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[cpp_is_king]

Some states still don't have distracted driving laws which is just unbelievable

Distracted driving laws make the problem worse. I know it sounds crazy, but if you look around in rush hour traffic where I live, everybody -- and I mean every single person -- is using their phone. This is despite harsh distracted driving laws.

The real kicker is that now -- because of the distracted driving laws -- they are doing it more dangerously. They hold the phone below the seat level, so that instead of at least pretending to have their eyes pointed at the road, they physically have to turn their head down to look at the phone.

These laws are not reducing the instances of distracted driving, while they are simultaneously making each instance of distracted driving more dangerous.

 

[Earthbound64]

I’m not defending using your phone while driving so why are you saying I’m defending it?

I'm not sure why you keep skipping over the bolded part:

No surprise. Even on GAF you get people who are like "Oh, it's alright as long as you do it at a red light / while you're stopped [...]

 

[JoJoShabadoo]

My boss always uses his phone on the way to meetings while driving. Many times at stoplights I have to tell him the light is green before he even realizes. At times he also drives well below the speed limit so he can text while driving.

In other words, people turn even dumber behind the wheel if a phone is involved.

 

[shira]

My boss always uses his phone on the way to meetings while driving. Many times at stoplights I have to tell him the light is green before he even realizes. At times he also drives well below the speed limit so he can text while driving.

In other words, people turn even dumber behind the wheel if a phone is involved.

Why don't you drive so he can text? That's like riding a death wish rollercoaster

 

[nabe_shogun]

I'm not sure why you keep skipping over the bolded part:

I dont have a problem with someone on their phone while at a light/stopped. You cant crash into something if youre not moving.

I check my phone when stopped at a light, but not when moving.

 

[Earthbound64]

I dont have a problem with someone on their phone while at a light/stopped.

I do.

You cant crash into something if youre not moving.

But you can cause crashes if you're not moving when you're supposed to be.
Or if you suddenly/unexpectedly start moving.
etc.

I check my phone when stopped at a light

And another one...

 

[nabe_shogun]

I do.



But you can cause crashes if you're not moving when you're supposed to be.
Or if you suddenly/unexpectedly start moving.
etc.

Then it would be someone elses fault for crashing into me. And then they shouldnt be driving if they crash into a stationary object. Unless theyre using their phone and not paying attention of course.

And my car cant move on its own. Its needs my input, which I would give it when using my phone.

 

[thepotatoman]

No surprise. Even on GAF you get people who are like "Oh, it's alright as long as you do it at a red light / while you're stopped / when no one's around / when traffic is moving at a steady pace / when people aren't in the road / when I feel like it." People always seem to think it can't happen to them, and that they're perfect.

I don't like including complete stop phone checking in with this. I think there's at least an argument to be had that the convenience to check your phone is worth the risk of the annoyance of needing to honk at someone to get them to go. Is there any other reason we should consider banning looking at phones at a complete stop? Is there any evidence of stopped cars delaying to green lights causing crashes?

Of course the convenience of checking your phone while driving is worth the deaths caused by resulting crashes, and there's no such thing as a safe time in motion to check your texts.

I would think that it'd be easier to get people to wait for the next stoplight than to convince people to wait until they get to their destination.

 

[Aztechnology]

It's actually impossible, without enacting the safe driving features that disable phones while driving, probably at a firmware level. To stop people from texting or calling while driving. And any company that did it, would suffer heavily in sales if others were not compelled to as well. The best way to make this better is to create phone features, give free or low cost charging hands-free devices etc. You have to make using handsfree and not distracting elements, especially for texting, more attractive than actually texting on the road. Better text to speech readers and features etc. Self driving cars are sadly too far off to stop this epidemic right now.

 

[Earthbound64]

Then it would be someone elses fault for crashing into me. And then they shouldnt be driving if they crash into a stationary object. Unless theyre using their phone and not paying attention of course.

And my car cant move on its own. Its needs my input, which I would give it when using my phone.

--->

No surprise. Even on GAF you get people who are like "Oh, it's alright as long as you do it at a red light / while you're stopped

Is there any other reason we should consider banning looking at phones at a complete stop?

Read the posts above yours.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

I don't like including complete stop phone checking in with this. I think there's at least an argument to be had that the convenience to check your phone is worth the risk of the annoyance of needing to honk at someone to get them to go. Is there any other reason we should consider banning looking at phones at a complete stop?

I watched a really old woman get hit as she was walking across an intersection because someone started driving as soon as the light turned green. They saw the "go" in their periphery while looking at their phone, unaware there was still a tiny, slow lady at the final part of the crossing in front of them.

 

[RS4-]

My boss always uses his phone on the way to meetings while driving. Many times at stoplights I have to tell him the light is green before he even realizes. At times he also drives well below the speed limit so he can text while driving.

In other words, people turn even dumber behind the wheel if a phone is involved.

Boss is going to get you hurt.

 

[Earthbound64]

I watched a really old woman get hit as she was walking across an intersection because someone started driving as soon as the light turned green. They saw the "go" in their periphery while looking at their phone, unaware there was still a tiny, slow lady at the final part of the crossing in front of them.

Totes the old woman's fault though, she shouldn't have been there.

/s, in case it wasn't obvious.

 

[Lucky Forward]

A bit OT, but I've noticed lately how the A-pillar/side-view mirror on some cars can create a pretty big blind spot, especially on the passenger side. I've been driving my mom's 2012 Buick Regal a lot and I've noticed how other cars or pedestrians can suddenly appear from that area.

 

[Glass Shark]

.

 

[Aztechnology]

It's honestly an epidemic and I'm so angry about it. I see this all the time and I just can't fathom the person who sits there and stares at their phone while traveling 70 MPH down the highway. I will take a quick look at my phone if I'm sitting at a red light, but that's about it.

A lot of people are really, really dumb.

 

[nabe_shogun]

--->


Read the posts above yours.

I still dont see a good reason to not look at your phone while stationary. I know you dont like it, but I see no reason not to.

 

[btrboyev]

People are getting dumber and dumber. Smartphones no doubt play a big part in that.

 

[Earthbound64]

I still dont see a good reason to not look at your phone while stationary. I know you dont like it, but I see no reason not to.

I've already given reasons, as have other people.

 

[xxracerxx]

I still dont see a good reason to not look at your phone while stationary. I know you dont like it, but I see no reason not to.

Because you are not paying attention to the space around you. What if a cyclist comes up beside you? How about a person getting ready to cross the street?

If you are not paying attention and are rather looking at your phone and the light turns green, you don't really know what is around you.

 

[btrboyev]

I still dont see a good reason to not look at your phone while stationary. I know you dont like it, but I see no reason not to.

Because it’s still a distraction, whether you believe it or not. You are distracted. A car could be coming right at you and you would have no fucking clue.

 

[cpp_is_king]

Because it’s still a distraction, whether you believe it or not. You are distracted. A car could be coming right at you and you would have no fucking clue.

Same is true if you're changing your radio station.

 

[nabe_shogun]

Because you are not paying attention to the space around you. What if a cyclist comes up beside you? How about a person getting ready to cross the street?

If you are not paying attention and are rather looking at your phone and the light turns green, you don't really know what is around you.

I put my phone down and look around before I start moving. Its not really much diffent when Im not checking my phone and staring off the side of the road at something.

Im not going to start driving without knowing my surroundings

 

[lawnchair]

Should be counted as the same as Drunk Driving

worse than drunk driving

 

[Earthbound64]

Same is true if you're changing your radio station.

And yet we don't have an article about increasing deaths from radios.
Wonder why.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Same is true if you're changing your radio station.

Can you cite some deaths from this?

^Earthbound has the same idea, haha

 

[cpp_is_king]

And yet we don't have an article about increasing deaths from radios.
Wonder why.

Do we have any from smartphone deaths at stoplights?

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

A bit OT, but I've noticed lately how the A-pillar/side-view mirror on some cars can create a pretty big blind spot, especially on the passenger side. I've been driving my mom's 2012 Buick Regal a lot and I've noticed how other cars or pedestrians can suddenly appear from that area.

This is due to regulations stating that a car's roof needs to support the weight of the car when flipped.

 

[kyser73]

I agree, but how do you prove device use? You can measure alcohol level in someone, but not whether they were looking at their phone.

Some UK police forces are using the traffic camera network (ANPR cameras are everywhere) to set up pull-over zones where they get the plates of a person using the phone so they know which cars to pull over - they haven’t yet been able to prosecute someone solely off camera images yet AFAIK but it can’t be far away.

 

[Earthbound64]

Do we have any from smartphone deaths at stoplights?

Funny, I don't recall having the words "at stoplights" in there.

And yet we don't have an article about increasing deaths from radios.
Wonder why.

And I didn't.

 

[Linkura]

They're not gonna be pulling people over for this.

I imagine most of this enforcement is after another violation or accident

They fucking should. Spot someone with a cell phone while driving, slap 'em with a $1000 fine. Second offense, jail time.

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

My IPhone does this cool thing where I can’t use the phone and I don’t get calls either but that kind of stuff shouldn’t be an option. Most phones can track that you’re driving so it isn’t unrealistic to have features that make sure you’re not on you’re phone while driving.

Stop spreading this BS. Phones cannot tell that you are driving, phones can tell that you are moving above a certain speed threshold. With that setting on, your phone would block you from using it if you are on a train, the bus, a boat, a passenger in a car, etc...

Currently that solution would prevent passengers in any of those situations from using their phone, which would be completely unacceptable by the public. Do you want to be the one to announce that no one who takes public transportation should now be able to use their phones?

 

[Cynar]

No surprise. Even on GAF you get people who are like "Oh, it's alright as long as you do it at a red light / while you're stopped / when no one's around / when traffic is moving at a steady pace / when people aren't in the road / when I feel like it." People always seem to think it can't happen to them, and that they're perfect.

You are 10000% right. Doesn't matter if you're stopped at a red light. Put down the fucking phone. It can wait until you get to your destination. So many times I've seen some idiot hold up traffic or you get someone honking because they see it which startles said idiot and they go when they're not ready and almost hit someone in the crosswalk while turning.

 

[cpp_is_king]

Funny, I don't recall having the words "at stoplights" in there.



And I didn't.

I do. The person i was responding to was talking about how using phones WHILE STATIONARY is fine, and someone said “but it’s still a distraction” at which point I said “so is using a radio”

 

[curiouscharles]

Here in Oregon holding just a mobile device is a $1000 fine while driving. It goes up to $2500 on second offense, and I think the third involves a jail time but not sure. It just started beginning of October.

Yup, similar in BC, but not quite as severe [should be as severe, I think OR has it right].

I honestly think it's up to phone manufacturers to create software that locks phones down completely when moving faster than, what, 15km/h, 20km/h?

Is that unreasonable?

This has already overtaken drunk driving, it's seriously fucked.

*I should add - a young guy [possibly 18 - 22?] plowed into three parked cars on my street last year in the early morning work rush, full speed, no hesitation, just drifted at full speed off the road hitting three parked cars, spinning his truck perpendicular on the road, causing a huge delivery truck to crash into him and another car to rear-end the delivery truck.

And what was the cause?

[duh]

Same is true if you're changing your radio station.

you're either an idiot because:

a) you think this hot-take has any value
b) you can't perform a single press button / dial function without taking your focus off the road
c) both

 

[Limit]

Self driving cars can't come here soon enough.

 

[Earthbound64]

using phones WHILE STATIONARY is fine, and someone said “but it’s still a distraction” at which point I said “so is using a radio”

And again - funny how this entire thread is about an article on incidents from using a smartphone, not a radio.
It's almost as if one is quite clearly a far bigger issue right now than the other.

 

[Bigboss242]

It's crazy how common and "just daily routine" it has become for people to drive distracted like it's no big deal. ALL the time I see people looking down at a phone while driving. Some even take it up a level with talking on the phone in one hand, holding a coffe/drink in the other while also smoking and all too common is a pet loose and on their lap in the car. GEEZ!

Ive seen this and my jaw just drops the fuck are people thinking.

 

[lawnchair]

every day that i drive i'm behind someone at a stoplight who is on their phone, light turns green, i wait two seconds, honk, they look up and start driving. drives me nuts.

 

[thepotatoman]

I watched a really old woman get hit as she was walking across an intersection because someone started driving as soon as the light turned green. They saw the "go" in their periphery while looking at their phone, unaware there was still a tiny, slow lady at the final part of the crossing in front of them.

That's a good example, but I might argue the distraction was still when the car was moving.

I'd still say there's a safe way to do it at a complete stop as long as you check your surroundings before hitting the gas, especially if we're talking about just a couple seconds to change what you're listening to or read through a single sentence text, but maybe that there's unsafe ways to do it is enough to want to ban it.

Totes the old woman's fault though, she shouldn't have been there.

/s, in case it wasn't obvious.

It's apparently her fault for making you do the supposedly super dangerous act of briefly being at a stop during a green light.

Because it's still a distraction, whether you believe it or not. You are distracted. A car could be coming right at you and you would have no fucking clue.

You could say that same thing about standing at a bus stop, and there's a lot more you can do to safely get out of the way in that scenario.

Seriously, I have huge anxieties about getting into a car accident while driving, to the point of triple checking everything all the time. I'm extremely aware of the seriousness of driving a car, but that you're worried about things like that seems to take it to the ridiculous proportions.

Liu's example is reasonable, but it really feels like some of you guys are reaching to justify banning something you don't like for other reasons.

 

[A Grizzly Bear]

every day that i drive i'm behind someone at a stoplight who is on their phone, light turns green, i wait two seconds, honk, they look up and start driving. drives me nuts.

Pisses me off even more when they wave. I'm not doing it as a fucking courtesy, get off your damn phone!

Had my Jeep totaled in December because some asshole was texting and driving on the highway. Didn't see the rush hour traffic slowing down and just crashed into the car behind me. The worst part was that he was pissed he got a ticket for it.

 

[cpp_is_king]

And again - funny how this entire thread is about an article on incidents from using a smartphone, not a radio.
It's almost as if one is quite clearly a far bigger issue right now than the other.

You’re right, it is a bigger problem. Smartphone usage //while driving// is also a far bigger problem than smartphone usage //while stationary//. But if your activity in this thread is any indication, stationary smartphone users are just as much of idiots as people who use them while driving. So, show me the statistics. Where are all the people dying at stoplights?

 

[Sir Doom]

I like people using Smartphones on a stoplight because I get to honk at them.
WAKE THE FUCK UP!

 

[Earthbound64]

But if your activity in this thread is any indication, stationary smartphone users are just as much of idiots as people who use them while driving.

Nope, never said or implied that in any way whatsoever.

 

[BarringGaffner]

Should lose your license for 6+ months if you're caught with your head in your lap. I constantly shout at people looking at their phones, they need a fucking wake up.

 

[btrboyev]

That's a good example, but I might argue the distraction was still when the car was moving.

I'd still say there's a safe way to do it at a complete stop as long as you check your surroundings before hitting the gas, especially if we're talking about just a couple seconds to change what you're listening to or read through a single sentence text, but maybe that there's unsafe ways to do it is enough to want to ban it.



It's apparently her fault for making you do the supposedly super dangerous act of briefly being at a stop during a green light.



You could say that same thing about standing at a bus stop, and there's a lot more you can do to safely get out of the way in that scenario.

Seriously, I have huge anxieties about getting into a car accident while driving, to the point of triple checking everything all the time. I'm extremely aware of the seriousness of driving a car, but that you're worried about things like that seems to take it to the ridiculous proportions.

Liu's example is reasonable, but it really feels like some of you guys are reaching to justify banning something you don't like for other reasons.

I think I just don’t wanna die by the hands of some asshole not paying attention to his driving. Sorry.

 

[cpp_is_king]

I do.



But you can cause crashes if you're not moving when you're supposed to be.
Or if you suddenly/unexpectedly start moving.
etc.




And another one...

No surprise. Even on GAF you get people who are like "Oh, it's alright as long as you do it at a red light / while you're stopped / when no one's around / when traffic is moving at a steady pace / when people aren't in the road / when I feel like it." People always seem to think it can't happen to them, and that they're perfect.

And here we go with the defense force.

Nope, never said or implied that in any way whatsoever.

Except for when you did

 

[Earthbound64]

Except for when you did

--->

But if your activity in this thread is any indication, stationary smartphone users are just as much of idiots as people who use them while driving.

Nope, never said or implied that in any way whatsoever.

Not sure why I have to keep bolding stuff to get people to read it...

 

[cpp_is_king]

--->



Not sure why I have to keep bolding stuff to get people to read it...

Yea, here’s a non-good-faith argument if I’ve ever seen one, lol...

Maybe that’s why you have to keep bolding stuff. Because you’re not arguing in good faith

 

[Earthbound64]

Yea, here’s a non-good-faith argument if I’ve ever seen one, lol...

You mean like comparing a smartphone to a radio?