Lesson for teen drivers......

[aliinnc]

and all other drivers. There was a horrible wreck here in NC the other day. A driver dropped his cell phone on the floor of the car. When he bent down to get it, he sideswiped two limousines in a funeral procession. A nine-year-old girl was killed, and thirteen others were injured.

I know that you shouldn't try to pick up the cell phone, or eat a sandwich while driving, or drink a drink. But I'm also teaching my DD that, if she HAS to do one of these things, don't take your eyes off the road while doing it.

Glance down to see where the phone is, then keep your eyes on the road while you reach for it. And never do it while you are beside another car, turning, or on a bridge or overpass.

 

[jtee]

Good Thread. Thx!

 

[Good Wolf]

I think everyone needs to quit trying to multi-task while in control of thousands of pounds of speeding metal. I saw a cocky teen on the tollway yesterday driving with his legs. He had one hand propped up on the window with a smoke in it and the other draped across the passanger seat. I guess he thought he looked cool.

 

[FooserX]

I worked with a girl who totalled her car because she was playing a videogame on her cell while driving! lol...crazy.

She was even proud of it when she told the story..."like omg, check this out...I gotta pic of my trashed car on my cell!"

 

[Trina]

I hear too many tragic stories like these.

It's illegal in my state to talk on a cell phone while driving, unless you have a hands free set up.

 

[HappyMomma]

Dallas just passed a law banning cell phone use in school zones.

Dallas City Council unanimously approves school zone cellphone ban | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

 

[Good Wolf]

I hear too many tragic stories like these.

It's illegal in my state to talk on a cell phone while driving, unless you have a hands free set up.

There have been some studies that show that it isn't holding the phone that is the problem but the actual conversation distracts you. I'm sure it helps having two hands on the wheel but unless it is an emergency just wait till you get where you are going to chat.

 

[FooserX]

There have been some studies that show that it isn't holding the phone that is the problem but the actual conversation distracts you.

Ya think?!!?!?

I can't believe I'm giving you good rep to beat your wife when you're posting tards like these.

 

[Good Wolf]

You didn't get along with the other kids in school did you?

 

[jtee]

Fooser, I am sure Good Wolf can handle you just fine without my help. But if you post another comment like this, I will ban you form this forum. Today, tomorrow, next week. There will not be another warning.

There have been some studies that show that it isn't holding the phone that is the problem but the actual conversation distracts you.

Ya think?!!?!?

I can't believe I'm giving you good rep to beat your wife when you're posting tards like these.[/quote]

 

[Lissa]

Jtee! Calm down.

*pets the poor shaken Foos on the head*

It's ok. Everything will be okay.

 

[Good Wolf]

*Walks away twiddling his thumbs and whistling a tune*

 

[Trina]

There have been some studies that show that it isn't holding the phone that is the problem but the actual conversation distracts you. I'm sure it helps having two hands on the wheel but unless it is an emergency just wait till you get where you are going to chat.

Yes, I'm aware of such studies. Personally, I don't use my cell phone while driving unless absolutely necessary. Even then, I always use the hands free option. I prefer to pull over or wait until I reach my destination before making or returning calls. However, many people constantly use their cell phones while driving and think nothing of it. At least my state has a law to try to address this issue. Most states don't.

 

[Lissa]

Kreist people! It's the ****ing internet. This is a silly parenting forum. It isn't a partnership meeting. You all need to calm the hell down and chillax. I've had quite enough of this testosterone already. Jtee and Foos, maybe you can resolve this via private messaging? I'm going to side with Foos here because I think you're being ridiculous jtee. We kid around on the forum. Everybody does it, except you. Why you gotta be such a joy kill?

 

[HappyMomma]

I quit using my cell when driving the day that I almost ran a red light when I was chatting with my mom.

 

[Good Wolf]

<r>Here are some tid bits I found. It is scary that only 15 states have a law against school bus drivers talking on the phone. <br/>
<br/>
&lt;B&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;/s&gt;5 states&lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/B&gt; (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington), &lt;B&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;/s&gt;the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands &lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/B&gt;have enacted jurisdiction-wide cell phone laws prohibiting driving while talking on handheld cell phones. &lt;LIST&gt;&lt;s&gt;<LIST>

• <LI>&lt;/s&gt;
  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;s&gt;</LI><LI>
• &lt;/s&gt;With the exception of Washington State, these laws are all &lt;B&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;/s&gt;primary enforcement&lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/B&gt;—an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cell phone while driving without any other traffic offense taking place.&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;e&gt;</LI>

</LIST>&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/LIST&gt;
&lt;B&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;/s&gt;17 states and the District of Columbia&lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/B&gt; have special cell phone driving laws for novice drivers. &lt;br/&gt;
School bus drivers in &lt;B&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;/s&gt;15 states and the District of Columbia&lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/B&gt; are prohibited from all cell phone use when passengers are present, except for in emergencies. &lt;br/&gt;
Washington and New Jersey are the only states to ban &lt;B&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;/s&gt;text messaging&lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/B&gt; for all drivers, but other states are expected to follow suit. &lt;LIST&gt;&lt;s&gt;<LIST>

• <LI>&lt;/s&gt;
  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;s&gt;</LI><LI>
• &lt;/s&gt;New Jersey has &lt;B&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;/s&gt;primary enforcement&lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/B&gt;—an officer may ticket a driver for texting while driving without any other traffic offense taking place. Washington's law is &lt;B&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;/s&gt;secondarily&lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/B&gt; enforced.&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;e&gt;</LI>

</LIST>&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/LIST&gt;
No state completely bans all types of cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) while driving. &lt;br/&gt;
Some states, such as Utah and New Hampshire, treat cell phone use as a larger distracted driving issue. &lt;LIST&gt;&lt;s&gt;<LIST>

• <LI>&lt;/s&gt;
  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;s&gt;</LI><LI>
• &lt;/s&gt;Utah &lt;URL url="&lt;/s&gt;&lt;e&gt;&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/URL&gt;considers speaking on a cellphone to be an offense &lt;I&gt;&lt;s&gt;<I>&lt;/s&gt;only&lt;e&gt;</I>&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/I&gt; if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;e&gt;</LI>

</LIST>&lt;/e&gt;&lt;/LIST&gt;&lt;/r&gt;

 

[aliinnc]

Wolfie, good little researcher.

 

[Amber]

I worked with a girl who totalled her car because she was playing a videogame on her cell while driving! lol...crazy.

She was even proud of it when she told the story..."like omg, check this out...I gotta pic of my trashed car on my cell!"

That's just crazy.

 

[MaggiesMommy]

Or another idea is to teach them to pull over for a minute. That is what I TRY to teach my son.

However, I also try to teach him not to tailgate but he got in a rearend accident 2 weeks ago. So he had to learn that lesson the hard way!

and all other drivers. There was a horrible wreck here in NC the other day. A driver dropped his cell phone on the floor of the car. When he bent down to get it, he sideswiped two limousines in a funeral procession. A nine-year-old girl was killed, and thirteen others were injured.

I know that you shouldn't try to pick up the cell phone, or eat a sandwich while driving, or drink a drink. But I'm also teaching my DD that, if she HAS to do one of these things, don't take your eyes off the road while doing it.

Glance down to see where the phone is, then keep your eyes on the road while you reach for it. And never do it while you are beside another car, turning, or on a bridge or overpass.

 

[bsevestre]

I'm not really sure what the best way to deal with this is in regard to parenting. I know for sure based on the one accident that I have been in, that all it takes is a fraction of a second to miss a detail that can cause a wreck. The normal eating and talking are bad but I can't believe people play games and text on cell phones. That is insane. Like Good Wolf pointed out, NJ even has laws banning texting while driving. I'd be interesting in how well those laws have worked. The company I work for actually just came out with a cell phone application that stops text messaging and web browsing while the phone is in motion, allowing exceptions for public transportation or other passenger situations.

What do you guys think about that? Definitely there is no one way to solve these behaviors but I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!