Texting Ban Law in MA activated

[Egon Spengler]

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

I say good luck trying to enforce it! You do not have to surrender your phone to the officer and they really cannot prove that you were texting.

Under 18 are not allowed to have a phone at all while driving which I think is great and a little easier to enforce than texting!

I have also heard that other states that banned texting have had an increase in accidents due to people hiding the phone and taking their eyes off the road more to continue to text in a less obvious manner.

Have I texted while driving? Yes though realized how dangerous it is and will refrain.

I would like to hear what people think on this matter.

[PonyUP]

Personally the phone is extremely distracting while driving period. Dialing the phone, texting, and emailing are all negligent driving and dangerous to everyone on the road. If you have to talk, most phones have the ability to voice activate calling and use a hands free set. IMO, that should all that be allowed while on the road. I have narrowly avoided many accidents from some A Hole playing with their phone, veering into my lane. Just my $.02

[CBT]

Hands free or die!

[dakslim]

I am guilty of trying it once...never again...I have a hard enough time of it (as I open myself up to all sorts of abuse) when I'm sitting on the front porch drinking a beer and smoking a stogie!!! NC has a law that no one under the age of 18 can use a cell phone while driving. Good luck trying to enforce that one too.

[Phrog_gunner]

They probably don't need to PROVE you were texting. All the LEO has to do is affirm that he saw you doing it. That's like saying they can't PROVE you were speeding.

[Egon Spengler]

They probably don't need to PROVE you were texting. All the LEO has to do is affirm that he saw you doing it. That's like saying they can't PROVE you were speeding.
I could say they saw me looking up a number to call. You do not have to show them your phone. It isn't against the law to look up a number to call.

[Phrog_gunner]

I could say they saw me looking up a number to call. You do not have to show them your phone. It isn't against the law to look up a number to call.

Dude, that sounds about as plausible as the ol "No I wasn't" speeding defense. Do you not think the cop will be smart enough to wait a few seconds to see if you just quickly look at your phone or whether you are on it for a bit?

[Egon Spengler]

Dude, that sounds about as plausible as the ol "No I wasn't" speeding defense. Do you not think the cop will be smart enough to wait a few seconds to see if you just quickly look at your phone or whether you are on it for a bit?
LEO's themselves have said it! All I have to say is good luck enforcing it! Idiots should just put their f***ing phones down while driving PERIOD! Shouldn't have to take a law to get you to stop doing something that dangerous. Although I guess many people think they are invisible and have the old "it won't happen to me" mentality.

[Phrog_gunner]

Although I guess many people think they are invisible and have the old "it won't happen to me" mentality.

Very true, or they are just completely oblivious.

[Paul T. Casey]

Not an issue for me as I plan on getting through life without ever texting, let alone while driving.

[Phrog_gunner]

Not an issue for me as I plan on getting through life without ever texting, let alone while driving.

If I didn't have to text in flight times for work, I would be right there with you.

[Matt In Detroit]

Not an issue for me as I plan on getting through life without ever texting, let alone while driving.


X2

I have so had it with everybodys phones and texting and the rudeness it brings.

[Speed]

MD has similar a law as well and includes cell phone usage that suppose to start tomorrow.

http://www.marylandaccidentlawyerblog .com/2010/09/new_maryland_cellphone_law.htm l

[thathotrodlincn]

In my car club there is a man who is profoundly deaf. The only way of contacting him is by texting. Accordingly, I text. But NOT while driving!!!

[martyo]

You don't think there is a log of your texts with the phone company?

[LIGHTNIN1]

They need the law in case the driver causes an accident while texting and possibly kills someone. Normally though it is about as useful as having a law against sneezing.

[hwy73]

...they really cannot prove that you were texting.
What an incredible statement.

Martyo -You don't think there is a log of your texts with the phone company?
Tell him Marty, which includes date and time, down to the second, and can be obtained with a subpoena.

What about the dashboard video camera that is in most cruisers these days. If push came to shove, the officer would not have to say a word in court, just push PLAY and let the judge decide for himself.
JHC

[martyo]

[I]Martyo -You don't think there is a log of your texts with the phone company?

No one thought that EZ Pass records would be available and lo and behold a well drafted subpoena later and they were admitted into the record.

[RacerX]

Not to mention, you could probably use triangulation to figure out how fast you were driving while texting on said phone! ;) George Orwell had no idea that it wouldn't be the gov't, but, ourselves.

[guspech750]

I think anything made illegal doing on the phone while driving is a great law. It might be hard to enforce. But just think when some A-hole kills your family member or friend while fingerjaming away on the phone, now you will have something to stand on to put that person in jail for a long time.

[duhtroll]

Exactly my thought. How many accidents have we heard about that in the article it mentions the driver (of the TRAIN in one case) was texting just before the accident?

They certainly don't need your phone to be able to tell. Cell companies are very cooperative with law enforcement.

On the other hand, I was on the highway Saturday and punching in the address to the GPS navigation on my phone. An older guy in the lane next to me saw me do it and honked and flipped me off. He thought I was texting. Heck, I hardly text anyway, much less while driving.

Nevermind that he was passing me at 10 over the limit and he also had a gps mounted on his windshield, which IIRC is also illegal but not enforced.

It is not the indignation I mind - just the hypocrisy.


You don't think there is a log of your texts with the phone company?

[martyo]

On the other hand, I was on the highway Saturday and punching in the address to the GPS navigation on my phone.

Our work rules forbid this and, for that matter, data entry in a dedicated GPS.

[Bluerauder]

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

Virginia has similar laws on texting and cellphones. They are essentially useless since it is only a secondary offense unless the driver is pulled over for reckless driving or some other primary offense. Most people here in Northern Virginia just ignore it like the HOV rules.

Few things piss me off more than idiots on cellphones, blackberries or texting while driving. Operating a motor vehicle is a primary activity that demands your undivided attention. Some drivers do not have the skill set to do two things at once. Others don't have enough functional brain cells to do it either. Get the H#LL off the phone. Put the Blackberry down. Your ******** call about bread and milk at the grocery store will wait. :mad2:

Why is it that 90% of drivers claim to be opposed to cellphones and texting while driving; but that I routinely see about 50% on the phone, blackberry or texting? 20% of drivers seem to be on the phone or BB constantly checking for new ******** messages.

Those statistics just mean that 40% of drivers are liars and that 10% are pathological liars.

Drunk drivers at least try to stay between the lines and are trying to drive all be it incapacitated. They tend to restrict their problem to late night or early morning after the bars close. The cellphoners and Crackberry addicts have no excuse at all. They are dangerous on the road and simply do not care.

Cellphone/BB addicts should lose their driver's license for 1-year for the first offense. Revocation of Driving Priveleges for the 2nd offense. Capital Punishment for the 3rd offense.

But other than that, I really don't have any strong opinions one way or the other. ;)

[Crown Vicman]

I have nothing against texting but it definitely should be banned while driving. Texting while driving has to be the dumbest thing ever.

[Motorhead350]

I am completely for the law. When I text in the car it's at a stop, never while driving. If I get a red light I will respond. If it's really important I will actually pull over. If it needs to responded to and I am on the highway I'll have my girlfriend do it for me. Last resort the person will have to wait and if it's really that important they will call me.

[3CzSCrewHead*]

I learned my lesson of texting and driving with my Marquis not wreCcing the Rauder jajaja

[Doohicky]

I just saw on the news that the FEDs want to pass a drivers licence law. Get permit at 16 and licence at 18 and no cell phone use until 18. (If they're gonna put in a cell phone clause it should be NO USE period.) And then if states don't adopt it, FED money would be taken away from them. Here in CA it's "SUPPOSED TO BE" hands free. I do notice people tend to put the phone down when I pass by and the put it back up after I pass. I don't text at all, and when driving, if I get a call, and I can't pull over to answer it I don't. I just wish that when they pass a new law, there should be the funds in the law for law enforcement to be able to enforce it. Last month or the month before, I got a call and passed the phone to my wife to find out who it was. She asked and handed me back the phone. I told her "I could have done that!". I told them I'd call them back when I could and hung up. I don't know how many times I've missed a turn just talking with a passenger.

[MM03MOK]

I posted this over a year ago:


I was behind a driver 2 months ago that was weaving, speeding up and slowing down in the high speed lane. I called it in and was following them for 20 min. before the State Police caught up with us. Yep, driving while texting. Had a friend at the SP look up the incident. Same erratic operations as a drunk driver.
The Trooper followed behind the driver - in the high speed lane - and witnessed the erratic operation. Driver didn't notice the Trooper until he turned his lights and siren on. That person would now get a ticket for $100.

[guspech750]

I posted this over a year ago:


The Trooper followed behind the driver - in the high speed lane - and witnessed the erratic operation. Driver didn't notice the Trooper until he turned his lights and siren on. That person would now get a ticket for $100.
I have called the phone numbers on peoples vehicles to report them to their bosses for their crappy driving habbits. No matter the cause.

[sailsmen]

More Big Brother. There are over 4,000 Federal Criminal Laws. Most criminal offenses fall under State.

Soon it will be more efficient for Government to tell us what to do instead of what not to do.

There are hundreds of thousands of laws and thousands more every year.

Careless and reckless driving statues cover this. No additional laws are required.

39:4-96. A person who drives a vehicle heedlessly, in willful or wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others, in a manner so as to endanger, or be likely to endanger, a person or property, shall be guilty of reckless driving and be punished by imprisonment in the county or municipal jail for a period of not more than 60 days, or by a fine of not less than $50.00 or more than $200.00, or both.

On a second or subsequent conviction he shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than three months, or by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $500, or both.

Amended 1955,c.220,s.1; 1982,c.45,s.3; 1995,c.70,s.2.

39:4-97. Careless driving

39:4-97. A person who drives a vehicle carelessly, or without due caution and circumspection, in a manner so as to endanger, or be likely to endanger, a person or property, shall be guilty of careless driving.

[Spectragod]

I could say they saw me looking up a number to call. You do not have to show them your phone. It isn't against the law to look up a number to call.

Uhhh, it's called a tracking history. All he has to do is follow and video tape the offender, get a history, make a stop. The charge should be reckless operation, 6 point violation:eek:, 2 of those and no more license.

We got by without phones in cars before, I am sure it can (and should) be done again. -0- phones while operating any motor vehicle.

I only say that because most(not all) people suck at driving anyhow, why do they need more distractions.