If you are in an accident caused by someone texting/talking on cell phone, do not destroy the phone. Have the police take the phone and hold it as evidence for court (including your civil case against the driver).
That being said, I still go nuts when I see laws enacted against this or that while driving. MADD (WCTU 2000 edition), is trying to lower the BA levels to practically nothing. They do nothing about the 85+ yo driving who's whole life is as if BA .015. Or the person doing 20 perscription pills a day and still driving. We read all the time of seniors driving THRU buildings ("I don't know what happened. I had my foot planted on the long skinny brake pedal"). Just mention some sort of retesting rule and the AARP goes nuts. My father had a heart attack 10 years ago and drives fine. His two year older brother had a stroke three years ago and scares the heck out of anyone who rides with him. (think of a pin ball careening from lane line to lane line). When they are willing to go after ALL forms of impaired driving, I'll get on board. Not just the one largely committed by the low voting <25 yo group (and that really is who we are mostly talking about with texting).
The 16-18 yo and the older seniors have about the same accidents/miles driven stats. In KY the under 18 have all kinds of restrictions on their driving, what about the other group?

Cell phones should have metal plates on them that electrocute the user if the GPS in the phone detects it moving over 15mph (anything faster than a human can do with their own legs). That'd solve the driving while talking or texting!

Ahem ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxZxjgKcsPE

U.S. withheld data on risks of distracted driving
Officials: Fears of angering Congress partly to blame for shelving research

April 29: New video shows a bus driver texting on his cell phone before plowing into several cars in front of him.

More from NYTimes.com
By Matt Richtel
updated 3:01 a.m. ET, Tues., July 21, 2009

In 2003, researchers at a federal agency proposed a long-term study of 10,000 drivers to assess the safety risk posed by cellphone use behind the wheel.

They sought the study based on evidence that such multitasking was a serious and growing threat on America’s roadways.

But such an ambitious study never happened. And the researchers’ agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, decided not to make public hundreds of pages of research and warnings about the use of phones by drivers — in part, officials say, because of concerns about angering Congress.

On Tuesday, the full body of research is being made public for the first time by two consumer advocacy groups, which filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit for the documents. The Center for Auto Safety and Public Citizen provided a copy to The New York Times, which is publishing the documents on its Web site.

In interviews, the officials who withheld the research offered their fullest explanation to date.

‘As bad as drunk driving’?
The former head of the highway safety agency said he was urged to withhold the research to avoid antagonizing members of Congress who had warned the agency to stick to its mission of gathering safety data but not to lobby states.

Critics say that rationale and the failure of the Transportation Department, which oversees the highway agency, to more vigorously pursue distracted driving has cost lives and allowed to blossom a culture of behind-the-wheel multitasking.

“We’re looking at a problem that could be as bad as drunk driving, and the government has covered it up,” said Clarence Ditlow, director of the Center for Auto Safety.

The group petitioned for the information after The Los Angeles Times wrote about the research last year. Mother Jones later published additional details.

The highway safety researchers estimated that cellphone use by drivers caused around 955 fatalities and 240,000 accidents over all in 2002.

The researchers also shelved a draft letter they had prepared for Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta to send, warning states that hands-free laws might not solve the problem.

That letter said that hands-free headsets did not eliminate the serious accident risk. The reason: a cellphone conversation itself, not just holding the phone, takes drivers’ focus off the road, studies showed.

Four times as likely to crash
The research mirrors other studies about the dangers of multitasking behind the wheel. Research shows that motorists talking on a phone are four times as likely to crash as other drivers, and are as likely to cause an accident as someone with a .08 blood alcohol content.

The three-person research team based the fatality and accident estimates on studies that quantified the risks of distracted driving, and an assumption that 6 percent of drivers were talking on the phone at a given time. That figure is roughly half what the Transportation Department assumes to be the case now.


More precise data does not exist because most police forces have not collected long-term data connecting cellphones to accidents. That is why the researchers called for the broader study with 10,000 or more drivers.

“We nevertheless have concluded that the use of cellphones while driving has contributed to an increasing number of crashes, injuries and fatalities,” according to a “talking points” memo the researchers compiled in July 2003.

It added: “We therefore recommend that the drivers not use wireless communication devices, including text messaging systems, when driving, except in an emergency.”

Dr. Jeffrey Runge, then the head of the highway safety agency, said he grudgingly decided not to publish the Mineta letter and policy recommendation because of larger political considerations.

At the time, Congress had warned the agency not to use its research to lobby states. Dr. Runge said transit officials told him he could jeopardize billions of dollars of its financing if Congress perceived the agency had crossed the line into lobbying.
.......more @
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32018629/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times

if people used common sense and hung up and drove there would be no need for government intrusion. but since most of the idiots behind the wheel don't seem to get it, there appears to be a need to pass laws to try and inhibit this behavior. the use of a cell phone or texting device and/or DUI or DWI while pushing two plus tons of metal down the road is the ultimate expression of self-serving egotism. if they cause someone else physical harm, they don't care as long as their insurance agent covers the bills......

That's awesome! I guess God is in control, or so the guy thinks. :rolleyes:

I am still dealing with a herniated disc in my neck because if someone texting and driving. Now I half to have people help me do stuff that I would of never of thought of asking for help with. Just a bunch of BS. I have a lawsuit in progress, although no amount of cash will ever replace the BS I have gone through and I will go through the rest of my life. Not fun at all

there is a machine on the market that I'm told is very effective in treatment of back pain. it is called a "Vivatek" and somehow it can inject moisture and/or water into the vertebrae helping to bring them back to normal. normally, only chiropractors have these things, might check around and see if someone in your area has one..noticed there is an 877 number on their web site you can call for a referral.

http://www.vivatek.com/what.htm

I wonder if there will ever be funding to conduct that long term reasearch into whether multi tasking while driving should be prohibited . . . or does common sense come into play and we save the costs of the research?

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...textinglol.gif :D

Excellent cartoon =)

Dem Senators Introduce Federal Legislation

"The legislation will send an important message to drivers across the country: Get your hands off the cell phone and back on the wheel," Schumer said.

and they will make the fine 20 bucks.like that will be a real deterant.better be a minimum of 500 bucks or its a waste of time.

Couple the first financial penalty a stiff with with DENIAL of *ALL* phone service for 6 months, with effective monitoring; and if s:mad:omeone cheats and starts using a phone, within those 6 months, add a stiff CUSTODIAL penalty and a 5 year driver's license revocation.


I think it is time for harsh penalties and enforcement, I was just down in Los Angeles, last week, on the freeways, and saw practically every other female driver yakking on their cell phones in heavy fast traffic, and in a half hour's time saw two of them drift into other lanes and nearlycause serious high speed wrecks!!!


It used to be a safe place to drive, but no more. Most of the cars have heavily polarized windows too, including the front ones, which is already illegal, but unenforced down there, which makes it even worse.


Time for a real change!!!


And: I believe that QUICK change would only come if one Senator's or Congressman's family member got killed by a cell phone or textmessaging caused traffic accident per day.

And even then, it would take at LEAST 3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've noticed it seems to be young women doing most of the texting/yakking while behind the wheel.

on another note, perhaps the states should build "texting stations" into rest centers all along the road system. that way, motorists can get their "texting fix" before climbing behind the wheel of a car or truck.