Did something I have never done before yesterday.

[downsizingnow48]

Texting and talking while driving is epidemic here in Sacramento. See an erratic vehicle, inevitably the driver is using a phone. If I need to go by safely, sometimes I honk and the person puts down the phone and straightens out.

Would have to quadruple law enforcement on the streets to have any effect. Although, one morning in a slow moving traffic jam, a motorcycle officer came up between the lanes, and pulled off three texting drivers right in front of me. He could have had 30 more.

 

[check]

I've heard recently that cel phone use in drivers causes more deaths than drunk driving now.

One hopeful thing is the fact that more and more new cars are coming out now with hands-free connections for your cel phone, so that you could just push a button on your steering wheel to answer the phone and/or to call someone using voice recognition.

 

[Jstpssng]

Texting and talking while driving is epidemic here in Sacramento. See an erratic vehicle, inevitably the driver is using a phone. If I need to go by safely, sometimes I honk and the person puts down the phone and straightens out.

Would have to quadruple law enforcement on the streets to have any effect. Although, one morning in a slow moving traffic jam, a motorcycle officer came up between the lanes, and pulled off three texting drivers right in front of me. He could have had 30 more.

There are a lot of things... I rode with a coworker who spent more time watching his GPS than the road, and coulndn't understand how people drove at the speed limit... while the line of cars built up behind us. Heading back to the motel that night he was driving while i was talking to my mother... should be safe as I wasn't driving. I wondered why we were in the turn lane, as I saw it ending I grabbed the dash as he changed lanes and cut off the car next to us. Next morning we blew through an EZ-Pass booth getting on the interstate... we needed to use the cash lane.

 

[mark02tj]

i hate calling 911, due to they all been about non emergencies for most part. and i do not know local police / fire / ambulance numbers.

We have a ton of local police departments where I live. Years ago, I put all of the local non-emergency numbers into my contact list. I did it like this - "Z - City 1", "Z - City 2", "Z - City 3", etc. That way, all of these numbers were grouped together and were easy to find. I could just hit "Z" on the quick search and then scroll to the number I needed. I still use it today, even though a lot of the "local numbers" roll forward to our new regional dispatch center.

My experience in the sheriff's department was over 35 years ago, but Yes, we did most certainly respond, unless tied up on something more critical or life threatening. We tried our best to get to the location or estimated travel point.

I live in a rural area now and am involved with the local government. Our local PD is small - only a few full time officers and a handful of part time officers. Even with our limited resources, the citizens are strongly encouraged to call if they see something that doesn't look right, even though it may be nothing. More than once these calls have resulted in our local guys arresting someone wanted for burglaries in one of the neighboring jurisdictions.

 

[ultrarunner]

Coming home one night almost got hit by an erratic driver on the Interstate... he was all over the road... in and out of lanes... clearly impaired.

This was before cell phones.

Anyway... I see a Highway Patrol with an older car of students pulled over on the right side of the road and I put on my flashers and get out still pointing to the car in the distance all over the road...

The officer turns to the students, hands back a license and as he runs to his cruiser tells the students I was their guardian angel...

The students were in disbelief at what just happened... I got back in my car and took my off ramp about a 100 yards up the road..

To this day I still wonder if there was a bigger picture to the whole thing...

I do know the drunk was going to kill somebody...

 

[aczlan]

My experience in the sheriff's department was over 35 years ago, but Yes, we did most certainly respond, unless tied up on something more critical or life threatening. We tried our best to get to the location or estimated travel point.

I have seen that several times when I have called in something.

We have a ton of local police departments where I live. Years ago, I put all of the local non-emergency numbers into my contact list. I did it like this - "Z - City 1", "Z - City 2", "Z - City 3", etc. That way, all of these numbers were grouped together and were easy to find. I could just hit "Z" on the quick search and then scroll to the number I needed. I still use it today, even though a lot of the "local numbers" roll forward to our new regional dispatch center.

I have numbers stored for the county non-emergency line, the local State Highway office and a few others which I use to report problems on the road (or in the road).

Aaron Z

 

[RobertN]

You aint just whistlin Dixie....

Coming down the hill on H50 and back every day it amazes me how many people are on cell phones.

I also noticed recently a lot of folks using the carpool lane as a passing lane during commute hours...

Texting and talking while driving is epidemic here in Sacramento. See an erratic vehicle, inevitably the driver is using a phone. If I need to go by safely, sometimes I honk and the person puts down the phone and straightens out.

Would have to quadruple law enforcement on the streets to have any effect. Although, one morning in a slow moving traffic jam, a motorcycle officer came up between the lanes, and pulled off three texting drivers right in front of me. He could have had 30 more.

 

[Rustyiron]

I think the guy was probably more dangerous than a drunk. I followed and/or watched him for twenty miles and he was all over the road. Hated to call the law on somebody but good grief.

RSKY

I think texting while operating should be severe as, if not MORE than punishment for DWI. Including the $5-+K that the drunks spend on lawyers.
There is some difference while sober to decide not to watch the road & neglect your responsibility to others. Not defending drinking while driving at all, but IMHO you are showing a greater, poor and dangerous judgment than a drunk. And no, I don't have any DWI's or drink and drive, texting?, why would you type into a device that you could simply talk into? The telephone put an end to the telegram & morse code, I just don't get it.

 

[ultrarunner]

We have work place restrictions on cell and texting and it seems we might as well not bother...

I can honestly say I have never texted anyone and people do not text me.

 

[k0ua]

I can honestly say I have never texted anyone and people do not text me.

I can honestly say I used to be the same way. I hated the concept of texting, and saw no reason to do it. Then I got a phone that could text.. Well I text a fair amount now. There are advantages to it. You can text a short message when you don't want to get tied up on the phone. You can time shift,. Read the text when you want, send a message to a co-worker after you think they went to bed, and you don't care if they get it "right now". The wife texts, "I got the mail", now I don't have to stop and get out of the car at the mailbox on the way in. I don't have to answer the phone, and get tied up in a long conversation with her.. She said what she wanted to say, and I don't even have to reply..

So is texting a good thing? It can be.. It can also be abused by idiots too. Like all technology from matches to firearms to smartphones. They can enrich our lives or make daily life easier, safer, and more fun. Or they can be abused by idiots or bad people, to cause death and destruction. The world is still about people, and how they act and behave, not about "techno-things".

My 3 cents worth.