AT&T: Stop Texting Behind the Wheel!

[randomizer]

[citation][nom]dingumf[/nom]Who the hell would text?Its all about the hands free calls man[/citation]
Talking is still a distraction.

 

[buwish]

It's illegal in IL, well, not until January 1, but I agree with the law and AT&T that it's a good step to curb accidents that could potentially injure other law abiding drivers on the road.

 

[r0x0r]

[citation][nom]ravewulf[/nom]A major part of the benefits of texting is that you DON'T need to respond immediately and can reply at your own convenience. So why do people still feel the need to respond immediately even if it can easily endanger their own and other's lives?[/citation]

According to the f*cktards who text and drive, it's far more important to let the other person know what you think of (insert inconsequential event here) than the lives of other people.

People who cause an accident due to inattention should have the maximum penalty imposed upon them. Then, if they want their licence back, they should be made to take their driving lessons and tests in Tokyo to get it back, at their expense.

(I say that because the difficulty of getting a licence in Tokyo is huge, and would most likely keep the retards who find not concentrating on your mobile phone off the roads 'cos it would be too much effort for them).

 

[megamanx00]

I wonder how many times they have heard "well duh!" today. Well it's late, but I guess for a big lumbering company like AT&T it's pretty fast. I don't think this will change peoples habits too much unfortunately.

 

[megamanx00]

Hey, we should get Ralph Nader to write a book "Unsafe with any text" 😀.

 

[anamaniac]

I've been almost part of the pavement several times because of cellphones... drivers, watch were you're fucking going!
Alas, I haven't been hit by someone texting while driving (yet).

 

[tayb]

Yes. Please don't text and drive. Do, however, surf the web and drive. Do post to facebook and drive. Do type and read emails while you drive. Do post to twitter while you drive. Do read a book on your iPhone while you drive. Do read the news while you drive. Do get GPS directions while you drive.

Texting while driving is dangerous but I can think of 10-15 things off the top of my head that I can do with my iPhone that are more dangerous and more distracting than texting. On top of that I can think of 50 or so things that don't involve a phone that are more dangerous than texting. I can also show you about 10 people I personally know that are so incompetent behind the wheel I would rather get in my friends car while he is rip-roaring drunk than take my chances with them, cell phone or not.

And to the people saying this is a teenage thing. Where the hell do you live and what makes you think adults don't send text messages??? Five out of every six drivers that I think to myself "they can't possibly have an IQ above 80" are adults and at least half of the people I see texting are adults. Oh yeah and the only time I saw someone driving down the highway while reading a novel? Yup. Grown ass man at least in his 40s. Don't seem to ever see any PSA's about reading a novel while driving though.

And just one last thing. Texting while driving isn't as dangerous as drunk driving. Mythbusters got paid to do that one and it was extremely unscientific. While you are actually texting it is quite dangerous but the simple difference between texting and drunk driving is you can DROP THE PHONE in a dangerous situation and simply stop texting. You can't just stop being drunk once you get on the highway.

 

[neiroatopelcc]

I don't see the point of aiming this at teens?
1) teens know they shouldn't
2) teens are so used to texting that they don't need to 'think' while doing so
3) teens are so used to texting that they don't need to look at the phone while doing so
4) teens don't care about what they should or shouldn't anyway
5) middle aged men are more easily distracted from driving and I would assume more prone to crashing when looking at the screen instead of out the window

 

[climber]

Here's a simple fix, which should be mandated by the government for wireless carriers and cellphone/smartphone companies to comply with. Use either or both accelerometers/GPS within these devices to detect motion/speed and automatically disable texting, IM'ing, or access to the keyboard/touchpad accept for a button which activates hands free calling via voice prompt to dial from the address book.

 

[neiroatopelcc]

[citation][nom]climber[/nom]Here's a simple fix, which should be mandated by the government for wireless carriers and cellphone/smartphone companies to comply with. Use either or both accelerometers/GPS within these devices to detect motion/speed and automatically disable texting, IM'ing, or access to the keyboard/touchpad accept for a button which activates hands free calling via voice prompt to dial from the address book.[/citation]

And how does the gps distinquish between situations where you're on a train, plane, boat, bus, or a passenger in a car, and those situations where you're doing the texting?
I imagine it'd be quite annoying to be kidnapped by some mafia guys, and find yourself unable to operate your hidden phone whilst enjoying the ride in their boot.

 

[neiroatopelcc]

"doing the texting? " = "doing the driving? "

 

[sandmanwn]

[citation][nom]fulle[/nom]I wish people would stop fucking with natural selection, and stop putting warnings on everything. "Rat poison, do no eat.", "Objects may be closer than they appear", "No running" (around a pool)... "DON'T DRINK TOILET WATER". Pretty soon I won't be able to buy scissors without some kind of disclaimer warning me NOT to impale and kill myself with them.Lets just get rid of the warnings on everything, and let nature run its course.[/citation]
The basic and fundamental issue with this idiotic idea is that some stupid teenager with a texting addiction can take out a rocket scientist in the car next to them in an accident or a half dozen pedestrians on a street corner of differing skill sets.

Usually in an accident there is someone else involved. Get it genius?

 

[jellico]

I'm so sick and tired of that nanny-state bullschtick! Look, there are people out there who could text while eating a Carl's Jr. cheeseburger and driving a stick-shift at 90 MPH and be in perfect control of the vehicle. Then there are those who can barely handle driving and listening to the radio at the same time. The fact is that we don't need laws that tell us not to drive and text or not to drive and use a cell phone without a hands-free device. We already have laws that say if you are driving in a reckless or distracted fashion, you can be stopped and cited (or jailed if you happen to be intoxicated).

The fact of the matter is that these laws are more about revenue collection than they are about safety. In my home town of Albuquerque, they added red-light cameras at numerous intersections to curb red-light runners, thereby increasing safety. Of course, they also cite people for exceeding the speed limit. The cameras created a huge windfall of cash for the city, at first. Then the revenue started to taper off. So what did the city do? They shortened the time of the yellow light. Revenues went back up. As for safety... well, preliminary data showed that intersection crashes went way down; HOWEVER, rear-end collisions went way up as a result of people stopping suddenly on yellow lights to avoid the possibility of getting a citation. Shortly after that, the city stopped tracking rear-end collisions at these intersections. There's your government at work!

 

[neiroatopelcc]

Well the cash cow must be milked.

 

[lamorpa]

Are people trying to put stipid comments here? They are succeeding.

 

[etichi]

Teens are way more likely to have an accident. Statistics prove it over and over and over.

Granted all age groups are susceptible to this activity so I don't see the necessity to target teens.

As for natural selection, I agree with it when it comes to not effecting innocent lives. You are on public roads. You as an individual do NOT own them but share them with the rest of the public. So Fuck no to texting/drinking/drugging/whatever else while driving.

 

[eccentric909]

[citation][nom]fulle[/nom]Most adults are responsible enough to wait until they come to a red light, stop sign, or are otherwise NOT merging onto the freeway, [/citation]

How is that responsible? Texting while behind the wheel is not responsible, unless you're pulled off to the side of the road. Looking down at your phone while sitting at a red light can still easily be dangerous.

 

[etichi]

I will get slammed for this for sure ...

Most people on American roads are delusional about what the own and control. They believe they actually own the space around them. Take a look at all the assholes in the fast lane driving under the speed limit. Why do they do that? Simple, they believe they have the RIGHT to drive in that lane. I believe in Germany you can get a ticket for not only driving slow in the fast lane but passing someone in the slow lane. I really like it. It installs a process that it safe and prevents road rage.

I believe in civil rights but as for texting while driving I just don't think there is a case to allow it go unchecked. It has been proven to be more dangerous than drinking and driving.

Driving is a privilege NOT a right.

 

[tayb]

[citation][nom]Eccentric909[/nom]How is that responsible? Texting while behind the wheel is not responsible, unless you're pulled off to the side of the road. Looking down at your phone while sitting at a red light can still easily be dangerous.[/citation]

I really would like to hear the argument as to why texting while sitting at a stop light is irresponsible. What is dangerous while you are siting at a stop light? Being rear ended? As if NOT texting made that any more safe?

And no, I will say it again, texting while driving is not more dangerous or even close to as dangerous as drunk driving. Don't even cite me some BS study that was poorly done.

 

[digiex]

In the Philippines you can see people texting riding a motorcycle. We are ahead of you in the US when it comes to texting.