FYI: Distracted driving crackdown.

[smhog]

Heads up everyone. Starting today many states will be participating in the "U Drive, U Text, U Pay" campaign to reduce the number of distracted drivers on the roadways. The focus is on drivers who text while driving. Here in Massachussetts 140 cities and towns are participating. Looks like the police will have teams set up with spotters relaying the distracted driver and vehicle info to another cop further down the road who will be waiting for that driver to arrive.

In Mass "texting" basically is if you're holding a phone but not actively engaged in a call you're texting. Just scrolling through your contacts can get you a ticket. You don't have to be moving either, stopped at a red light is the same as driving.

The campaign will continue until the end of this month.

[City]

It's actually a necessary policy IMO, and I never use my phone in my Viper. But I have to admit that when I'm stopped at a traffic light in my Jeep (knowing I've got a good 45 seconds before the light changes), I have texted or at least read a text. That would get me a ticket. Guess I'll have to give that up.

[SlateEd]

Thanks for the heads up! I hope that this kind of enforcement really starts to make people think twice.

I'm sure we've all snuck a look at the phone when at a red light, but while the car is moving there's just nothing good that can come of looking at the phone.

[Vprbite]

How do they handle using your phone as a GPS and inputting addresses? Does that count? Not that I disagree. I pulled over and answered the phone (was an important call) to tell them I would call back in 10 minutes when I got to my destination but didn't want to talk and drive. My truck I have the Bluetooth but even so I don't make driving into a mobile office.

[golfer15]

It's about time !! Being here in Florida for the past 3 1/2 months, I can't believe how many doctors are on emergency calls. It's illegal in Ontario to have a mobile device of any sort in your hand while the car is in gear. It now costs you demerit points and $$$.

[Fatboy 18]

I have mixed feelings about this enforcement....Here's why

How many people have a cup holder in the car? So you take a hand off the wheel while driving to take a sip of your beverage. In the UK it is at the officers discretion weather to charge you for "Driving with undue care or attention" where you will incur points on your licence.
this also can be enforced if you were eating while driving, there have been cases where people have been prosecuted for eating a banana or apple while driving!
then look at all the other media in cars and trucks, CB Radios still used by thousands of truckers, well it could be argued that this could also be a distraction? You are taking your hand off the wheel, selecting channels and keying a mic.
Sat Navs? how many times do you see people messing with them?
Ipods and other media devices.
the list goes on.

If someone is driving dangerously or driving with Undue care and attention, I believe there is currently enough laws in place to prosecute that person. but would we really want to get to a point where you are not allowed to interact with anything inside your car? Where do you draw the line?

Have to say I was in London traffic (not in the viper) and saw a motorcyclist texting while riding! WTF!

[Viktimize]

I have mixed feelings about this enforcement....Here's why

How many people have a cup holder in the car? So you take a hand off the wheel while driving to take a sip of your beverage. In the UK it is at the officers discretion weather to charge you for "Driving with undue care or attention" where you will incur points on your licence.
this also can be enforced if you were eating while driving, there have been cases where people have been prosecuted for eating a banana or apple while driving!
then look at all the other media in cars and trucks, CB Radios still used by thousands of truckers, well it could be argued that this could also be a distraction? You are taking your hand off the wheel, selecting channels and keying a mic.
Sat Navs? how many times do you see people messing with them?
Ipods and other media devices.
the list goes on.

If someone is driving dangerously or driving with Undue care and attention, I believe there is currently enough laws in place to prosecute that person. but would we really want to get to a point where you are not allowed to interact with anything inside your car? Where do you draw the line?

Have to say I was in London traffic (not in the viper) and saw a motorcyclist texting while riding! WTF!

The law here is quite a bit more defined and not so open to interpretation.

When you consider the blind allegiance to speed enforcement that has gone on for the last 20 years, which saves zero lives and prevents zero accidents. I am totally fine with them shifting their attention to something that actually does affect death and accident rates, even if a few people do get a ticket they don't deserve. The same argument could apply to drinking and driving. I don't think I have ever heard of a way for police to confirm if you are impaired or not, they just charge you if you blow over a specific number of BAC%. But DUI is considered so dangerous that they don't care if they nail a lot of collateral damage in the enforcement process.

However I think they should do enforcement a little different for distracted driving. Traffic police should just all have ghost cars and drive around in traffic, when they see someone weaving in a lane or driving in what appears to be a distracted manner, they can pull them over and ticket them. Instead of blanket enforcement of anyone who dares touch their phone.

[Fatboy 18]

Hundreds of Ghost cars here! Even the officers in them wear dark clothing and many have tinted windows making it really hard to work out whether they are boy racers or COPS Not just one brand of car either, they use everything!

[Vprbite]

Here in Arizona, the DUI law reads "impaired to the slightest degree." Which means people can be charged for blowing a .03, for example. I even know someone who was charged for a .03 and then it becomes an argument against the police officers that you weren't impaired. Good luck.

As far as texting, I absolutely do believe texting while driving is dangerous. Very much so. I don't think people realize how long you are looking away from the road. IIRC, talking on the phone, even with a hands free is more dangerous than talking with another person in the car. My concern is enforcement. Many phones are used for GPS. So to argue that GPS is a distraction is a discussion that can be had. Untill then, pulling over everyone seen with a device in their hands is a bit sweeping. Also, voluntarily handing your phone over to a police officer so that they may view your records so they can see you weren't texting is a very scary proposition. So, how do they enforce it while not blanket pulling over every single person with a device in their hands who may be listening to GPS directions (not a crime) or on speakerphone (also usually not a crime.) I do believe texting while driving is dangerous. But how do you enforce it?