89% of Americans want to ban texting while driving
…and to be honest, we sorta’ agree with you. According to a new poll published by The Harris Interactive Agency, almost 90% of Americans believe that sending text messages while behind the wheel of a car should be outlawed. 91% believe that texting on the road is just as dangerous as making a call, though 57% of the same survey pool admitted to having sent an SMS message while piloting a vehicle. Multi-tasking powerhouses that we here at BGR are, we also happen to believe that there’s a limit to the number of things that we’re capable of paying attention to before we wreck the Prius Rolls Royce, and boy would that be a shame…
I am one of those 89% and actually surprised its not higher.
Stop playing on the phone people and pay attention to the road !!
/rant off
/rant on
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve caught myself driving like an idiot more than once while trying to text. Enough is enough…
/rant off
“there’s a limit to the number of things that we’re capable of paying attention to before we wreck the Prius Rolls Royce, and boy would that be a shame…”
Uh, yeah, it’d be a shame to mame or kill other drivers with your stupid selfishness, too. Man, don’t the kids value human lives any more – or do they only care about their hybrids?
89% actually surprised me. i figured it would be less since i see so many people doing it. but i strongly agree. we have at least 1 accident a day down here in south Florida because of that
yeah, im all for it. no texting or cell phone calls without hands-free is what i would like. Road Rage happens for me when someone on their phone is going oh so slow or swerving to type. too dangerous.
This is what happens when alien technology from mass transit-based countries clash with driving snobbish USA.
How about actually enforcing existing laws before making new ones ?
Reckless driving, regardless the cause (eating, watching DVDs, playing on your PSP / Xbox) is ALREADY ILLEGAL !
Give law enforcement the mandate (aka $$$) to enforce laws already on the book ! More populist law making does not make the roads safer.
its much worse than talking on the phone while driving… at least you could hae your eyes on the road.
man who’s playing their xbox and driving, now thats talented.
Personally, I don’t see how putting another useless law on the books is going to serve anything. I’m not advocating that people text while driving, but I’m against trying to legislate common sense. We have drunk driving laws and yet people drive drunk (and kill others) everyday, and let’s not forget we have anti-speeding laws and again people speed like a soccer mom late to a piano recital. We also have anti-drug laws and underage sex laws and it’s obvious how well those have worked for years. If explicitly spelling out that it is a very bad idea to try and drive and text at the same time would stop people from doing it then I’m all for a new law. However, history does not prove this to be a viable approach.
Distraction and inattention to driving are the real killers. Conversations with passengers, and paying attention to problems with kids in the car, and loud music can be just as distracting and dangerous. Perhaps those activities should be banned as well.
I watched a European car show, I recall one man speaking of his high end sports car not having cup holders because they felt it was a place for driving not eating. I wonder what the same guy thinks of this. Myself I don’t even like to take a call while driving let alone trying to type or even dial a number for that matter. I’d like to ask the same poll group what they think this compares to in severity as to driving intoxicated. I’d say equal.
Gosh damn that p.o.s. toyota. Yea texting and driving is about as dumb as drunk driving.
Texting while driving is dangerous but I do it and I’ll continue to do it. You gonna try to rip me a new one? That hamburger you ate today helps support cow farms that destroy the whole friggin planet so you can f-off and die before I care. Oh, your a vegetarian? That car your driving? Yeah…oh you ride a bike? The rubber for those tires? Yeah…everyone is horrible and atleast once a day puts themselves and others at risk in SOME way so stop complaining and get over your self
Dangerous? You bet. The rule stands that you significantly decrease your ability to perform any single action while multitasking (to about 40% efficiency, don’t want to be driving on the road with people who can only give it 40% of their ability). I’ve sent floods of text messages while driving by learning the position of buttons on my phone so my eyes stay on the road and my knee holds the wheel, and still I’ve had occasions where I’ve managed to send adrenaline through my body. But I still sent the messages, and I don’t think anybody should do it while driving.
What is far more frightening though is the way this issue is impacted by the iPhone. Now that I’ve switched and there’s no tactile response to tell me I’ve pressed what I want, most of my attention burns straight into the iPhone. After my very first attempt to type on the iPhone and drive I personally banned myself from this action. It is downright scary. It was the wakeup that makes me support a ban 100%.
I enjoy being in control of situations, and I have come to realize that sending texts and driving is giving up the majority of your control.
Just thinkin about this yesterday. I saw a girl typing on her sidekick while driving.
I don’t think new laws are needed. They should just amend “reckless driving” laws to include texting
I agree but I’m not going to stop lol I never originate. . . Well don’t do it much, only reply if it seems important enough. . .
Just use your knees to handle the wheel while texting… duh??? i’ve been doin that since 03′ 0 accidents