Stop Texting While Driving!

[ARCTIC]

I think the dmv should establish an online messaging system where it uses the license plate of the vehicle and has drop down predefined messages that you can go online and send messages to people like:
I Saw you texting while driving
or: you have a taillight out.
or: you were driving in an unsafe manner
etc...
it would have to be predefined so people aren't stalking others and the sender wouldn't be provided any personal information about the recipient but the message would get delivered to the proper person. Parents would likely be the owner of the vehicle so they might be alerted of the unsafe behavior before anybody gets hurt.

[MidTNDawg]

A few facts i learned recently.

at 60 mph your car travels approximately 500 ft per sec. on average everytime someone looks down to text they take their eyes off the road for 5 sec. do the math if tey're doing 60 mph then they're going almost 1/2 a mile everytime they look down. If that doesn't scare the s**t out of you nothing will.

Bill C.

at 60 MPH travel is 88 feet per second.

[cuznjohn]

[pitzerwm]

I realized that this guy was drunk or drugged or texting, I didn't care, call 911 followed him, until the cop intersected us. I didn't need to stick around, I'm sure he got a ticket. All they have to do is look at the phone and see that they were texting. Try it.

[cuznjohn]

is it legal for a cop to check your phone if they don't see you texting but were told you were???

[flaggerphil]

There is a guy on another forum I belong to who INSISTS that HE can text safely while driving. Doesn't matter what the studies say, HE can do it safely. When facts like those presented here are brought up he brings out straw man arguments about radios being distractions, too...etc, etc, etc. And he's not a kid, he's a middle aged man.

There's no hope for some people.

[finless]

is it legal for a cop to check your phone if they don't see you texting but were told you were???

I have read and seen many videos where after an accident the police siezed the phone to examine it for use when the accident happened. So I know they can do it for accidents.

Bob

[finless]

I swear folks... this is getting really bad out there.

I can catch and film this probably every day!

But this person was so "into her phone" she had NO CLUE what was going on around her!

Please, if you wear a camera and capture stuff like this, please post it! If you do not know how to edit video contact me and I will help you.



Bob

[AY4B]

I agree with not texting while driving but do not know how you can enforce it fairly. Todays driving machines have many built in distractions, including the Spyder. We have Nav systems, stereo systems, climate control systems and all kinds of information imput systems on our vehicles, and helmets. How do you know someone is texting and not looking at the nav app in their phone, or just looking to see who is calling them? It takes just being careful and aware whats around you to do multitasking while driving. Some are better than others at doing it. Getting pulled in to a device while driving could be fatal. Its a good thing that todays cars are just safer because people just get comfortable in driving and forget safety. My step daughter was bad about texting and driving till she rear ended a truck doing around 70 with her baby in the car seat behind her. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt because her car was built to take that kind of hit. I dont know the answer but trying to enforce what you think someone is doing can be tricky.

[AY4B]

You just have to be on the lookout for that person juggling a burger, fries, a drink. a cigarette, a cellphone, and a standard shift, and knowing they have to be at work in 10 minutes or else.

[Rob Rodriguez]

I don't agree with texting and driving either. I see lots of people do it and occasionally I've done it myself. It is very dangerous for those doing it and the people around them but....................Human nature says this isn't going to stop. You can pass all the laws you want but really they are unenforceable most of the time and this is a great example of how you can't pass a law to control everything.

I applaud your efforts with trying to get people to stop texting and driving but honestly I think you'd be better off to get a law passed that says car makers are required to put equipment (like they are now with tire pressure monitors and the back up cameras) in their cars for hands free texting. Much like hands free talking on the phone. Text comes in, the computer reads it to you and then you can reply by talking and the computer translates the voice to text and send the message. This would make texting and driving the same safety hazard as talking and driving.

[AY4B]

On my phone, you can speak and it will type in the text for you. The problem is, then you have to proof read the text and sometimes make corrections. More distractions. Also my phone makes noises all the time giving me alerts to everything going on. I try to turn off those notification noises but sometimes they keep going no matter what I do. facebook, emails, all sorts of notifications and you have to sometimes go into setting to search on how to turn them off.

[finless]

Yes and that's the part I do not get. Most modern smart phones now have full hands free operation!

On my iPhone 6+ I can speak commands and do just about everything.
I can say "Siri give me directions to xyz" and it will automatically open the map/gps verbally give me turn by turn directions.
I can say "Siri read messages" and it will read all my messages to me. I can reply to them as well all by voice.
I can send a text message by saying "Siri send a text message to xyz" Siri then says "OK what do you want to say" and I tell Siri the message and it automatically sends it.

You can do all of this without ever looking at the screen!

So again what gets me is these people that have to be on the phone and "connected" all the time, if they just learned how to use their phones "hands free" this would not be an issue!

Alas one thing voice commands wont do is let you browse Facebook which probably a lot of these people are doing!

Bob

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

I have the solution.....DON'T TEXT!!!

[flaggerphil]

I have the solution.....DON'T TEXT!!!

Yep. When you are texting you are no longer driving the car...you're just along for the ride and you don't know where it's going. Yes, it's true there are other distractions, but that's just a straw man argument. Texting is every bit as bad if not worse than driving drunk. It's the worst distraction out there. Simply...don't do it.

[flaggerphil]

I swear folks... this is getting really bad out there.

I can catch and film this probably every day!

But this person was so "into her phone" she had NO CLUE what was going on around her!

Please, if you wear a camera and capture stuff like this, please post it! If you do not know how to edit video contact me and I will help you.



Bob

I've done the same thing, but I'm finding more and more that when you try and get their attention they just spent MORE attention on the phone to, apparently, show you they're not going to stop. I have to admit, though, there have been a couple of times when I've honked the car horn at a texter and they've almost jumped out of their skins.

[finless]

Another day another bunch of texters while driving.

Three in a ROW this morning

Gets worse every day.



Bob

[spyderron1]

Hello Spyder lovers. I'm new to this. I just purchased a 2011 RT Limited. I've been reading a lot about recalls. Are there any issues with my bike that I need to know about to have the dealer check? Please help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JayBros]

I applaud and enthusiastically support Bob's campaign but I have to draw a line at how involved I can get when riding, at least right now. Maybe it's because I'm a relatively new Spyder driver, only 7,300 miles in eight months, but I frankly have enough to do just trying to ride safely, particularly on the interstates. When I encounter a texter, tailgater, lane weaver, or whatever my instant reaction is to get the away from them by whatever means possible. I can voice answer my phone but I do it only when it's the bride calling. Maybe there's a camera in my future but right now I have my brain and hands full and it's my butt on the line. JMO.

[finless]

JMO, I agree PLEASE do not put yourself in arms way to bust texters or whatever.

I can do it because of the HOV lane and slow traffic. It's a pretty safe lane to be in with nothing on my left but a wall.
My camera is mounted in such a way I can keep my eyes on the road.
With the GoPro's 170 degree wide angle lens I do not have to turn my head much to get them in view and can keep my eyes on the road. I know it doesn't look like that in the video but my vision in front of me is there.

Stay safe and thanks for the support.

Bob

[mxz600]

I too am getting very pissed with un'attentive driving and overall erosion of driving skills. This is a noble cause but I'm afraid it's kind of like pissing on a house fire. But I'm with you on this, I call 911 when I suspect something's not right. If I didn't and a few miles down the road they took out a family, I'm not sure I could live with myself after that.

For the record I can text and drive and be perfectly safe. My car has talk to text feature. My car reads the text to me and I respond with voice and she sends the text out. It does show up on my phone as a text so I believe the police would assume I sent the text by hand?

[finless]

For the record I can text and drive and be perfectly safe. My car has talk to text feature. My car reads the text to me and I respond with voice and she sends the text out. It does show up on my phone as a text so I believe the police would assume I sent the text by hand?

Well I do not know about your state but in Ca. it is legal to use your phone "hands free"!!
This means your not touching it in any way. Most smart phone fully support this today. I can take calls, texts, and even ask to give directions all via voice.

So I am sure if you prove you have and use hands free your OK.

I see drivers with the phone mounted on the dash like a GPS and you can tell they are using it hands free.

Just wish others would learn to do that rather than holding it and using the screen.
I think I might do a training video on using your phone hands free

Bob

[kep-up]

FWIW, my wife and I recently did a 21 day driving vacation in Several countries in Europe. During this time and about 2000 miles of driving, I did not see EVEN ONE driver texting or even talking on a handheld mobile phone.

[finless]

So check this out folks....

Last week a SRA-LA member I know that is a retired cop suggested I post what is going to the CHP Facebook page.
FYI, CHP stands for California Highway Patrol.

So I did post 2 things along with my videos telling them is this a big problem on the 405 freeway in So. Cal.
To be honest I never expected anything from it.

Then this morning I was TOTALLY SHOCKED to see SEVERAL CHP officers on motorcycles and one in a car with someone pulled over, out on patrol during rush hour!

I have been commuting that freeway for 2 years since I got my Spyder. 34 years prior in a car!
NEVER have I seen pretty much any CHP patrolling the freeways during rush hour... They certainly would not be there for speeders because NO ONE can speed!
But holy COW folks.... Maybe they do listen to public asks? They were out this morning like I have never seen in 36 years!

I am not saying I caused this show of force but I find it very coincidental that the Monday after posting to the CHP facebook page late last week, all of a sudden they are out in full force!

So while many of you thought a difference cannot be made... "MAYBE" you can make a difference...
I am hoping anyway!

Have a look....

Trust I will be posting this video on the CHP FB page thanking them for at least trying to do something. Alas as you will see in this video, this is going to be extremely hard to contain. Still, any help is GOOD help!

THANK YOU CHP!!!




Bob

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

As kirk said to alternate universe spock "one man can make a difference". Words to live by.