Texting and driving

[Sullie]

Ha ya, that is one way to look at it...and unfortunately there will always be people who just don't care. I really do think education is the most important and powerful tool here...the earlier the better. ya call me naïve but it's the least we can do...especially if we are gonna criticize future generations for their mistakes and I am sure that it wont work on everyone but the ones that it does work for will be worth it. Not much more you can do.
And yes people driving with their dogs in their lap...if you do live through it, you do not want to see your dog end up a stain on your shirt. There are so many stupid things to do...all the more reason to do what we can to prevent it

 

[immolatus]

I wonder if it would be technically possible to have some sort of electronic jamming device that would be portable enough to take into a vehicle (or be confined to a vehicle) and capable of shutting down all communications within a specified radius or directionally (front and back), without affecting emergency vehicles..

The short answer is yes. All that is required is MAC address logging. The car could carry a signal passthrough that only allowed I/O under apropriate curcumstances like when parked. It pretty easy to stop. The other option is to shield the inside of the car with an FM disruptive field. All (at least US) cell phones that I know of sent and recieve on FM frequencies.

 

[RevDevil]

I would hate to have to have Jake removed from my stomach and face surgically. I keep him harnessed and belted in the passenger seat so he has no chance of getting between me and the controls no matter what. Have to plug in your phone to disable it and start the car? "Yeah, this flip phone just starts the car. Then I can open up my mega smartie pad and velcro it to the steering wheel, talk to Jack and surf pron while I drive to work". No, I have the solution. Do what I do. Your phone rings, find a safe place to pull over and return the call.

Sounds like Jake has all the fun.

 

[Piso Mojado]

It would be easy for automakers to block cell phone reception in the front seat of a car while the engine is running. It would be against today's laws, but laws can be changed. It would be easy to check compliance when cars are tested for emissions.

No one is interested in addressing the problem. Punishing someone after the event does not address the problem.

 

[Krav]

It would be easy for automakers to block cell phone reception in the front seat of a car while the engine is running. It would be against today's laws, but laws can be changed. It would be easy to check compliance when cars are tested for emissions.

No one is interested in addressing the problem. Punishing someone after the event does not address the problem.

Mah, but there are some times people could be observing a crime or involve in a crime where they need to keep the car running, moving, and make a call to 911 or someone else, in pursuit of a person or persons, or vehicle in order to get drivers license plate or description of persons.

Maybe, just 911 could work while engine running.

 

[UffDa]

Autopilots on cars? Hardware and software made in China by the lowest bidder? What could possibly go wrong?

 

[MattyLav]

I just got my License a month ago. Im proud to say i don't text when i drive. But i see a lot of kids my age texting :thumbdn:

 

[sideways]

Autopilots on cars? Hardware and software made in China by the lowest bidder? What could possibly go wrong?

A whole lot can go wrong. The difference is people keep making the same mistakes over and over again. There is no learning going on. When a problem comes up with software you can fix it so it doesn't happen again. Take for example automated warehouses... I am sure there were problems with automated warehouses when they first started using them. Now there are warehouses that sort and stack all by themselves. It won't necessarily be a car autopilot either, the point is to transport people from A to B efficiently.

Anyway... Getting off topic. Texting while driving is bad, mmkay?

 

[sideways]

Double tap

 

[Krav]

Autopilots on cars? Hardware and software made in China by the lowest bidder? What could possibly go wrong?

I'm lobbying the mayor: all people driving a car, or even out in public need to wear ice hockey goalie gear. Helmet, chest & arm protector, cup, goalie pads, girdle, with exception to goalie glove and blocker, and ice skates. Also all vehicles will have to make the driver and passenger areas bigger to allow goalie pads.
Public bathrooms will have to make areas acceptable to meet standard goalie equipment, restaurants, bike paths and so on.

 

[other memory]

Autopilots on cars? Hardware and software made in China by the lowest bidder? What could possibly go wrong?

Do you prefer the alternative?

Chinese coders are second rate. It's known in the industry. That would be a political nightmare. Google and their allies wouldn't let it happen. Besides, GPS is already widely accepted.

 

[Codger_64]

[video=youtube;K59eMpWsyNE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K59eMpWsyNE[/video]

 

[Mack]

I see it all the time. As a former EMT it pisses me off because I've seen some pretty bad MVAs in my life. The other thing I cannot stand is when people drive around with a dog in their lap. They obviously have no idea that if the have an accident, and the airbag deplys "Patches" is going to die instantly and they might as well. It's far too easy to get a drivers license these days.

I see a lot of women sitting in the passenger seat with their feet up on the dash. I always wonder what they are going to look like when the air bag goes off. I'm sure it won't be pretty.
As for texting drivers. I have a bird's eye view. 3 out of 5 drivers passing me have their phones in their hand. Since the law is pretty stiff in California they hold them too low for passing cops to see. At least that is what they think. I will watch them in front of me and they look up every once in a while when they remember that they are driving.

 

[Codger_64]

Back in my day texting and driving was unthinkable. For one thing, an Underwood was big and heavy and using whiteout on a bumpy road was messy.

 

[UffDa]

Do you prefer the alternative?

Chinese coders are second rate. It's known in the industry. That would be a political nightmare. Google and their allies wouldn't let it happen. Besides, GPS is already widely accepted.

I'm not sure that I understand your response. My comment was obviously tongue in cheek. I should have added....


By the way, yesterday afternoon I witnessed an almost collision. A woman talking on her cell phone exited a shopping area driveway without stopping. (There is a stop sign) The driver of the car she almost hit
performed an impressive evasive maneuver. The only problem was that he ended up on the wrong side of the road facing me. I was also on the phone, but fortunately, I can walk and chew gum at the same time
and I stopped with plenty of room to spare. It was obvious that the woman on her cell phone could not talk and drive at the same time.

 

[UffDa]

[video=youtube;K59eMpWsyNE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K59eMpWsyNE[/video]

I'm not sure which is more dangerous. The guy texting or the people changing lanes without bothering to signal.

 

[dishcore]

Here's a silly idea:

GPS track the cellular phone's travelling speed. If the phones are moving faster than walking speed, increase the rates that text messages and calls cost. Double the cost. Triple it. Whatever makes sense. (cents, ha)

FOR EVERYONE!!!

But what about passengers? In cars: Tough luck. Time to actually talk with passengers. It may also be a distraction, but a much lesser distraction than staring at your lap for lengths of time.

But what about on public transportation? With all the tech out there, i'm sure they could put something together that could be housed in each form of puplic transportation to signifiy that it is not a private means. (unless they're having problems with pilots / conductors texting also....)

It's as simple as it gets. If you tell someone they can't do something, they'll do it anyway.

If you make it really difficult to continue doing it (financially), they will do it much less.

 

[dishcore]

PS, I wrote that whole last post whilst riding a 454 powered unicycle with a studded tire. I was also on fire and juggling babies.

Sent from my Iphone 950.

 

[Clang!]

There are two saying that come to mind at a time like this.
"A man has got to know his limitations" and "You can't fix stupid"
Texting and driving is beyond most people limitations, but the ones who do are too stupid to know it.

Until technology comes up with a way to slap the driver upside the head and tell them to "knock it off and drive right", you will have to share the road with distracted and inattentive idiots

 

[WRGreen]

Cell phones are a necessary evil that has permanently changed our culture. Good or bad, barring an EMP explosion in our atmosphere, they're here to stay. Texting depersonalizes conversations and time-lags them so people can avoid messy 'real time' communication. We've even invented symbols and little animated doohickeys to resemble tone of voice and facial expression. While this works for time and distance, our toys have killed some aspects of real-time interpersonal communication. I went to a 'Party' of some Millenials (as some of that generation is called) and they were all couch surfing in a circle, all txt-ing, none even looking up! Kinda spooky. Hand held (or implanted) communication will probably out live the automobile as we know it; then nobody will carelessly die in 'accidents', and we'll breed even more slaves to telecom bills. "Soylent Green" will come true (even though Chuck Heston used phone boxes).