California Legalizes Hands-Free Texting While Driving

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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On Friday, the State of California became only the second state in the union to enact a bill legalizing voice-operated hands free texting. The first state to enact such a law was Idaho, with three registered cell phones. :D

The bill "was not crafted to apply to phones," but rather to allow in-dash navigation and messaging systems to be operated within the law.
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Why is it that people can't shut the hell up for 15 minutes until they get to where they're going. Its OBVIOUS that ANY technological form of communication while driving is not safe. And now its legal.

Good job California!
 
JoeUser said:
Why is it that people can't shut the hell up for 15 minutes until they get to where they're going. Its OBVIOUS that ANY technological form of communication while driving is not safe. And now its legal.

Good job California!
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You are looking at this the wrong way. I ALREADY had the right to text in the car. We dont need all these new laws telling us what we can and cant do. Existing law covers vehicular operations extraordinarily well.
 
Spire3660 said:
You are looking at this the wrong way. I ALREADY had the right to text in the car. We dont need all these new laws telling us what we can and cant do. Existing law covers vehicular operations extraordinarily well.
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I would disagree. People swore up and down that they could text while driving. Most states didn't have laws when text messaging was popular. It wasn't until thousands of people in each state started to get into car accidents, not because they were drinking, but because they weren't paying attention to what they were doing.
 
Most people cannot drive without distractions! This whole thing is really stupid just pay attention to driving you don’t need to always be talking or texting people!
 
kac77 said:
I would disagree. People swore up and down that they could text while driving. Most states didn't have laws when text messaging was popular. It wasn't until thousands of people in each state started to get into car accidents, not because they were drinking, but because they weren't paying attention to what they were doing.
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And most of the states that banned the practice saw no decrease, or even an increase, in accident rates.
 
Arcygenical said:
And most of the states that banned the practice saw no decrease, or even an increase, in accident rates.
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Could have something to do with the fact not many people decided to follow the rules, how many people do you still see chatting away while driving? Yeah, those are the numbnuts that are the ones who are likely to get into an accident.

Shit I hate cell phones in general because of what they've turned us into as a society. Go to the store... oh I still want to shoot the shit with someone, blocking off the real world to the little microcosm that is the bluetooth earpiece you're yapping away on. Kind of scary too because those people do tend to blank out the world when they're talking, like a glaze over their face... yet hey it's still legal to drive and do that too.
 
I've been receiving and sending texts hands free for over a year now. My WinPhone7 syncs with my VW Tiguan via bluetooth. The text is read out through the speakers and I can dictate my message and send it, all without taking my hands off the steering wheel nor taking my eyes off the street. Always gets a "wow!" from my passengers when they see it.
 
HisSvt76 said:
Most people cannot drive without distractions! This whole thing is really stupid just pay attention to driving you don’t need to always be talking or texting people!
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This.

People need to learn to shut the hell up while driving...I mean, people act like they can't go 10 minutes without blabbering on about what they had for breakfast to their friends. WHO CARES!

Look, I've luckily never been in an accident...but of the few times that its ALMOST happened I look over and the piece of shit person that almost hit me is sitting in their car talking away on their cellphone COMPLETELY UNAWARE THAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO KILL ME AND THEMSELVES! And this is NOT an exaggeration, this shit has happened at least a handful of times.

And let me say that I'm not some old man confused about technology...I'm 25 years old and its scary that even at my age and the fact that I LOVE texting and talking on the phone that even I can turn the shit off when I'm behind the wheel of a moving 2 ton object made of metal where as some old shit who didn't have cellphones 90% of their lives all of a sudden can't go 10 minutes without it.

To me being on the phone IN ANY FORM while driving needs to be a criminal offense to the point of being treated as a D.U.I. as its just as distracting if not more so. I mean, at least when most people are driving after a few drinks they are more likely to slow it down some and pay a bit more attention. This always seem to be the complete opposite when it comes to cellphone use.

I know for me that if someone does call when I'm driving IF I pick up the phone (always to say I'm driving and to call back and I never do if I'm around other vehicles) that I can just FEEL my attention and scope of awareness drop dramatically. And I don't give a shit who the hell you think you are but this happens with EVERYONE. No one is special. If you text/talk while driving you are a threat. Period.

The ONLY reason laws like this get passed is because the lawmakers themselves want to use their cellphones while driving. It has nothing to do with the fact they think its safe, has nothing to do with the fact that there have been studies showing the negative effects of text while driving, has only to do with the fact that they want it so there for they have to make it "OK" to do.

Laws like this really go to show how downhill this political system, hell, the general population in general, has gotten.

/rant
 
how can a simple text message be worth a car wreck?

Voice texting is still a distraction.
 
DragonFyr said:
how can a simple text message be worth a car wreck?

Voice texting is still a distraction.
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Voice texting is no more a distraction than grabbing a soba cup from the cup holder to take a sip. You don't see a law against that do you?
 
Teenk9 said:
Voice texting is no more a distraction than grabbing a soba cup from the cup holder to take a sip. You don't see a law against that do you?
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the thing is most people will still look down (or where ever the device is) to make sure it took down just what the person is saying. that alone is enough time for some tragic to happen. most people know where the cup holder is in their car and not have to take their eyes off the road.
 
Teenk9 said:
Voice texting is no more a distraction than grabbing a soba cup from the cup holder to take a sip. You don't see a law against that do you?
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You're point is dumb.

Taking a quick sip from a soda is a lot less distracting then having to think about what to say...oh shit, delete that message car...tell the wife I'll be home in 15 minutes...oh shit...delete that, tell her I've got to go to the grocery store to get milk first then I'll be home! Send! Oh wait! Tell her I love he...:BANG!:...no more you for her to love.

Again, to reiterate my point...SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DRIVE!
 
JoeUser said:
You're point is dumb.

Taking a quick sip from a soda is a lot less distracting then having to think about what to say...oh shit, delete that message car...tell the wife I'll be home in 15 minutes...oh shit...delete that, tell her I've got to go to the grocery store to get milk first then I'll be home! Send! Oh wait! Tell her I love he...:BANG!:...no more you for her to love.

Again, to reiterate my point...SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DRIVE!
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Really, you get distracted that much by just thinking what to say? If that's the case you shouldn't even be driving at all.

And the scenario you just wrote is so ridiculous I can't tell if you're being serious or describing a sitcom skit.

Voiceless texting I never have to take my hands off the steering wheel or look away from the road. NEVER. Drinking soda, you have to take at least one hand off the steering wheel, HOW THE FUCK IS THAT SAFER?!
 
Teenk9 said:
Really, you get distracted that much by just thinking what to say? If that's the case you shouldn't even be driving at all.

And the scenario you just wrote is so ridiculous I can't tell if you're being serious or describing a sitcom skit.

Voiceless texting I never have to take my hands off the steering wheel or look away from the road. NEVER. Drinking soda, you have to take at least one hand off the steering wheel, HOW THE FUCK IS THAT SAFER?!
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Not voiceless, I meant voice texting. Stupid no edit rule :p
 
Teenk9 said:
Really, you get distracted that much by just thinking what to say? If that's the case you shouldn't even be driving at all.

And the scenario you just wrote is so ridiculous I can't tell if you're being serious or describing a sitcom skit.

Voiceless texting I never have to take my hands off the steering wheel or look away from the road. NEVER. Drinking soda, you have to take at least one hand off the steering wheel, HOW THE FUCK IS THAT SAFER?!
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You're right. You're just better than everyone else. I'm sorry I thought otherwise.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
Reckless driving was already illegal.
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Exactly. Needless overlegislation is needless. Cops could already ticket you for doing stupid shit while driving. These laws are merely there to give them something extra to hit you with for extra revenue for local governments.

A person has to be incredibly naive to believe these laws have any effect on road safety, and even more so to believe that the intent is to increase safety in the first please. The intent is to increase revenue, and for incumbent lawmakers to get the THINK OF THE CHILDREN vote.

As I've said in a million threads on this, people just consider the ticket the price of convenience. Especially people who have to spend hours on the road a day. Many of them just cannot be out of contact with other people for that length of time, either because they have children to check on, or job responsibilities that require them to be reachable on the road, or any number of reasons. They aren't going to risk their job performance, or ignore that call from the daycare center, because of the threat of a ticket. They'd be stupid to. Lawmakers know this, and they don't WANT you to put your cell phone away. They want you to use it so they can make a dime off of you.

The number one give away that these laws are bullshit is that they are not generalized "distracted driving" laws with enhanced punishments. A fine that targets a very narrow hot-button topic is the most obvious cash-in possible.
 
JoeUser said:
You're right. You're just better than everyone else. I'm sorry I thought otherwise.
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The fuck you talking about? Where did I say I'm better than you or anybody else? You're the one who started ranting and telling others to, and I quote, "... SHUT THE FUCK UP!" If you're going to act like the big dog in the park you better be able to back your shit up.

Oh, and you still haven't answered my question, "Voice texting I never have to take my hands off the steering wheel or look away from the road. NEVER. Drinking soda, you have to take at least one hand off the steering wheel, HOW THE FUCK IS THAT SAFER?!"
 
Oops, and one more thing: Call me when they outlaw putting on make-up while driving,or being a stupid breeder turned around yelling at your 50 snot-nosed ginger kids and their golden retrievers.
 
Teenk9 said:
The fuck you talking about? Where did I say I'm better than you or anybody else? You're the one who started ranting and telling others to, and I quote, "... SHUT THE FUCK UP!" If you're going to act like the big dog in the park you better be able to back your shit up.

Oh, and you still haven't answered my question, "Voice texting I never have to take my hands off the steering wheel or look away from the road. NEVER. Drinking soda, you have to take at least one hand off the steering wheel, HOW THE FUCK IS THAT SAFER?!"
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To quote someone else:
TDub said:
the thing is most people will still look down (or where ever the device is) to make sure it took down just what the person is saying. that alone is enough time for some tragic to happen. most people know where the cup holder is in their car and not have to take their eyes off the road.
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That's why. I can take a drink of something that takes 3 seconds or I can talk/text while driving that reduces your awareness by 90%.

Now granted this isn't true for EVERYONE but a vast majority fall into this. It doesn't matter what for texting takes when driving its still a major distraction that will lead to just as many accidents.
 
JoeUser said:
To quote someone else:


That's why. I can take a drink of something that takes 3 seconds or I can talk/text while driving that reduces your awareness by 90%.

Now granted this isn't true for EVERYONE but a vast majority fall into this. It doesn't matter what for texting takes when driving its still a major distraction that will lead to just as many accidents.
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Do you know what a car dock is?
 
JoeUser said:
To quote someone else:


That's why. I can take a drink of something that takes 3 seconds or I can talk/text while driving that reduces your awareness by 90%.

Now granted this isn't true for EVERYONE but a vast majority fall into this. It doesn't matter what for texting takes when driving its still a major distraction that will lead to just as many accidents.
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But how is voice texting any more a distraction than drinking soda. It's the same thing.

Can you really honestly tell me that when you reach for your soda that your main focus is on driving? Then what happens when you don't find your soda on the first try? You try to feel for it right? Isn't that another distraction? And when you finally get your soda, are you telling me that you don't at least glance to look for the straw so you can put it in your mouth instead of in your nostrils? It's even worse if your drinking from a soda can because you actually have to angle your face or else you won't see the road. And the whole time you do this you only have one hand on the steering wheel.

Yet nobody screams bloody murder when you see other drivers with their face angled up and sideways so they can drink from a soda can.
 
Distracted driving is not safe and causes accidents and gets people killed. Simple as that.
 
NKDietrich said:
Exactly. Needless overlegislation is needless. Cops could already ticket you for doing stupid shit while driving. These laws are merely there to give them something extra to hit you with for extra revenue for local governments.

The number one give away that these laws are bullshit is that they are not generalized "distracted driving" laws with enhanced punishments. A fine that targets a very narrow hot-button topic is the most obvious cash-in possible.
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You've hit the nail on the head, but slightly off-center. You've forgotten one thing. Politicians are all about saying they've gotten something done and pointing the finger at their opponents over what they did and didn't vote for.

You introduce a texting and driving bill, it is going to pass. .You go back to your constituents and point out "all the things you've done for the community." Fatal accidents involving texting and driving has decreased 5% since introduction of the bill. Never mind the fact that it could have absolutely nothing to do with the passing of your legislation. Correlation != Causation.

Alternatively, if you have an opponent that does not like the bill and votes it down, when reelection comes up, you can point out they didn't vote for a bill that would obviously improve public safety. We come right back down to party rhetoric. Dems are too this, GOP is too that, liberals are too liberal, conservatives are too conservative.

Meanwhile, we continue to pay politicians to sit around in a circle jerk all day. I don't care if you're a Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative. The vast majority of politicians are remarkably similar. They are less worried about the good of their constituents and more concerned about getting reelected.

/rant
 
JoeUser said:
This.

People need to learn to shut the hell up while driving...I mean, people act like they can't go 10 minutes without blabbering on about what they had for breakfast to their friends. WHO CARES!

Look, I've luckily never been in an accident...but of the few times that its ALMOST happened I look over and the piece of shit person that almost hit me is sitting in their car talking away on their cellphone COMPLETELY UNAWARE THAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO KILL ME AND THEMSELVES! And this is NOT an exaggeration, this shit has happened at least a handful of times.

And let me say that I'm not some old man confused about technology...I'm 25 years old and its scary that even at my age and the fact that I LOVE texting and talking on the phone that even I can turn the shit off when I'm behind the wheel of a moving 2 ton object made of metal where as some old shit who didn't have cellphones 90% of their lives all of a sudden can't go 10 minutes without it.

To me being on the phone IN ANY FORM while driving needs to be a criminal offense to the point of being treated as a D.U.I. as its just as distracting if not more so. I mean, at least when most people are driving after a few drinks they are more likely to slow it down some and pay a bit more attention. This always seem to be the complete opposite when it comes to cellphone use.

I know for me that if someone does call when I'm driving IF I pick up the phone (always to say I'm driving and to call back and I never do if I'm around other vehicles) that I can just FEEL my attention and scope of awareness drop dramatically. And I don't give a shit who the hell you think you are but this happens with EVERYONE. No one is special. If you text/talk while driving you are a threat. Period.

The ONLY reason laws like this get passed is because the lawmakers themselves want to use their cellphones while driving. It has nothing to do with the fact they think its safe, has nothing to do with the fact that there have been studies showing the negative effects of text while driving, has only to do with the fact that they want it so there for they have to make it "OK" to do.

Laws like this really go to show how downhill this political system, hell, the general population in general, has gotten.

/rant
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Quoted for truth plus over 9000!

This is why in this video I make sure I am 100% focus behind my wheel.
 
I'll just glance down and check my spelling, nope nope I want to change that. The sound of crashing metal comes to the foreground.

This POS State is run by Village Idiots. They just made the whole State a Sanctury State. Lets see Cop makes traffic stop. Driver = No ID, can't speak English, not his car, no registration, no insurance, Name? Jose or Juan or something. You are not here illegally are you? Nope Nope can't ask that! That's OK, since I don't know who you are, be on your way my man, have a nice day.

While we are at it, Lets build a train to no where. Anybody got some spare change?
 
kac77 said:
I would disagree. People swore up and down that they could text while driving. Most states didn't have laws when text messaging was popular. It wasn't until thousands of people in each state started to get into car accidents, not because they were drinking, but because they weren't paying attention to what they were doing.
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I would disagree, since it would have fallen under the existing "inattentive" driving statutes.

The problem with current Cell phone laws, is that they are one-size-fits all.

Several studies have shown it’s not the act of holding the phone in your hand that’s the problem, it’s the inattentiveness of carrying on a conversation. These studies have found that hands-free phones can actually cause MORE accidents, since the people spend more time talking when they have a hands-free phone, than when they have to actually hold the phone to their ear.

Of course texting is a whole different issue.

Out here in California, they will write you a ticket if they see you with a phone in your hand, even if you are not using it. For example, if they see you take it off the clip on your belt and put it on the seat of your car even if you are sitting stopped at a red light.

So, it’s not legal for me to pick up my ringing phone while sitting at a stop light and have a 10 second conversation (yes I’ll pick up some milk on the way home). Yet it’s legal for someone with hands-free to drive down the freeway, yelling into their headset and waving their hands for 20 minutes.
 
Teenk9 said:
Voice texting is no more a distraction than grabbing a soba cup from the cup holder to take a sip. You don't see a law against that do you?
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You sure about that? That's like saying drinking a glass of water takes the same amount of mental effort as me typing this reply.
 
HisSvt76 said:
Most people cannot drive without distractions! This whole thing is really stupid just pay attention to driving you don’t need to always be talking or texting people!
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This. Imo is it really worth killing someone /dying to send lol?
 
sfsuphysics said:
You sure about that? That's like saying drinking a glass of water takes the same amount of mental effort as me typing this reply.
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Yes I'm sure. I can voice text while driving my car without having to take my hands off the steering wheel or looking away from the road, it's all voice activated. Can you do that trying to take a drink from a cup while driving? I already described above what drinking while driving entails, is that any less mentally taxing than having to say "Text message so and so". "Start message: eff you! End Message". "Send message".
 
And pot didnt get legalized there?!!?!?
Let me get this straigt, cell phones cause deaths in car accidents, marijuana has never caused a single death ever. yet the texting is legalized........
Am I missing sometihng?
 
Teenk9 said:
Yes I'm sure. I can voice text while driving my car without having to take my hands off the steering wheel or looking away from the road, it's all voice activated. Can you do that trying to take a drink from a cup while driving? I already described above what drinking while driving entails, is that any less mentally taxing than having to say "Text message so and so". "Start message: eff you! End Message". "Send message".
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According to scientific studies, yes, talking/texting in any form is more taxing than reaching down for a drink.

Just because you can keep both hands on the steering wheel while looking at the road doesn't mean jack shit when you're distracted. Just because your eyes are looking forward doesn't mean your brain is.

Quit trying to justify your careless selfish acts. If you want to do any form of digital communication while driving that's fine just do it away from me and other people on the road. Kill yourself, not other people.

LOL, just you're little example above makes me cringe at the thought of someone doing that while in traffic going 75mph down the highway. Whether you realize it or not doing that while driving does reduce your awareness.

Like I said before, and I'll say it again...SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DRIVE!
 
JoeUser said:
According to scientific studies, yes, talking/texting in any form is more taxing than reaching down for a drink.

Just because you can keep both hands on the steering wheel while looking at the road doesn't mean jack shit when you're distracted. Just because your eyes are looking forward doesn't mean your brain is.

Quit trying to justify your careless selfish acts. If you want to do any form of digital communication while driving that's fine just do it away from me and other people on the road. Kill yourself, not other people.

LOL, just you're little example above makes me cringe at the thought of someone doing that while in traffic going 75mph down the highway. Whether you realize it or not doing that while driving does reduce your awareness.

Like I said before, and I'll say it again...SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DRIVE!
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Right, because you're not distracted while trying to drink from a soda cup. And are you really trying to say that is safer at 75MPH?! You still have to show that your act of drinking beverage while driving is less distracting than voice texting. Whatever, live in your fairy tale land of everything you do while driving is safe while voice texting is the cause of all major accidents.
 
Spire3660 said:
Existing law covers vehicular operations extraordinarily well.
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Yep. Every state has a distracted driving statute that covers...well...anything and everything that could possibly distract a driver from his operation of the vehicle. Cellphones, doing make up, giving (a real challenge)/receiving road head...
 
STR said:
Yep. Every state has a distracted driving statute that covers...well...anything and everything that could possibly distract a driver from his operation of the vehicle. Cellphones, doing make up, giving (a real challenge)/receiving road head...
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Does it cover giving road head WHILE receiving it? TALK ABOUT CHALLENGE!:cool:
 
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