Texting

[Brimfield]

And more and more cars come out with distracting screens and toys. Now cars have automatic braking, just watch people count on that and drive like bigger idiots.

 

[Don87]

I came up behind a farm tractor, while driving my tractor trailer on a two lane road a few weeks ago. I had to follow him for about a mile or so. He kept swerving from the ditch to over center of the roadway. Two cars coming the opposite direction had to swerve to avoid him.

As he was turning into his driveway........I saw him texting away on his phone.

 

[Dr Dave]

After work one night at 11:30, I was at a red light, the guy next to me was texting. When the light turned green he sat there and kept texting. The car behind him honked, he ignored the car and kept texting. Then the car behind him, turned on his red lights and siren. He then went through a red light and was pulled over, I laughed so hard, I just had to pull over and watch, him get a ticket.

Dave

 

[3930dave]

This problem goes way beyond active use of a phone.

I've noticed many people walking off sidewalks in front of a car, or doing the same in a parking lot. Some are young, wearing hoodies, but also many older folk too. 60+ years and older, most still seem to retain the basics from Grade 1 in school - Look Both Ways.

Most of this problem comes from refusing to make eye contact. Won't get into what that says about our "evolving" society now, but I believe it does tie into all the modern "communication" technology that most use - it definitely has changed behaviour, even when the phone is off.

The people I'm talking about are not using a phone at all. Of the hundreds+ I've seen, perhaps one or 3 individuals were using a bluetooth device I didn't notice, and were listening to a call w/o speaking. But I doubt it.

Walking in front of a fast moving multi-ton object w/o looking - strikes me as lemming like behaviour.

Rgds, D.

 

[oosik]

I never have wondered about folks who were texting, talking etc while driving. What I always wonder is how so many people who can't walk & chew gum could get a drivers license. And then they drive and text - its no wonder. I know they can put devices in cars that will deactivate cell phones while the car is in motion. It must be that the cell phone companies & auto manufacturers do not give a SH-T about human life. I'm 71 so when I was young we did not have any of these modern electronic devices - - lord, its really strange that we made it to adulthood without these devices.
How many will die needlessly before we wise up and see the light.

 

[Midniteoyl]

My Nokia Windows phones have an option to go silent and disable texting when the GPS detects the phone is moving in a vehicle, or once its connected to a cars Bluetooth... Believe ALL phones should have this enabled by default.

I believe 'textblock' does the same for Android..

 

[dave1949]

We've had a rash of head-on collisions where the driver has drifted across the center line. People of all ages, mostly women, although that may be coincidental.

It's getting scary out there.

 

[big bubba]

i have a theory that over the years there is a correlation between driving behavior (road rage, running a just turned red light, and general impatience/inconsideration to others) and "advancing" communication technology. as the microprocessor continues to speed up, so does the public's general impatience on the road. we want it now whether communication or where we're going. the vehicle continues to become more & more insular to one's environment...everything is about the driver. no wonder we see more reckless, impatient, and rude behavior on the road. i don't envy teens (or anyone) learning to drive these days.

 

[foreman Etexas]

The company I work for has a No text/talk on phone while driving or is immediate Fire if caught No warnings done deal. Just the other day,didnt find out til the second day that my best friend was in ICU cause neither me or wife facebook,the friend in ICU finally told someone to text me cause I didnt.

 

[Dr Dave]

We've had a rash of head-on collisions where the driver has drifted across the center line. People of all ages, mostly women, although that may be coincidental.

It's getting scary out there.

Around here all the newly resurfaced roads have rumble bars cut in the center of the road, must be for the texters?

Its a good idea , they have had them on the shoulders for years.

Dave