PSA: Teen Texting on Facebook While Driving Kills 2 and Paves Way to Prison

kixfan

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My phone came with a feature preloaded by AT&T called Drive Mode. It automatically kicks in at 15mph and will send a reply to texts stating I am driving or I can change it to say anything I want. It also automatically sends calls to voicemail. I usually remove all that preloaded bloat but I kept that one as it seemed like a great idea. Been using ever since (2 years).
 

Mustang02

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My phone came with a feature preloaded by AT&T called Drive Mode. It automatically kicks in at 15mph and will send a reply to texts stating I am driving or I can change it to say anything I want. It also automatically sends calls to voicemail. I usually remove all that preloaded bloat but I kept that one as it seemed like a great idea. Been using ever since (2 years).
I removed that crap off my Phone. I'd rather nothing be sent than a bunch of messages that I'm driving and annoying the piss out of friends and family who think I can reply "I'm driving I'll respond to you later" but not answer their question.
 

kixfan

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I removed that crap off my Phone. I'd rather nothing be sent than a bunch of messages that I'm driving and annoying the piss out of friends and family who think I can reply "I'm driving I'll respond to you later" but not answer their question.

Actually the stock message says something about it being sent by the drive mode app I believe so they know I didnt send the message myself.
 

94lt1

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The turbo has this too..or at least message plus does...I will field a brief call way before I'll text..and my friends and family know that..my default message is "I'm driving..go figure.. If you need to contact me, call." And if things are too bad I send em to voicemail...and check whenever I can..
 

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So how does the app know if you're driving or a passenger?

I'm just asking. I think texting and driving is dumb but I do use voice texting features to listen & reply though.
 

pc747

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Apps, kill switch, jammers, etc the manufacturers and carriers can not do anything else can they?

I mean this is a similar to other discussions (guns or drones) where do we start demanding personal responsibility. Yes we can ask for a law or manufacturers to create apps, reminders, etc. But if people want to text or fb and drive they are going to. Since the og Droid there were apps that allowed for hands free and they are much better now. At what point can companies try and prevent texting and driving where it will not effect passengers?

We have laws in the book already, we need law enforcers to enforce those laws like they do drinking and driving. The problem is cops are the main culprit typing on a full laptop computer while driving. When we get to the point where we are tired of people dying because of someone caring more about being heard on social network than what is going on around them, similar to how we feel about drinking and driving, we will see results.

All the laws in the books, machines, etc could not stop people from driving drunk so I doubt it will prevent all texting/fbing and driving but for that gap hopefully law enforcement can catch the rest and society treat it like it is really a big deal.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

Ollie

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The bottom line is that until a law is passed that makes it mandatory for phone OEMs to disable it while driving if only 3% of the population voluntarily enables the blocking you will still have those that will willingly endanger each and every one of us by continuing to text and drive.

This is something I think should be mandated. Look at backup cameras in vehicles...it is now illegal to sell a new car without the camera. They should do the same with texting.
 

SquireSCA

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I don't believe with government mandating technology to disrupt your phone while driving. The phone won't know if you are driving, or a passenger in the back seat. Also, many cars have BT links with the phone so that when it comes in, the car reads it out load to you and you can respond by talking back to it. You don't have to take your eyes off the road...
 

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The bottom line is that until a law is passed that makes it mandatory for phone OEMs to disable it while driving if only 3% of the population voluntarily enables the blocking you will still have those that will willingly endanger each and every one of us by continuing to text and drive.

This is something I think should be mandated. Look at backup cameras in vehicles...it is now illegal to sell a new car without the camera. They should do the same with texting.
Government will never do that. How do you prove it's the driver phone and not the passengers?

Backup camera law is stupid. Why do I need a backup camera in my vehicle? I know how to drive, I know how long my truck and cars are. I look behind me while backing up via mirrors or turning around. So now you get a camera in a rearview mirror, which you would be looking at in the first place? Dumb. The American public is becoming so reliant on technology it isn't funny. Cars come with blind spot mirrors, auto-parallel parking, auto-braking, etc. LEARN TO DRIVE! You should be retested for a driver's license every 5 years. If you can't parallel park your car without hitting another vehicle/cone/etc during the test, you shouldn't be allowed to drive.

Here is an idea. Make the penalties stricter. 1st offense - $500, 2nd offense $2000, 3rd offense $5000 with jail time.
 

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Passing a mandate to stop text-driving at the device level is impossible to do in less than a decade. Look at how long rear view cameras were available before a mandate arrived. You'd have to get manufacturers onboard and they'd have to legislate rules for mod'ed devices as well.

With the current push for self-driving vehicles this might be over soon anyway. They've already slated for the roads and highways in my area be open to autonomous vehicles and real-world testing next year. I honestly think in 15 years we'll have, at least, part time autonomous vehicles available for sale.
 

SquireSCA

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Spending 12k or so miles a year on roads on a motorcycle, I am all too aware of how many distracted drivers there are. I have even been hit by one who wanted to make a right turn into a parking lot, from the left hand lane, never looking or signaling, he turned right in front of me, clipping me, and my leather jacket got caught up on his exhaust pipe of his F350, and he dragged me 30 yards through the bank parking lot... Have a nice long purple scar across my lower back to remind me of the encounter...

Being on a bike, I have no distractions other than cars jumping in front of me. I have nothing better to do than watch my surroundings. I don't have the luxury of a cage around me, airbags, sound proofing, a booming stereo, a cell phone, DVD player, kids yelling in the back seat, a soda, a cheeseburger, Facebook, the list goes on...

I get to ride each day like it is a life and death obstacle course, and in most regards, it is. Until you put yourself out there with nothing between you and some SUV except for some denim and 3.5mm of leather, you don't truly appreciate just how crappy the average driver is. I almost wish it was mandatory that every motorist, have to spend 6 months riding a bike in traffic, to really see what goes on. Most people would be shocked and appalled.

Everyone thinks that they are a good driver. Just because you haven't slammed into another vehicle lately, doesn't make you a GOOD driver.

I would say that most drivers, are barely competent. Our driving test is a joke. Most people don't even use turn signals... they just wander around from lane to lane with no warning, causing accidents, largely oblivious...

Texting, is just one of MANY distractions that drivers today have...
 
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Ollie

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15,000 back up accidents a year are the cause for the mandated backup cameras. Those are accidents with injuries to people. It was supposed to be in effect already, but it looks like they have until 2018 to be in compliance.

I believe they should ban all cellphone activities in a vehicle. For decades people were just fine without having a phone inside of a vehicle and I believe we would be just fine without one now.

If it would save even one life I will vote for it. I have a fully functional bluetooth system that reads and responds to texts, but it won't stop me from being on facebook, youtube, etc.
 

94lt1

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Government will never do that. How do you prove it's the driver phone and not the passengers?

Backup camera law is stupid. Why do I need a backup camera in my vehicle? I know how to drive, I know how long my truck and cars are. I look behind me while backing up via mirrors or turning around. So now you get a camera in a rearview mirror, which you would be looking at in the first place? Dumb. The American public is becoming so reliant on technology it isn't funny. Cars come with blind spot mirrors, auto-parallel parking, auto-braking, etc. LEARN TO DRIVE! You should be retested for a driver's license every 5 years. If you can't parallel park your car without hitting another vehicle/cone/etc during the test, you shouldn't be allowed to drive.

Here is an idea. Make the penalties stricter. 1st offense - $500, 2nd offense $2000, 3rd offense $5000 with jail time.
I would love that....there would literally be nobody on the roads here in hillbilly hell..it would be awesome!!!
 
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