Don’t text while walking. A woman walked off the end of a pier in Michigan while texting. Even though we are having an early spring, the water was still cold.
So I was taking a survey about possible new features for cars in the future and one of the features was to text you if your car was going over the speed limit. I guess it’s for when my buddy is borrowing my car I can see what a maniac he’s being.
But it seems to me that what will happen far more often is that it will text me WHILE I AM SPEEDING. And that is just the time when I need to be fishing for my phone, huh?
As a learning exercise for my 12teen daughter, with whom I’m already talking about and demonstrating driving facts, we played a texting demonstration.
I told her to landmark the point on the roadway when she began texting.
Then landmark her stopping point.
After which we retraced that route.
She was flabergasted / amazed at the sheer massive distance it took to text AND that she had no idea what transpired during that mile !
We’ll reiterate this lesson as she gets close to driving age " Remember, THAT’S why you don’t attempt to text while driving. "
two teens were killed when the 17 year old driver WHO WAS TEXTING slammed into the back of a stopped school bus…just happened a few weeks ago. was in all the local papers…and has made seemingly NO impression upon the teens I see driving and texting. Makes me want to stay home during any hours of the day that kids are out driving around
That’s because teenagers are immortal. “That won’t happen to me” is a very strongly-held belief at that age.
I was driving down I- 95 many years ago in the middle of the night and I see this car with a laptop on the passenger seat, and the driver keeps using it and doing something else as he drives along. he kept swerving, but whatever he was doing must have been real important. just like Some guy in his jeep that ran a red light while he was speeding well after the light changed.He was on an important phone call.
You shouldn’t text and drive, you shouldn’t be reading a book, or watching a movie while you drive on you on dash LCD panel. It’s debatable whether everyone can really talk on the phone and drive at the same time too, even hands free. Most transportation companies have it in their company policy that if you are transporting passengers, like driving a van or a bus, you are only allowed to talk with the passengers when needed, and you are not to chat with them while you’re driving, because it distracts you from driving.
Regardless of how great of a driver you think you are if you are distracted and not looking out the window, and paying attention to where you are and whats around you you may crash into something. While your eyes are looking at your phone, or whatever else, someone could change lanes in front of you, or pull out of a side street and then your going to have an accident.
“I’m sorry I ran over your kid when they ran out chasing their ball, but I was sending an important text.” Those aren’t words you wanna tell someone, or have to live with the rest of your life.
It’s be cool if they could make a jammer for phones so that when the car was in gear, only 911 could be called, and nothing received. Other than that, well, it’s silly that texting is as dangerous as drunk driving but the penalty is less.
It's be cool if they could make a jammer for phones so that when the car was in gear, only 911 could be called, and nothing received. Other than that, well, it's silly that texting is as dangerous as drunk driving but the penalty is less.
I wouldn’t.
There are many times where my wife and I are traveling together and I’m on the phone doing work while she’s driving and visa-versa.
I was watching the news in NH tonight and saw this news report about some kids from Londonderry NH. I don’t any of the kids or family. But I thought it was cool.
Hate to confess but I do text while driving. However, I’ve been driving for nearly 30 yrs and I know when it’s safe to do so. Here in Ontario, the cops are exempt from the cellphone ban and they use their phones and use their computers while driving as well. One set of rules for them and one set for the rest of us never sits well with me. Now teens with little driving experience definitely shouldn’t be using cellphones while driving.
Mike
Nice move on texting.
I have a iPhone that allows me to text using voice commands. but I don’t even do that one. I had the unfortunate experience of being involved in a 12 vehicle chain reaction accident. The lead vehicle was a honeymoon couple who were decapatated going under a jackknifed truck. I was the last vehicle and I only lost two teeth, but it was enough to encourage everyone to drive with care, not just when it seems it may be dangerous, but all the time.
“I’ve been driving for nearly 30 yrs and I know when it’s safe to do so”
I would love to know when it is safe to take one’s eyes off the road for extended periods of time while using both hands on the phone’s keyboard.
I’m sorry, but it is this type of misplaced overconfidence (the “I can do it safely, while others can’t do it safely” attitude) that leads to accidents. I can guarantee you that everyone involved in an accident while texting was equally convinced that he/she was able to drive safely while engaged in this activity.
Just like the people who are convinced that their superior driving skills allow them to drive faster than everyone else on the road, there are others who believe–wrongly–that they can drive safely while texting, even though it is dangerous for the rest of humanity.
I would love to know when it is safe to take one's eyes off the road for extended periods of time while using both hands on the phone's keyboard.
Couldn’t agree more. Many people THINK they drive safely while texting…but in reality they can’t. Sure there may not be many or even any cars around…but that doesn’t mean it can be done safely. Weaving in and out of your lane…NOT keeping your eyes on the road…NOT concentrating on the task at hand (aka DRIVING)…is NOT what I consider SAFE. Safe is a relative term. You may be able LIMIT your changes of getting in an accident by texting only on straight secluded road.
In my defence, the proof is in the pudding. I drive for a living so more than 160 hrs a month and nearly 40K miles annually. No accidents or close calls and I’ve had a cellphone since the early 90s. When there’s a will there’s a way. I use speech to text or swype. I can text without taking my eyes off the road.
Mike
In my defence, the proof is in the pudding. I drive for a living so more than 160 hrs a month and nearly 40K miles annually.
Just because you haven’t gotten in an accident YET. doesn’t mean you won’t…nor does it prove it’s NOT dangerous. Superman doesn’t exist…sorry.
I worked with a woman that would READ a book to and from work. Been doing it for years…Never had an accident…UNTIL she totaled her car and was in the hospital for 3 weeks…The cause of the accident was because she was READING while driving.
Be especially careful when driving while young or very old.
Ride a motorcycle to validate your ability to pay attention to your driving.
" I can text without taking my eyes off the road. " But the real problem is not where your eyes are but “Are you really paying full attention to your driving.?”
Driving is hard enough for most people based on the accidents I see, but then Cars are now advertising in dash computer, disaster waiting to happen.
I will text
But not while driving
Because I may not spell everything correctly