Was on a walk down to the beach this morning . . . on my way home, headed up the main street which leads to my house, I saw a lady veering off the road coming towards me. I was well on the sidewalk, but inched even further into someone’s yard. As she went by I noticed that she was looking at her phone and it looked like she was trying to type something!
What are people thinking? Our area is filled with walkers, bikers, kids, dogs, etc. It would only take a moment for something to go very wrong.
I will confess to texting at stoplights sometimes, but I’m stopping that too. It’s just gotten nuts. I’ve been on interstate 95 and seen people looking at their phones.
I’m all for personal freedom but aren’t there limits when you’re driving a 2000+ lb tube of steel, in public with other people around you?
I just don’t know how you would go about limiting it though.
If I happen to meet eyes with someone who is texting while driving I will shake my head at them. I’ve been known to shake a finger at them. It irritates me SOO much.
One of my best friends nieces got in an accident last May - 20 years old and she crossed the median on a highway - they haven’t said it allowed but I suspect texting due to what I have been told. She has been in hospital/rehab/nursing home in rough shape with some but very little physical progress for going on a year now. She did hit an elderly couple and the husband died as a result. It’s awful, awful, awful on all counts. No idea what her future holds physically, mentally or criminally.
Sadly I’m sure there are many stories like hers. PLEASE people, just use your bluetooth, call, pull over - whatever - what message is so darn important that you can’t do one of these things instead!?
Don’t hesitate to remind your kids, relatives, etc. about the dangers. Don’t accept that it’s “OK”. Share bad news stories you hear on the news. That is REAL.
One of my high school friends lost her mother and sister in law several years ago- their car was hit head on by someone texting and driving. My kids heard that story multiple times from me.
One thing I have noticed is that is is not only teens who do this. I see adults text and drive all of the time. Not exactly modeling good behavior.
people know smoking is really really really bad, and has zero upside but after generations of knowing this every day people start smoking. go to any high school parking lot and it is full of smokers. so texting and driving will probably never stop. unless people blue tooth text and receive messages. I will use blue tooth when I drive if someone calls me, but I never look away from my driving, I do not even look away when I answer, just press a button on the steering wheel.
Make it illegal AND enforce it. In California it is illegal to talk or text while driving without a hands free device. Do people still do it? Sure, but not nearly as much as in other states. A few of those $300 tickets and the message gets through.
My kids knew/know that if they are driving, their phones are not to be in their hands. Period. They’d lose the car and the phone. My kids know me and that I wouldn’t think twice about it. I also didn’t talk on the phone while driving even when legal, because it is not safe.
@Joblue Voice recognition and commands with Bluetooth. For example, asking Siri to read a new text, then replying with Siri. It’s not perfect. I’ve read that even with using voice commands the action takes some (of the brain’s) attention away from driving.
Technology that turns off your phone’s texting/messaging functions when you are in a car - only way to stop this is to make it physically/technologically impossible - however don’t see this happening.
My car displays on the screen if I got a text and will read it to me. I can text using my voice too. It isn’t perfect , but it is a step in the right direction.
The police in our city have really cracked down on texting. If they see you with your phone and you are the driver they will give you a ticket even if you are stopped at a stop light when they see you with the phone. They are trying to get the message out that you should not use the phone at all when you are the driver. While I don’t know if it has helped there are plenty of people talking about it here.
What about gps? I use gps on my phone and I’ve gotten plenty of dirty looks when I’ve held up my phone to glance at the map. It is legal in California to use the gps apps on an iPhone while driving.
That’s a good point not telling…I don’t text while I am driving but I do hold my phone sometimes and I could be touching apps that could be just as much of a distraction as texting is…my music from my phone connects either through blue tooth or iPhone so I don’t need to do anything that would be different that changing a radio station
Agreed. In Ontario, it is against the law to even have your phone in your hand at a stoplight. If you’re in the driver’s seat, no phones and you must use a hands-free system. GPS? Nope.
The fines here are $490 and if you fight it in court, the fine can be increased to as much as $1000. Plus 3 demerit points. We have a graduated licensing process here, so if you are a novice driver, in addition to the fine, your license will be suspended for 30 days for a first occurrence, 90 days for a second, and license cancellation for a third.
I attach my phone to the car window for GPS.
I can say “OK google - navigate to…”
Once in a while I touch the phone. But it’s safer than holding the phone on your hand and text.
A first step would be an app built into all phones to put phone into “driving” mode. People could text you and leave texts but the notification function for texts, calls, emails and other notifications would be turned off (similar to airplane mode but just the touch of an app button, you could make it look like a steering wheel) . They would be left a pre recorded message that you are driving and unable to send or receive messages but their message will be recorded. Once you reach your destinations you turn off the app and everything works the way it is supposed to. Even those of us with the best intentions can get distracted by an incoming call text etc. Perhaps a further enhancement would be to tie it to the gps and if the phone senses it is going over a specific speed it would automatically turn on the app.