No More Texting While Driving

[janmcn]

Starting Tuesday, October 1, texting or emailing while driving is against the law in Florida. If caught, the fine is $30. You may still send texts while stopped at a traffic light, but not while driving.

[dewilson58]

Can I still text and drive in a golf cart???:boom::boom::boom::boom::boom:

[borjo]

$30 seems like a joke for someone who can cause an accident and perhaps kill someone.

[dewilson58]

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[Bogie Shooter]

$30 seems like a joke for someone who can cause an accident and perhaps kill someone.

I agree...........make it $300.00, that would get peoples attention.
Further, the officer has to see another offense to make the stop. Is there any intelligence in Tallahassee?

[Trayderjoe]

I agree...........make if $300.00, that would get peoples attention.
Further, the officer has to see another offense to make the stop. Is there any intelligence in Tallahassee?

I have driven through many states and despite laws against cell phone or texting, it still goes on. I am unaware of the fines for these offenses, but such behavior is not being deterred. My experience (based upon 23 years in the Environmental Health and Safety field) is that quite a few (actually too many) people don't seem to believe that it can happen to them, until it does. How many times have any of us read about or witnessed an accident attributed to cell phone/texting/alcohol use? A colleague lost her high school age daughter (she was a passenger in a vehicle in which the driver had too much to drink) two years ago. There was a LOT of news coverage about the tragedy at the time, yet it has happened again and again. <sigh>

[billethkid]

it is called appeasment legislation....staisfies those who are bugging the law makers.....has zero impact on yhe problem.....has zero priority.....will have zero enforcement.....so who is it these geniuses think they are impressing.

Another example of paid incompetence in your government at work.

Write/call your representative and tell them so.

btk

[BritParrothead]

It is illegal to use a mobile / cell phone while driving any vehicle in the U.K

[Madelaine Amee]

It is illegal to use a mobile / cell phone while driving any vehicle in the U.K

Do they enforce this law, and if so how do they know you are texting, it seems easy to lower the phone on to your lap and if you know the keyboard you do not need to look at it.

I don't use a phone in the car and do not text, so this is merely a question to know how it can be enforced.

I do know the drunk driving fines in the UK are astronomical - as they should be, is it the same with the phones.

Most of our laws are a sham and are not enforced.

[bonrich]

5 points on your license and $150 fine in NYS.

[jblum315]

NYS has passed a bill to create texting pullovers (like rest stops) There will be signs indicating "Wait - next text stop 5 miles". Don't know how effective this will be.

[BritParrothead]

Do they enforce this law, and if so how do they know you are texting, it seems easy to lower the phone on to your lap and if you know the keyboard you do not need to look at it.

I don't use a phone in the car and do not text, so this is merely a question to know how it can be enforced.

I do know the drunk driving fines in the UK are astronomical - as they should be, is it the same with the phones.

Most of our laws are a sham and are not enforced.


Yes they do enforce, and quite vigorously too! My oldest son was caught(stupid boy). He had a choice drivers awareness course or 6 points, I think. He took the course. Cost him about $200 in total. He learned his lesson.
We have many 'spy cars' here, with on board cameras, Big Brother is watching every move we make !!

[karostay]

Should make it $3000 slap on wrist is no deterrent

[bimmertl]

It's all about distracted drivers.

Thank God old people with diminished physical abilities don't get distracted when they drive around with dogs on their laps or running around in the car.

That would really be a problem!

[graciegirl]

It's all about distracted drivers.

Thank God old people with diminished physical abilities don't get distracted when they drive around with dogs on their laps or running around in the car.

That would really be a problem!

I just have to know if you are old, have any diminished physical abilities and/or have a dog so we know how to feel about your post.:read:.

[karostay]

Yes they do enforce, and quite vigorously too! My oldest son was caught(stupid boy). He had a choice drivers awareness course or 6 points, I think. He took the course. Cost him about $200 in total. He learned his lesson.
We have many 'spy cars' here, with on board cameras, Big Brother is watching every move we make !!
Why would you call your son stupid

[buggyone]

I find it amazing that there even should have been any debate about a law against texting and driving. It is a simple no brainier. Anyone who texts and drives is STUPID and should have their license revoked the very first time. It should also be a primary reason for police stopping drivers and not a secondary.

[DougB]

I believe LE cannot give you a ticket for texting while driving unless you are committing another violation at the same time.

[karostay]

I find it amazing that there even should have been any debate about a law against texting and driving. It is a simple no brainier. Anyone who texts and drives is STUPID and should have their license revoked the very first time. It should also be a primary reason for police stopping drivers and not a secondary.
Is it any more in your own words stupid if some one lit a cigarette while driving
Isn't that concidered a distraction

[buggyone]

Is it any more in your own words stupid if some one lit a cigarette while driving
Isn't that concidered a distraction

Well, smoking cigarettes is stupid too, isn't it?

Texting is a longer distraction but, yes, both are STUPID.

[Bucco]

Well, smoking cigarettes is stupid too, isn't it?

Texting is a longer distraction but, yes, both are STUPID.

BUGGY nailed this one.

Reading and typing while driving is not a good thing and any comparison pales. Reading, think of a response and type it......that is more than a bit distracting.

[BritParrothead]

Why would you call your son stupid

Why did I call my son stupid?? Because what he was doing was extremely stupid!!

No phone call or text message is worth risking a life for! He now keeps his phone In the glove box.

We see every day on our news, local and national. Stories about folks being killed or maimed by 'stupid people' texting and phoning.

[Microcodeboy]

Texting and driving? Really? They had to make a law?????

[DougB]

Driving this morning on 441, I looked over to my right and there was a woman in a brand new Mustang doing 70 miles per hour with her face up close to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner!

I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane still working on that makeup!

It scared me so much that I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten up the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my cell phone from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs, causing it to splash and burn Big Jim and the twins causing me to scream, which made me drop the cigarette out of my mouth, ruined my shirt and DISCONNECTED AN IMPORTANT CALL.

[Schaumburger]

Driving this morning on 441, I looked over to my right and there was a woman in a brand new Mustang doing 70 miles per hour with her face up close to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner!

I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane still working on that makeup!

It scared me so much that I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten up the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my cell phone from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs, causing it to splash and burn Big Jim and the twins causing me to scream, which made me drop the cigarette out of my mouth, ruined my shirt and DISCONNECTED AN IMPORTANT CALL.

:1rotfl: :1rotfl:

[graciegirl]

Driving this morning on 441, I looked over to my right and there was a woman in a brand new Mustang doing 70 miles per hour with her face up close to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner!

I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane still working on that makeup!

It scared me so much that I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten up the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my cell phone from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs, causing it to splash and burn Big Jim and the twins causing me to scream, which made me drop the cigarette out of my mouth, ruined my shirt and DISCONNECTED AN IMPORTANT CALL.


Doug. You ain't right.

But I love you.

[Microcodeboy]

DougB,

Where do you get your material? It is priceless!!

[BobAllen1290]

Just because a law is passed does not mean it will solve the problem. NYS and Maryland have serious fines on the books for talking/texting while driving. Drive around the Baltimore Beltway or across any of the NYS interstates and you will see talking and texting going on all the time. Most people who do it are also savvy enough to put down the phone if a cop comes into view.

By now virtually all states have had seatbelt laws for decades and overall compliance of that law is about 60%.

Where the talking/texting law does help is (unfortunately) at the scene of an accident when the police take cell phones into evidence and they check for phone activity prior to the accident.

[Flipper]

5 points on your license and $150 fine in NYS.

New cars can be equiped with a "signal blocking" feature, that blocks all cell texting activity as soon as the car begins to move. Yes it could be over riden and that car could emit a signal indentifying the car to be sent an auto fine/ticket much like paying your toll with an epass.
Any number of solution can be devised if the problem was realy being taken seriously.
Amber alert took an awful long time to convince our represenatives (lobbiest lovers) to break away from whoever was pushing to not have such a tool, to actual enact it.
:0000000000luvmyhors