Posted on 10/01/2009 9:56:35 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Determined to stop people from texting while driving, the Obama administration plans a campaign similar to past government efforts to discourage drunken driving and encourage the use of seat belts.
The administration planned to offer recommendations Thursday to address the growing safety risk of distracted drivers, especially the use of mobile devices to send messages from behind the wheel.
"We can really eliminate texting while driving. That should be our goal," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, declining to provide specifics of the recommendations.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
I have no problem with this.
Actually, I think cellphone OK, texting bad while driving.
I don't like people who text and drive either, but I do have a problem with the federal government holding states hostage to federal funds in order to make states do something the fed has no authority to control.
"Their legislation would require states to ban texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or lose 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding."
They could use Tweeter, to send everyone text messages about the dangers of texting and driving. The messages could include a callback number, for more information.
Hey BO
After you bring about world peace, social justice, universal healthcare, an end to racism, personally design a better car for GM, and stop people from texting while driving-
I have this nail fungus I’d like you to look at
The answer is really pretty simple. Do away with cell phone texting altogether. If cell phones are not capable of texting, then, no more distracted drivers due to texting. Never mind that pesky little issue of personal responsibility.
Why don’t you pick me up and burp me and tuck me into bed and read me a story while you’re at it, Ray?
The only thing this will do is provide more job security for trial lawyers.
All they have to do us utilize the GPS function (built into the phone) in the text program. If you are moving at a rate greater than 10 miles per hour, then the texting function would be disabled.
The trouble would then be that you could not send texts if you were on a bus, train or riding in the car with someone else driving.
What I can see, and what I woudl approve of, is a charge of INTENTIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO AN ACCIDENT - with a very substancial fiscal and legal liability. Text and drive, get in an accident while texting; you just gave up a huge fine, and are liable for a percentage of your income for the next ‘x’ years.
Text and kill someone through involuntary manslaughter - bump the involuntary manslaughter charge to voluntary manslaughter.
Make it hurt enough, and people will comply. If little missy and junior wanna text on their way to high school; then mommy and daddy lose their home. If mommy and daddy can’t or won’t teach their kids the basics; then Mommy and Daddy can pay the costs of their offsprings indescretions.
Ah, maybe we need to keep the cell phones with texting but get rid of all the automobiles! That would make everything green, too! We all know how many people automobiles kill.
(Sarcasm)
Of course the government's intent will not be to actually stop it, but to make money off of it via fines and to use it as an excuse to search and seize property.
Good luck enforcing it.
:Auto Auto!
The 2004 Toyota Prius was offered with an automatic parallel parking option that costs $1980. I asked myself, If the vehicle has a built in servo system to control the accelerator and wheels to perform a parallel park maneuver what else would be needed to produce an auto which could drive cross town, state or country? The US Navy has developed a GPS based automated landing system for its carrier based aircraft. Boeing has tested a commercial grade GPS based landing system on a B-737 which has proven accurate to with 6 feet of the planned touch down point on a runway.
Suppose we enlist the support of the high tech industries and schools in the DFW area. We ask them to deliver a system for $1980, which would address the whole commute issue. I’m not a traffic engineer but isn’t routing packets on the Internet and automobiles on North Central the same thing? Could the likes of Texas Instruments, Cisco Systems, Alcatel, Northern Telecom and other Telecom corridor enterprises build the necessary control system for the automobiles and design the network architecture for the DFW highway network? Would the same GPS that provides precision guidance for bombs deliver our cars to our work destination? Would the MapQuest driving instructions be the basis for automatic automobile control systems? Would our Engineering schools at SMU, TCU, UTD and all those other characters, (no not the engineers!), lead the way?
The cell phone system already tracks our cell phones. GPS location finding capabilities are existent. A fully automated traffic light system with school zones and other situations properly addressed would speed up our commutes. If the DFW area decided to produce such a system and test and debug it in the local area would we create jobs? When successful, would we own a system that could be sold to other cities around the world? Would we create additional jobs and wealth for the Metroplex? I repeat, the Metroplex has the engineering, communications and aerospace companies which can produce a real 21st Century transportation system. It would be efficient and effective! Heck, we might also build a Metroplex commute vehicle which carries two people, the minimum of cargo and gets extraordinary gas mileage. It might look like a 1960 MG Midget and we would export that vehicle along with the transportation control system. I have been accused of being a dreamer! But I can dream can’t I?
but Officer....I was just sending a contribution to MyBarackObama.com.....
Had a very close call on I40 while trying to text and drive.
Never going to do that again.
Cell phone use is by comparison no problem at all.
See my post! Solves boeth problems
See my post! Solves both problems
See my post! Solves both problems
See my post! Solves both problems
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.