California signs law banning teens from texting and driving

[Ujitsuna]

How the heck can someone text whilst driving? It takes like all of my concentration just to find the name I want in the phone book on the mobile.

Scary stuff. :shock:

[Tullaryx]

The other thing that really caught my eye when the news shows were talking about the laws was the inclusion of laptops to the bill. While it is scary to know that teens are texting while driving I can understand that some teens have memorized by touch how to operate their cell phones to text. But how the hell does one get caught using a laptop while driving. Even the smallest laptopn I've seen still too big to operate using one hand.
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[HarmonianHiccup]

Both my father and my brother-in-law had an alarming habit, when in their youth, of reading a novel while driving on long road trips. THey'd prop it up on the wheel and hold it there as they held the wheel, and read while they "watched" the road over the tops of their books.

Terrifying.
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Proud Owner and Operator of The Hiccup's Speciality Grassland Atelier, the only place to find Electric Whiffle Bats!

[Tullaryx]

I have to say that I'm guilty of doing the same when I was just out of high school. I used to buy comic books on a weekly basis and when I was driving home from school and after picking up my weekly comic books I'd glance through the pages of some of them while I was stuck in traffic. I only did it when the traffic slowed to a crawl, but even then I knew that either I get too distracted at the wrong time or I get honked at for not moving. Good thing I don't do that sort of thing anymore.
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[HarmonianHiccup]

I used to do that too--but only when I was stopped at a red light on in a total standstill.

But my dad and brother in law would do it on the freeway--60 MPH and reading Lord of the Rings.
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Proud Owner and Operator of The Hiccup's Speciality Grassland Atelier, the only place to find Electric Whiffle Bats!

[Tullaryx]

Hey at least they were reading something worthwhile. But still doing that, texting and just being on one's gadgets while going 60 mph and faster is just Evil Kneivel level of danger. I will say that adults do have some bad habits that teens haven't picked up on while driving. I am talking about adults who put on make-up, shave, read the paper and do all their morning routine while driving to work in the morning.
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[kuwaizair]

[Rakuna]

I think it's very much a sensible law. It's highly dangerous, and just absurd to text or use a laptop while driving. Especially if it's a teen, who would be quite easily distracted.
I just don't like the idea of people using any kind of electronic device while driving at all.

... They really have no room to complain, because it IS fair. He's saving their arses from getting in a serious accident resulting from a distracted driver.

[Celes Tilly]

[Ujitsuna]

Ha, that reminds me, I once saw a man pouring hot water into a Pot Noodle in preparation for eating it whilst driving, he was in a rush for work...

[Luceit]

[HarmonianHiccup]

[Sailor Sexy]

I'm highly in favor of this law and I consider it a good start. Now, they need to at the very least require all drivers over the age of 18 to have to use a hands free device with their cell. My personal preference would be to have the use totally banned, but I'm not unreasonable. Still, I cannot be convinced that having the cell phone plastered to one's ear doesn't affect how they drive. When I'm driving, it seems that the people who are most likely to be engaging in a round of car tag with me (where I pass them, then they pass me later, lather, rinse, repeat) are the ones who are talking on their cell phones. They obviously are too incompetent to use the cruise control, and something about talking on the phone means that their foot cannot maintain steady pressure or something. Either way, that's just not a smart thing to do to someone who suffers from the sheer amount of road rage that I do.

I never have my cell phone turned on when I'm driving. I have it with me for emergency use. No one calling me is an emergency. They can wait until my car is parked, I don't care what the situation is.

On the subject of teenagers, I agree that we need a lot more laws targeting them specifically. By and large, teenagers are a horrible bunch of drivers simply because they don't have the experience. I know some states don't allow teenagers to carry passengers in the car without a parent for the first year that they drive. This is, obviously, because too many of them like to show off when they get their buddies in the car, and also because all those people trying to hold a conversation with you can be distracting when you're just really getting driving experience. They can complain about being unfairly targeted all they want, but until statistics prove otherwise, I don't think it's unfair to go after the most inexperienced drivers on the road.
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~Uguu!~

[Inko]

I'd have to agree with this law, but I'd also like to say that I think it should be strecthed beyond just teens and up throughout the ages. I've only texted ONCE while driving, and that was because it was an emergency, It was awefully hard to pay attention to the road and I'd have to say it did damage my ability to drive.

[Gil-galad]

You mean it wasn't already illegal? It's stupid not to have such a law. Anyone under the age of 18, or anyone who has only had their license for under 1 year, is prohibited from using their cell phone at all while driving cars in Virginia. I see no reason to stop extending this law to all drivers-- no one should be driving while looking at their cell and typing-- that's just silly.
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