Question on (increased) fines for using electronic hand held device while driving

[cbcanada]

They have to find a way to disable the phone texting feature when you enter a car..

Here is the thing.. The **** really hit the fan when the new generation stopped talking on the phone and the started to only text... I had a cell phone for YEARS. Never was distracted.. But then when the text started coming in from friends and family and work partners.. the problems started. Yes I was distracted and I too became guilty of it at times.

I never ever felt I was distracted, driving around while talking on the phone, no more distracted then talking to some one in the car.


"If i was educated, I'd be a damn fool"

 

[GAR]

Driving's a skill. riding's a skill. Talking on the cell while driving is a skill, but not everyone is good at it. No one is good at texting. I've seen riders texting at stoplights, wtf.

 

[unL33T]

I saw one of those digital licence plate holders that scroll messages the other day. Stopped at a light, car in lane beside/just ahead of me had one. It flashed a few times and then read "put the phone down!!!!". Look over and there is middle aged man on phone beside me and boy did he get mad. Fingers up and mouthing **** off to driver in front.

Public shaming doesn't work either it seems. Hopefully demerits will do it.

I was walking to a restaurant the other day. The light I'm approaching turns red so the cross street turns green. 3 cars go through and then 3 car lengths back this taxi is just sitting there with cars behind him. Sits for like 10 seconds. Guy behind the taxi honks. Not once. Not twice. Three times before the taxi driver even figured out someone was honking at him. He was messing with his phone. I loudly say, "Get off your phone!" He slows (inconveniencing the cars behind him more) and tells me to, "Shuddap and mind your own business!" Then continues making his turn while also switching between fiddling with his phone and giving me dirty looks while I laugh at him.

 

[unL33T]

They have to find a way to disable the phone texting feature when you enter a car..

Here is the thing.. The **** really hit the fan when the new generation stopped talking on the phone and the started to only text... I had a cell phone for YEARS. Never was distracted.. But then when the text started coming in from friends and family and work partners.. the problems started. Yes I was distracted and I too became guilty of it at times.

I never ever felt I was distracted, driving around while talking on the phone, no more distracted then talking to some one in the car.


"If i was educated, I'd be a damn fool"

The biggest issue is that people need to figure out that they should at least look at the road occasionally. If you prioritize driving over texting you can still do both relatively ok (still a bad idea though) but most people don't seem to get that. I watched a video the other day where a girl goes off the road while texting and there is a camera on her (not sure why) and while she's texting she stares at her phone for like 20 seconds straight without ever looking up until she's managed to cross multiple lanes and drive into the ditch.

 

[daught]

If I have my G shouldn't I be able to to send small texts? Let's say five word long texts. We accept 0.5 alcohol impairment, so why not a bit of texting?

I think this texting law could actually be doing more harm than good. People keep their phones down trying to hide it. The road is completely out of their field of vision. If people could hold their phone up without worry, at least the road would be in their peripheral vision. A brake light in front would be easier to spot. People are way too addicted to their phones for this law to curb usage.

 

[meme]

I wish people would be less defensive about their actions when they drive. Had a dickwad in front of me on 401 today that sat in the left lane doing 120. Flashed lights at him, he "flashed" his brake lights back and then gave me the finger when I pointed to the right lane.

**** me man, I was asking to get by. Flashing lights is not personal, maybe they don't realize they are holding others up.

My bad, I really need to stick to the farm roads in the am, it's slower but the cows don't infuriate me.

 

[Roomie]

I wish people would be less defensive about their actions when they drive. Had a dickwad in front of me on 401 today that sat in the left lane doing 120. Flashed lights at him, he "flashed" his brake lights back and then gave me the finger when I pointed to the right lane.

**** me man, I was asking to get by. Flashing lights is not personal, maybe they don't realize they are holding others up.

My bad, I really need to stick to the farm roads in the am, it's slower but the cows don't infuriate me.

Those are the people that make you wish you had a James Bond car for. It's usually the crusty old guys who think "I've been driving for 142 years. This is my road. I ain't movin for you whippersnappers" all the while there's 3 miles of cars backed up behind them.

 

[hedo2002]

Those are the people that make you wish you had a James Bond car for. It's usually the crusty old guys who think "I've been driving for 142 years. This is my road. I ain't movin for you whippersnappers" all the while there's 3 miles of cars backed up behind them.

Get off of my highway, (insert best Clint eastwood impression)

 

[nobbie48]

I wish people would be less defensive about their actions when they drive. Had a dickwad in front of me on 401 today that sat in the left lane doing 120. Flashed lights at him, he "flashed" his brake lights back and then gave me the finger when I pointed to the right lane.

**** me man, I was asking to get by. Flashing lights is not personal, maybe they don't realize they are holding others up.

My bad, I really need to stick to the farm roads in the am, it's slower but the cows don't infuriate me.

The driver was wrong but it would have shattered his ego to admit it by moving over a lane. Brake checking is covered under HTA 172.

 

[unL33T]

Just pass on the right. All the fast drivers I talk to these days tell me they just stay in the right two lanes and weave now because there's too many people just putting along in the left lanes.

 

[esphoto]

Just pass on the right. All the fast drivers I talk to these days tell me they just stay in the right two lanes and weave now because there's too many people just putting along in the left lanes.

Yup...half of my commute to and from Barrie I can sit in the right lane (at a reasonable speed) passing both middle and left lane with only moving over for the slow ones who get what lane they need to be in or because of a group merging on that are bumper to bumper (for some reason ). I have (no word of a lie) seen people sit in the left lane after passing, with a line behind them, all the other people passing on the right, and yet do not move over at all.

They must think it shows they are weak/wrong/ego boost/...okay i really have no idea, but its the same mentality as the drivers you go to pass and they instantly feel the need to speed up.

Does anyone else see that the majority of the hand held users are middle aged men or highschool girls? Or is it just me?