Texting while driving

[Bird]

Yep. I have that feature on my 2016 F150 with "Sync 3", and it is a pleasure to use. I especially enjoy the big screen on the dash, which displays in big letters who is calling, with very large accept and reject buttons that I just have to touch in order to answer the call. It works even better than using the steering wheel controls, because these new F150,s I have so many buttons on the steering wheel that you can get very distracted just trying to figure out which button to push. Even the cruise control buttons can distract you a surprising amount. But, no accidents so far!

Yes, it took me awhile to get familiar enough with all those buttons on the steering wheel to use the cruise control without looking at the steering wheel, but I finally got it.:laughing: I probably use cruise control more than anyone you know. But I have a new problem with my driving. I'm one who always knew where each wheel on my vehicle was, but in recent times, we had a Ford Escape and a Ford Ranger and I was quite familiar with them. And now with this 2015 F150 Super Crew I've found that I tend to drive too far to the right. Now that's no problem most of the time; I'm not far enough to the right to run off the road, hit curbs, etc. EXCEPT that when I make a right turn, I have occasionally hit the curb, or gone over it with the right rear wheel, and when I turn into a marked parking space, I may think I'm centered but find that I have left too much space on the left and may be on the line on the right. I don't know if my problem is age, eyesight, or something else.

 

[turnkey4099]

Our county is getting about 1 fatality/yr from use of cellphone or suspected use thereof. Most of them head-ons from crossing center line. It used to be fatalities from non-use of seatbelt. While that is still happening, use of CP is ruled the cause more often now.

 

[joefromga]

Teens crash because they are inexperienced.

 

[Qapla]

I heard a news story on the radio that said New Jersey is considering a law that would make texting while walking illegal - seems they have had quite a number of people injured or killed because they walk right into traffic without looking because they are texting

 

[turnkey4099]

Teens crash because they are inexperienced.

And because they are locked onto the phone.

 

[smstonypoint]

I heard a news story on the radio that said New Jersey is considering a law that would make texting while walking illegal - seems they have had quite a number of people injured or killed because they walk right into traffic without looking because they are texting

Here's a story about a German city that is placing traffic signals in the pavement so that pedestrians don't have to look up when using their phones.:confused2: This city embedded traffic lights in the sidewalks so that smartphone users don’t have to look up - The Washington Post

Steve

 

[jerrybob]

And because they are locked onto the phone.

And/or drunk, high or have others teens in their car and are goofing off.

 

[Mousefield]

Distracted driving is the second leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C.(Canada) and one of the most common distractions behind the wheel is a mobile electronic device. While we can feel pressured to be connected all the time, using your phone while driving makes you a danger to yourself and others. When driving distracted, you take longer to react to unexpected situations and are less aware of what's going on around you. Not only is using your phone while driving a bad idea, it's against the law and can result in penalties and fines.
New fines for distracted driving kick in on June 1st, with the first offense costing a total of $543.00 and more drivers’ license penalty points will also be added. There will be tougher penalties for repeat offenders

 

[downslope]

... (granted, they are stopped, but often times I'm behind them and they sit at a green light)...

Funny story, just yesterday my friend was stopped at a red light with his left turn signal on. A County police officer in marked car was coming from the opposite direction, also stopped at the red light. Light turns green, my friend edges up into the intersection and waits for the cop to proceed before my friend makes the left. The cop doesn't move; after about 10-20 seconds my friend completes the turn, thinking the cop was giving a courtesy. The cop immediately turns on his lights and issues a citation for failure to yield, probably a $160 ticket, plus points.

My friend thinks it was entrapment. He asked the cop why he didn't move when the light turned green, but he wouldn't answer. They concluded with "see you at court."

What do you think, have any of you ever heard of this method of entrapment? I think maybe the cop was just looking at his personal phone or maybe the police computer, but then why did he have to issue a ticket?

 

[jlgurr]

Funny story, just yesterday my friend was stopped at a red light with his left turn signal on. A County police officer in marked car was coming from the opposite direction, also stopped at the red light. Light turns green, my friend edges up into the intersection and waits for the cop to proceed before my friend makes the left. The cop doesn't move; after about 10-20 seconds my friend completes the turn, thinking the cop was giving a courtesy. The cop immediately turns on his lights and issues a citation for failure to yield, probably a $160 ticket, plus points. My friend thinks it was entrapment. He asked the cop why he didn't move when the light turned green, but he wouldn't answer. They concluded with "see you at court." What do you think, have any of you ever heard of this method of entrapment? I think maybe the cop was just looking at his personal phone or maybe the police computer, but then why did he have to issue a ticket?

Some may call me cynical but sounds like the officers delay was intentional...

Sent from my iPhone 2.0 using TractorByNet

 

[jlgurr]

Distracted driving has been around before cell phones and texting. Late '90s I had an hour commute on busy highway. Saw people reading newspaper, books. putting on makeup in the mirror, bowl of cereal, shaving and many other things. Amazing there were not more accidents. Left that contract after about 1-1/2 years. I have GPS with voice activation and bluetooth for hands free phone. Recently drove to DC and back to visit our daughter. My wife asked about checking each time my phone made a noise. Had to keep reminding her it will keep until we stop. The world has got so wrapped up in faster and faster, and instant response time. I keep saying the two most important features of that device are caller ID and voicemail.

I was a young passenger in a can with the driver reading a newspaper by the dome light during a morning commute. One morning he was pulled over and cited for impaired driving. Man, he was p o'ed. But he never did it again.

Sent from my iPhone 2.0 using TractorByNet

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Sounds the same to me. I would love to be the judge when this case came before me.

 

[aczlan]

Funny story, just yesterday my friend was stopped at a red light with his left turn signal on. A County police officer in marked car was coming from the opposite direction, also stopped at the red light. Light turns green, my friend edges up into the intersection and waits for the cop to proceed before my friend makes the left. The cop doesn't move; after about 10-20 seconds my friend completes the turn, thinking the cop was giving a courtesy. The cop immediately turns on his lights and issues a citation for failure to yield, probably a $160 ticket, plus points.

My friend thinks it was entrapment. He asked the cop why he didn't move when the light turned green, but he wouldn't answer. They concluded with "see you at court."

What do you think, have any of you ever heard of this method of entrapment? I think maybe the cop was just looking at his personal phone or maybe the police computer, but then why did he have to issue a ticket?

Thats why I run a dash camera. That way I have more than just my word against someone else's for what happened.

Speaking of cops and entrapment:
Some time back when we lived in GA there was an intersection with another light a half a block up.
The lights weren't timed right, so if you were turning left (with a green arrow), the next light would be red and you would sit there for 10 seconds until it turned green.
The cops would (near the end of the month) pull over the 4-5 cars that were in the intersection waiting for the next light to turn green and write tickets for obstructing the intersection, then repeat as soon as the tickets were written.
What was fishy was that the control box for the lights was open and there was a cop standing next to it, so it appeared that they were manually changing the light so they could ticket people.

Aaron Z

 

[jlgurr]

Thats why I run a dash camera. That way I have more than just my word against someone else's for what happened. Some time back when we lived in GA there was an intersection with another light a half a block up. The lights weren't timed right, so if you were turning left (with a green arrow), the next light would be red and you would sit there for 10 seconds until it turned green. The cops would (near the end of the month) pull over the 4-5 cars that were in the intersection waiting for the next light to turn green and write tickets for obstructing the intersection, then repeat as soon as the tickets were written. What was fishy was that the control box for the lights was open and there was a cop standing next to it, so it appeared that they were manually changing the light so they could ticket people. Aaron Z

Reminds me of Rosco P Coltrain of Hazzard County. LOL!

stopped at a red light with his left turn

 

[downslope]

Thats why I run a dash camera. That way I have more than just my word against someone else's for what happened...

Aaron Z

Yeah, I mentioned to my friend about getting a dash cam for the future.

Are the cams good at showing the colors of the signals as well as the traffic ahead? That is, the traffic signal is way up in the air and you're pretty close to it when you're the first car, and when you go to make the turn you're almost underneath. I could see bright sunlight making it difficult as well.

 

[aczlan]

Yeah, I mentioned to my friend about getting a dash cam for the future.

Are the cams good at showing the colors of the signals as well as the traffic ahead? That is, the traffic signal is way up in the air and you're pretty close to it when you're the first car, and when you go to make the turn you're almost underneath. I could see bright sunlight making it difficult as well.

Mine ($30 Amazon special) will show which light it lit (most of the time, it has a hard time looking into the sun), so it should show if I had a green light, arrow, etc.

Aaron Z

 

[smstonypoint]

Mine ($30 Amazon special) will show which light it lit (most of the time, .....

Aaron Z

Link?

Steve

 

[aczlan]

Link?
Steve

This one: Amazon.com: Sharker 2.7 inch 14 Degree Wide Angle View TFT LCD Full HD 18P Car DVR, Blackbox Traveling Driving Data Recorder / Camcorder Vehicle Camera with Night Vision and Motion Detection / G-Sensor, BLACK: Cell Phones & Accessories with a 32GB MicroSD card in it.
It may not be "true" HD (I have it set to 720P), but its decent quality video. Here is a clip from this winter:

Aaron Z

 

[smstonypoint]

It may not be "true" HD (I have it set to 720P), but its decent quality video.

Thanks. How much recording time do you get at that resolution with a 32GB card?

Steve

 

[aczlan]

Thanks. How much recording time do you get at that resolution with a 32GB card?

Steve

I would have to look.

Aaron Z