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Post by Rich Fisher on Feb 11, 2009 11:16:46 GMT -4
(WNAV) -- State lawmakers are looking at measures they can take to address their concerns about drivers texting while behind the wheel. Russell Hurd told the story of how his daughter was killed by a trucker who was texting. His testimony struck a chord with lawmakers. The General Assembly is considering a number of bills that deal with distracted driving, but most are built around cell phone usage. Maryland currently bans teens under 18 from texting and driving. It may join seven other states in banning texting by everyone.
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Post by bluecrabber on Feb 11, 2009 21:20:44 GMT -4
While we are at it, why don't we ban listening to the radio? Let's face it, some people should not be driving. It doesn't matter how many hands they have on the wheel, they are a hazard. I remember my insurance guy telling me once that he has customers that have an accident a month,, and it is NEVER their fault. They are always getting run into by somebody else. You know these drivers, they are the ones that stop in the left lane on route 50 to make a right turn. Or stop at the yield right of way sign. Or start to go at the stop sign or red light and then suddenly changed their minds and slam on the brakes.. Or slow down when approaching an intersecting street with someone waiting to get out and wave them out while people behind them are slamming into one another.. Getting back to banning radios, my favorite story is from a coworker several years ago who had bought a new Hyundai. His wife T-Boned another car in an intersection after she ran a red light just a couple days after they bought it. He was talking to a lawyer about suing Hyundai since it was their fault his wife had an accident. Seems Hyundai, without due consideration for the ineptitude of potential drivers, had placed the radio in the console in the middle of the car. My friend's wife had taken her eyes off the road to adjust the radio.. Voila! Crash! Obviously the fault of the car designers.. In spite of my irritation about our lawmakers imposing more restrictions on us, I had to laugh the other day when a woman in a Volvo station wagon (what else) came zooming by me on 301. She was in the left lane passing everybody at about 70 mph. When she passed me, I noticed she had no hands on the steering wheel.. she was holding her blackberry in both hands and texting away.. I guess she was holding the steering wheel with her knee.. Oh, the good news, she had a Christ Church sticker on her car.. guess she thought someone was looking out for her. Best regards, BC
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Post by rudyhayesforever on Feb 12, 2009 1:36:04 GMT -4
Very well said, sir.
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Post by deputy on Feb 12, 2009 6:47:39 GMT -4
Sorry, NOT buying into the radio analogy. I've never had to have both hands on my radio and had to steer with my knee. The people I've seen texting have both hands on their phone and are looking at the phone more than the road. that's a problem I don't care how good or smart or talented you THINK you are.
Texting take a lot more attention, no I don't do it, never have texted at all.
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Post by falgar25 on Feb 12, 2009 6:56:30 GMT -4
I can text with one hand. Really, I have no choice, my fingers are too large to have two on the phone at the same time.
If you don't need to look at the radio to tune it, you need a new radio. It's hard to hit 10x.y without seeing the numbers flashing by.
There is more than just texting that takes both hands and eyes away from driving. Big Macs, mascara, turning newspaper pages, picking up the bottle the baby just dropped, and even some conversations take just as much, or more, attention away from the road. Since it would be virtually impossible to list and ban all the individual activities that can be distracting, why settle on just one? Why not make it illegal to not have control of your vehicle for whatever reason? But, don't we already have that law?
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Post by bluecrabber on Feb 12, 2009 9:29:59 GMT -4
Here's another... Route 50, rush hour, 70 mph.. Lady driving with her elbows while eating a bowl of cereal.. holding the bowl in one hand and spooning it out with the other.. she was in the middle lane.. No kidding! A real bowl of cereal with milk and all... A friend of mine got pulled over one morning going to work.. He saw the AA police officer get behind him and turn on the lights.. He thought what's up with this guy? I'm not speeding or anything. The officer walks up to the window and asks my friend: "just what the heck are you doing?" My friend responds just driving to work.. The officer says "I don't think so, you were doing everything but driving. You had your phone on your shoulder talking, reading the newspaper with one hand, and drinking coffee with the other. Just what were you using to steer with?" Best regards, BC
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