Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

 Hordini wrote:

Steve steveson wrote:

 Hordini wrote:

You really get charged for causing unnecessary pollution if your engine is on while parked? What if it's winter and you're letting your vehicle warm up, or trying to keep your vehicle warm while waiting for someone? That seems a little bit excessive to me.

No, I don't know where he got that from. Possibly he did his driving test in the last 5-6 years when they started doing "Eco driving" and telling you silly things like that.

Alright, I was wondering. It sounded a bit overboard (especially in the winter).

Because apparently I just spout random hogwash. =P

Texting while driving?

Nope.

 tyrant of loserville wrote:
I am a motorcyclist so its almost impossible for me to do anything other than operate the bike. Been on the receiving end of a distracted driver on more occasions than id like. I had this girl clip my elbow with her mirror while looking at her phone. More times than I can count ive been forced out of a lane by some one on their phone. So im very much against text/talking while driving.

I saw a guy on the highway riding with no hands looking at his phone. Most have been important!

 Cave_Dweller wrote:
I don't text while driving, but I am often flipping thru songs on my iPod while driving. It is a distraction to be sure. Also using the GPS on my iPhone is a distraction.

I guess we need a concrete definition of what is considered 'distracted driving.'

What if you just want to listen to NPR, but the signal is cutting in and out, so you adjust your radio to compensate? What about switching CDs?

What if you are eating and drinking coffee on the way to work?

What if your wife/girlfriend/passenger is yelling at you? Should that be illegal? It could sure cause a crash, if you've ever had an irate passenger, you know what I mean.

I had this happen: my dad called, I answered, and the back seat passenger screamed at me for half an hour for answering the phone. Far more distracting than the phone. And she had no issue with me eating and drinking in the car-those weren't "illegal", so they were okay. I'm far more distracted by a pickle falling off my burger than I am by a phone call. People are idiots.

Screamed at you? I would have made her walk. lol. Again, talking on the phone is different than texting yes? You dont have to look at the phone to talk on it. Do you have to look at your burger to eat it?

I have done it before, it was easier on my old phone that had the number keys with the letters assigned to them, so I could count out in my head the message I wanted to send without taking my eyes off the road. With a smartphone it's a lot harder, so I don't do as near as often as I did with my old phone, and even when I do it, I don't do it in any adverse weather (rains, sleet, snow, fog, etc...), driving around the city (I spend most of my time driving on the highways), and never around other cars. If I'm going to die in a car accident due to my own stupidity, I would like to not take anyone with me.

I do not text while driving. I generally don't answer the phone while driving. The only reason that my safety needs to be impaired is if it is an emergency, and in that case my number is not the one you should be dialing anyway.

This is what could happen if you text and drive.....



Now tell me if its worth it? I have plenty more pictures for ya'll, but a few are most certainly NSFW.......

Go ahead and post more, it's not like any of the people in this thread that text and drive don't know what can happen to them...

I mean hell not even a week ago I was almost turned into a smudge on the road because a semi wasn't watching where he was going, and I had both my hands on the wheel, signaled the lane change, and checked my blind spots. he came from the far left lane and almost hit me as I tried to get into the far right lane...

Compete no no for me. It should be no more acceptable to text whilst driving than it is to drink or talk on a phone whilst driving.

It amazes me that it's still legal in some places. It's a complete no brainier to outlaw it.

 Alfndrate wrote:
Go ahead and post more, it's not like any of the people in this thread that text and drive don't know what can happen to them...

I mean hell not even a week ago I was almost turned into a smudge on the road because a semi wasn't watching where he was going, and I had both my hands on the wheel, signaled the lane change, and checked my blind spots. he came from the far left lane and almost hit me as I tried to get into the far right lane...

Thats a shame. How can people be so stupid? Its the equivalent of drinking and driving, in 5 years time it will be scorned upon. Hopefully just as much. As far as im concerned, if you cause an accident whilst texting and somebody dies, you need to go down for manslaughter at the very least. Murder if the police and the judge have balls......

IMO texting while driving is exactly the same as drunk driving, and should be treated the same way, legally.

I don't do either. I also will not use the phone in the car (which incidentally is illegal in this state, anyway)/

If a cop catches you texting and driving, he should be allowed to hit you in the dick with his billy club. 4 times for the first offense. 8 times for the second. Continue to x2 for repeat offenses.

The majority of times during the last year or two where I almost got completely fethed on the road, it was by some dumb piece of gak playing with their fething cellphone.

You have absolutely no valid excuse to be putting the lives of everyone around you in danger like that. If the message/call you're taking is that important, pull over and do your business at the side of the road.

I don't.

A couple months ago, a coworker of mine was riding his motorcycle. A couple blocks from home he was in the left turn lane waiting for the light. Then he gets ran over by a teenage girl who was texting and not paying attention. He passed away two days later.

Retired Air Force pilot, who continued his service as a civilian. Left two school age children and a wife behind.

All the debates about guns here, I'm glad to see this thread. People who do this are extremely irresponsible, I'd argue just as much as those who drink and drive. It is extremely distracting and it does kill people.

 Wyrmalla wrote:

 Hordini wrote:

Steve steveson wrote:

 Hordini wrote:

You really get charged for causing unnecessary pollution if your engine is on while parked? What if it's winter and you're letting your vehicle warm up, or trying to keep your vehicle warm while waiting for someone? That seems a little bit excessive to me.

No, I don't know where he got that from. Possibly he did his driving test in the last 5-6 years when they started doing "Eco driving" and telling you silly things like that.

Alright, I was wondering. It sounded a bit overboard (especially in the winter).

Because apparently I just spout random hogwash. =P

Well, to be fair, I had two British posters telling me two different things. I still think it's a bit excessive though.

 Wolfstan wrote:
Put it this way, if you were using a piece of dangerous machinery at work, won't you give a 100% attention? So what's the difference with a car? It's a lump of metal travelling at speed!!! Next time you think about scoffing at this or going over the limit in a built up area, try the following. Give a 8 year old a baseball / cricketball, get them to stand about 10 yards away, then lob it at you, with you stood face on with arms by your side. If you don't flinch, then hats off to you, but I bet most of you would. That ball is smaller and travelling at less speed than a car, but it will hurt. Guess what? A large lump of metal at speed is going to hurt more.

I don't think it's so much that people don't realize the dangers, it's that they don't really care.

Or just don't think that it will ever happen to them. =P

People spend every day hearing about x number of people being stricken by all kinds of unfortunate things. However if you aren't actually involved in them yourself you may just think that bad things are something that happens to other people. Of course when it does happen to someone they make an uproar about it and wonder why no-one else cares...

I'm not saying that someone can't understand an issue, but I don't think may actually comprehend something until they've actually experienced it. Ie you can sit and absorb the media about war, but you'll never actually feel the same way about it as someone who's actually been in one.

 tyrant of loserville wrote:
I am a motorcyclist so its almost impossible for me to do anything other than operate the bike. Been on the receiving end of a distracted driver on more occasions than id like. I had this girl clip my elbow with her mirror while looking at her phone. More times than I can count ive been forced out of a lane by some one on their phone. So im very much against text/talking while driving.

Haven't had an elbow clipped (thankfully) but have had a LOT of this crap happen to me (and have slid along a gravel road shoulder when someone on a phone in an SUV wanted my lane more than I did). The only thing worse than an inattentive driver on a phone is an inattentive driver texting or surfing the net. Honestly, if you have a death wish, buy a gun and eat a bullet at home instead of risking MY life as you engage in this dangerous behavior on the road.

CptJake wrote:

 tyrant of loserville wrote:
I am a motorcyclist so its almost impossible for me to do anything other than operate the bike. Been on the receiving end of a distracted driver on more occasions than id like. I had this girl clip my elbow with her mirror while looking at her phone. More times than I can count ive been forced out of a lane by some one on their phone. So im very much against text/talking while driving.

Haven't had an elbow clipped (thankfully) but have had a LOT of this crap happen to me (and have slid along a gravel road shoulder when someone on a phone in an SUV wanted my lane more than I did). The only thing worse than an inattentive driver on a phone is an inattentive driver texting or surfing the net. Honestly, if you have a death wish, buy a gun and eat a bullet at home instead of risking MY life as you engage in this dangerous behavior on the road.

While on the topic of motorcycles, I had no idea the whole point of a loud one was to let people know you're there. I thought people did it just to be d-bags. I mean, I'm sure some people do, but I thought that was the only purpose. I'm a bit late to the party on this.

I nearly swiped a guy on a motorcycle once. I looked over and the lane looked clear, then as I start to edge over he shoots beside me making practically no noise. It wasn't a loud stereo that masked him because I had friends with me at the time and they weren't in to my particular music tastes (I don't listen to rap so we just rode in silence). At the next red light while on an overpass while surrounded by cars he wants to get off his bike and start banging on my window as the light turned green. Crazy bastard.

Absolutely no texting. It's one of the stupidest, unsafe things you can do while driving. People who think they can are too proud for their own good, and are a danger to those around them.

To me, choosing to text while driving is like choosing to drive without glasses if you need them to see. Why would you ever do it?

 Necroshea wrote:

While on the topic of motorcycles, I had no idea the whole point of a loud one was to let people know you're there. I thought people did it just to be d-bags. I mean, I'm sure some people do, but I thought that was the only purpose. I'm a bit late to the party on this.

I'm a Loud Pipes Save Lives type of guy...



That is my current ride, and it roars decently.

CptJake wrote:

 Necroshea wrote:

While on the topic of motorcycles, I had no idea the whole point of a loud one was to let people know you're there. I thought people did it just to be d-bags. I mean, I'm sure some people do, but I thought that was the only purpose. I'm a bit late to the party on this.

I'm a Loud Pipes Save Lives type of guy...



That is my current ride, and it roars decently.

Dats' a roight shiny fing ye got 'er! Bet it cost quite o' sum of teef!

 kronk wrote:
If a cop catches you texting and driving, he should be allowed to hit you in the dick with his billy club. 4 times for the first offense. 8 times for the second. Continue to x2 for repeat offenses.

If the offender is female what does the cop do with his billy club then?

:

 Byte wrote:
So do you do it or not?

I see it all the time on the roads.

People who text while driving should be thrown in prison for attempted involuntary manslaughter.

Bullockist wrote:

 kronk wrote:
If a cop catches you texting and driving, he should be allowed to hit you in the dick with his billy club. 4 times for the first offense. 8 times for the second. Continue to x2 for repeat offenses.

If the offender is female what does the cop do with his billy club then?

:

The cops will fashion you a piece and then hit you in the manufactured dong...

Texting while driving? That is just irresponsible.

Answering Dakka threads while driving? Par for the course and totally acceptable!

Sent via Taptalk on the Sony OS5.9

(Reuters) - Drivers distracted by talking or texting on cell phones killed an estimated 16,000 people from 2001 to 2007, U.S. researchers reported.

I don't even answer the phone if it rings when I am driving. I usually turn it off or at least to silent so I won't be distracted. You drive on the tiny little windy roads I learned on, you damn well don't want to be distracted.

I think that if you text while driving you need to re-examine your priorities. Is your connection to your phone so vital you're willing to risk a car crash?

Texting isn't the be all of accidents though. There are plenty of other ways people will try to kill you in cars.


In the snow we just had - I was driving too fast for the conditions really, but that didn't matter because there was an idiot behind me, trying to park in my boot.
I've been run off the road on a cycle, because a driver just pulled off and drove into the space I was in.
Last night, I had a pillock in a fiesta just pull out while I was going round a roundabout. It was a one lane roundabout, we ended up going round together. Although to be fair he did s*** himself when he saw me.
I had someone slide into the front of my car off an icy hill - no one else came off, just him. So he was going too fast, He slid off the hill into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road.

Never underestimate the ability of people to be stupid.

If someone is trying to push you down the street to make you go faster, get slower - you need the extra stopping distance so that you can stop reasonably without the idiot behind crashing into you. That and it winds them the hell up.

My brother had someone too close behind him - he aimed at a bollard and swerved round it at the last second. The car behind went over the kerb, straight into the plastic bollard. I don't like that he did it, but the car behind should've had enough space to see it coming. Maybe they learnt.

On the road TRUST NO ONE.