Cell/Text Bill - Please Help!

F

fredlye30racer

Active member
Fellow Racers

During the next four days, we have a remarkable window of opportunity to make WA’s roads safer and save lives. I need your help.

On Monday, our state legislators will consider much-needed changes that would make driving while texting or talking on a handheld phone a primary offense—meaning that police will not have to wait for drivers to commit an additional violation before issuing a ticket.

I am part of a citizen group called the Driven to Distraction Task Force that strongly supports these changes. The evidence is overwhelming that driving while phoning and texting are as dangerous as drunk driving, and that current state law has been ineffective in getting drivers to put down their phones while they drive.

We need your help in spreading the word about the legislation to your contacts, email lists and networks. Please send the link below to your family, friends, and all the people who you know within the next 48 hours. Please respond yourself as well.

http://www.votervoice.net/groups/driven

The site that explains the issues, and allows you to send an e-mail to all the key legislators. We’ve been told that a strong outpouring of email to legislators on this issue could put it over the top.

If you want to learn more about the legislation and why it’s needed, please visit www.nodistractions.org. And if you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Sincerely,
 
Last edited:
Hello All, BC has enacted safe driving legislation banning texting and cell phone use without the use ofa hands free device. This went into effect Jan 1 2010. Please be aware of this if you are traveling north of the border this year.

cheers RS
 
Oregon has just implemented the same legislation as of Jan, 1, 2010.

Get the phone out of your ear, and your hands on the wheel.
 
I totally agree with the texting thing. As I don't text, I CANNOT imagine sitting in the car trying to type a letter on a type writer which is about the same thing.

I 'somewhat' agree with the phone thing. There are some people who can handle it and there are others who can't but do it any way. Just depends upon how your brain works.

On the other hand, I can visualize some people without hands free units SWERVING wildly to the side of the roads and freeways to answer their phones. What problems do you think that will cause?

Although I understand it's a problem, I'm not supporting this law. Why you say?

Because it's one more intrusion of government in to the 'privacy' of my vehicle. This is progressing just like the seat belt law. Was a secondary offense to begin with then, became a primary infraction. LAW CREEP!

Next thing you know, they'll want to stop me from eating my breakfast burritos in the car on the way to the track at 7AM with nobody on the road.
 
Is there a way I can text my opinion to you? (Not while driving, of course) :)
Anyone that has had teenaged kids in the last few years knows already that texting is the only way to comunicate with the young'uns sometimes...sad but true.
Lawrence
 
I'm on the road a lot in my business, and I talk all the time while driving. I've been doing that for over 20 years, and it's no big deal for me. Some people can multi-task,and some can't, but, I will be the first to support the ban on both talking and texting while driving since 90% of the population can't drive properly with no distractions!
I don't like the idea of ' big brother' imposing more govermental control either, but this will save lives, so it has to be implemented. People with ear pieces still have to answer the damn things, and of course dial, so it's not going to solve the entire issue, but it will help tremendously.
 
Actually Wes, these new bluetooth ear pieces paired with the newer phones, recognize your phonebook and let you use voice command to make the call, all it takes is pushing one button to start the process. Im quite impressed with how easy it works and surprised with how it knows who I am trying to call when I say a name, especially when usually Im not sure who I am trying to call.
 
Wow, I'm just a bit behind the technology eh? But still, the research shows that the actual process of talking while driving is very distracting to most drivers because it obviously divides their attention, which ain't so good at 60 mph!
 
I only agree with the Texting but not talking.

Everything else, I'm with Wes.

Anybody used radios while racing? The idea that I'm a worse driver while talking on the phone is an inadequate argument. I'm also a worse driver while eating, playing with my iPod, changing the radio station, fiddling with a GPS device, talking with passengers or battling my ADHD/OCD.

If you did the same "cell-phone driving studies" but replaced cell phones with eating/ipods/GPS I'm sure you would see the same results, yet GPS, Radios/CD players, Ipods aren't being made illegal while driving. Considering the quality of some GPS devices/programs if would have listened to every instruction I would have driven into a house by now.

The ONLY reason for this legislation is to generate revenue.

I'm voting NO to the nanny state.
 
I have been repeatedly amazed at how completely oblivious and self-absorbed people are on a regular basis, when they are talking or texting on their devices, while responding code red on the fire engine. People are actually completely removed from the current situation, to the degree that they will step off the curb into the sidewalk as a fire engine approaches, and the only thing that regains their attention to person and place is an air horn blast so loud it will move your hair. Then they have the audacity to glare, like you're causing them an inconvenience with your response to someone's emergency. Unbelievable.

It's not about the device, it's about where your attention is, and when people are blabbing or texting, they're simply not there. That's unacceptable when they're behind the wheel of rolling car that's fully capable of easily gravely injuring or killing someone else, or themselves, very easily.

I'm not a fan of nanny at all, but unfortunately people are no longer able to accept responsibility for their own safety, or more importantly, other's safety. Cars have become too safe, people feel insulated. Take out the airbags, take out the belts, soft dash and door panels, and install some pointy sharp objects, so when you bump into something you get hurt. Let's have a reality check.

For most people, some of us perhaps not so much, talking or texting is not the equivalent of other activities, studies have proven it quite conclusively. It is however the equivalent of drunk driving, and many times it's actually worse. If we want to draw comparisons, then let's say it's OK to drive wasted. There's no practical difference. If some of us can pull it off great, but for the majority that can't, the stakes are too high.
 
Last edited:
As this thread has not even a tenuous connection to Conference or racing, I'll ask that people not continue this thread. Given my perspective on the issue (you can read it here), though, I will NOT be exercising my admin's privilege and closing the thread, so feel free to continue posting here if you feel it necessary.
 
Appreciate the leeway Steve. I read that post a few days ago, it was very good, thanks.

It left me with a thought, and that is, why aren't the laws already on the books used when appropriate? Reckless and negligent driving are pretty much "if-then" kind of statutes. If you crashed, etc..., and you were inattentive for some reason, device or whatever, then, you behaved negligently (unintentionally) or recklessly (intentionally).
 
This is a very relevant and serious issue of our current times Steve, so why would you consider this not applicable to this forum? We as a group should actually be spending more time on these issues and exerting whatever influence we have as pseudo 'experts' to assist in promoting legislation to stop the insanity.
I don't ride in a fire truck, but I do an average of 75 miles a day in my job, and have for over 25 years. I see the insanity up close each and every day, and it continues to worsen by the month, not the year. I realize the average American is so dumbed down it defies belief, but the stupidity, and the misplaced arrogance, that is running rampant out there is terrifying. The sad part is that these so called 'drivers' are so clueless and badly trained that they don't even know how scary they really are. I have occasionally attempted to speak with a few of these fools after close calls, and they look at me like I'm from another planet, and simply tell me to f... off. They don't care about the rest of us, not do they care enough to do it right, and they won't change until they are forced to pay a serious penalty for their selfish behavior.
 
Randy Blaylock said:
Appreciate the leeway Steve. I read that post a few days ago, it was very good, thanks.

It left me with a thought, and that is, why aren't the laws already on the books used when appropriate? Reckless and negligent driving are pretty much "if-then" kind of statutes. If you crashed, etc..., and you were inattentive for some reason, device or whatever, then, you behaved negligently (unintentionally) or recklessly (intentionally).
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the real question, isn't it? I was in a black ice-induced accident on the Aurora bridge once upon a time. After the chaos ended (and one police car, a tow truck, and passer-by took part), one cop very apologetically cited me for crossing the double-yellow line, even though he understood that it hadn't been entirely by my choice. :)

So why AREN'T more people cited for violating all kinds of existing driving-related statutes? Beats the hell outta me.
 
westipton said:
This is a very relevant and serious issue of our current times Steve, so why would you consider this not applicable to this forum? We as a group should actually be spending more time on these issues and exerting whatever influence we have as pseudo 'experts' to assist in promoting legislation to stop the insanity.
I don't ride in a fire truck, but I do an average of 75 miles a day in my job, and have for over 25 years. I see the insanity up close each and every day, and it continues to worsen by the month, not the year. I realize the average American is so dumbed down it defies belief, but the stupidity, and the misplaced arrogance, that is running rampant out there is terrifying. The sad part is that these so called 'drivers' are so clueless and badly trained that they don't even know how scary they really are. I have occasionally attempted to speak with a few of these fools after close calls, and they look at me like I'm from another planet, and simply tell me to f... off. They don't care about the rest of us, not do they care enough to do it right, and they won't change until they are forced to pay a serious penalty for their selfish behavior.
Click to expand...

I don't expect you or anyone else to read all the posts I made in that thread on the other forum, and I don't want to rehash it all here, but I don't really disagree with you. That being said, the topic itself is NOT something that involves Conference or racing. Members of ICSCC might have an opinion, but that's completely unrelated to Conference and racing.
 
Steve the fact that you even mentioned that you might close the post is an abuse of your power here. As race car drivers we care about the act of safe driving and it is totally relevant. I feel so blessed that you let us express our opinion. WOW I am floored at your arrogance!
 
Randy Blaylock said:
I'm not a fan of nanny at all, but unfortunately people are no longer able to accept responsibility for their own safety, or more importantly, other's safety. Cars have become too safe, people feel insulated. Take out the airbags, take out the belts, soft dash and door panels, and install some pointy sharp objects, so when you bump into something you get hurt. Let's have a reality check.
Click to expand...

+1 Randy. I don't need anyone taking responsibility for my actions and if I screw up, I'll own up to it. But more and more, it seems that we cannot count on 'the other guy' to do the same. It's always someone else's fault...Your idea shadows a penalty administered in the 24Hours of LeMons whereby a competitor judged to be "tap-happy" is required to run a set of spikes pointing at his radiator...so a front impact will cause real pain!
 
Hi Fred, I think we obviously have very strong opinions one way or the other. When that's the case, usually people don't change their minds, rather, their feelings get amplified, and someone ends up angry. That's the risk we run here, about a topic that really isn't directly related to Conference racing. Not to say it isn't an important topic, it surely is, but I'm not sure we're going to do much here besides find out about each other's philosophical backgrounds. Go easy on Steve, he's just looking out for us, despite ourselves.
 
Thanks for that Randy point well taken.

If I caused a problem by my posting here I am sorry. My passion for this issue is strong and I had hoped that I would be able to simply inform others. I do realize the various sides of this issue and respect people positions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top