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lucas123Sep 28, 2010
So the speculation is that people breaking the law by trying to conceal texting my be causing more accidents. A) there's not enough data to support that guess. B) even if there were, it's not compelling enough to remove those laws. The bottom line is that you're operating a 1,000+ lbs. vehicle. Your full attention should be on the road, not telling Biff or Buffy that you just got a new pair of shoes. The law should remain intact.
patosanSep 29, 2010
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" - Einstein
So because you have a personal vendetta against texting and Buffy, you don't mind more people being injured? If the law doesn't work, why have it on the books? Most people will disobey laws they do not believe are necessary or impose unduly on their lives.
diggrageSep 29, 2010
No idiot, the law doesn't cause crashes, texting does. Removing the law doesn't correct the problem, even if the law makes morons more moronic.
slezzzterSep 29, 2010
If the law actually makes things worse, then yes, removing the law is a good idea. We shouldn't keep it on the books just because it makes us feel better. We shouldn't keep it around purely on the principle that it is right.
This just means that a blanket ban enforced by police officers doesn't work and that a different approach to the problem is needed.
ruisantos1Sep 29, 2010
So usigng a similar approach lets remove the law that prevents someone from bulling someone else and make it legal. Who knows this may decrease the number of murders because they are able to better vent their stupid frustations and after all thats OK.
richiSep 28, 2010
Beware of unintended consequences ;-)
juniorevenSep 28, 2010
The solution is obvious: Ban driving!
amyvernonSep 28, 2010
Or, at least, ban morons from driving.
bukowskySep 28, 2010
So... basically, women drivers? :)
proverbs17Sep 29, 2010
banning morons from driving would sure clear up the traffic congestion problem :)
julie188Sep 28, 2010
Texting while driving causes crashes. Banning texting seems to cause stupidity which then causes more crashes.
sbceaSep 28, 2010
So it's not the bans that cause more crashes, it's idiots trying to circumvent the bans. I'm sorry, but how is this an argument for repealing the bans? Who paid for this study?
nasserinasaucerSep 29, 2010
It's an argument because the law abiding driver who is hit by the idiot is also affected.
patosanSep 29, 2010
Tell that to the history books. It worked very well when we rolled back the Volstead Act (i.e. prohibition). People did not respect the liquor laws and the cost was deemed too high to continue with the policy. Why would you keep a law on the books that does not work and likely adds to injuries and fatalities? "Give it more time", is a reasonable response but there should be a defined deadline for authorities to make it work. If they can't then the law should be repealed and they can try a different law or just drop the matter.
sbceaSep 29, 2010
Comparing this to prohibition is ridiculous. Prohibition said no one could drink ... ever. No one is saying that people cannot text ... ever. Just not when driving (like you can't drink when driving). Besides, once prohibition was repealed, drinking and driving remained illegal. So what you must be saying that the ban against drinking and driving should be repealed as well, since people are still getting killed by drunk drivers. :0\
harryleesmithSep 29, 2010
Dumbest argument ever.
sexyboboSep 29, 2010
Or the general number of people texting has raised.
Or quite possibly they didn't record that the person was texting while driving before but they do on every case now because there is an extra fine for it so more money for the police department.
Or maybe they should have tried to get a slightly larger sample size why do only 4 states when you could easily look at the records of all 30 states with the law currently.
patosanSep 29, 2010
Or maybe you're just wildly trying to poke holes in a study you obviously haven't investigated?
My understanding is that the sample size was very large.
tatermenSep 29, 2010
So... people making things worse by trying to circumvent a law to perform an action that was causing many deaths every year, means that it should be repealed. What a load of bulls**t. If anything that should mean that the penalties should be ever harsher. There is simply no excuse for trying to type out a sentence on a tiny phone keypad while whizzing along a motorway at high speed.
Texting while driving has been shown to be equally if not more dangerous than drunk driving. So by this logic, we should repeal drunk driving laws too. Anyone else see the problem with that?
hipmanSep 29, 2010
Thing is in this case you will always have plausible deniability.
JamSquadSep 29, 2010
It's probably because people now try to "hide" their cell while driving and texting. Under the wheel, on your lap. Way more heat than putting your cell up so you're peripherals can see if there is danger. I say stricter laws (fines the same as drinking and driving) would cause some people to stop this, but I don't know...
magnusmagnussonSep 29, 2010
I think if you dig deep enough these bans amount to:
Insurance companies looking for new ways to not pay claims, lobby states to pass 'texting bans', attached a dead kid's name to the Bill to get public support = PROFIT!
Seriously, who really benifits here?
Who do you think wanted seatbelt laws? Reduces medial costsComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
caffienemanSep 29, 2010
bulls**t, where's the bury buttom?
warlok480Sep 29, 2010
I have an idea...since teenage girls have decided to "omg lol" text endlessly, I propose a Federal Tax of 10 cents per text. These teenage girls can get the Budget Deficit closed up. A Teenage girl who sends 10,000 text's in a month will soon learn to curb her behavior. Also, using a phone to CALL is free.
netmongerSep 29, 2010
Bulls**t! This article is complete nonsense.
hobbitloverSep 29, 2010
This study is likely pure crap -- who comes out of a fender bender and tells the cops 'I was texting on my phone and this guy came out of nowhere!") I would bet that texting is actually responsible for more accidents than reported. If anyone tells you different, that texting is no more dangerous than changing radio stations or sipping a coffee, you should immediately issue the sidewalk challenge -- walk down a busy sidewalk at a normal speed while texting. It can't be done.
alphi1Sep 29, 2010
Here's a stupid thought - repeal the ban on "texting while driving", but when police officers see someone driving erratically (like if they were, say, distracted), pull them over and ticket them for reckless driving.
proverbs17Sep 29, 2010
Hey, we can't expect our law makers to put any thought into these laws can we?
proverbs17Sep 29, 2010
Texting bans seem like a good idea, but I don't see how they are enforceable. How is a cop supposed to know if your texting or not? At least with talking on a cell phone, they can actually see the cell phone, but if the phone is the person's lap, how are they supposed to know?