I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that texting/calling while driving has become so ubiquitous that it's a real clear and present danger, particularly to those of us on two wheels in a big city. Studies have shown that it is just as dangerous, if not more so, than DUI.
Suggestions on how we can fight back? I think our best bet, other than riding defensively, is to pursue the political route and lobby for stiffer fines and penalties and stricter enforcement. I mean it's seriously getting ridiculous. It seems like every other cager is on the dang phone. It boils my blood and makes me want to punch them in the face.
Here is one organization trying to do something about it:
http://www.ddfn.org/
Yep, really bad out there. I commute daily on the 5 through L.A., every other cager is either on the phone or texting and or reading text. It's crazy that the fine for using carpool lane is over 300 bucks but texting fine is just over 100! I'm looking up that organization in Facebook and sharing there.....
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(10-14-2016, 03:37 AM)MMC_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Yep, really bad out there. I commute daily on the 5 through L.A., every other cager is either on the phone or texting and or reading text. It's crazy that the fine for using carpool lane is over 300 bucks but texting fine is just over 100! I'm looking up that organization in Facebook and sharing there.....
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Exactly! How does that make any sense? I'm sure the AMA and maybe ABATE is working on this?
I don't care if they're on the phone looking out the windshield, what I care about is the people with their heads buried in their laps staring at their phones. Invariably, they wander into my lane or another lane, over brake, under brake, or just generally cause a nuisance. If there is someone in the lane next to me with their head buried, I will usually honk to wake them up to reality.
In my state, we don't have a specific law for texting. If they are driving like crap, the officer can just give them a reckless driving ticket, which is very costly and a ton of points on their license. I've never seen or heard of anyone pulled over primarily for messing with their phone though.
I could not agree more... I would like to be a squeaky wheel...
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Best advice is to avoid any confrontation, you got the losing end.
Stay away from them, I know everyone is on the phone.
Stats say 3 of 5 people on a street light are on the phone.
Honking a horn, flashing the high beam, finger or hand gestures is just provocation.
Accept there are stupid people driving and their life is their curse.
It's a jungle out there.
I would avoid confrontation. The political route can work. Last year we got new legislation for distracted driving that put out a penalty of $286 + 4 driver premium points that give you a dangerous driver premium of about $600 for the year. I don't know if it curbed it much, but it certainly made it hurt...
Yeah, I'm not advocating confrontation, as I know we are on the losing end of things. I've always had a temper, but now in my old age I've learned to handle it much better, and it's not like we can beat up every texting cager on the road. So it comes back around to stronger legislation and working with organizations like AMA and ABATE and the one linked in my first post. I like the idea of technology that blocks cell phone usage while driving, with the exception being 911 calls.
(10-14-2016, 06:32 AM)Rebel73_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, I'm not advocating confrontation, as I know we are on the losing end of things. I've always had a temper, but now in my old age I've learned to handle it much better, and it's not like we can beat up every texting cager on the road. So it comes back around to stronger legislation and working with organizations like AMA and ABATE and the one linked in my first post. I like the idea of technology that blocks cell phone usage while driving, with the exception being 911 calls.
The issue with that is there is no way to know if the moving phone belongs to the driver or a passenger.
(10-14-2016, 06:48 AM)Randy B_imp Wrote: [ -> ] (10-14-2016, 06:32 AM)Rebel73_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, I'm not advocating confrontation, as I know we are on the losing end of things. I've always had a temper, but now in my old age I've learned to handle it much better, and it's not like we can beat up every texting cager on the road. So it comes back around to stronger legislation and working with organizations like AMA and ABATE and the one linked in my first post. I like the idea of technology that blocks cell phone usage while driving, with the exception being 911 calls.
The issue with that is there is no way to know if the moving phone belongs to the driver or a passenger.
The issue with that is there is no way to know if the moving phone belongs to the driver or a passenger. I believe that there is, or will be, a technology solution for that. If they can make self-driving cars, they can devise a way to identify driver vs. passenger phones.