Texting behind the wheel: The new DWI

[MNeagle]

http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/502*422/3text.jpg
Ramsey County sheriff's deputy Jason Anderson cited a motorist for texting while driving on Interstate 94 in St. Paul.



Ramsey County Sheriff's deputies ticketed about 50 violators Friday, warned 50 more.

By CHAO XIONG, Star Tribune

The driver's eyes were fixed on the Blackberry in his right hand, his thumb flicking across the device as his Toyota Land Cruiser rolled forward in heavy traffic on southbound Interstate 35E on Friday.

Traffic slowed to about 15 miles per hour as cars lined up near the Maryland Avenue ramps, but the Toyota driver still had to brake suddenly when he got too close to the car ahead.

Ramsey County Sheriff's deputy Jason Anderson was tailing him, part of the department's first crackdown on texting while driving, and pulled the driver to the shoulder.

"If it was someone else behind him, it could've been far worse for him, and it could've led to a chain reaction," Anderson said.

Ramsey County deputies ticketed about 50 drivers who were texting while driving and warned another 50 by late Friday afternoon. Deputies issued 161 warnings Thursday, the first day of the crackdown, using a 2-year-old state law that many say is as important to enforce as drunken driving laws.

Between August 2008, when the statute went into effect, and the end of July, 930 citations were written statewide, said Nathan Bowie, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety. The fine typically rings in at $130.

Distracted driving, which includes cell phone use and other causes, contributes to about 25 percent of the state's car accidents each year, Bowie said, killing about 70 people and injuring 350.

In 2009, 389 citations were written statewide, a tiny number when compared to other infractions. For example, 73,867 citations were written for seat-belt violations and 45,652 were written for drunken driving that year, according to the state's Court Information Office.

The texting law is broader than its colloquial name suggests and covers using a wireless communication device to "compose, read or send an electronic message," including e-mails, text messages and pictures, and accessing the Internet.

Sheriff's deputies handed out information sheets warning that texting and driving is the equivalent to driving after having four beers and that it makes drivers 23 times more likely to crash.

Anderson warned 11 drivers Thursday and ticketed three Friday. The first offender Friday was a 22-year-old man who was clearing his Facebook alerts while driving a large commercial van on Interstate 94. Another man's phone clearly showed that he had a text message typed, but he still denied it when Anderson pulled him over.

"It gets frustrating after a while when you know what you saw and people still don't fess up to it," Anderson said.

Authorities concede that it's not the easiest law to enforce due to its newness and because dialing a phone and talking while driving is legal. Neither is it as clear-cut as a seat-belt violation or speeding, which can be verified with technology.

"It is difficult," said Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher. "This is new territory in law enforcement." He vowed that his department will begin texting-while-driving saturations monthly, like they do with drunken driving.

"It's become so clear that distracted driving causes deaths," Fletcher said.


http://www.startribune.com/local/east/102670764.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUi D3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsl

[wildcard]

I have seen more than one motorist reading a book while driving. Make-up, masturbating, adjusting the radio, newspaper, etc., but a book takes the cake.

[Gaillo]

This fine texting-while-driving video hasn't been posted for a while... it should be required viewing for all drivers. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC3x7K3EOTk

[madfranks]

This fine texting-while-driving video hasn't been posted for a while... it should be required viewing for all drivers. Enjoy!



That was awesome! And the "mommy, daddy, why won't you wake up?" was the icing on the cake! I admit it, I lol'ed.

Ahem.. of course, had this been real, it might not have been as funny.

[Phoenix]

I don't know how many SOBs have almost rammed me because they're either on the phone without headset or clearly fu*king around on their dial pad while driving.

Less skilled drivers would have been hit.

God help me remain calm if one does hit me.

[Phoenix]

A good punishment would be watching a tire roll over that Blackberry.

[Twisted Titan]

Its not about Safety

Its about Control and Money

Remember that.

[SHTF2010]

as a cyclist who has had close calls with " txting/talking on the phone " drivers
i'm all for giving tickets to these idiots

[BrewTech]

People WILL text when driving.

People WILL DWI.

People WILL apply makeup while driving 75mph down the freeway 5 minutes after waking up late for work.

People WILL be attempting to shove a Big Mac down their throats in three bites while changing the stations on their radio.

Some people are just sh*tty drivers, even when they have their full attention on the task.

A wise person once told me that the best way to protect yourself and your property while driving is to assume that everyone else on the road is trying to kill you...

The cops writing tickets for careless driving will result in higher revenues for the cops' bosses, but it will NOT keep you any safer.

YOUR attitude and focus while driving is what will have the biggest impact on your safety on the road, not state regulation and fines.

[Joe King]

Yes, people will do all that stuff.

So what would you propose we do about it? No enforcement at all?

While I'm a firm believer in personal Liberty, I feel that operating a 2 ton vehicle upon the public easement while willfully not paying attention endangers the rest of society to an unreasonable degree.
Texting or being drunk while driving is no different than choosing to run down a crowded sidewalk with steak knives held out it front of you and expecting to be able to get away with it just because you didn't quite stab anyone.


The problem would be fairly easy to fix however.
All that needs to happen is for cars and trucks to have included in their computer modules a cell phone jammer that turns on as soon as the car is in motion.

Problem solved, and no one gets a ticket. It'd be a win/win.

[Ares]

Yes, people will do all that stuff.

So what would you propose we do about it? No enforcement at all?

While I'm a firm believer in personal Liberty, I feel that operating a 2 ton vehicle upon the public easement while willfully not paying attention endangers the rest of society to an unreasonable degree.
Texting or being drunk while driving is no different than choosing to run down a crowded sidewalk with steak knives held out it front of you and expecting to be able to get away with it just because you didn't quite stab anyone.


The problem would be fairly easy to fix however.
All that needs to happen is for cars and trucks to have included in their computer modules a cell phone jammer that turns on as soon as the car is in motion.

Problem solved, and no one gets a ticket. It'd be a win/win.



"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." --Thomas Jefferson

[Joe King]

Yes, people will do all that stuff.

So what would you propose we do about it? No enforcement at all?

While I'm a firm believer in personal Liberty, I feel that operating a 2 ton vehicle upon the public easement while willfully not paying attention endangers the rest of society to an unreasonable degree.
Texting or being drunk while driving is no different than choosing to run down a crowded sidewalk with steak knives held out it front of you and expecting to be able to get away with it just because you didn't quite stab anyone.


The problem would be fairly easy to fix however.
All that needs to happen is for cars and trucks to have included in their computer modules a cell phone jammer that turns on as soon as the car is in motion.

Problem solved, and no one gets a ticket. It'd be a win/win.



"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." --Thomas Jefferson
While I do agree with that, the law doesn't even try to hold people accountable in such cases.

I'd be willing to trade all the laws against doing all of those things {dwi texting etc} while driving if they'd at the same time call it 2nd degree murder if you were to actually kill someone while doing those things.
As it is now it's like a slap on the wrist as long as you stop and can show that you paid $50 or so last month to an ins company.
Meanwhile someone else is hurt or dead.

[BrewTech]

Yes, people will do all that stuff.

So what would you propose we do about it? No enforcement at all?

While I'm a firm believer in personal Liberty,



The two bolded terms are contradictory, as is your thought process in this post. Liberty = lack of coercion (i.e. ENFORCEMENT)


The problem would be fairly easy to fix however.

I LOL'd at this... spoken like a true social engineer. All problems are easy to fix when you are spending someone else's money!


All that needs to happen is for cars and trucks to have included in their computer modules a cell phone jammer that turns on as soon as the car is in motion.

Very little understanding of automotive technology, I see.

Problem solved, and no one gets a ticket. It'd be a win/win.


Well, that would solve the cell phone problem. Now all we have to do is install a breathalyzer interlock device in everyone's vehicle, and POOF! No more DUIs!!

We could mandate antidepressants so no one drives while upset. Monthly drug tests at the DMV to ensure SSRI compliance...

No more fast food drive thrus would help solve the eating while driving problem...

Heh heh... this list could go on and on...

Your safety on the road and elsewhere is YOUR responsibility, Joe. I'll give you three guessess regarding what happens when "safety and security" is delegated to the State to handle...

[Joe King]

Yes, people will do all that stuff.

So what would you propose we do about it? No enforcement at all?

While I'm a firm believer in personal Liberty,



The two bolded terms are contradictory, as is your thought process in this post. Liberty = lack of coercion (i.e. ENFORCEMENT)


The problem would be fairly easy to fix however.

I LOL'd at this... spoken like a true social engineer. All problems are easy to fix when you are spending someone else's money!


All that needs to happen is for cars and trucks to have included in their computer modules a cell phone jammer that turns on as soon as the car is in motion.

Very little understanding of automotive technology, I see.

Problem solved, and no one gets a ticket. It'd be a win/win.


Well, that would solve the cell phone problem. Now all we have to do is install a breathalyzer interlock device in everyone's vehicle, and POOF! No more DUIs!!

We could mandate antidepressants so no one drives while upset. Monthly drug tests at the DMV to ensure SSRI compliance...

No more fast food drive thrus would help solve the eating while driving problem...

Heh heh... this list could go on and on...

Your safety on the road and elsewhere is YOUR responsibility, Joe. I'll give you three guessess regarding what happens when "safety and security" is delegated to the State to handle...
I'd rather deal with a someone who's been drinking, but is at least attempting to look where they are going.

People texting on the other hand are not even doing that, and if they hit someone I'm ok with calling it what is. Murder.
You wanna text while driving? Fine. Hit someone and you get to go away for a very long time.
I feel the same way about any type of willfull disregard for the safety of others. When being in control of a 2 ton box upon the public easement you have a duty to make sure you do not cause harm to others.

So we have a choice. Either have a system of rules regarding the movement of traffic that applies to everyone, or we have a free-for-all.
I'm ok with the latter, but I'll insist upon well publicized draconian punishments for actually causing harm to others.
i.e. wanna drive like an idiot down a city street? Cool! But if you hit anyone, your a$$ is toast.

[palani]

Make-up, masturbating, adjusting the radio, newspaper, etc., but a book takes the cake.
You should not be operating a motor vehicle in this state.

[wildcard]

Make-up, masturbating, adjusting the radio, newspaper, etc., but a book takes the cake.
You should not be operating a motor vehicle in this state.


You're right. Maybe I wouldn't have seen you if I'd been someplace else.

[BrewTech]

Make-up, masturbating, adjusting the radio, newspaper, etc., but a book takes the cake.
You should not be operating a motor vehicle in this state.


Well, maybe not doing all of those at the same time... ;)

BTW... who the fk reads the newspaper anymore?

[zap]

I have a friend and when I call her when driving, she texts me back and says , can't answer the phone I am driving :D

[Joe King]

I have a friend and when I call her when driving, she texts me back and says , can't answer the phone I am driving :D
To be fair, she may not actually be texting. She might have her phone set up to send a text when she doesn't answer. A friend of mine has her phone do that too.

[Phoenix]

People WILL text when driving.

People WILL DWI.

People WILL apply makeup while driving 75mph down the freeway 5 minutes after waking up late for work.

People WILL be attempting to shove a Big Mac down their throats in three bites while changing the stations on their radio.

Some people are just sh*tty drivers, even when they have their full attention on the task.

A wise person once told me that the best way to protect yourself and your property while driving is to assume that everyone else on the road is trying to kill you...

The cops writing tickets for careless driving will result in higher revenues for the cops' bosses, but it will NOT keep you any safer.

YOUR attitude and focus while driving is what will have the biggest impact on your safety on the road, not state regulation and fines.






You probably oppose anti-drunk driving laws, too, since they're bad for your business.

How often do you text while driving?

Fu*ktards WON'T stop texting while driving, despite the incredible dangers it poses, so money out of pocket is apparently the only way they'll take things seriously.

My kid's life is worth more than your God-dam*ed text message you just "had" to send.

[zap]

People WILL text when driving.

People WILL DWI.

People WILL apply makeup while driving 75mph down the freeway 5 minutes after waking up late for work.

People WILL be attempting to shove a Big Mac down their throats in three bites while changing the stations on their radio.

Some people are just sh*tty drivers, even when they have their full attention on the task.

A wise person once told me that the best way to protect yourself and your property while driving is to assume that everyone else on the road is trying to kill you...

The cops writing tickets for careless driving will result in higher revenues for the cops' bosses, but it will NOT keep you any safer.

YOUR attitude and focus while driving is what will have the biggest impact on your safety on the road, not state regulation and fines.






You probably oppose anti-drunk driving laws, too, since they're bad for your business.

How often do you text while driving?

Fu*ktards WON'T stop texting while driving, despite the incredible dangers it poses, so money out of pocket is apparently the only way they'll take things seriously.

My kid's life is worth more than your God-dam*ed text message you just "had" to send.


I always text while driving, talking on the phonewhile putting my makeup on writing notes, but I am safe about it I wait til I get on the freeway and get up to speed. ;D

[wildcard]

Now you're just trolling. :P

[wildcard]

I have a friend and when I call her when driving, she texts me back and says , can't answer the phone I am driving :D


YOU have friends? ;D

[zap]

I have a friend and when I call her when driving, she texts me back and says , can't answer the phone I am driving :D


YOU have friends? ;D


Ya here ya go friend.

[zap]

Hey Wild card Thanks again for the finger ! :ROFL:

[Phoenix]

I always text while driving, talking on the phonewhile putting my makeup on writing notes, but I am safe about it I wait til I get on the freeway and get up to speed. ;D


Keeping your trigger finger on the trigger at all times might never cause a negligent discharge, but the sheer stupidity of such a gamble is not worth the injury or life of the person you will shoot.

If you are really texting while driving, I hope you get nailed $171 as many times as needed until you stop.

[wildcard]

I always text while driving, talking on the phone while putting my makeup on writing notes, but I am safe about it I wait til I get on the freeway and get up to speed. Grin


She likes the finger. She left masturbate out of her list. What does that mean? You tell me. :P

*maybe that was what she meant about getting up to speed?

[zap]

I always text while driving, talking on the phonewhile putting my makeup on writing notes, but I am safe about it I wait til I get on the freeway and get up to speed. ;D


Keeping your trigger finger on the trigger at all times might never cause a negligent discharge, but the sheer stupidity of such a gamble is not worth the injury or life of the person you will shoot.

If you are really texting while driving, I hope you get nailed $171 as many times as needed until you stop.

:ROFL:

[zap]

Now you're just trolling. :P

;D

[zap]

I always text while driving, talking on the phone while putting my makeup on writing notes, but I am safe about it I wait til I get on the freeway and get up to speed. Grin


She likes the finger. She left masturbate out of her list. What does that mean? You tell me. :P

*maybe that was what she meant about getting up to speed?


Mind your manners Mr. ;)

[wildcard]

Is that how you got your user ID? Something short circuited? :o

[palani]

You're right. Maybe I wouldn't have seen you if I'd been someplace else.
You ARE someplace else.

[zap]

Is that how you got your user ID? Something short circuited? :o


Get your mind outta the gutter , Here is Zap.

[Neuro]

Is that how you got your user ID? Something short circuited? :o


Get you mind outta the gutter , Here is Zap.
Nice pig ya got there!

[Ares]

Or get a phone that does speech to txt. You speak the phone puts it into words, and you say send. Android phones do this straight from factory.