InTexticated

[ZooFuzz]

http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/speaker8.jpg http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/speaker9.jpg
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The very real human consequences that can result from driving while 'InTEXTicated'.



An 18-year-old girl plowed directly into the rear of another vehicle. She was going 70 mph. She apparently never even saw them. You see, she had been texting at the time.

You can see that she hit them dead-center with no attempt to slow or evade the collision.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text01.jpg

She hit dead-center on her 2008 Yukon SUV as well. She escaped unscathed..
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text02.jpg
There was no blowout, no wet road, no curve or hill or fog to limit visibility. This girl clearly should have been able to see the traffic conditions at least a half mile ahead had she been looking and not texting. She nearly killed a beautiful 3-year-old child?

Here's a personal look at the real human cost of texting while driving:Griffin before the accident.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text03.jpg
Griffen the day after 4 hours of surgery to repair multiple skull fractures. He would surely have died or been severely disabled had they not been minutes away (by StarFlight helicopter) from Austin's world-class children's Dell Children's Medical Center and neurosurgeon Dr. Timothy George.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text04.jpg
Day 4 - watching a movie on his Dad's iPhone.

The swelling of his head will go away, but that scar from ear-to-ear will be with him forever.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text05.jpg
Feeling better. Mmmmm - mac-n-cheese. :)
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text06.jpg
Day 5 - feeling much better. My granddad bought me my very own iPod and loaded it with movies. Life is good.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text07.jpg
This morning. All my tubes are finally out. I'm going home today!

Note how much the swelling has improved in just three days
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text08.jpg
It's almost unbelievable that it's been only five days since the accident that nearly claimed his life.

All the medical experts involved expect him to make a full recovery.

Pretty soon he'll be all healed up and back to normal - thank the Lord!

In only six weeks he'll be allowed to be just as active as any other 3-year-old..
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text09.jpg
Phone company records of text messages are irrefutable and accurate to the second; so it would be an easy matter to prove in court that a person was texting at the time of an accident. As with drunken driving, a jail sentence (no matter the driver's age) will be mandatory whenever anyone is injured by an InTEXTicated driver.


We must try to stop 'Driving While InTEXTicated' before more innocent people are maimed or killed.

[Captain Worley]

We must try to stop 'Driving While InTEXTicated' before more innocent people are maimed or killed.





[/FONT]

Probably too late for that.

[RocDocsWife]

http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/speaker8.jpg http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/speaker9.jpg
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<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>







</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The very real human consequences that can result from driving while 'InTEXTicated'.



An 18-year-old girl plowed directly into the rear of another vehicle. She was going 70 mph. She apparently never even saw them. You see, she had been texting at the time.

You can see that she hit them dead-center with no attempt to slow or evade the collision.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text01.jpg

She hit dead-center on her 2008 Yukon SUV as well. She escaped unscathed..
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text02.jpg
There was no blowout, no wet road, no curve or hill or fog to limit visibility. This girl clearly should have been able to see the traffic conditions at least a half mile ahead had she been looking and not texting. She nearly killed a beautiful 3-year-old child?

Here's a personal look at the real human cost of texting while driving:Griffin before the accident.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text03.jpg
Griffen the day after 4 hours of surgery to repair multiple skull fractures. He would surely have died or been severely disabled had they not been minutes away (by StarFlight helicopter) from Austin's world-class children's Dell Children's Medical Center and neurosurgeon Dr. Timothy George.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text04.jpg
Day 4 - watching a movie on his Dad's iPhone.

The swelling of his head will go away, but that scar from ear-to-ear will be with him forever.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text05.jpg
Feeling better. Mmmmm - mac-n-cheese. :)
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text06.jpg
Day 5 - feeling much better. My granddad bought me my very own iPod and loaded it with movies. Life is good.
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text07.jpg
This morning. All my tubes are finally out. I'm going home today!

Note how much the swelling has improved in just three days
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text08.jpg
It's almost unbelievable that it's been only five days since the accident that nearly claimed his life.

All the medical experts involved expect him to make a full recovery.

Pretty soon he'll be all healed up and back to normal - thank the Lord!

In only six weeks he'll be allowed to be just as active as any other 3-year-old..
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2009spring/cinema/text09.jpg
Phone company records of text messages are irrefutable and accurate to the second; so it would be an easy matter to prove in court that a person was texting at the time of an accident. As with drunken driving, a jail sentence (no matter the driver's age) will be mandatory whenever anyone is injured by an InTEXTicated driver.


We must try to stop 'Driving While InTEXTicated' before more innocent people are maimed or killed.







I read about this! See how the "no texting" sign seems to be shot up?

[swampfox]

Just like our deer crossing signs!

[TruthBTold]

http://www.switched.com/2009/08/17/gory-shocking-psa-warns-of-texting-while-driving-danger/ (http://www.switched.com/2009/08/17/gory-shocking-psa-warns-of-texting-while-driving-danger/)

******WARNING - VERY GRAPHIC SCENES - WARNING********

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I54mlK0kVw&feature=player_embedded

</EMBED>

The dangers of driving while texting (http://www.switched.com/2009/06/28/car-and-driver-puts-dwt-vs-dwi-to-the-test/) (DWT) are undeniable, yet people continue motoring along, heads down, fingers flying, as they clog up traffic or swerve in and out of lanes. In a nod to the classic blood-and-guts driver's ed films (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ9zdHsZ4jI) of the '50s and '60s, a police department in Wales has decided the best way to raise awareness of the deadly DWT epidemic is to disgust and scare the crap out of people (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/16/wales-produces-exceptionally-graphic-educational-film-about-the/).

The new public service announcement, which spares no details, includes snapping necks, piercing screams, blood galore, an orphaned child, a dead infant, and multiple helicopters. The only thing apparently missing is a flattened, cute little puppy. While the spot may seem disturbingly graphic, it does effectively deliver the message (http://www.switched.com/2009/07/28/texting-drivers-23-times-more-likely-to-wreck/). Hopefully, it will make its way from Wales to the States, and, more importantly, become required viewing in high school (http://www.switched.com/2009/05/23/study-60-of-teens-drive-while-texting-despite-knowing-dangers/) driver's ed classes everywhere. [From: Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/16/wales-produces-exceptionally-graphic-educational-film-about-the/)]


from switched

School Bus Driver Caught Texting While Driving, No Hands On Wheel (http://www.switched.com/2009/05/14/school-bus-driver-caught-texting-while-driving-no-hands-on-the?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_switched) 100 days ago
Woman Gets 21-Month Sentence for Fatal Texting-Related Crash (http://www.switched.com/2009/02/03/woman-receives-21-month-sentence-for-fatal-texting-related-crash?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_switched) 200 days ago
25 Rules of Tech Etiquette (http://www.switched.com/2009/01/02/25-rules-of-tech-etiquette?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_switched) 232 days agofrom our partners

Wales produces exceptionally graphic, educational film about the dangers of... (http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/08/16/wales-produces-exceptionally-graphic-educational-film-about-the?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_switched) 6 days ago
http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/images/set3/notexting2009.jpg

http://www.mobileenterprisemag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=B4771C6F22F34E4CA3FFFDA61E0EA2C5&tier=4&id=71C1259F969A462CB6AE2648414C4EB6

<TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=5 width="100&#37;" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Deadly Distraction: 14 States Now Ban Texting While Driving
By Susan Nunziata

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=2>Texting/typing while driving ranked second in our latest Mobile Enterprise reader poll (http://www.mobileenterprisemag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=B4771C6F22F34E4CA3FFFDA61E0EA2C5&tier=4&id=92E36AD3E96F4517832C46BD1F702136), which asked for your top pet peeves about inappropriate use of mobile devices.

The latest reminder of the dangers of cellphone use behind the wheel is covered in this recent New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/technology/19distracted.html?_r=1&hp).

The feature begins with the story of a fatal accident caused by a young driver who was distracted by his cellphone. But the danger isn't the exclusive domain of young and inexperienced drivers. Commuters, road warriors, field sales and service people, delivery folks and device junkies of all ages and occupations are doing it. In fact, the very pace of modern living appears to be driving this risky behavior and causing reluctance on the part of some lawmakers to address it, according to the New York Times.

The article highlights these sobering points:

Cellphone distractions cause an estimated 2,600 traffic fatalities per year and 330,000 accidents that result in moderate or severe injuries.
In 2007, at any given time during daylight hours, 11.8 million drivers (11.8%) were using a cellphone.
Nearly half (45%) of the 1,506 cellphone owners surveyed by Nationwide Mutual Insurance in 2008 said they had been hit or nearly hit by a driver talking on a cellphone.Rounding Up The State Regulations
No state completely bans all types of cell phone use for all drivers, according to a statement from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

However, in June 2009, the organization reported that the number of states banning texting while driving doubled this year over 2008.

In just the first six months of 2009, seven new states passed broad texting while driving bans, bringing the total to 14, plus the District of Columbia. As of December 2008, only seven states plus D.C. had enacted similar legislation.

On June 19, 2009, North Carolina became No. 14 when Governor Bev Perdue signed a law banning all drivers from text messaging while driving.

Texting while driving is currently banned in:

Alaska
Arkansas (effective October 2009)
California
Colorado (effective December 2009)
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Louisiana
Maryland (effective October 2009)
Minnesota
New Jersey
North Carolina (effective December 2009)
Tennessee
Utah
Virginia
WashingtonWith the exception of Washington State, these laws are all primary enforcement, which means that an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cell phone while driving without any other traffic offense taking place.

GHSA expects this number to continue to grow. The 2009 state legislative season has already seen more than 200 proposed distracted driving regulations.

According to GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha in a prepared statement, "There's a tremendous amount of interest in state legislatures and the highway safety community in the distracted driving issue. Regardless of the law, texting and driving should not mix. We need to restore some common sense to driving."

The organization reports that five states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington), the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from talking on handheld cell phones while driving.

On the flipside, according to GHSA, eight states have laws that prohibit local jurisdictions from enacting restrictions. In six other states, localities are allowed to ban cell phone use.

Some states, such as Utah and New Hampshire, treat cell phone use as a larger distracted driving issue. Utah considers speaking on a cellphone to be an offense only if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).

For a complete list of state rules and regulations concerning cellphone use while driving, click here (http://www.statehighwaysafety.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html)

Related Articles
Pet Peeves & True Confessions: What Do You Do With Your Mobile Device? (http://www.mobileenterprisemag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=B4771C6F22F34E4CA3FFFDA61E0EA2C5&tier=4&id=92E36AD3E96F4517832C46BD1F702136)

How Many Drivers Admit To Texting Behind the Wheel? (http://www.mobileenterprisemag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=21C6A2433F8E433DB6469EF605ED46B5&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=B4771C6F22F34E4CA3FFFDA61E0EA2C5&tier=4&id=A3B98B8BA8764408829C33E799939788)

L.A. Train Crash Raises Questions About Enterprise Text Messaging Policies (http://www.mobileenterprisemag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=B4771C6F22F34E4CA3FFFDA61E0EA2C5&tier=4&id=7673F89BDE724D3D9D92910D71F0748F)

See The Poll Results : What's Your Enterprise Policy About Texting While Driving (http://www.mobileenterprisemag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=B4771C6F22F34E4CA3FFFDA61E0EA2C5&tier=4&id=F6DF9CCF8DA94FC2815E278A46B30778)

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PLEASE, Pass this information to your neighbors, friends, family. TBT.

[ZooFuzz]

http://www.thestate.com/living/story/1116176.html
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=4PlT1WKHMYI&feature=player_embedded

Students get lesson in 'dnt txt & drv'

Brianna Jordan got behind the wheel, glancing back and forth between the road and her cell phone as she texted a friend.

Then she wrecked.

[JDidGirl]

I admit that I have used my cell while driving, but it isn't a habit. And I don't really see how anyone can text while driving... both are nerve wracking enough without the other's help. I would have no problem with SC banning the use of cell phones while driving (whether it be to make calls or texting). If you have to talk on the phone while driving then you can always get a hands free device and there isn't a text that can't wait a few minutes to be sent.

[anti-babble]

I hope they ban texting while driving.

[swampfox]

I'm with you on that, AB. And using hand-held phones too.

The thing is that some people never seem to get off the phone. Not just kids either. If a person must talk all the time, those hands-free gadgets are not all that expensive, and they won't be banned.

[anti-babble]

Cell Phones are really that big of a problem if people use them with some common sense.

[Captain Worley]

yeah, but common sense seems to be a vanishing commodity.

[Quintessence]

yeah, but common sense seems to be a vanishing commodity.
So true, and many I see using cell phones/texting while driving (driving slowly, weaving, flying through intersections w/o looking, etc.) are individuals who appear to be older than eighteen years of age.

[Captain Worley]

I almost got hit IN MY DRIVEWAY by a woman using the cell and driving on the wrong side of the road.

[Quintessence]

I almost got hit IN MY DRIVEWAY by a woman using the cell and driving on the wrong side of the road.
Was she obviously over the age of eighteen?
Did you get out of your car, hop around like Yosemite Sam, shaking your fist at her? She probably wouldn't have noticed.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UnHGrQevh-o/SRRhdH15YII/AAAAAAAAA3E/aDPyIjL7Sb0/s320/yosemite_sam_stressed.jpg
WHAT IN SAM HILLS IS GOING ON?

[Sarge]

I agree withthe texting thing but really don't see how it's going to be enforced, they can't enforce speeding laws. With regard to cell phone usage, it's not the fact that you are holding a phone to your ear that makes some people a nuisance it is the fact that they become distracted while talking so a hands free device will do no good.

[Captain Worley]

Was she obviously over the age of eighteen?
Did you get out of your car, hop around like Yosemite Sam, shaking your fist at her? She probably wouldn't have noticed.

She was WAY over 18. I didn't get out, I was afraid the idiot would drive over me. I was safer in my steel cage. IIRC, she ended up in the yard. I guess she just gave up on driving and kept talking.


I agree withthe texting thing but really don't see how it's going to be enforced.

Yeah, that's gonna be tough. I'm thinking they're hoping people will just comply.

[Quintessence]

Originally posted by Sarge:
I agree withthe texting thing but really don't see how it's going to be enforced, they can't enforce speeding laws. With regard to cell phone usage, it's not the fact that you are holding a phone to your ear that makes some people a nuisance it is the fact that they become distracted while talking so a hands free device will do no good.
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
__________________
Been interesting.
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^Agreed. A lot of people seem to zone out when having discussions over the phone. Although it might be somewhat better using a hands-free device, that zoning out factor still seems to be evident. Interesting how passengers in a car don't seem to have such an impact on a driver...well, unless you have a bunch of screaming kids, but that is when the car gets pulled over! :) Hahahaha...remember those days? Sometimes even a peep would result in a threat that the car would be pulled over. Nowadays, kids have DVDs etc. to keep them occupied and quiet, but I digress.

[JDidGirl]

I agree withthe texting thing but really don't see how it's going to be enforced, they can't enforce speeding laws. With regard to cell phone usage, it's not the fact that you are holding a phone to your ear that makes some people a nuisance it is the fact that they become distracted while talking so a hands free device will do no good.

The way I understand it... if you are seen by law enforcement texting while driving they can pull you and ticket you. If you are involved in an accident then law enforcement can go through your phone to see the recent activity that it has been used for.

[Cliff]

What did they do before there was cell phones ?

[Quintessence]

What did they do before there was cell phones ?
They used cans on strings, but that had to be outlawed too. Several pedestrians and cyclists were knocked to the ground resulting in severe injuries...strings had to be taut.

[Sarge]

The way I understand it... if you are seen by law enforcement texting while driving they can pull you and ticket you. If you are involved in an accident then law enforcement can go through your phone to see the recent activity that it has been used for.

Of course they can do that now under many other ordinances and laws. Again this is a feel good law and we have many of them. We have more than enough laws on the books now to protect society. What we need is an increase in budget for enforcement. Passing a law making it a misdeameanor regarding texting is useless unless you include the budget for law enforcement to enforce.

[anti-babble]

Of course they can do that now under many other ordinances and laws. Again this is a feel good law and we have many of them. We have more than enough laws on the books now to protect society. What we need is an increase in budget for enforcement. Passing a law making it a misdeameanor regarding texting is useless unless you include the budget for law enforcement to enforce.

I agree Sarge, Going through someones phone, at a collision, will not tell you if they were on the phone when the collision occurred. I don't think most people can pinpoint the time of the collision close enough to prove that they phone was in use when the collision occurred. Plus people have plenty of time to blank out their phones before the cops arrive.

[JDidGirl]

Of course they can do that now under many other ordinances and laws. Again this is a feel good law and we have many of them. We have more than enough laws on the books now to protect society. What we need is an increase in budget for enforcement. Passing a law making it a misdeameanor regarding texting is useless unless you include the budget for law enforcement to enforce.

I completely agree with you. The problem is... instead of increasing the budget, law enforcement agencies are actually cutting back on their budgets. So, yeah, you have a good point. What's the point in passing a law when you don't have enough people out there to uphold it?


I agree Sarge, Going through someones phone, at a collision, will not tell you if they were on the phone when the collision occurred. I don't think most people can pinpoint the time of the collision close enough to prove that they phone was in use when the collision occurred. Plus people have plenty of time to blank out their phones before the cops arrive.

I don't know about your phone, but my Blackberry will give a full history of my activities. It'll tell the time a person called... or I made a call. How long the call was and exactly what time I hung up. It keeps track of the time a text came in... or I sent one out. I don't think law enforcement can tell exactly if you were on the phone (talking or texting) when an accident occurred, but I think they can get pretty darn close. Close enough to charge you for it.

[Quintessence]

You know, I understand what you guys are saying, but does that mean that we shouldn't have laws? Some people don't use common sense, but they may choose not to engage in an activity just because it is the law. Of course, there will be those who ignore the law, just like speeders, but the fact that a law exists may reduce the incidence of such unsafe driving practices.

[anti-babble]

Close enough genrally falls short of proof beyond a resonable doubt. Especially with a jury.

[JDidGirl]

You know, I understand what you guys are saying, but does that mean that we shouldn't have laws? Some people don't use common sense, but they may choose not to engage in an activity just because it is the law. Of course, there will be those who ignore the law, just like speeders, but the fact that a law exists may reduce the incidence of such unsafe driving practices.

That's certainly not what I'm saying. I have no problem with the laws. I just agree with the statement earlier that there's no point in making new ones if you don't have the man power to back them up. I think that not only should this particular law be put into effect, but I also think that law enforcement agencies need to up the manpower they have on the streets in order to make sure that the laws are followed.

[Quintessence]

That's certainly not what I'm saying. I have no problem with the laws. I just agree with the statement earlier that there's no point in making new ones if you don't have the man power to back them up. I think that not only should this particular law be put into effect, but I also think that law enforcement agencies need to up the manpower they have on the streets in order to make sure that the laws are followed.


AMEN to that!

[ZooFuzz]

Woman Says She Looked Up From Phone Too Late
http://www.wyff4.com/news/22749994/detail.html

[ZooFuzz]

http://www.wyff4.com/news/22815261/detail.html

ANDERSON, S.C
A wreck that killed an Anderson man has some people speaking out against the latest state effort to stop texting while driving.

South Carolina drivers caught in the risky road behavior would be fined $25 under a bill that passed the South Carolina House on Wednesday, but co-workers of 36-year-old Troy Eugene Smith said the punishment is not enough to keep the roads safe from distracted drivers.

[Quintessence]

http://www.wyff4.com/news/22815261/detail.html

ANDERSON, S.C
A wreck that killed an Anderson man has some people speaking out against the latest state effort to stop texting while driving.

South Carolina drivers caught in the risky road behavior would be fined $25 under a bill that passed the South Carolina House on Wednesday, but co-workers of 36-year-old Troy Eugene Smith said the punishment is not enough to keep the roads safe from distracted drivers.

Dropped from $100 to $25.... Ooooooo, $25! I'm sure that has 'em terrified, and they'll never again text while driving. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-confused002.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

[Captain Worley]

pulld ovr lol

[RPWeed]

Dropped from $100 to $25.... Ooooooo, $25! I'm sure that has 'em terrified, and they'll never text while driving again. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-confused002.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

...also, no points and it won't be reported to your insurance company. Yet another example of our state passing laws that look legit at face value, but don't have any teeth to make a real difference.

[Quintessence]

...also, no points and it won't be reported to your insurance company. Yet another example of our state passing laws that look legit at face value, but don't have any teeth to make a difference.
EXACTLY! I was just saying that to my hubby this morn.

[Captain Worley]

They just passed the law so they could tell their constituents that they 'did something to crack down on texting and driving.'

[ZooFuzz]

Needs to be 100.00 fine and 2 points. But with the way the justice system works, it will prob take million dollar study for the next 10 years. Same ols crap different day.

[Quintessence]

Just the other day I was traveling where the speed limit is 60 MPH when someone in a bright yellow van drastically dropped from 60 to possibly about 45 MPH. He then crossed over the middle lines into the fast lane. When he appeared to correct this, he started heading straight for the outside emergency lane. When I took my opportunity to pass, I saw that he had both hands propped on top of the steering wheel with his thumbs just tapping away texting, and seemed to be oblivious of his surroundings.
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-angry021.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

[ZooFuzz]

http://www.wyff4.com/news/23554570/detail.html

16-Year-Old Killed While Trying To Retrieve Text, Police Say