Queue on 16/11/2009 at 14:51
¥
Ulukai on 16/11/2009 at 15:11
In the uk, it's already an offense, and quite right too.
Aerothorn on 16/11/2009 at 15:15
Quote Posted by Queue
While I'm not for enacting laws to ban anything,
I was with you until you said this. What do you mean by "anything"? I don't think you're an anarchist, but the implication of your statement is that murder should be legal.
Anyway, yes, text messaging while driving should be highly illegal and enforced. Talking on your cell phone (even using a head-set) while driving should also be illegal, though a lesser crime as it is less dangerous. The problem is that, as far as I can tell, even in states where it is illegal the law is not enforced enough to stop people.
D'Juhn Keep on 16/11/2009 at 15:24
Quote Posted by Ulukai
In the uk, it's already an offense, and quite right too.
Just like speed limits right
Sulphur on 16/11/2009 at 15:26
If anything, texting while driving is even more idiotic and dangerous than talking and driving, considering you're staring at a small-ass screen and your attention is focused on punching out a sentence instead of paying attention to the fucking road.
Aerothorn on 16/11/2009 at 15:37
Well, the key question when regulating behavior is "Who does it hurt?"
Homosexuality (or rather, sodomy, since once cannot legistlate sexuality!) doesn't harm anybody, and so it should be legal.
Texting while driving, however, infringes on the rights of other (namely their right to live). Generally speaking, these types of behavior are legistlated, as (IMO) well they should be.
The grey area that ends up a big area for debate is behaivor that only injures yourself. Smoking in your own apartment doesn't hurt anybody but you, but a lot of people want to ban it anyway, arguing that injuring your own body has negative effects on society, etc.
henke on 16/11/2009 at 15:49
Quote Posted by Aerothorn
Texting while driving, however, infringes on the rights of other (namely their right to live).
You're saying that like the only outcome of someone texting while driving is that someone else
will die.
Running people over is already illegal, whether the person behind the wheel is texting or not. And isn't there already a law against endangering others in traffic? (pretty sure there is one in Finland) Surely if someone is caught driving and not paying attention to the road they can be prosecuted under this law? Don't see why there needs to be a separate law for texting.
Thief13x on 16/11/2009 at 16:18
YES
ban those sob's who want to hurtle 2 tons of glass and steel down the road at a mile a minute and do anything else at the same time. I have 0 tolerance for people who don't give the road 100% attention (yeah yeah road tzar in the house I know).
As a biker, I'm always amazed at how little people pay attention when they're driving (I know I'm slightly harder to see but I have 3 headlights and a bright red reflective riding jacket)...it's fucking terrifying to encounter some moron who's sitting on a cushion wearing a safety harness all while texting and never giving a second thought that i'm NOT strapped in, or enclosed! as they pull out in front of me without even looking. Very very little patience for this stuff...man Queue that would eat me alive. Bottom line is there is no room for 40,000 automobile related deaths per year in the United States in the 21st century when so many of them can be so easily prevented.
As a Florida resident of almost 5 years, I can honestly say that old people apparently used to be worse at driving than younger folk. I'll take on granny any day before taking on that chick with a cell in her hand
fett on 16/11/2009 at 16:23
I agree with Queue. I also don't understand why I can get ticketed for not wearing my seatbelt, but I constantly see these dickmunchers driving along while texting, or even watching a DVD that they've somehow mounted to the dashboard of their fucking humvees. If I want to fly through my windshield at 70 mph, all it does is generate income for the hospital that pronounces me, and the state. It harms no one but myself. A few years ago I actually got pulled over for going 7mph over the speed limit. The reason I was speeding? I was trying to catch up with a guy in the other lane because I couldn't believe he was actually trying to read the paper on the interstate - I wanted a second look to be sure I had seen correctly. :rolleyes:
Aerothorn on 16/11/2009 at 17:26
Quote Posted by henke
You're saying that like the only outcome of someone texting while driving is that someone else
will die.
Running people over is already illegal, whether the person behind the wheel is texting or not. And isn't there already a law against endangering others in traffic? (pretty sure there is one in Finland) Surely if someone is caught driving and not paying attention to the road they can be prosecuted under this law? Don't see why there needs to be a separate law for texting.
A. I doubt all states (remember, this is state law we're talking about, not federal) have general "endangering others in traffic" laws, and
B. It's all well and good they can be prosecuted for that - the problem is that by that point someone is already did. You want to stop them BEFORE somebody gets killed.
