Lawmakers to propose ban on driving while texting

CRedskinsRule

Whatever. Ban eating, having kids in the car, and changing radio stations while driving. Also, Md's law which just was passed makes exceptions for GPS devices, so you can type in addresses while you drive.

Also, and this is a serious question to any who know - how do they prove this? do they have to get your cell records and show that messages were sent or received at the same time as the stop.
Or is it a case of guilty because the officer said so, until you go to court with those records to show you were not texting. It's even harder to prove/disprove than seatbelts.

Matty, my phone for example lets me cut and paste, so if i want to say I'm 10min away, I can cut that with a long press, and send with 3 clicks on my phone. could i pull off the side of the road, and send the text and merge back on, yes, but a lot of texts are simple quick, and no more distracting than having a kid eating in the back seat.

mredskins

I think it is a great law because texting distracts you.

This morning coming to work I am stopped at red light and look over and see a young lady (attractive caught my eye) texting. We were right next to each other at the light she though is in the turn lane. The light turns green and I go forward she didn't get the arrow because she came to late but she must have seen out of the corner of her eye my car rolling and decide to go. SMASH! She ran right into the on coming traffic. It was pretty minor since they had not built up any speed but still it was dangerous situation. Oh by the way she had her 4 month old in the back.

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Mattyk

Maybe I'm just not as technically proficient at texting as others, but I would find it to be extremely distracting and it's something I honestly wouldn't even attempt to do.

That said I am guilty of flipping through my iPod.

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CRedskinsRule

and so you are positive that the texting was the factor, and not something that the 4 month old may have done. Again, how does that get proven? How do you know it was a 4 month old? did you stop to help - if so kudos to you, and I am glad no one was hurt.

edit: and if texting was the cause, regardless of a new law, wouldn't she still be charged with negligence and careless driving? If she is in Md which now has the law, did it help prevent her from her actions?

mredskins

^ she was texting I was watching and didn't even realize she had the child in the car until I got out to help. Which was all of two seconds becasue it was not much of anything more then bent bumbers.

Texting while driving is not safe, period. So regardless of a law or not I don't do it for my safety, my child's safety and your families safety.

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CRedskinsRule

again kudos for getting out and helping.

And glad that you don't text.

Just not keen on the federal aspect of forcing the law, or the legal aspect of having police enforce this law. If they want an education campaign, that's fine and great. Please don't think I am saying it should be encouraged, only that there are many and diverse distractions that are not illegal, but still dumb, and this one is nearly impossible to prove or defend.

mredskins

Agreed, just like the seat belt law but I will tell you what my in laws now always buckle up and it was only because of that law. If the texting law comes into effect and it saves one person from being killed or hurt then I think it is a win.

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mredskins

Oh and let me say this yes there are other distractions in the car but texting is a distracting that can last the entire trip. My co-workers daughter (17) had 5500 texts in a month on her bill last month, that is insane!

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CRedskinsRule

That's a pretty low threshhold for a law being passed. I can think of a lot of things that don't meet it - see the tanning booth thread.

As for the teen girl texting, that seems like a more appropriate law is no one person is allowed to text more then 10x's their age in a month.

mredskins

If that one life was yours or a loved ones I bet you would not think that is a low threshold. Again, Iagree it is a nearly impossible law to enforce but it is a real problem.

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CRedskinsRule

Actually, I would mourn, I would sue them for reckless driving under existing laws but no I would not agree that the government should pass laws with that as the basic premise.

And to be fair, the argument is not that it will save one life, but that it is statistically more dangerous then other similar distractions.

Find a way not to have invasive enforcement of it, and I will hush.

Trample the Elderly

Your rights end where mine begin. I have to watch out for young ding-bats from running me off the road everyday on 64. It happens. They usually have a cell phone and I'm going to make a huge assumption here and say, if they're looking down into their crotch, it's because they're texting their young ding-bat friends.

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GhettoDogAllStars

That's the real thing here. There are already laws which prohibit non-attentive driving. Don't know what they are, but basically if you're being unsafe you can be ticketed. Seems unnecessary, but hey, whatever gets your constituents fired up!

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