Not sure if this is in the right forum (perhaps OT is better for this?) but:
Nov 1st, 2009
A state-wide texting while driving ban goes into effect today.
It's in an effort to curb distracted driving.
Action News Reporter Natalie Jenereski explains the law, and how much it will cost you if you're caught texting behind the wheel.
New York State joins half the nation in forcing you to put down your cell phone while driving.
But they're not talking about phone calls..
It's texting that's the new no-no.
"I like multi-tasking, and I get pretty bored in a car, but really, texting while you're driving is pretty dangerous, so I really agree it's a good idea," said Robin Kingsmill of Toronto, Canada.
"You shouldn't do it anyway, it is a distraction. But I don't know how far they're going to go as far as when they catch you," says Scott Shephard of Chenango Forks.
The new state law is now in effect.
But texting alone won't get you a ticket.
Instead, you must be pulled over for a primary offense.
"You have to have another violation. You can observe somebody texting, but you'd have to have another violation in order to stop the vehicle," says Broome County Patrol Sergeant, Thomas Williams.
These include things like speeding and rolling through stopping signs.
The texting ticket will add another 150-dollars on to that fine.
But some drivers are asking what they'll have to give up next.
Shephard says, "Other things distract people besides texting. If it starts with texting, what's it going to be next that you can't do in your car?"
"This is just another one that we're adding to the list of things that people do in their cars when really they should just be focused on the road and driving," says Tanja Fischer of Toronto, Canada.
"People are still going to do it, it's just a matter of once they get hit a couple of times, once they get stopped and get tickets, and it becomes economically stressful for them they'll probably stop it," says Williams.
So text your friends before you get behind the wheel,
Because the dangerous driving distraction is now a costly one.
In the Town of Dickinson, Natalie Jenereski, WBNG-TV Action News.
New York is the 26th state to limit the use of cell phones while driving.
It comes on heels of Broome and Tioga County passing local laws outlawing the measure.
The law doesn't include ipods or GPS's.
http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20091102/NEWS01/911020362/New+York+starts+ban+on+texting+while+driving
Sure it might curb some distractions from some drivers, but this is just another way to raise funds by the government. Same thing with the new plates/registrations.
At least they can’t stop me JUST for texting. I’m not worried. I’m very aware of what’s going on ESPECIALLY when I’m texting, so I should be good.
Also, this begs the question…how are they going to prove you were texting? I guess you could show you weren’t (or they could show you were) based on your phone bill…but I know my phone bill doesn’t show texting. Is this going to be something added to phone bills now you think?
“Safety advocates said it’s a weak law, but some legislators said they would consider changing the law to a primary violation – meaning a driver could be pulled over for it alone – if the new measure doesn’t prove enough of a deterrent.”
In other words, if they don’t make enough money, they’ll make it a primary offense. lol.
i was expecting this to happen sooner or later, schenectady county has it already. i went by a cop today with my phone in my face reading a text message. he hit the brakes and turned around, i hammered down and went for the county line and snuck onto some back roads. coppers will never catch me alive :ninja
Ilya do you really think that if a cop sees you texting, hes going to sit there and say… AHH shit I cant get him becauses hes doing the speed limit and obeying the traffic law.
If the cop wanted to stop you for texting, he would do it and he could come up with some other bullshit reason as ot why he stopped you and well… your word against his.
Anyways I think its a great idea, I cant tell you how many retards have almost rear ended me and when I look up in the mirror their going to town on their cellphone texting. I know to many people and have seen way to many minor to major accidents in result to people texting.
I thought I read somewhere that the new plates thing was being pushed off for the time being. I thought I heard that on Capital News 9 if I remember correctly.
They really don’t. 95% of the time that someone has nearly hit me or pulled out in front of me or done something else assinine, they are usually talking or texting on a cell phone.
The issue is drivers in America are inherently worse than they are in other parts of the world.
I just spent 2 weeks in Ukraine. Driving there is completely different, and yet while being in a city with a very large population, I was not once stuck in a traffic jam or saw an accident and there was a lot of cars everywhere. You know how a lot of traffic is caused? By what I call ‘rubber neckers’ who have to see what’s going on while driving past an accident or something. Mind your own business and keep going.
Take the German autobahn for example. They understand over there that you can’t be in the left lane and goin the speed limit. Here in the US, that is a CONSTANT occurance. The general population, just SUCKS at driving. Period.
Or another example: young drivers controlling cars in spinouts, etc. (such as those in the winter). In many parts of Europe, they teach you what to do by actually having you do it. How many places in the US actually MAKE you learn that? Not many, if at all.
The issue is not texting, drinking, eating behind the wheel. It’s bad drivers who no matter what you take away from them, will still be mostly bad drivers.
Good driver or not, texting while driving is stupid and take your concentration away from driving, all it takes is a split second to fuck up.
But I do agree, personaly I think skid pads should be a part of getting your drivers license… many people do not know what to do when their cars going going everywhere but straight
The funniest quote is the one I posted above about them saying if it doesn’t work as well as planned they’ll make it a primary offense. Do they think we’re stupid? That is almost blatantly saying that if we don’t make enough money, we’ll make it a primary offense. Everyone and their mother knows that NYS is one of the most broke states in the country.
yea because the law has nothing to do with any real problems
Such as the car of 3 girls that died last year because the driver was texting her friends…
Or the countless fender benders/hit and runs are cause when people look down at their cellphones for a quick second and dont see the person i nfront of them slammin gtheir breaks or someone crossing the road
I can honestly say that I have never been any where NEAR causing an accident while looking at my phone or texting. You can believe me or not believe me, but if I can do it, is it that hard to believe that other people can’t?
The problem is drivers aren’t fully focused on what they are doing. When I text while driving, I don’t type like I do when I’m sitting somewhere. It’s usually shorter replies, etc. because I’m driving. Also, when I’m eating, etc. while driving, I pay MORE attention to what’s going on around me and where I need to be/what I need to do. It’s all about focus and defensive driving (which is - knowing what the drivers around you are going to do before they do it). The issue, again, is not TEXTING…it’s driver education and driver skill. Bad drivers, will always be bad drivers. No matter what you take away. Most teenagers SUCK at driving whether they are texting or not.
I dont care how good of a driver you think you are, anything that takes away from the slightest bit of concentration if only for a brief second of whats going on around you while driving is a hazzard to yourself and those around you.
“You have to have another violation. You can observe somebody texting, but you’d have to have another violation in order to stop the vehicle,” says Broome County Patrol Sergeant, Thomas Williams.
GREAT NEWS: For those of you that are not retarded and can text and keep your car in one piece and not break other laws… you can still do it! I cant wait to look right at one of those fuckers and text away while driving down the road following the rest of the MV laws!
Shephard says, “Other things distract people besides texting. If it starts with texting, what’s it going to be next that you can’t do in your car?”
“This is just another one that we’re adding to the list of things that people do in their cars when really they should just be focused on the road and driving,” says Tanja Fischer of Toronto, Canada.
ROAD HEAD: I cant wait for AlpineSkiier to get pulled over for that one… “But officer, I can finish so she was just doing it to pass the time in the car” :rofl
"People are still going to do it, it's just a matter of once they get hit a couple of times, once they get stopped and get tickets, and it becomes economically stressful for them they'll probably stop it," says Williams.
Nope not really… Anyone on the road that have gotten atleast TWO tickets in their life time for the same reason breaks your theory.
The only way people will stop getting these dumb ass tickets are when the law is removed. Again they point out economically stessfull, like it is the reaon people will probably stop getting in trouble for doing simple tasks in their daily lives. Guess what I think government is creating these stupid ass laws becasue they are ECONOMICALLY STRESSED MORE THAN WE ARE… I know I am not billions of dollars in debt.
It is allso bull shit that they raise the price on DMV actions. Unless they raise the prices becasue Paper costs went up to print out our documents, or the steel prices went up to make license plates… there is no reason to raise the cost of your services other than to MAKE MORE MONEY. DMV is a governent monopoly. :vlad
That’s exactly my point, it doesn’t/isn’t a hazard because I UNDERSTAND I’m behind the wheel and can’t devote 100% of my attention to my phone. Humans can multi-task better than any other species on the planet. But if you devote too much of your attention to one thing while trying to do another, of course you’ll have a problem/issue. My guess is that the people who crash, etc. were too into their phone or whatever than into driving.
How come I can go 6 years without being any where near causing an accident while texting constantly? I do a lot of traveling and text all the time while driving. I also eat a lot behind the wheel. It’s because I’m aware and know what the hell I’m doing. And you know what that is? Because I’ve taken 3 defensive driving classes, and done a lot of driving.
So again…it’s all about driver experience and driver education.