Cell phones and driving...

[caseydog]

So, I'm sitting at a red light, at an intersection with a tollway access road. The cross-street traffic with the green light has a speed limit of 60 MPH.

I'm looking straight ahead, and this white Chevy Silverado crew-cab (very common here), is coming toward the red light from the opposite direction from me.

Is it going to stop? It's not looking like it's going to stop. OH, CRAP, IT ISN'T STOPPING.

This truck drives through the intersection. Cars with the green light are hard on the brakes and swerving, and manage to miss the truck, which continues on like nothing happened.

I watch as it passes, and there is a woman at the wheel yapping on a cell phone, completely oblivious to the fact that someone nearly died just moments earlier-- possibly her.

Unbelievable.

CD

[Lookfar]

Sure wish that was surprising...

[kirkman]

See it all the time here in NY they just changed the law here to make it a lot tougher on people talking on there phones while driving. I use to be just a fine now it is points on you license and a BIG fine.

[oklahomajewel]

WOW !! Good thing she at least stayed in her lane and didn't hit you or anyone head on... don't you wish you could've snapped a picture of her AND her license plate.

Glad no one collided !!!

Jewel

[mikeschn]

That's frustrating as all hell. I see stuff like that every day, driving thru 80 miles of heavy Detroit suburb traffic.

I don't think there is much recourse unless you install a camera on top of your car, and turn in stuff like this to your local police department.

And even then I'm not sure if that would do anything. Someone with some experience would have to let us know.

Mike...

[atahoekid]

Nevada just passed a law banning cell phone use and texting while driving unless you use a hands free device. I hope it helps. Unfortunately, IMHO, the law doesn't go far enough. As evidenced by the story that started this thread, it wasn't the fact that she was holding a cell phone up to her ear that caused her to almost kill someone without even realizing it, it is the fact that she is deeply engaged in and totally distracted by a telephone conversation while driving.

People, please, JUST DRIVE!!!!

[LDK]

Somebody should have chased her down and told her what she just did.

[planovet]

At least she wasn't texting

[boomboomtulum]

Saw on the news this morning the truck driver that hit the train in Nevada that killed 5 may have been on the phone, their investigating.. But like others have said we see it many times everyday
Dave

[caseydog]

I would gladly obey a law against cell phone use while driving.

I don't do it very often, and I don't really NEED to do it at all.

CD

[JuneBug]

I bike-commute 9 miles to work and even though I have a great route on roads with dedicated bike lanes or very low-traffic neighborhood streets and obey traffic laws, there have been a few close calls with oblivious drivers. For the woman who almost ran me over in the middle of the intersection with a four way stop -- how could you not see me passing directly in front of your car as you pulled away from the stop sign? I wear a screaming yellow fluorescent jersey and have an extremely bright blinking headlight. It was total daylight. That was the scariest one -- she kind of "came to" at the last second and swerved a bit, I accelerated -- so fortunately a near miss and not a hit.

Texas has also passed a law banning the use of cell phones in school zones. This spring I saw a woman off loading a bunch of kids by the elementary school and yakking away on her phone (when she wasn't yelling at her kids) directly in front of the large "No Cell Phones in School Zone $200 Fine" sign.

Please don't get me started in on Governor Hair Do holding the legislature hostage trying to ram through legislation that might look good in a bid for Pres, and vetoing this ban on texting while driving since he doesn't want to "micromanage" adults -- part of his (micro) image management. Rant off!

There is an X-the-Text campaign in Austin right now, where you wear a little X- the-Text thumband to show your support for banning texting while behind the wheel--so that is pretty cool.

I would like to note that I'm so grateful to the huge majority of people who live their lives in an aware and gracious way and that there are only a few true stinkers around!

[gregp136]

I don't like cell phones even when I am not driving.

Greg(and Laurie)

[caseydog]

JuneBug, common sense says that if it is not safe to phone and drive in a school zone, then it is not safe at all.

The way the system works in Texas, Governor Goodhair can't do much more than sign or veto legislation. So, I wish the legislature would step up, and stop writing watered-down laws, like no cell phone use in school zones.

If that woman I saw run the red light would have done so about one second later, she would have been hit by the Grand Cherokee that just missed her. The speed limit for the Jeep was 60 MPH.

It got me thinking.

CD

[TheBizMan]

You won't believe this. I was just at a stop light and a man with a cell up to his ear, drove right thru the red light. Now catch this, facing the other way at the light was a police car. He didn't do a thing. You guessed it. He was also on a phone and didn't even see the other jerk run the light.

[planovet]

The way the system works in Texas, Governor Goodhair can't do much more than sign or veto legislation. So, I wish the legislature would step up, and stop writing watered-down laws, like no cell phone use in school zones.

Well, the legislature DID pass a bill banning texting while driving this session. I feel that is much more dangerous than talking and driving. But Gov Goodhair vetoed it saying it was ""a government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults". Really? Isn't that what seatbelt laws do?? The law would be practically unenforceable anyway.