Looks like the Obama Administration, which really ought to be focused on getting Americans like me affordable health care (unless doctors now accept World of Warcraft Gold as payment, lol!), has set its sights on eliminating the scourge of distracted driving once and for all. Case in point: Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood is holding a summit this week that has the ultimate goal of “finding ways to eliminate texting while driving.”
We’ve learned over the past few months that plenty of people admit to texting while driving, while at the same time seeing several studies indicating just how dangerous that actually is. We’ve implored y’all never to text and drive, but suffice it to say that not everyone reads our fine words.
The summit will include a series of recommendations that state (and federal) governments can then take and turn into laws suited for their own jurisdictions. Should State One ban texting while driving, while State Two only bans talking while driving? A whole lot of that, yes.
For example, my very own Senator, Sen. Chuck Schumer, has a bill floating around Congress that would ban texting and e-mailing while driving. Of course, enforcing such a ban is another matter entirely—what, are bankrupt state governments supposed to hire more police officers to patrol the highways? Though I get the feeling that the threat of breaking the law will prevent most folks from texting and e-mailing while driving, provided such a law is passed. Pass the law, and watch the numbers drop just because, generally speaking, people like to obey the law.
And let’s be real for a second: who are you talking to/texting back-and-forth with/e-mailing while on the road that you need to do so while on the road? You really don’t need to text your friend “yo what’s going down tonight?” while doing 80MPH on the highway.
That’s a bunch of BS. Just because old people suck at multitasking, why should those of us with dexterity be prohibited?
Man I hope you’re a troll.
Focusing your attention on tiny buttons while you’re hurling yourself down a highway at 70mph in a metal coffin.
Honestly, TALKING on your phone is safer than texting.
I ride a motorcycle on the freeways of Los Angeles. You do not know how many close calls I have had with little dicks like WTF texting and calling while driving. Though it’s a misapplication of natural selection, but wtf will die on a road someday, and his genes will not be passed to the next generation.
hopefully this will happen before he has a chance to breed and leave us with his devil spawn to contend with.
Hmmmm, I hope you’re not driving on the same roads that I am. It’s insane to think that people should be allowed to text while driving. Why not read the newspaper while you’re at it.
W.T.F. go ahead and text while driving, but please make sure when you do this you are somewhere there is no traffic so you only take yourself out. You are a perfect example of Darwins Theory….only the good genes survive…the stupid ones die while doing something really dumb. Go see the movie 7 seconds.
Never mind texting, they should make using a non hands free phone while driving illegal. It’s a lot more enforceable too. Every single day I come across someone talking on the phone driving dangerously. Usually they either change lanes poorly, drive really slow, drive really fast or make sudden stops. I’ve heard of more than a few accidents due to the driver talking on their phone. I’m sure people wouldn’t want a taxi driver using their cell phone while driving…
Sad, around here I see more cops driving around on the phone than civis. I’d take a picture but I’m sure they’d give me a ticket.
You should get used to the obama administration doing more of this kind of thing. You guys thought bush was bad just wait and see what obama does. He is smarter then you and has no problem doing your thinking for you. Bush did some of this, stem cell research anyone? Why, no thanks we’ll leave that to other countries so they are all ahead of us with this technology. I could go on but….
This isn’t a bad thing last I checked.
Thank. Fucking. God.
Anyone who is against this is a moron. I don’t give a rats ass at how well you think YOU can drive while texting, but what about other people? What? You think you can magically control how good they are at doing something like that?
When you are driving, you are driving, nothing else. That is the way it should be. Period.
Wish they would do something about the guy driving next to me in the morning reading his newspaper while driving, or the lady with the makeup mirror (rearview mirror) getting ready while driving. Even the guy fumbling to get his hands free hookedup to take a call. The douchebag with his seat so far back and head against the door he can barely see. They all suck at driving. But maybe its not the devices or the douchiness. Maybe some people shouldn’t have licenses. Maybe DMV should be better. Maybe grandma that never took a drivers test shouldn’t be driving. Maybe when my license expires i shouldn’t have to sign a piece of paper saying yeah i’d like to renew it.
Just saying maybe its time for me to stop driving so nobody kills me. Or before my frustration grows out of control and i get out of my car and kill someone
1) Anyone who thinks they can text and drive should have their drivers license revoked immediately.
2) Why should we have Universal Healthcare? To provide idiots like you more time to play WoW instead of getting a job with benefits or earning money to pay for your own health care?
“Your right to (swing your fist) text while driving ends where my nose begins.”
Even the Libertarian right can support this.
80% percent of all rear end collisions (the most frequent vehicle accident) are caused by driver inattention, following too closely, external distraction (talking on cell phones, shaving, applying makeup, fiddling with the radio or CD player, kids, texting, etc.) and poor judgement.
There’s not much you can do about a rear end collision so I went out and got one of these sparebumper.com
They should pass the laws, then people know it’s wrong to do. Stop talking it’s time to do something.
I hope that’s a joke. We already have laws that cover the texting while driving scenario. It’s called “reckless driving” (”dangerous driving” in some places).
Making law after redundant law because people find new and interesting ways to completely fuck up is uncool.
I mean, what: was all texting while driving completely legal before this new set of legislation?
We need to:
* enforce the laws we have
* make it known to stupid people (yes, stupid people) that doing these things is reckless driving.
I understand that there’s a segment of the populace that goes, “well, that’s not SPECIFICALLY illegal, so it must be OK” and then do some completely stupid things, because nobody took them by the hand and walked them through the logic, but it’s no reason to throw down more redundant legislation. They just need to be better informed, and that’s what PSAs are for.
Joshua said it perfectly “When you are driving, you are driving, nothing else. That is the way it should be. Period.”
I drive and text better when I’m drunk.
I found this great BB app called Zoomsafer, that uses GPS to signal when you are actually driving and it automatically prohibits you from texting/emailing while driving. But, you can use its voice activated features to email, text and even update Twitter and FB status!
http://www.zoomsafer.com