Texting

[JasG]

I think we should make the punishments much harsher for texting and drunk driving. In other countries prison, steep fines and lose of license is a given even when no accident occurs. Here if you hire a good lawyer the punishments are a joke. A former employee of my employer had 5 DWI's and could still drive on a conditional license.

Personally I agree with those that think it should be disabled. It wouldn't even have to be the phone, a vehicle could have a built in device to block signals. We looked into it at work because so many people now only use the "private" bathrooms. We know they are going in there to answer and make calls.

Have seen similar information from different sources:

In France, drinking and driving is punishable by the equivalent of a $1,000 fine, imprisonment for one year, and loss of license for three years. Finland and Sweden automatically sentence drunk drivers to one-year jail sentences including hard labor. In Norway, a drunk driver is jailed for three weeks with hard labor and loses their license for a year. If they do it again, they lose their license forever. In South Africa, drinking and driving results in a ten-year prison sentence or the equivalent of a $10,000 fine and, in some cases, both.

 

[aczlan]

Personally I agree with those that think it should be disabled. It wouldn't even have to be the phone, a vehicle could have a built in device to block signals.

Blocking the signal would also block calls. Emitting a jamming signal is currently illegal in the US.
In the case that you can get this passed, who are you going to get to take liability in the following situations:
1. Car crashes, wont go into park, the driver is stuck in the seat unable to call 911.
2. Jammer malfunctions, wont turn off and wont let someone make calls?
3. A "drunk driver" or other dangerous driver on the road where there is a legitimate reason to be making a call while driving
4. Someone taking the jammer, putting a better antenna and/or a amplifier on it so that it blocks out signals for a quarter mile radius
5. Someone using a text to speech to read texts and voice recognition to send texts (which is legal in most states)

I just don't see that as feasible from a political or an engineering standpoint.

Aaron Z

 

[mikehaugen]

Blocking the signal would also block calls. Emitting a jamming signal is currently illegal in the US.
In the case that you can get this passed, who are you going to get to take liability in the following situations:
1. Car crashes, wont go into park, the driver is stuck in the seat unable to call 911.
2. Jammer malfunctions, wont turn off and wont let someone make calls?
3. A "drunk driver" or other dangerous driver on the road where there is a legitimate reason to be making a call while driving
4. Someone taking the jammer, putting a better antenna and/or a amplifier on it so that it blocks out signals for a quarter mile radius
5. Someone using a text to speech to read texts and voice recognition to send texts (which is legal in most states)

I just don't see that as feasible from a political or an engineering standpoint.

Aaron Z

The first one I would chance the odds against the possible damage a texting driver can cause. Also, with most cars being able to sense a crash pretty reliably, I can't see it being much of a concern.

The second one... you mean somebody couldn't use their cell phone until something got fixed? Oh the humanity! This is such a far stretch and far less likely than a phone malfunctioning on it's own or being broken.

The third one someone could pull over and report.

The fourth one could probably be done already, and I don't think this would enable anybody anymore than now.

Text to speech can be done with the phone sitting on the passenger seat or in a docking station that could re-enable it. Which could also possibly be a solution to number one.

 

[JasG]

Blocking the signal would also block calls. Emitting a jamming signal is currently illegal in the US.
In the case that you can get this passed, who are you going to get to take liability in the following situations:
1. Car crashes, wont go into park, the driver is stuck in the seat unable to call 911.
2. Jammer malfunctions, wont turn off and wont let someone make calls?
3. A "drunk driver" or other dangerous driver on the road where there is a legitimate reason to be making a call while driving
4. Someone taking the jammer, putting a better antenna and/or a amplifier on it so that it blocks out signals for a quarter mile radius
5. Someone using a text to speech to read texts and voice recognition to send texts (which is legal in most states)

I just don't see that as feasible from a political or an engineering standpoint.

Aaron Z

How did we survive with out cell phones? It's a wonder humanity ever made it this far.

If you have a real reason to make a call, pull over, like I do, make your call and then move on.

So you would rather have us continue to drive with people basically driving blind?

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't see this on my way to work. Normally I am all about personal freedom, but this is a case where someone's personal freedom is taking lives on a daily basis.

 

[mikehaugen]

Just to clarify, my original post about the blocking device was meant more for texting as I see it way more dangerous than talking on the phone.

I admittedly am guilty of talking on the phone on rare occasions. I rarely talk on the phone as it is, so this is extremely rare. Not trying to justify it, but 90% of my driving is on rural highways. In traffic, in cities, or on the expressway where I feel I need a higher level of concentration, I will refrain from using the phone... and I never text while driving.

 

[aczlan]

Just to clarify, my original post about the blocking device was meant more for texting as I see it way more dangerous than talking on the phone.

The problem is that a text message is sent in the "control channel" for the phone so somehow stopping just that part of the connection would prevent the phone from telling the tower where it is (absent a major rewrite of the way that texts are sent which is not going to happen on current technology).

I agree that its a problem, but I don't see any way around it any more than there is for the problem of drunk driving. Enforcement helps, but it all comes down to the loose nut behind the wheel (perhaps self driving cars are the answer?)...

Aaron Z

 

[mikehaugen]

I don't suggest a blocking of the signal. I think a collaboration between congress, auto manufacturers, and phone manufacturers to create a system that would completely block a user from the texting interface on the phone... maybe even other applications such as web browsing. Reading is nearly as bad as texting and blocking the transmission of messages would do little.the way phones become obsolete, it wouldn't take long for all phones to have this technology. Cars may lag behind, but it is something that is retrofittable if the parents wished.

 

[3930dave]

For a certain (and seemingly growing) subset of the population, there is a perfect storm here of jangley blingey technology, combined with total self-absorption and disregard for other people.

I'm talking about being behind the wheel, but you also see this behaviour leaking over into other areas of "society".

I haven't gone looking for the current research, but it's pretty clear this mobile tech has changed people's "thought" patterns. Even the mainstream media reports on Separation Anxiety when people can't access their phones.

As "smart" phones are now available for $0, most of the phobia is not related to cost.

College level courses today are often designed to force students into situations where they have to interact face to face with other students to collaborate on a project. The main reason for this teaching strategy is that many people that have grown up with this technology don't want to interact directly with other people, at least concerning a matter of any consequence.

In terms of people's interaction with technology, it is often used as an isolation barrier. In the olden days, what many people spew forth for comments on the internet today would have cost them at least a few teeth.

Add to that the isolation skew that getting into a vehicle seems to impart to some people. In common use, Road Rage is a relatively new term.

When all these factors meet up in the right individual, the result is easily preventable injuries and fatalities.

IMO, texting while driving when involved in an accident should be charged at least as seriously as drunk driving.

Rgds, D.

 

[NorTracNY]

Just to clarify, my original post about the blocking device was meant more for texting as I see it way more dangerous than talking on the phone.

I admittedly am guilty of talking on the phone on rare occasions. I rarely talk on the phone as it is, so this is extremely rare. Not trying to justify it, but 90% of my driving is on rural highways. In traffic, in cities, or on the expressway where I feel I need a higher level of concentration, I will refrain from using the phone... and I never text while driving.

And this is the problem. The mentality that it's OK this time/in this situation/I'm good enough to do it this sort of way. Maybe I'm too black and white. Make the punishment so people will be absolute in their resolve not to do it, even if they think they could do it safely.

I'm sickened around my place everytime I see this ribbon on vehicles that is ment to honor 5 "angels" that died shortly after they graduated from a local school. They died because the driver was texting! These people think calling them angels is a way to honor them. If it was my kid, I'd be honoring them by talking in any school I could about the hole in my life because I didn't think it was important to make sure my kid didn't text and drive.

 

[Daver1963]

WARNING!!!! If you are driving in Tennessee and see a tractor trailer truck that's painted in THP colors.......

THP uses a new tool to catch distracted drivers

 

[aczlan]

I don't suggest a blocking of the signal. I think a collaboration between congress, auto manufacturers, and phone manufacturers to create a system that would completely block a user from the texting interface on the phone... maybe even other applications such as web browsing. Reading is nearly as bad as texting and blocking the transmission of messages would do little.the way phones become obsolete, it wouldn't take long for all phones to have this technology. Cars may lag behind, but it is something that is retrofittable if the parents wished.

1. If its a software block, there will be a video on Youtube within a month showing how to remove it.
2. If its a network side (ie: on the towers) change, it would not work for just the driver without software on the phone (see #1 but it might be 3 months).
3. If its proximity based and retrofittable, someone will hack the jammer and make it a "no texting zone" device for themselves and/or to bother others.


Aaron Z

 

[dave1949]

There are some poor drivers out there, texting or not, as someone else noted.

Nearby last week an 18 yo pulled out of a driveway turning right and hit a car--going the opposite direction in the other lane. I think I had encountered this driver myself several months back. The color and make of car matched, young girl driving. She almost forced me to either hit her or a line of trees in the exact same situation. She obviously has no idea of where the front of her vehicle is.

Not only that, when I missed her, she was pulling out of blind driveway for cars in her lane. It makes no sense to pull out when opposing traffic is coming toward you in that situation since anybody coming around the blind curve has no defensive escape route. How does she get a license I wonder?

On our recent trip over to NY, I saw too many older drivers whose driving skills showed that they didn't belong on the interstate. That is going to be a growing problem over the next 10 years.

I think we need to put the emphasis on driver skill levels. Skilled drivers do not text and/or talk while driving, they know better. Maybe we need to assign classes to roads. Your license or license plate carries your class rating depending on your periodically demonstrated driving proficiency and violation history. Set a higher skill bar for higher classed roads. Texting while driving would involve a fine, a suspension, and when that is over you get busted to the lowest class road rating.

Maybe driver's don't belong on high speed, high class-rated roads if they can't pass a gymkhana course test. :laughing: If our main transport roads are going to be safe and efficient, then we need to move beyond handing unrestricted driver's licenses to any warm body.

We also need more exacting enforcement using unmarked cars or drones. For example, passing someone then pulling back into the right lane and slowing down to less than the speed of the car just passed (happens to me all the time while using a very accurate cruise control), ought to earn a fine and an appointment at the gymkhana course. Raise the expectations if we expect better driving.

 

[3930dave]

1. If its a software block, there will be a video on Youtube within a month showing how to remove it.
2. If its a network side (ie: on the towers) change, it would not work for just the driver without software on the phone (see #1 but it might be 3 months).
3. If its proximity based and retrofittable, someone will hack the jammer and make it a "no texting zone" device for themselves and/or to bother others.


Aaron Z

Agreed - as much as I like tech (for certain things) the real solution is better humans, not more technology.

Rgds, D.

 

[Daver1963]

Agreed - as much as I like tech (for certain things) the real solution is better humans, not more technology.

Rgds, D.

The problem with building things idiot-proof is that the world keeps building better idiots.

 

[3930dave]

WARNING!!!! If you are driving in Tennessee and see a tractor trailer truck that's painted in THP colors.......

THP uses a new tool to catch distracted drivers

Those LEO's are thinking outside the box..... with that platform, catching those drivers would be like shooting fish in a barrel, even with Police ID on the truck. (!!!)

With the quality of today's cameras, the video they could pull off that truck would make most of those tickets pretty hard to beat.

Smart move.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

The problem with building things idiot-proof is that the world keeps building better idiots.

Agreed... that 'twas just my Utopian Thought of The Day..... :laughing:

Rgds, D.

 

[Redneck in training]

There is a simple solution. Phone that can make only telephone calls. You can get a "unlocked" simple mobile for $20-80. Another advantage is that thouse have 8 hours talk time and without talking they can go at least a week between charging battery. They are also available with two or even three SIM slots. You pick the SIM that is cheapest for particular call or configure it to Autoselect. Search Best Buy, Amazon or ebay for unlocked phones.

 

[Whitnel]

For example, passing someone then pulling back into the right lane and slowing down to less than the speed of the car just passed (happens to me all the time while using a very accurate cruise control), ought to earn a fine and an appointment at the gymkhana course.

Or when you go to pass a person you come up on while using cruise and they speed up and match you, and when you go faster to pass they keep speeding up like they want to race.

 

[3930dave]

There is a simple solution. Phone that can make only telephone calls. You can get a "unlocked" simple mobile for $20-80. Another advantage is that thouse have 8 hours talk time and without talking they can go at least a week between charging battery. They are also available with two or even three SIM slots. You pick the SIM that is cheapest for particular call or configure it to Autoselect. Search Best Buy, Amazon or ebay for unlocked phones.

You hit on one of the main reasons I don't have a "smart" phone - the battery life is terrible. As a true communication tool, that is their primary weakness.

An unlocked phone could work for me, but I don't think I'd be able to convince most kids these days to go text free - persuading the same age group (meaning under 25) to not date might be easier. :laughing:

Rgds, D.

 

[aczlan]

You hit on one of the main reasons I don't have a "smart" phone - the battery life is terrible. As a true communication tool, that is their primary weakness.

I can get 2-3 days out of my phone (Touch Pro 2 with Windows Mobile 6.5) and still have 60% left if I have light calls (~1 hour/day).
But, that is running a custom firmware, no data or wifi usage to speak of, an extended battery pack, etc. I use my phone as a device to make calls and a PDA rolled into one device.

Aaron Z