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Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 11:15 pm
by Col_Temp
Alpine wrote:Honestly I wouldn't mind people being on their phone if they could handle it without fucking up. Some can't. However does that mean we all live under a law because of that?
It's weird.
Don't have to look far. That the way most firearm laws work. In fact most of the others too. If you are law abiding you are far more likely to violate some law somewhere. The criminals for the most part just ignore them.
BTW there is a reason there are cup holders in all cars. So you don't have to hold the drink. No problems with the no holding the phone but distracted driving is already on the books. Why the <blank> Blank> do we really need a new direction that all manner of activities are illegal.
I drive the speed limit. Yet I see plenty of people either flying by or going to slow (usually because they are distracted) so why haven't they been being pulled over already.
Didn't really need yet another law when actually enforcing the ones we have would be a good place to start!
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:57 am
by TechnoWeenie
leadcounsel wrote:What is your SOLUTION to distracted drivers?
Bats. Airhorns. Paintball guns. nails/screws. Schrader valve removal tool aka valve stem tool.Etc
I think people wouldn't do half the shit they do if they realized someone might beat the shit out of them for doing it...
There are a lot of people that deserve it too...
There is a difference between moral right and legal right. Not legal to put a gun to the back of the head and pull the trigger of some guy trying to steal your car, morally OK in my book. Likewise it's legal to murder an unborn child aka abortion, not OK morally..
Similarly, not legal to flatten the tires of a car tailgating you, but morally? Give the guy a couple warnings and then go to town...If the guy wasn't following so close he'd be able to avoid the road hazard. The problem, IMO, comes into play when there are vehicles other than your intended target on the roadway.
This reminds me.. The back of my truck gets dirty, I need to put in a pressurized water dispenser in the rear.....maybe some small nozzles on the bumper or something facing the tail lights to keep them clean..
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:20 am
by TechnoWeenie
leadcounsel wrote:This month I've once experienced and a second time watched some jerk literally pull suicide maneuvers on a 2 lane highway. I was going 45 (the speed limit) and he punched up to 90 to pass me, missed me by a foot, zipped around me, and missed the oncoming car by maybe 1 second. A week or two later I saw someone do the same thing again, while I was out on a run. Lunatics like that need to be off the roads.
How is the new law gonna stamp out stupidity? These are the same idiots watching Fast and Furious and going to their Honda in the theater parking lot revving their engines thinking they have a race car.
Public shame. Shittydrivers.com or something like that... that'd be fun..
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:37 am
by deadshot2
Col_Temp wrote:Alpine wrote:Honestly I wouldn't mind people being on their phone if they could handle it without fucking up. Some can't. However does that mean we all live under a law because of that?
It's weird.
Don't have to look far. That the way most firearm laws work. In fact most of the others too. If you are law abiding you are far more likely to violate some law somewhere. The criminals for the most part just ignore them.
BTW there is a reason there are cup holders in all cars. So you don't have to hold the drink. No problems with the no holding the phone but distracted driving is already on the books. Why the <blank> Blank> do we really need a new direction that all manner of activities are illegal.
I drive the speed limit. Yet I see plenty of people either flying by or going to slow (usually because they are distracted) so why haven't they been being pulled over already.
Didn't really need yet another law when actually enforcing the ones we have would be a good place to start!
A lot more is being made of this than needs to be but thanks to how our legislature writes laws it's become necessary. So many traffic laws were written that made the offense a secondary offense officers needed to witness a primary infraction before they could stop the driver. Then they could "add on" the secondary offenses. As usual people just ignored the secondary offenses and as long as they weren't driving like total assholes the officers had no cause to stop. Ditto for making the offense "non reportable to insurance companies".
If you want to change behavior on the highway there has to be a way to get the driver's attention. Fines don't do it alone as way too many drivers just consider it a "cost of driving". When these tickets start impacting their driver's license to the point they loose it, then more people pay attention. When insurance companies are notified and drivers start having to pay thousands per year to get insurance, they pay attention. When cars are impounded and drivers either go to jail or have to call a cab, they pay attention.
Drivers bring this kind of legislation down on themselves by failing to use common sense.
Keep speed sensible (Like less than 10 mph over posted limit or exactly 20 mph in school zones) and no tickets. Stay aware of what's going on around you rather than yakking and texting, no accidents. Take a "chill pill" and drive with the flow of traffic, regardless of how slow, and don't cut in and out of lanes just to gain a 3 car advantage at your exit. Face it, driving in Puget Sound traffic is becoming more and more like combat for some. Because of the ones who drive like that( or the ones who just drive with their heads up their ass) more laws are necessary so officers can stop cars for specific violations and prosecutors (if necessary) can have the ability to put down defense arguments.
When it comes to phones, why is it so important to make it the center of your life? I can see it if it's essential to your business (as it is for my Son) but if that's the case, use a phone holder and learn how to use voice commands. Either that or prepare to pay fines.
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:45 am
by edogg
deadshot2 wrote:What's so hard about just getting a phone that accepts voice commands and use a bluetooth headset? Most phones already have that feature with single finger activation. Want to make a statement? Use your middle finger to activate voice commands.

Because voice commands suck. They're great in theory but try having an accent or using uncommon words.
My wife once texted me using voice commands to tell me that she noticed the spigot was dripping as she left he house. The phone was unable to recognize the word "spigot" so she had to type it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:52 am
by RENCORP
Oh the irony. Calling a tap a spigot - on tapatalk.
Next thing you know, you will be calling an old asshole a crusty contrary curmudgeon.
Scrabble much ?
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 8:09 am
by 2trouble
Has anyone heard what the penalties will be for cdl drivers?
I thought it was different for just talking on a cell phone before, like a lot more of a fine?
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 8:46 am
by WaJim
2trouble wrote:Has anyone heard what the penalties will be for cdl drivers?
I thought it was different for just talking on a cell phone before, like a lot more of a fine?
J Carlson was talking about this subject a couple weeks ago.....IIRC they're given a pass.
CDL drivers like police have in-depth driver training and test and they need the hand held for their jobs.
Could you imagine how difficult a Taxi or delivery drivers day would be if he couldn't talk on the Motorolla....or if the company used an I phone instead of a dash mounted Motorolla.
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 8:50 am
by Guns4Liberty
Like so many others, this is a feel-good law. Enforcement will be difficult, and the odds are in the People's favor. Think about it - for every LEO on the road, how many regular drivers are there? 5,000? It'll be just like HOV on-ramp violators; people will still do it because the odds of getting caught are extremely low. And if they do get caught and ticketed, the cost of the fine will not be a deterrent to re-offense. I predict a statistically-insignificant change in motor vehicle fatalities and injuries in spite of this law.
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 8:55 am
by scorpion rider
The problem I have with this law is they are trying to push it to be as bad as a DUI for insurance.
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 9:13 am
by mislabeled
There was already a law making it illegal to text while driving. A law which did...yep, nothing. And what approach do our legislative critters take to fix that problem? (wait for it) Hey-ho, they make another law! Because that first law was just a test law, you know, to see if people were paying attention. This new law here, you see, this law will totally fix those people who didn't pay attention to the first law. Because new law, and stuff.
And when the fatality rate doesn't drop (because it won't), lawmakers will (wait for it) make another law that will somehow be the panacea we've all been hoping for! YIPPEE!
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 9:24 am
by Captain90s
Seen on Facebook today with the caption "How to obey Washington's new distracted driving law when coffee is life"

Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 9:31 am
by skey
So what about all the Uber drivers. Many are not from the area and they spend quite a bit of time poking and selecting stuff. One finger yes, but almost non-stop.
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 9:32 am
by mislabeled
Re: New Distracted Driving Law
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 9:42 am
by WaJim
To be fair that drink could easily be an electric ice tea.
Smokin pot should be restricted as well but there rarely goes a day when I don't smell the burning stink weed at an intersection. Just the other day coming home from the Gym at 630 am the car in front of me at the light was stinking to high heaven.
This phone thing is just the beginning of Restricted Driving Laws.
Increased state revenue through fines....nuthin else.
This state is hurting for funds.