Police Losing Battle To Get Drivers To Put Down Their Phones

[Megalith]

Unsurprisingly, increased fines and elaborate media campaigns are doing little to dissuade people from using their phones while operating a vehicle. So what’s the solution? What about slaving certain apps (e.g., texting) to a device’s accelerometer and adding something to vehicles that would allow differentiation between driver and passenger?

While efforts to discourage texting have increased in recent years, the consensus among police, safety advocates and drivers is that the problem is only getting worse. In New York, texting tickets soared from about 9,000 in 2011 to nearly 85,000 in 2015. In Massachusetts, they rocketed from about 1,100 to a little over 6,100 over the same period. In California, the number of people found guilty of texting while driving climbed from under 3,000 in 2009 to over 31,000 in 2015. Everywhere they look, police see drivers staring at their phones. "We did see one driver who had two phones going at one time — one in his left hand and one in his right hand, with his wrist on the steering wheel," said Lt. Paul Watts, a Virginia state trooper.

 

[scojer]

Let 'em continue their habits. Nature will do the rest.

 

[Jim Kim]

Raise fines and enforce the law. And seize the phones, that would wake up the morons.

 

[Cyraxx]

Raise fines and enforce the law. And seize the phones, that would wake up the morons.

I actually like the seizing of the phone. Some people (particularly females) would rather end their own lives than go without a cell phone for 2 days.

 

[SparkedFire]

Let 'em continue their habits. Nature will do the rest.

The problem is they often hurt people who aren't glued to their phone.

 

[scojer]

The problem is they often hurt people who aren't glued to their phone.

As long as the bystanders are just injured and the culprits are eliminated, it is a reasonable cost. Broken bones heal. Stupidity does not.

 

[azuza001]

I like new Yorks policy on texting and driving. Get 3 texting and driving tickets you lose your license. Simple. If you can't be bothered to pay attention to the road you shouldn't be driving.

 

[mullet]

It has gotten so bad, I have witnessed so many close calls, I drive more defensively now then ever before. People are losing their minds over these stupid phone.

 

[Xyrax]

Here's an idea. Actually enforcing the law and pulling violators over. Far too often I see people blatantly using their phone behind the wheel in front of cops and nothing happens. Can't complain about a law being ineffective if there's little to no effort in enforcing it to begin with.

 

[Gigus Fire]

I wish i could email pictures of violators to the police and they could get fined.

 

[collegeboy69us]

Much like the deathy penalty or DUI enforcement... a law only works if the punishment is actually enforced. I've seen (and been almost hit) multiple times due to fuckstains too god damn stupid to pay attention to the road.

I'd love to see hefty fines and or seizure of the device.

I mention the death penalty and DUI thing because we all know what happens when you are sentenced to death, you sit around for 20 or 30 years in cell... the DUI thing? the fact that people can be on their 3rd, 4th, 5th DUI and still be free or on the road.

Start taking their cell phones away. or fining a minimum of $500 and see how quickly the problem would disappear.

 

[JimA]

This would be easier to solve if we equipped cops with scissors.

"May I please see your drivers license?"

Snip... Snip... Snip...

"Thank you, and have a nice day."

Cop returns to vehicle, waiting to see if the drive away. If so, pull'em over again and ticket for driving w/o a license.

 

[Deleted member 222586]

I like new Yorks policy on texting and driving. Get 3 texting and driving tickets you lose your license. Simple. If you can't be bothered to pay attention to the road you shouldn't be driving.

It should be only one offense. Heck, there is no reason in the world to do stuff while you drive. Well, if you drive alone on a closed road then do whatever you want... but on a traditional road you have bystanders and other drivers and attention to driving should be the only task at hand.

 

[scojer]

Also, public ridicule should be more public.

 

[Nenu]

Seems like a problem in how the law applies.
Cops dont set the boundaries of the penalties, its not a cop problem.

 

[Draax]

Phones should be seized and destroyed on site. Watch how quick people would change their habits if their precious phone was destroyed.

 

[Deleted member 245375]

Let 'em continue their habits. Nature will do the rest.

As long as the bystanders are just injured and the culprits are eliminated, it is a reasonable cost. Broken bones heal. Stupidity does not.

I don't care if those stupid fucking people wish to text and drive into brick walls or whatever, but when their specific actions endanger the lives of others - which is what happens probably 90% of the time - that's when an attitude like the one you just spoke of needs to be brushed aside and replaced with something that handles the bigger picture.

A reasonable cost? Seriously? Letting people get injured, jacking up medical expenses even more than necessary, all of the additional bullshit that happens and all the stuff that gets involved just because someone is stupid? Really?

 

[scojer]

I don't care if those stupid fucking people wish to text and drive into brick walls or whatever, but when their specific actions endanger the lives of others - which is what happens probably 90% of the time - that's when an attitude like the one you just spoke of needs to be brushed aside and replaced with something that handles the bigger picture.

A reasonable cost? Seriously? Letting people get injured, jacking up medical expenses even more than necessary, all of the additional bullshit that happens and all the stuff that gets involved just because someone is stupid? Really?

Really! If I get hit and my arm is broken, but they are dead, and the accident was because they were texting and driving, I'd be fine with that. Sure medical expenses will go up. They'll go up regardless though. The bigger picture though, tighten the laws and throw them in jail? take away their phones? what would you do? Like I said, broken bones heal, stupidity doesn't. Take their phones, they'll get another. Throw them in jail, that just throws more people in our already overpopulated jail system, and the money that would go towards medical expenses now goes towards keeping them alive in there.

 

[Creepin_D]

Really! If I get hit and my arm is broken, but they are dead, and the accident was because they were texting and driving, I'd be fine with that. Sure medical expenses will go up. They'll go up regardless though. The bigger picture though, tighten the laws and throw them in jail? take away their phones? what would you do? Like I said, broken bones heal, stupidity doesn't. Take their phones, they'll get another. Throw them in jail, that just throws more people in our already overpopulated jail system, and the money that would go towards medical expenses now goes towards keeping them alive in there.

I'm amazed that you are ok that getting hurt by someone else is ok. What if instead of breaking your arm, you break your back and is parlayed for the rest of your life. Is it ok because that person that broke your back is in jail or dead?

 

[scojer]

I'm amazed that you are ok that getting hurt by someone else is ok. What if instead of breaking your arm, you break your back and is parlayed for the rest of your life. Is it ok because that person that broke your back is in jail or dead?

I'd rather be dead than paralyzed. but hey, it'd be one less stupid driver on the road.

 

[HotShotMedic]

Let 'em continue their habits. Nature will do the rest.

The problem with this is that the innocent person that is driving with due diligence will suffer.

 

[Rustynuts]

Has strict rule stopped DUIs? This isn't going away. Not until technology evolves to something else.

 

[86 5.0L]

This would be easier to solve if we equipped cops with scissors.

"May I please see your drivers license?"

Snip... Snip... Snip...

"Thank you, and have a nice day."

Cop returns to vehicle, waiting to see if the drive away. If so, pull'em over again and ticket for driving w/o a license.

They still have a valid drivers license, just not physical proof, which is a $20 fix it ticket I believe

Source: been pulled over without my wallet before and told the officer my license number(yes I'm a nerd and know it by heart)

 

[Mike89]

I agree with stronger penalties big time, like confiscating cellphone (with like $500 to get it back) and losing license on third offense. Maybe it would lead to way more enforcement. Cops just aren't pulling people over for using cellphones enough, hell there are not enough cops on the streets to do it.

 

[macksomerville]

Mandate autonomous vehicles on all federal highways by 2022 @ lvl 3 and lvl 4 by 2026, remove humans from the vehicle operation loop and watch traffic and fatalities drop; then the morons can eat, put on makeup, drink or smoke weed as much as they fucking want and not fuck my commute up with their stupid shit.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Ticketing went up from 9k to 85k over a period of 4 years, now is this really due to increase usage of phones while driving? Or just because police decided they should enforce it when they need to hit their ticket quotas for the month?

 

[Dead Parrot]

If convicted of distracted driving due to phone, the following should apply: Since the convict demonstrated an inability to safely drive a car, lose the right to drive for 5 years. Since the convict demonstrated the inability to safely use a phone or other device, lose the right to own or use a phone or other device for five years. Same should apply to DUI, lose both the right to drive and the right to buy alcohol. Keep in mind in the US, that even a minor non violent felony results in the loss of the right to own or use a gun, even though that right is not supposed to be infringed. So the legal precedent is already in place.

 

[DrLobotomy]

Taking away a license doesn't stop people from driving. It never stopped me.

 

[MavericK]

As long as the bystanders are just injured and the culprits are eliminated, it is a reasonable cost. Broken bones heal. Stupidity does not.

Yeah...problem is this is not what the reality of the situation is. As evidenced by the numerous cases where a drunk driver comes out of a wreck with minor injuries but kills an entire family.

 

[tec1500]

I'd rather be dead than paralyzed. but hey, it'd be one less stupid driver on the road.

Would you mind taking my hit for me?

I sure don't want to be hurt by someone that considers human life to be less than texting. I'm not really sure why you are volunteering to be the victim.

 

[86 5.0L]

If convicted of distracted driving due to phone, the following should apply: Since the convict demonstrated an inability to safely drive a car, lose the right to drive for 5 years. Since the convict demonstrated the inability to safely use a phone or other device, lose the right to own or use a phone or other device for five years. Same should apply to DUI, lose both the right to drive and the right to buy alcohol. Keep in mind in the US, that even a minor non violent felony results in the loss of the right to own or use a gun, even though that right is not supposed to be infringed. So the legal precedent is already in place.

Except people won't care

Drinking and driving is illegal, it still happens
Killing people is illegal, it still happens

 

[scojer]

Would you mind taking my hit for me?

I sure don't want to be hurt by someone that considers human life to be less than texting. I'm not really sure why you are volunteering to be the victim.

I can't see the future so I don't know if/when you'll get hit.

I'm not volunteering, but I've accepted that if something happens, it happens. I can't stop it.

 

[[21CW]killerofall]

This is one of many reasons I would be for making driver-less cars mandatory for everyone who can't pass a comprehensive driving (book and practical) exam every other year, or after any driving offense. The only way to fix stupid is to not let them drive. And lets face it, about half of the population is too stupid to be behind the wheel.

 

[nightfly]

about half of the population is too stupid to be behind the wheel.

It's not always the stupid ones. I know a few stupid people who were excellent drivers, because they didn't think they knew better than everyone else (in fact, studies found that lower IQ people make better over the road drivers because they don't get bored as easily, so they stay more alert). In fact, it's the smart asses who think that laws don't apply to them BECAUSE they are so smart that are the worst offenders. 'Oh, that law's for other people who are unable to drive and text. I'm a really good driver, and I can manage it just fine' seems to be the general belief of most people. They really believe that they're better than other people. So it's basically just ego that is the problem.

 

[steakman1971]

I've done some research in this area working with a few startups. Technology could sort of solve the problem (i.e., if you are going over a certain speed, disable certain functionality from the phone). However, how do you distinguish between a driver and passenger? What if you are using mass transit? One inventor had an idea that would work - but it was not practical. I can't go into details, but he had a method to distinguish driver from passenger. The problem is it involved hardware and a specific way of holding a device. I asked what if I didn't hold it the right way? He was kind of flabbergasted.
Still, maybe tech could help but people will always find a way around the solution. This is very similar to the DUI problem - we have laws, fines, yet people are still doing it.

 

[westrock2000]

Here's an idea. Actually enforcing the law and pulling violators over. Far too often I see people blatantly using their phone behind the wheel in front of cops and nothing happens. Can't complain about a law being ineffective if there's little to no effort in enforcing it to begin with.

The problem with that, is that police would have to actually drive around and mingle with the public. At least here in Texas, it's much easier to just park your car backwards on the highway and wait for free money to come by.

 

[N4CR]

Phone use is not quantifiable or lazily enforced with cameras/radar/LIDAR so they don't care.

Cops want everything on a plate these days. NSA makes that all so easy with the war of drugs, but cellphones and people ploughing into others, is not a national security risk. Bet it kills more in one year than terrorism ever has in history.

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

Let 'em continue their habits. Nature will do the rest.

indeed but if they get me in the process, the legal issue will not be resolved for them so easily

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Raise fines and enforce the law. And seize the phones, that would wake up the morons.

I like the size the phones idea.

Fight the addiction to the phone by removing the phone for non-compliance.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

It's not always the stupid ones. I know a few stupid people who were excellent drivers, because they didn't think they knew better than everyone else (in fact, studies found that lower IQ people make better over the road drivers because they don't get bored as easily, so they stay more alert). In fact, it's the smart asses who think that laws don't apply to them BECAUSE they are so smart that are the worst offenders. 'Oh, that law's for other people who are unable to drive and text. I'm a really good driver, and I can manage it just fine' seems to be the general belief of most people. They really believe that they're better than other people. So it's basically just ego that is the problem.

This, a million times.

People who believe they are amazing and it's everyone else who is the problem.