One Third of Teens Admit to Driving Intexticated

[g00ey]

[citation][nom]manos[/nom]... ( BTw its illegal here in Greece to have a cellphone in use in car period, but we barely have anyone checking on us in the streets. Its like a free for all deal. In CA i remember very well I almost got a ticket for crossing th street without a green light on foot my first day when I had moved there. lol Stupid thing )[/citation]

I totally agree that those jaywalking laws are just stupid. I'm used to crossing highways with heavy traffic which I had to cross every day to get to school. I can tell that you develop a particular skill in predicting the cars movement with millisecond precision so that you learn to cross safely with very tight margins, which looks dangerous to an "untrained" pedestrian. Then I remember one occasion when I was in Australia where I used to cross the streets like that on my way to and from work. Apparently I walked in front of a bus that hit the brakes when I crossed the street. Of course I had the situation under control but the driver didn't seem to think so. Later that day I met a girl at work who happened to be on that bus and she was so upset about it. She was going like; "YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF IF YOU WALK LIKE THAT!!!". Well, it's been over a decade and I have not yet experienced any accidents.

I don't want to reveal where I'm originated but in my home country we have no jaywalking laws and I'm willing to bet my life on that we do not have higher fatality rates amongst pedestrians than in countries/states which do have these laws.

So my point is that one should think carefully before stipulating the laws which may turn out to be quite useless in practice.

But I'm f'ing annoyed by people who drive 10mph on the highways blocking the traffic and when I drive past them I see them fingering on a cell phone or a GPS. The GPS is a pain in the *ss; I regularly see people (with a flickering screen behind the windshield) making erratic movements in the traffic, changing lanes without signaling, changing lane in the very last minute to make a turn, and so on.

 

[eccentric909]

[citation][nom]amdgamer666[/nom]I'll admit I'm guilty of doing this, but at least I'm smart about it. [/citation]

There is no "being smart" about texting and driving. The only being smart would be texting and sitting still, off the side of the road and not in any lane, or at any stop sign or stop light. Just because you're stopped at a light or sign, doesn't mean it's safe to start looking away from the road. Who knows what idiot might be barreling down behind you, texting on their phone, not paying attention to the light or sign? But since you were texting as well, you didn't have the reaction time to get out of the way.

This is a huge problem, FFS, my grandfather was hit by a cop yesterday, who was texting on his phone and not paying attention. Hit him head on and broke my grandad's collarbone. It was entirely the cop's fault and is documented as such.

It's not only teens doing it, that's for sure and there is no safe way to text behind the wheel with your car in any gear but park.

 

[blackened144]

I text a lot. Back when I had a flip phone with real buttons it was easy to text with one hand while not looking at the phone just like touch typing on a keyboard. Once I moved on to my slideout keyboards on my HTC phones it was almost impossible to type without looking at the keyboard. Now that I have the iPhone, it IS impossible to type while not looking at the phone.. Its been years since Ive texted while actually driving. I get in a quick text at red lights every once in a while, but never when Im moving.. Too dangerous..

 

[hardwarekid9756]

It's a horrible habit. I admit I'm guilty of sending a couple texts to people maybe once or twice occasionally when I'm driving, but that is infrequent and they're usually just a quick affirmative or something, not a solid text conversation. I personally think that serious texting while driving is an abomination. I'd sacrifice my few texts per driving for laws against it. It's not that big a deal, I can just wait for a stoplight and bust out an "OK" before it changes...or not...I don't realy care...they're not going to care if they have to wait a few minutes for a text.

 

[bildo123]

Let's say your going 60MPH on the highway (Giving the benefit of the doubt, for those that drive, you can admit to going this or even faster on average). Let's say your going this speed and look down at your phone for an innocent 3 seconds. That's all, just 3 seconds. You just traveled 264 feet, 36 feet shy from an entire football field distance, without seeing the road. Although not much usually happens in that relativly 'small' distance, a lot can happen.

 

[necro1783]

I'll admit it, I text while behind the wheel of a car but I everyone I text knows when I'm driving to not except an immediate response because I only pick up my phone for a text message at a stop sign or stop light.

 

[tommysch]

[citation][nom]matt87_50[/nom]having just completed being a teenager, I think military service should be compulsory from the age of 13 to 18. I mean they spend most of their time stuck in school anyway, they could still be taught, this way they don't get to spend their little spare time being idiots. I mean, when was the last time a teenager did anything productive anyway?[/citation]

I dont think they will adapt that quickly, those teens will simply go extinct. A few less douche bags on the planet will not hurt. BTW, I doubt a 16yo texting SOB in his mommys yaris will carry an AA-12.

 

[tommysch]

[citation][nom]g00ey[/nom]Then he will climb out of his F1500 and shoot you down with an AA-12 as soon as he sees you take the knife out.Yes, natural selection sure is beautiful...[/citation]

Sorry took the wrong quote...

I dont think they will adapt that quickly, those teens will simply go extinct. A few less douche bags on the planet will not hurt. BTW, I doubt a 16yo texting SOB in his mommys yaris will carry an AA-12.

 

[Manos]

[citation][nom]g00ey[/nom]I totally agree .[/citation]

And I too agree with your post.


[citation][nom]amdgamer666[/nom]I'll admit I'm guilty of doing this, but at least I'm smart about it.[/citation]

Ok, not only that you do it, but the fact you put together THAT with "being smart" .. Sorry to let you know but you are far from smart from where I see it.

 

[one-shot]

I don't see how texting while driving can be called smart in any way. It sounds like a person using chewing tobacco instead of cigarettes because it is "safer/smarter". Neither are, and saying one is smart is ignoring the fact that it is dangerous.