Texting and Driving Tragedies

[Mike Lamb]

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2964

[AHI in AR]

Thanks for posting that. I've sent it to my 17 y.o. son.

[John Dirks Jr]

That presentation is very well done. I'm passing it on to my son and his friends. Heck, I'm passing it on to everyone.

[Mark P]

A 16 years old girl was killed less then a mile from my house a few weeks ago. She was driving on a icy road and apperantly another girl was steering while the driver was texting and doing her hair. They hit a pole and now the young cheerleader is dead.

[Jim Morrison]

My wife, sons, and I were taking the train to Fenway Park about a year and a half ago. Our train was stopped when the 19 year old driver of the train behind us rammed into us, knocking us 100 feet down the track. He didn't see us because he was texting his girlfriend.

My wife was carried out on a stretcher, while I walked my intermittently crying sons alongside her through the jet-black tunnel to the nearest station where we could get aboveground.

The three of us got a little banged up, but my wife is still recovering from her injuries. Other people were hurt worse than we were.

Just about everyone I know has sent a text message while driving. I know I have, but I haven't done it since that night.

[randynavarro]

I agree that texting while driving is dangerous; however, I used to find myself in much more dangerous situations while wrestling the Thomas Guide trying to find a street address.

It's not clear to me while texting and/or cell phoning while driving are banned.

[Jim Morrison]

I agree that texting while driving is dangerous; however, I used to find myself in much more dangerous situations while wrestling the Thomas Guide trying to find a street address.

It's not clear to me while texting and/or cell phoning while driving are banned.

To your first point, get a Garmin, they talk you through the directions as you drive. Very safe.

To your second, well, never mind.

[Tom Raymond]

The bans are not to protect us from our own stupidity, or from the stupidity of others. They limit the liability of the equipment manufacturers and the service providers. We go along with them because some small margin of us will be saved from harm, and some greater margin of us are afraid to break the law. Here's hoping that the folks I know and care about are in that small margin to be spared.

[randynavarro]

I agree that texting while driving is dangerous; however, I used to find myself in much more dangerous situations while wrestling the Thomas Guide trying to find a street address.

It's not clear to me while texting and/or cell phoning while driving are banned.

To your first point, get a Garmin, they talk you through the directions as you drive. Very safe.

I've used Garmin for about 8 years now. Notice I said used to in the post.

To your second, well, never mind.

It appears you've missed my point. Why don't they ban the use of Thomas Guides, eating cereal, putting on makeup, etc.? Why are they specifically targeting cell phones?

[Jim Morrison]

I agree that texting while driving is dangerous; however, I used to find myself in much more dangerous situations while wrestling the Thomas Guide trying to find a street address.

It's not clear to me while texting and/or cell phoning while driving are banned.

To your first point, get a Garmin, they talk you through the directions as you drive. Very safe.

I've used Garmin for about 8 years now. Notice I said used to in the post.

To your second, well, never mind.

It appears you've missed my point. Why don't they ban the use of Thomas Guides, eating cereal, putting on makeup, etc.? Why are they specifically targeting cell phones?

I apologize for missing your point. Next time, you might try stating it.

The reasons that texting while driving is banned are -or should be- pretty self-evident.

Why using Thomas Guides, eating cereal, putting on make-up, or scratching your nether regions (none of which was mentioned when you were making your original 'point') aren't also banned is a question I can't answer. Perhaps you should write your congresspeople?

[Mike Lamb]

I don’t know why me talking on the phone while driving is more distracting than just talking to someone with me in the car but it is. It creates an inattention I can’t explain. I do know I have missed turns on familiar streets and been in near accidents while talking on a cell phone.

[kurt]

The fact that most folks talk on the phone while holding it should provide a clue. You've only got one hand on the wheel.

You can talk to folks in the car without looking; you can't dial a phone without looking.

Several municipalities have laws saying you can't eat, read, or put on makeup while driving. Folks do it anyway.

Texting while driving should be self evident. It takes two hands and you have to look @ the device.

I've got a hands free headset for my phone.

[randynavarro]

Doing distracting things while driving has always been illegal. Phoning and texting falls right in to the category of things distracting. Why does it get special treatment? Are there more accidents as a result of texting than doing other dumb things while driving?

I don't like it when lawmakers try to execute some sort of social/cultural agenda through legislation. Kind of like the outcry against SUV's: newer model full size Suburbans are getting 15-18 m.p.h. My Astro Van gets 14 m.p.h. My wife's Uplander mini-van gets 16-18 m.p.h.

There's no public outrage against mini-vans. . . or work trucks. . . or full size vans.

Edit: mabye it's getting too political. If so, my bad. . .