TWD rant

s_morrison57 · 03-06-2013, 07:18 AM

Talking or texting while driving. Its been outlawed for a while here and they did a 2 week crack down and wrote 5000 tickets @ $160.00 each and the cops say its not making a difference.

WTF, that kinda statement really burns me. Make it make a difference, increase the fine and the points that go with it, I'd bet that the cops would'nt write 5000 tickets if it was a $1000.00 fine. I think if you want to be an idiot that you have to pay for your bad moves.
Rant over.
Finn

jwgn777 · jwgn777's Garage

I have wittiness bad accidents while people were texting. Enough said it has increased the accident rate and is extremely dangerous.Perhaps a license suspension is the only way to approach this.Most people think that they can handle the task of texting and driving and that it will be the other guy or girl who will get into a accident.

SiberianDVM · SiberianDVM's Garage

Texting and driving I can understand being banned, after all, that would require you to look somewhere while the car is going somewhere else, but talking and driving? Seriously, are we so stupid as a species that we can't talk on a phone and drive a modern car without having a wreck?

Maybe we deserve to go extinct.

gacook · gacook's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Seriously, are we so stupid as a species that we can't talk on a phone and drive a modern car without having a wreck?

According to scientific research, yes.

scottmandue · 03-06-2013, 02:10 PM

More laws! More fines!

Yeah... that is the answer...

Good luck with that...

I know... lets just outlaw the automobile! That will solve everything!!!

gacook · gacook's Garage

I see your point, scottmandue. I guess the reality is if somebody's going to be stupid enough to kill someone while texting/driving, they'll also be stupid enough to kill somebody while driving/doingsomethingelsedistracting.

spuggy · 03-06-2013, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gacook

According to scientific research, yes.

Yup. Talking on the phone reduces judgement and coordination in the average 20-something to the level of someone markedly senior - or drink-impaired.

The problem with a $160 fine is that it's nowhere near big enough for potentially lethal behavior. The UK had a 1200 GBP fine - and 3 points on your license, 12 of them and it's suspended - for TALKING while driving (without a headset) years ago.

I think people would view an $1800 fine (current rate of exchange) very differently.

Up here, they made TALKING illegal a few years ago. But it's still not a primary offence (so you don't get pulled over for it). And the fine is laughable. Probably one or two out of three drivers are still yakking on the phone instead of paying attention to driving.

One of the scariest things in the world is to be stopped at a light, glance in the rear view and see the top of some muppet's head as they hurtle towards you still looking down at their lap...

imcarthur · imcarthur's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Maybe we deserve to go extinct.

And that would be a yes.

Ian

scottmandue · 03-06-2013, 03:06 PM

As I have said before TWD is a big problem...

However as a Policeman once said "there are already laws against reckless driving"

TWD is reckless driving = was against the law anyway.

New laws are just publicity stunts fro politicians "look at me, I'm making the world a safer place!!!"

On a side note... my wife is a total safety nut.. and totally against TWD... and knows I am driving home from work from 5 to 6...

Guess what inevitably happens for 5 to 6

herr_oberst · 03-06-2013, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmandue

As I have said before TWD is a big problem...

However as a Policeman once said "there are already laws against reckless driving"

TWD is reckless driving = was against the law anyway.

New laws are just publicity stunts fro politicians "look at me, I'm making the world a safer place!!!"

On a side note... my wife is a total safety nut.. and totally against TWD... and knows I am driving home from work from 5 to 6...

Guess what inevitably happens for 5 to 6

I guess it's her safety that counts around the mandue household!

Mothy · Mothy's Garage

My daughter is a teacher - Physical Education, Personal Develeopment and Health.

In one of her classes to year 10 students she gets out the playstation and runs a supermario game using a steering wheel.

The students set a best score for a stage - then go back and do it while talking on their mobile - they never get close to their high score.

She then gets them to do it while texting and the results are shocking - even the students comment that they had no idea how badly it impacted their driving.

This is how it gets addressed - educating before they even get behind the wheel of a real car. Nothing will change if you don't stop it at the source. All the advert and laws won't change a thing if people don't believe it make a difference.

These new students know it does.
No one is saying they will never TWD - but I would suggest a lot fewer of them will do it compared to if they had not done the demo.

And they all think its one of the best/most enjoyable lessons for the year - they get use a Playstation in class.

s_morrison57 · 03-07-2013, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmandue

More laws! More fines!

Yeah... that is the answer...

Good luck with that...

I know... lets just outlaw the automobile! That will solve everything!!!

I think it is the answer, hit idiots where it hurts, their wallet. I have no problem with hands free calls and maybe you'd change your mind if you ever get hit by an idiot, I have, a girl at a stop light so distracted with her call that she doesn't realize that she's lifted pressure off the brake pedal and rolls into me at about 4 mph. It cracked the plastic bumper cover on the car, its gov't insurance here so everyone sorta has to pay for things and this kind of stupidity, to me, is unacceptable.
Finn

Jeff Higgins · 03-07-2013, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spuggy

Up here, they made TALKING illegal a few years ago. But it's still not a primary offence (so you don't get pulled over for it). And the fine is laughable. Probably one or two out of three drivers are still yakking on the phone instead of paying attention to driving.

They did actually elevate this to a primary offense a couple of years ago. It's still a mere slap on the wrist if caught, though, and no deterent whatsoever.

There are plenty of studies showing this behavior to be at least as dangerous as drunken driving, if not markedly more so. In light of that, the penalty for getting caught should be at least as severe. Arrest the violator, impound the car, and seize the phone as evidence. First offence is a night in jail and a suspension of driver's license. Second offense is 30 days in jail and revocation of license.

That, and it should be perfectly legal for us to shoot them, as long as the car is stopped. Make it so we can earn community service points or something like that for taking these vermin off the road. Bonus points if you are good enough to hit the phone as well. As a matter of fact, this should probably be a requirement for CCW holders - if you have no record of cell phone driver kills, you don't get to renew. They could even supply kill stickers for our doors. Maybe Starbucks could give free coffee to anyone with five or more stickers.

GothingNC · 03-07-2013, 08:25 AM

I say bring the fines to $500, $10,000 if the driver causes an accident. This should help plug the states budget deficits.

I am getting so frustated avoiding the idiots TWD that I am thinking about commuting to work with a snowplow and just push them out of the way

What is the range of a tazer?