MATD. Where Are They?

[Maverick]

Mothers Against Texting Drivers is nowhere to be found? Hmmm....could it be because they're texting themselves? Studies have shown it's at least equal to drunk driving, and perhaps worse.

HowStuffWorks "Is texting while driving really worse than drunk driving?"

Study Shows Driving While Texting More Dangerous Than DUI - Attorneys.com

Can't count the times they've nearly wrecked this van and only visual recognition of their in-attention has led to avoidance. Simple things as merging (which few seem to know what the word means, or how to do it properly) to outright not even looking up before switching lanes.

You take a risk driving on the roads, but it seems this one has been swept under the rug. Would you rather be on the road amidst 10 people over the limit, or 10 persons typing or looking at pictures with their device? Got a favorite near mishap to announce?

Probably been covered before....but at least it's not another pee thread.

 

[xiggi]

If I had to choose give me the texting people.

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.

 

[Maverick]

If I had to choose give me the texting people.

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.

It's kind of a survey....but do you have a reason? No answer should be considered good or bad.

 

[Moot]

If I had to choose give me the texting people.

People that are texting are more apt to react to their mistakes and avoid a collision, drunks, if they react at all, most likely will overreact. Neither is desirable to share the road with, but, if I had to choose one, it would be the texter.

 

[asjssl]

@ least the drunks are attempting to drive..

Sent from my DROID RAZR using EO Forums mobile app

 

[Maverick]

People that are texting are more apt to react to their mistakes and avoid a collision, drunks, if they react at all, most likely will overreact. Neither is desirable to share the road with, but, if I had to choose one, it would be the texter.

Well taken....but, how can they react, if their texting? Having been in law enforcement, a drunk is easily detected, prone to certain peak hours, and once observed, can be somewhat avoided. A texter is 24/7 and seemingly not aware that driving is an attentive enterprise.

Again, no wrong answers, but an offered response to your observation/opinion.

 

[SHARP327]

they have the ability to stop texting while driving through the gps in the phones but the telephone companies don't want to p___ off it's customers that want to text so it's a stalemate to say the least....I had a person that I believe was texting that plowed into my ICC bumper at 65mph then tried to sue me saying it was my fault because I didn't complete passing another truck fast enough for her, she almost killed her entire family....if she wasn't texting she was sleeping

 

[cheri1122]

Sharp: how does the "ability to stop texting through the GPS" differentiate between the driver and a passenger?
Texting is one of the worst forms of distraction because it's primarily done by drivers who are inexperienced, but ALL kinds of distracted driving are dangerous. And yet, "infotainment" centers are becoming standard equipment in passenger vehicles.
Profit trumps safety once again.

 

[SHARP327]

I understand that the passenger could legally Text and talk on a phone while going down the road but how did we manage to survive before cell phones...I guess there's no answer to this problem....the other day a young man almost walked into the side of my truck while texting and had I not blown my horn I'm sure he would have...the look on his face was priceless when he saw the truck.

 

[Moot]

Well taken....but, how can they react, if their texting?

A driver texting should have the ability to more readily react to a warning stimulus such as a horn, lights or a middle finger than a drunk. Texters do look up from their phones occasionally. Also a texter will have better motor skills when reacting to a situation. Then there are the drunk texters...

Having been in law enforcement, a drunk is easily detected, prone to certain peak hours, and once observed, can be somewhat avoided. A texter is 24/7 and seemingly not aware that driving is an attentive enterprise.

A texter is easily detected also. They display similar behaviors as a drunk driver; erratic speed, inability to maintain proper lane position, sudden braking, slurred speech and vomiting. A drunk driver is always a drunk driver as long as he is behind the wheel and therefore always impaired and inattentive. A texter probably does some actual unimpaired driving between texts. Maybe?