Cell Phones While Driving

[Kritter]

Text-messaging driver causes collision
By Steve Mac Donald
Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Anchorage police say the distraction of a cell phone caused a serious car wreck in Midtown this afternoon.

Police say a woman was driving westbound on Tudor Road when she ran a red light and drove into the path of a semi.     

Police and witnesses say the truck driver was turning left onto the Seward Highway and had a green arrow.

Officers say the woman was reading a text message on her cell phone just before the collision.

"It totally distracts from any attention you're paying to the road. You're looking here - even if you look for a split second - how far have you gone at 50 mph?" said Randy Jackson, an Anchorage Police Department officer. "And you cannot react when you look back up because you're right on top of everything."

Firefighters had to cut the wreckage in order to free the woman from her car.     

Police say they don't believe her injuries are life threatening.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Text-messaging driver causes collision
By Steve Mac Donald
Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Anchorage police say the distraction of a cell phone caused a serious car wreck in Midtown this afternoon.

Police say a woman was driving westbound on Tudor Road when she ran a red light and drove into the path of a semi.     

Police and witnesses say the truck driver was turning left onto the Seward Highway and had a green arrow.

Officers say the woman was reading a text message on her cell phone just before the collision.

"It totally distracts from any attention you're paying to the road. You're looking here - even if you look for a split second - how far have you gone at 50 mph?" said Randy Jackson, an Anchorage Police Department officer. "And you cannot react when you look back up because you're right on top of everything."

Firefighters had to cut the wreckage in order to free the woman from her car.     

Police say they don't believe her injuries are life threatening.

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http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

Its reasons like this calling/talking/texting whatever on a cell phone should become BAN! Only 28 out of the 50 states have the ban the use of cell phones. Why don’t the rest of the 22 states do the same? The ONLY exception I can understand where the ban does not take affect is for the hands-free headset and emergency use of the cell phone. Other than that, fucking wait till you is done driving! Damn woman should have gotten killed or had some serious injury so she’ll learn not to use a bloody cell while driving. Humph! 

[foxguardian]

i definately agree with you my friend it is absalutely rediculess that you cant at least pull over and take/make the call i say ban all cell phone use will driveing with the exception of headset or hands free device

[Kritter]

*nod nod* If you clicked on the link I posted earlier, it also tells you the countries that have banned cell while driving and most of the major/ well known countries banned them. I say USA should do the same. Not until a MAJOR accident causing a lot of deaths, it won't be done. Sad but that's how most of the safety rules/laws are made... AFTER it happened.

[Rachael]

My brother talks on his phone wall driving. >_> Hasn't killed anyone yet, but I still rather he wouldn't.

[Badinage]

I would say some measure of ban is in order. I myself am only a cell phone user of a few months. But I make it a point to avoid using the thing on the road other then just to see who I got a call from so I can call them back.

The only exception I make to this is if I am well off any main roads and talking to someone trying to find their house. I am looking all around the car in that situation anyway and with the low speeds, I deem it to be pretty safe.

[Kritter]

*nod nod* I can understand about needing to use a cell while getting directions at some neighborhood. I had my fair shares with that. Eventually I want to get myself one of those bluetooth head set for my cell even though I hardly use it.

[Badinage]

*nod nod* I can understand about needing to use a cell while getting directions at some neighborhood. I had my fair shares with that. Eventually I want to get myself one of those bluetooth head set for my cell even though I hardly use it.

heh, I remember when I started noticing those. Seeing normal looking people out in public talking animately to themselves, I always stared until I noticed they were on the phone.

[Oni]

Its reasons like this calling/talking/texting whatever on a cell phone should become BAN! Only 28 out of the 50 states have the ban the use of cell phones. Why don’t the rest of the 22 states do the same? The ONLY exception I can understand where the ban does not take affect is for the hands-free headset and emergency use of the cell phone. Other than that, fucking wait till you is done driving! Damn woman should have gotten killed or had some serious injury so she’ll learn not to use a bloody cell while driving. Humph! 

Funny how people change there minds about whats right and whats wrong when it benifits them.

[Goman Fox]

Its reasons like this calling/talking/texting whatever on a cell phone should become BAN! Only 28 out of the 50 states have the ban the use of cell phones. Why don’t the rest of the 22 states do the same? The ONLY exception I can understand where the ban does not take affect is for the hands-free headset and emergency use of the cell phone. Other than that, fucking wait till you is done driving! Damn woman should have gotten killed or had some serious injury so she’ll learn not to use a bloody cell while driving. Humph! 

Funny how people change there minds about whats right and whats wrong when it benifits them.

That may be true, but at the time she didn't have a cell phone she could text with, and you were always the one driving when she was in the car, lol.

[Eternimus]

It's okay, if she ever gets into a collision we can blame the cell phone.

[Oni]

Kritter had hurt herself last night when she read this. She was laughing at her self so hard it hurt.

Nothing like eating your own words. LOL.

[Kritter]

I didn't hurt myself as a result of reading this really old post. I was in pain while laughing because I've had chest pains and laughing only made it worse.

But anywaz, yeah old post. I remember thinking that long time ago. Lol! Course now is not the same snce I discovered the wonderful world of texting! I LOVE to text. I know it is illegal to text while driving but when I get messages, I am compeld to reply ASAP.  Try now to not text while driving and I am getting better at it. Now I can wait and text when I get to a stop light and/or stuck in traffic.

[Oni]

I didn't hurt myself as a result of reading this really old post. I was in pain while laughing because I've had chest pains and laughing only made it worse.

But anywaz, yeah old post. I remember thinking that long time ago. Lol! Course now is not the same snce I discovered the wonderful world of texting! I LOVE to text. I know it is illegal to text while driving but when I get messages, I am compeld to reply ASAP.  Try now to not text while driving and I am getting better at it. Now I can wait and text when I get to a stop light and/or stuck in traffic.

* Oni C@ sigh

Funny how things change when you become a yuppy

[Oni]

Program shows teens dangers of distraction Click for Vid Link From www.ADN.com

Mariah Bohanan, 14, tries to text while driving in an exercise of Allstate's distracted driving course Saturday. The course challenged about a dozen teens to navigate around cones while being distracted by cell phones, food, loud music and passengers to give them an understanding of the danger.

Looking though that course I should have taken Kritter to it. She might have learned something. Course if my kids was driving my brand new car ..... nope he is starting off with a beater like my first car. lol.

[Rahne]

Forgive my rashness, but if you seriously have the mentality to read a text message WHILE driving, especially at a high speed, and you end up in a traffic collision, then you bloody deserve it! Taking your eyes off the road for a split second could seriously mean life or death, especially in this state, where lots of people are crazy drivers. Driving is a privilege, not necessarily a right, and you have to earn it. This is the kind of crap that should get your license taken away.