Texting while driving
As my husband set out late last night to play hockey I said, ” Be careful there could be a lot of people driving home from celebrating the Olympic closing day and may be drinking and driving.” What I see more often though is those texting while driving and of course the cell phone users.
British Columbia has made it illegal to use these devices while driving, everything must be hands-free, but still you see the losers who disregard the message being sent. Using cell phones while driving is dangerous! Texting while driving is dangerous and insane!
Just the other day I saw a young woman texting while driving. Head hunched down with fingers going, she did the head bob where she looks up and down to determine what is happening on the road versus what is happening on the screen. I debated on rolling down my window and shouting at her when we were at the stop light but didn’t. Maybe I should have, I don’t know.
What I do know is, we need to take this very seriously. There is nothing being said via phone or text that is more important than human life. Too many people have died from such activity and its time to realize it must stop. Oprah Winfrey has taken this issue on with a pledge sheet the public can sign. This is the one woman in the US I feel can make a substantial difference.
People know how I feel about the proliferation of tech devices infiltrating our every moment. A previous post took a humorous look at this; I told the story of sitting on the toilet listening to a woman on her cell phone in the bathroom stall next to me at Ikea. Ridiculous! Equally annoying is people texting someone else while having a conversation in person.
How about those that stand at the store counter paying for their items while still on their phone; no recognition of the sales person/cashier…how rude! Mothers and fathers pushing the baby carriage while texting or on their phone I often said ” I wonder if when the child is listening whether they think everyone talks to themselves.” Then there is the family dog trying to go for his/her happy walk with the owner immersed in a text or phone conversation. It is sad that we have lost the ability to be in the moment and how many beautiful things one missed while walking along.
It is time, if nothing else, for us to take these things out of the cars! Full attention must be paid to the task at hand for personal and public safety, it is a no-brainer. It gets bad when you have to add cell phone operators and textors to the the other hazards such as potential drunk drivers and weather/road conditions.
Stiff penalties are needed. Right now it is $167 fine and 3 points on your driving record, I advocate for an increase in that fine and possibly other measures if you are found to have caused an accident. It has been said the 117 people die every year in BC from not paying attention while driving, hundreds more are injured. If we know somebody who still doesn’t get the message, should we let them know how we feel? I love my family and friends and I truly don’t want to ever have to lose them to an accident especially one related to texting, emailing or cell phone use. It is senseless.
Next time I will roll down that window and say my peace, I don’t have to be rude, I just have to say “if you care about yourself and others you will put that device down and just drive to your destination safely.”
Do you care about this issue and have you made the change to hands free or no devices in your car?
Testing Text Message Driving Video
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A very well-written and timely feature, Jennifer! It is so dangerous for drivers to be on their cell phones talking or texting while driving! One of my biggest pet peeves is being with someone and you think you’re going to have a conversation with them but all they do is constantly tend to their cell phones and the non-stop texts they receive. It drives me NUTS! It’s SO RUDE people! It’s also rude to treat people in a store who are serving you that way as well.
I only use my cell phone for emergencies and for calling a cab when I need one. Very few people call me on it and I like it that way.
Thank you for your contribution to this post. Glad to hear you are on board with the no talking/texting while driving movement.
For the life of me I can’t understand the importance of these items beyond emergency purposes and general communication mainly for business. (not while driving) Truly, outside of those two things I really don’t want to be connected to anyone that bad.
Maybe we need to be more assertive and speak up when people are using these devices while in conversation with us, I’m willing to snap someone out of their tech world into reality. That is going to seem really cruel to those who are addicted but that’s what is called an “intervention!”
There have been laws on U.K. Statute books since 2003 banning the use of handheld cellphones, (mobile) devices when driving.
As a result quite a number of people use bluetooth hands free technology and phone mounts here now. (The gadgetry is cheaper than the fines.)
Likewise “The Governator” signed a bill in California three years after our lawmakers did, banning the same thing, but with a broader scope. (17 other states have passed similar laws.)
Under any circumstances in most States of the U.S.A. and Canada, or England….you can land up with a hefty fine, points on your license or prosecution for driving without due care and attention, which is what you are doing if you drive while distracted by…. a phone conversation, changing radio channels…skipping a track on a c.d. , shaving, or putting on lipstick….all common practices in so many modern countries.
Since Road rage is popular now…with both sexes…I would not advise taking personal action against offenders. However you can take down the number plate and make a non emergency call to the Police…Make sure that you have the time and date, make of car, male ofr female driver…the location and the direction of travel, though.
The Police may then possibly send a warning letter. Or if they have a response, (Patrol )car nearby, go after the offender themselves?
Yes, the laws are there along with the fines but still the point is not always making it through. Even today, with a friend of mine in the passenger seat we saw a woman driving her big black SUV, driving in front of us, in the turning lane, with cell phone up to her ear.
My husband and I called the police on young woman who was texting and literally stopped in the middle of the street trying to finish her texting. Initially, with people behind her, everyone thought she had broke down and started to go around. As we drove by I thought we should help her, when we asked if she needed help she looked up, said a quick “No” as she was bothered by our interruption of her texting. The police didn’t get there in time, she did this twice more on the way to our destination.
My friend today said “she honks” at people who are on their phones while driving. I guess we are not worried about road rage. I can’t take that information fast enough, find a place to pull over, get my phone out of my purse, turn it on and then give the police info. By the time I’ve done that, in this neck of the woods, nobody would know where the car went.
As for warning letters sent, according to our local RCMP they don’t send warning letters. The only way they will be involved (after the fact) is if someone wants to go to court; the RCMP would have to investigate based on the information and look into the possibility of charges. However, without the RCMP being there in the first place it would be a lot of effort for the average person to invest in.
So, I vote personally for a honk or my friendly smile with shame based dialogue mixed with concern. It is all well and good to have these fines on the books but police are going to have difficulty with enforcement. Talking to our family and friends about the issue and making each other accountable will hopefully go a long way.
Thanks for the comments.
Although I do agree with the serious nature of cell phone use and driving, I definatly do not agree with self policing the roads in any form. Would you stop at a light and yell at someone in the car next to you if they weren’t wearing their seatbelt? Would you give someone a piece of your mind if they were driving over the speed limit? These laws have been put into place for everyones safety, and by rolling down that window you are putting yourself in a unsafe situation that perhaps is more dangerous than using a cell phone while driving. There are a lot of nuts out there!!!!
I guess I need to make myself a little clearer, which is often the case when writing versus face to face. I’m not advocating for confrontational discussion, I’m not even advocating we be the police, phone the police if you believe somebody is driving dangerously. However, now it is harder as I mentioned to get the chance to do that effectively if your phone is not readily available.
I have found in the past that if I approach someone with a smile and make a comment in a non-confrontational way there is little for anyone to truly get upset about. Such as ” Hi, I’m concerned you are putting yourself and others at risk, pull over if you need to use your phone or text” people do one of two things…disregard your inquiry or statement, as was the case with the driver I mentioned, or tell you to get lost and roll up the window.
Sure there is the possibility of some lunatic out there that can’t even take this, but they are also the ones that won’t like someone honking their horn when they are slow off the green light.
I don’t know, it has to be an individuals call as to whether the opportunity arises to quickly speak with someone face to face re: the issue, call the police or just shake their head and drive on, I have done all of these at one time or another. I can’t live my life worrying about “the nuts” out there, generally people are good and would most likely shrug you off and think about it later.
I appreciate your comment, thanks for adding to our discussion.