Comments on: We Know Better, But We Text While Driving Anyway

By: Mike LaBonte

Mike LaBonte — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:57:36 +0000

Adria is right, the focus should be on finding solutions. But drphil has a good point about the question of whether to allow texting at the side of the road. Doing so will surely increase the accident rate as people get in and out of traffic, and find poor places to stop.

As to the story by Sacha Pfeiffer, I take issue with her position that texting on the highway is worst, with no evidence to support the assertion. We need some journalism here.

If technology is going to offer a solution, maybe it will be 100% hands free voice activated texting. But some people insist there should be zero distractions, in which case there should be no such thing as a car with 2 or more seats.

By: Adria

Adria — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:07:28 +0000

That’s great that we all agree that texting while drive is a huge concern, but the discuss needs to be around viable solutions to ceasing this idiotic behavior. Recently becoming a mother has changed my behavior while driving, even though I never texted and always used an earpiece. What does it take to change behavior? That is the issue. Parents need to discuss with their kids and friends need to stop friends. I hang up on friends who drive while on cell phone. The buck stops with ourselves.

By: john chin

john chin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:41:02 +0000

there is no reason at all for people to be texting while driving. Many drivers don’t drive well anyway and adding any distractions just magnifies the situations. Human beings cannot repaired like cars.

By: Slack

Slack — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:17:52 +0000

I know better and guess what, I don’t text while driving. And I guess it comes as no surprise that such a law has had no impact in other states, as another poster noted. That’s because it’s virtually impossible to enforce, until after the fact. So really what it amounts to is something else to charge a driver with after the accident. Soon, checking phone records of every driver with a cellphone in his or her possession at the time of a crash will be commonplace. What’s amazing is that enough people are doing this that others feel we need a law to curb it. Can’t legislate common sense, folks.

By: Harold

Harold — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:08:42 +0000

In good weather I ride a bike to work 12 miles each way but to be honest I worry more about distracted drivers than drunk drivers. If a distracted driver hits another car the damage is usually minor, hitting a bicyclist is a whole other story.

And being a bicyclist I a have a good vantage point from which to observe behavior. This is going to sound sexist but on my way home between 5 and 7 PM I would estimate that 40-50% of women are on their mobile devices, the percentage for men is much less. And the percentage of texters versus talkers gets worse by the month, texting is so much more dangerous.

By: Brock Bose

Brock Bose — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:35:52 +0000

The fact that we are even discussing this is direct evidence of how irrational people can be. Driving is a privilege, not a right. It has been demonstrated that people can not drive and text safely. That is it, end of discussion. If you want to text, ride a bus or take a train. If you get caught doing it, you should be heavily fined, and repeat offenders should have their licenses revoked.

By: Peter Petraitis

Peter Petraitis — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:31:01 +0000

We have a couple of generations of young people who were never told ‘no’. They also grew up with electronic nannies. They do not get other human beings nor want to. They live only for themselves. They are autistic emotionally stunted unempathetic Reaganites. They will be the undoing of the human race.

By: drphil

drphil — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:36:13 +0000

The real question should be : no texting or allowing it while stopped, on the side of the road! The 2nd option would be more complicated, but may be necessary.

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:01:47 +0000

My wife was recently badly injured by a 20 year old who drove into her on a straight road in broad daylight on dry roads. Was he texting? Don’t know for sure, but I’d bet on it. I’d like to see him do a year in jail for the suffering he has caused us.

By: Barron Laycock

Barron Laycock — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:24:42 +0000

I think it is easy to misunderstand the statistics quoted in the referenced article about laws not having an effect on accident rates. Until people actually stop based on someone being vigorously prosecuted for .rtexting while driving and having caused a serious accident, no one will pay much attention. But it is so obvious that having your attention diverted by texting is dangerous that it should just be common sense to avoid doing so. The fact that people do not stop or refrain is a reflection of just how reckless and cavalier people have become about life and death issues and personal safety. We are existing in dream worlds, barely apying attention to the world around us, and some of us are going to violently surprised when some idiot crashes into us while texting.

By: Mike LaBonte

Mike LaBonte — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:44:22 +0000

This story had some bias in the way it was reported, and it overlooked an interesting recent study indicating that text messaging bans in 4 states have so far had no effect at all:

http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr012910.html

Including that info, and sticking to facts, is just journalism. That said, I concur that playing with any gadget while driving has to have negative effects on safety.

For an interesting followup story, you might try to look up accident history statistics for the portions of I-93 in Andover and highway 3 in Tyngsboro, both just south of the New Hampshire border. Since the NH texting ban went into effect, my sense is that there has been an increase in accidents just south of the NH/MA border, where NH commuters all pull out their phones in the same area, as soon as they enter Massachusetts.

By: mike

mike — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:38:02 +0000

“a highway is a safe place to send a text” – Wow!
What happened to common sense?

When traveling behind another car, just by viewing their driving, I can always tell if a person is on the phone or texting. When I pass them, I look over and sure enough they have their phone in their hand.

As rich said below, these people are very selfish.

By: John

John — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:03:50 +0000

The punishments should be as severe as those for drunk drivers.

By: TrySafetyFirst

TrySafetyFirst — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:32 +0000

Technology is the only real solution to this problem. Bans and education may stop 40-50% which is a nice start, but the last time I checked was a really bad failing grade on any exam. See Video eblow for a 95% solution:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0kdmDXhkC8

Please understand driving is not a right, it is a privilege and we all have a responsibility to keep our roads as safe as possible. Each time there is an accident, we all pay for it. How do you think insurance rates are determined and who do think pays for the attending officers and fire rescue teams?

By: rich1234

rich1234 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:50:03 +0000

Texting while driving is the most selfish act, just because one feels so important that one can’t even take some consideration of the safety of the other drivers. If they want to kill themselves, go jump a bridge. Both texting and talking on the cell phone while driving should be band forever and there should be a harsh punishment to the offenders- such as life in prison.