016)

Already against the law in Canada with an average $500 fine but a lot of good it does. As almanor says, works as good as gun laws. We are also still working on stopping drinking and driving.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

People believe that they are the one who is good enough to do it safely, texting while driving, texting while walking, I even know of a girl getting knocked off her horse while she was texting. Only if they only hurt themselves.


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## Babbalou1956 (Sep 2, 2014)

13 counts of vehicular homicide should land him in prison for life, without parole. Texting while driving is still legal in Texas but hopefully that changes soon. So many times now I have to honk at green lights because texters aren't watching. Or swerve to keep from getting hit. I drive past & see them staring at their phones. Most look under 30.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

Texas already has distracted drive laws on the books. They just have to start enforcing them.


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## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

Lost a 8 month old Toyota RAV 4 to a texting while driving 28 year old jerk. Country two lane road 10:30 in the morning. I stopped for a Woman in a ditch on the other side of the road. I pulled off the road onto a wide shoulder and turned my emergency flashers on. This idiot was texting like mad (witnessed by three other people) and crashed into the back of my car totaling it. Cost me $2700.00 out of pocket to buy a new car. He got a $210.00 inattentive driving fine.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

Video of pick up truck prior to accident
https://www.yahoo.com/news/video-driver-swerving-crash-texas-112441797.html


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## SamBond (Aug 30, 2016)

SouthernBoy said:


> I agree. Add to that drunk driver's and a host of other "causes".
> 
> BTW, I used to street race a lot when I was young. It was what we did (this was in the 60's). I learned my lesson and fortunately never hurt anyone or destroyed any property. It was foolish then and it's foolish now.


I used to street drag race back when hot rods were hot rods and lots of people had them.
I lived in a small town with other small towns near by.
We had 1/4 mile 'strips' marked off on four different deserted roads OUT OF TOWN away from houses and traffic.
No one ever got hurt. Well, one guy did blow a clutch and debris cut his leg.

These days street racing has a bad name cause idiots do it in populated areas and on city streets and such.
That's criminal.
What we did was nothing but country boy living running the cars We Built. Sometimes the police would come tell us to cut it out.

Safe street drag racin is gone for ever. The idiots ruined it. (See the reason above).

BTW, don't text and drive, that'll get somebody killed... Same with talking on the phone.

Sam


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## wirenut (Dec 16, 2015)

Problem this day and age people think they are entitled to do what they want and when they want, because there are no consequences .
There is little enforcement and small fines for their actions.
I don't care if you have been doing these actions for years, you just haven't had your number come up and you don't have the right to put my friends and family in danger just because of your me, me, me attitude.
if your kill yourself because of your attitude that's fine with me just don't involve me or any other innocent person going about their everyday life...
Thanks for the rant....


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## Blackhawkman (Apr 9, 2014)

Argon18smith said:


> Already against the law in Canada with an average $500 fine but a lot of good it does. As almanor says, works as good as gun laws. We are also still working on stopping drinking and driving.


Good Idea! Hit 'em where it hurts, the wallet!


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

This jerk killed 25 people (including himself) because he was texting while driving a train. At least he got what he deserved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chatsworth_train_collision


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Lack of training .. texting and driving. More training. These are sober people who are driving, but lack the skill to text while driving, equals more training. Texting and driving is very complicated. 
Turning the radio channel while driving was hard enough. Tuning in your favorite channel and then looking up, uh oh, crash


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## wirenut (Dec 16, 2015)

pic said:


> Lack of training .. texting and driving. More training. These are sober people who are driving, but lack the skill to text while driving, equals more training. Texting and driving is very complicated.
> Turning the radio channel while driving was hard enough. Tuning in your favorite channel and then looking up, uh oh, crash


I'm confused, are you saying it is fine to text and drive if you have enough training??


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

The vehicles today have gps systems, radios, cd systems, cruise controls, Bluetooth. Etc. 
I don't expect you're going to eliminate texting or using any built in devices that are a distraction.
Texting is a part of the big distraction issue with all this new tech built into vehicles.
Same as owning a gun, training, training, training,. 
Everybody wants to blame texting, I text , but use the Bluetooth to minimize distractions, I will pull over into a parking lot to text, not the side of the road..
Some can understand how to properly use all these extras that come with a vehicle.
Some need the proper training to use, Bluetooth , gps. 
I agree that texting adds to a tech toy as a major distraction.
It drives me crazy when my wife starts to program the gps while driving.

i believe there should be an overall training program incorporated into your ability to achieve a drivers license.


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## moosejaa (Jun 22, 2019)

I see people texting and driving all the time lately, speed inconsistency, weaving...

Amazing that more students are killed every 2 weeks than all of the mass shootings over the last 5 years combined yet all you hear about is gun violence.

What's the bigger issue?

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/op...cle_656fac08-3133-11e8-8e16-43d6e7bc04b5.html

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## Goldwing (Nov 5, 2014)

I drive like I used to ride my Goldwings, like every other vehicle is purposely trying to kill me.
I have mega candle power LED lights on my Grand Cherokee that makes it appear like a UFO is coming when I hit the switches. I have used them several times in broad daylight to alert vehicles approaching a head-on collision with me. I have also gone as far as using my hands free phone to talk to the dispatcher so they can direct squad cars into position to bust these oblivious, self important, ass wipes, I have also signed complaints as a witness so the dinks can be prosecuted.
The cops I have spoken to are very aware of the problem and seem to appreciate the info.

GW


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Goldwing said:


> ...I have also gone as far as using my *hands free phone* to talk to the dispatcher so they can direct squad cars into position to bust these oblivious, self important, ass wipes...[emphasis added]


Remember that even a hands-free phone is a distraction, while you're driving.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Too many distractions that occur while driving to even begin to count. If your eyes are off the road, you are at risk.

Too many drivers take driving for granted. It really can be a life or death activity.


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