[raccoonradio]

I hate the nanny state. You shouldn't be disallowed from doing things because some fools go too far. That being said, texting while driving is just plain dumb. It's probably about as safe as driving with your bare feet up on the steering wheel.

Someone has to die because this jerk is texting unimportant stuff? A cell phone, maybe I could see. Most people can probably phone and drive at the same time but some can't handle it. But texting? Seriously? In MA there is a law against it, a $100 fine I think.

In Feb of 11, a 21 yr old drove his car into the Waters River in Danvers MA. He managed to escape and the car was fished out.

He had been texting.

Aw, no big deal, kid, pay your $100 fine and be careful next time.

There are other distractions of course--and in THOSE cases, prohibitions are very necessary like drunk driving. A while back, an elderly couple were getting donuts from a place in Haverhill to bring to their church. A drunk woman (at 5 am) slammed into the car and the elderly woman died. (I found out later the perpetrator, who is now in jail, is the daughter of a distant cousin of mine). And a couple yrs back a bunch of boozing teens went for a drive in the wee hours. They had attended a booze-free prom and boat cruise but when it ended, they got a bunch of beer someone had bought for them, partied in the woods, and the driver of the car--who had been up for 24 hours straight--slammed into a woman, killing her. Saugus police found a bunch of brewskis in the vehicle.

When will people learn?

[proxy_user]

This is why you have car insurance. A 300/500K policy plus a 5M umbrella can be useful.

[verga]

To me it is common sense, but I also see people on a regular basis:

1) Operating laptops

2) Reading newspapers

3) Women putting on makeup

4) Routing through briefcases, backpacks etc...

And they act surprised when you hit the horn because they just missed you.

And remember most of these kids think they are 10 foot tall bullet proof geniuses

[School of Rational Thought]

The use of the mobile phone, whether for a call or texting is the biggest threat on the road today.

I drive about 100 miles a day and consistently have to avoid two incidents.

[jim macomber]

Clever bumper sticker I saw recently:

"Honk if you love Jesus. Text if you want to meet him."

[Mr. K]

I disagree- I think texting is extremely bad and dangerous TO OTHERS

I have witnessed 2 accidents where a car right next to me (stopped at a red light) was rear-ended by someone texting

In one case the car was next to me when he was hit from behind, in the other the car was one car length ahead of me in the lane next to me, and i was looking out the window as a car plowed into it and i could see the girl texting through the window of her her car as she hit the person in front of her (it could have been me and MY kids she hit0

Texting (and to a lesser extent) cell phone driving is dangerous AND there should be a law against it like there is a law against drunk driving.

I do hate making a new law for every new thing- it should ALL be covered under one ‘unsafe action’ law that covers driving drunk, texting, digging out a slice of pizza while taking it home (someone very stupid, possibly me, got into a fender bender doing that)

[Boogieman]

I’m against nanny-state laws too. Still, so long as the rest of the public is in favor of telling me that I can’t drink and drive, I see no reason to have sympathy for texting and driving because “everyone does it”. The public wants these nanny state restrictions, they just don’t like it when it applies to something they like to do. Tough teats, said Keats, you get what you ask for.

[Tax-chick]

The writer tells us the red Corolla was driven by two people. Are there no competent editors at all now?

[SMARTY]

“...denied he was talking on the phone or texting...”

Aren’t phone records public information in legal discovery?

[moovova]

The lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck, who cite more than 80 years’ combined experience...

In texting lawsuits?

...uh, just when DID Algore invent the internet?

[Mycroft Holmes]

In the case cited the individual who caused the accident is 18, legally able to contract with the government to join the military, and his parents are still responsible for his actions? Is the new age of majority 26 now with 0bamacare?

I, for one, welcome our new RINO Overlords /.

[Mad Dawgg]

Myself I've never seen the fascination in "texting" constantly.

I agree it sometimes has an advantage like when my wife is on her way home from work and wants to know what we need from the grocery store. This makes sense I send her a list of the items and she doesn't have to remember them or write them down.

But otherwise I don't get texting. To me its a step backwards on the communications evolutionary scale. Your not sure if the info you imparted was received and you must wait for a reply and if the reply doesn't come immediately you don't know if its because they didn't receive the info or don't know the answer or if you dropped service and so on. But if I actually use the phone and have a voice converstaion I can immediately know all of the above and its much faster.

So I rarely text and I would never do so while driving it just seems stupid. But I see nothing wrong with "Hands Free" cell phone use being its no different from talking to a passenger in the car. But driving while holding a cell phone constantly to your ear is just dumb. Especially when "Hands Free "options are so cheap now.