Distracted driving

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 11:31 am

something I wrote recently

http://driving.ca/auto-news/news/motor-mouth-lower-speed-limits-be-careful-what-you-wish-for

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:29 pm

Yea, texting and driving, can't figure for the life of me what is so life threatening that people have to do this in cars. I wish the cops could enforce it but I think that's just part of the problem, People just cant drive, especially here in Toronto/Ontario. I recently completed a 2000 mile journey to and from the dragon in a pensky van. In the states not once did I get cut off. every one left lots of room the left lane was used for passing like it is supposed to be ( I HOPE THE CAGERS READ THAT) and when construction came up and restricted lanes everyone merged in a human manor and traffic barely slowed. People just do NOT have the skills required to drive motor vehicles . It pisses me off to no end to see every day people who pretend they can drive.....If you can't drive it PARK IT. sorry just ranting.... Twisted Evil

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:19 pm

It isn't just Toronto/Ontario Basman, it's just as bad in Europe and UK.
I'm a European trucker. I'll be leaving home in Scotland tomorrow morning, heading down through Scotland, into England to catch the overnight ferry from Immingham to Rotterdam, Holland. Monday I'll run through Holland and head South East through Germany towards Munich. Tuesday I'll get to Munich, make my deliveries, get my collections and start back. Wednesday I'll get the last of my collections and hopefully finish in Rotterdam on the ferry back. Thursday should be dong any deliveries I can and finishing my week at our yard. Around 2,000 miles, similar distance every week. I go to various places, N Switzerland, W Switzerland, SE Germany, South Central Germany, SW Germany, East Germany, via Scotland, N England, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France.
It's the same everywhere. No indication, stupidly late lane changes for exits, apparently no idea how to join a highway from an acceleration lane (slip road we call them), using hand held phones while driving, texting while driving. Just generally poor skills and a complete lack of consideration for other road users as far as I can see.

I've got one more trip, the one starting tomorrow, then I'm on holiday for a week. The wife and I are off tro a rented a holiday cottage up in the highlands for it Very Happy

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 12:37 am

Simon, so what is it that you transport all the way from Scotland every week to the rest of Europe, must be good, like Scotch Whiskey, Hagis or those pole thingies they throw up in the air. Laughing

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 12:41 am

Same in the states too guys. You had a lucky trip basmn if it didn't happen to you while you were here. Seems better out in the country to me. I drive 42 miles one way to work from the boonies into town and the farther I go the worse it gets.

You goona wear your kilt while your in the highlands Simon? Always liked the idea of a kilt. Easier access for the old lady. Hell for me too! Oops, did I say that out loud?

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:34 am

basmn wrote:

In the states not once did I get cut off. every one left lots of room the left lane was used for passing like it is supposed to be ( I HOPE THE CAGERS READ THAT) and when construction came up and restricted lanes everyone merged in a human manor and traffic barely slowed.

You definitely didn't drive through Minnesota. Ass clowns are the rule of the day here.

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 8:09 pm

Norm, we mainly take high quality thin card out (used in softback book covers, birthday cards etc, glossy pamphlet covers, packaging) and silver ink colour. We also move some whisky, pump engines, plastic plumbing.
We bring back all sorts of things. This week I had 4 big sun beds, 8 tanks of silicon liquid and 12 pallets or high tension electrical joints.
Haggis would be shifted in reefers if it was dead or livestock trucks if alive Very Happy

Cabers (telegraph poles used for throwing) are usually locally produced Very Happy

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 9:38 pm

But Simon, what are we going to do about a flag now, looks like you people have buggered it up, I'm going to have to remove the Union Jack off my Pommie bikes Sad

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 9:43 pm

I'm all for the banning of cell phone usage of any kind while driving.

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:25 pm

BlueThunder wrote:

I'm all for the banning of cell phone usage of any kind while driving.

A GPS sensor in the phone, detects that you are traveling faster than a human can run..>> Phone turns on airplane mode..>>is the way it should be.

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:54 pm

CowTownBiomed wrote:

BlueThunder wrote:

I'm all for the banning of cell phone usage of any kind while driving.

A GPS sensor in the phone, detects that you are traveling faster than a human can run..>> Phone turns on airplane mode..>>is the way it should be.

How does that work if you're a passenger? My statement for the banning of cell phone usage was directed for the driver. But maybe your idea of a complete denial of service for anyone in the car may not be a bad idea.

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 11:16 pm

norm wrote:

But Simon, what are we going to do about a flag now, looks like you people have buggered it up, I'm going to have to remove the Union Jack off my Pommie bikes Sad

Nah, you can leave the Union Flag on your Pommie bike. That flag was correct for the time your bike was produced Smile

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:38 pm

Another interesting take on the subject of lower speed limits. But I kind of disagree with your take on the relationship.

I agree that boredom may tempt some drivers to increase stuff like distracted driving, but in urban areas, and those areas in particular that have a problem with pedestrian deaths, it's hard to argue with the correlation of speed and pedestrian deaths.

Link

The enforcement dilemma is taken care of with technology, specifically speed cameras and red light cameras. We have them both on Long Island and they are effective in changing driving habits.

We have speed cameras in certain school zones, some on major roads where the flow of traffic would move at 50 mph in a 30 speed limit, the school zone speed goes down to 25 or even 15 mph. Hows that for a twist on your morning commute to work?

I can't say it is pleasant, but it is the new reality.

I recently saw one of those driver-less google cars driving around here. I have heard some opine that jobs like Truck driver will be eliminated completely in the near future by automation.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324144304578624221804774116

There can be a day (possible within a generation) when humans don't drive vehicles on streets, and human error isn't a factor in accidents at all.

As an automobile and cycle enthusiast, I rue that day, but it appears its coming.

To increase enforcement of distracted driving violations, all that is need is the will to accomplish the goal.

First, Use the free market system where the government puts a bounty on enforcement of certain behaviors(I'll get back to that idea) , specifically texting and phone calls. Having the phone in your hands while driving is presumption of use and therefore is an offense here in NY.

Quote:

First off, keep in mind that, under VTL 1225-d, the mere holding of a device while driving gives rise to a presumption of use. Therefore, if a police officer sees you just holding or fidgeting with an electronic while you are behind the wheel, he can issue you a ticket and YOU will be responsible for proving that you were not using it (as opposed to the other way around).

http://nytrafficticket.com/texting-and-driving-law-vtl-1225-d/

Next , you put a hand held camera in Police cars that can electronically attach an image to the summons. The police cars drives along side the offender, points the camera and captures the image of the driver holding what appears to be a phone, pulls the car over and issues the ticket..or, electronically identifies the registration and the ticket gets mailed to the addressee of the registered owner.

The Police officers actions will be monitored by the cameras everyone wants them to wear and will be available as evidence in the court case along with the image of the driver holding a phone. Then the onus is on the driver to disprove he wasn't in violation. That's how NYS law currently works regarding the burden of proof of the offense. There is minimal expense as the Police officer wouldn't be called into court to testify, and the evidence would be electronic and available for instant review by a judge. That's cheap.

Regarding the bounty, Bounties have been used to change driving behavior in the past, and can be used again to change texting and cell phone usage while driving.

Overtime from federal grants motivated lots of cops to enforce stuff like DWI and seat belt use. When I was a kid, a huge percentage of drivers didn't wear seat belts and driving boxed was common. Those roadblocks on highway exit and entrance ramps where a cop is standing next to your car in a flash OBSERVING seat belt use and writing tickets changed behavior. It's rare to sees anyone not wearing a belt now. Same thing could happen with texting and phone use if the will to change it was there.

Just sayin...

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:25 pm

One major issue with catching people engaging in distracted driving as I see it, is that cops pretty much need to engage in very distracted driving themselves just to be effective in catching distracted drivers. They're also likely more effective in stealthy unmarked cars, although the heavily distracted drivers may not notice a marked car as readily.

A 40kph speed limit on a wide and well maintained 4 lane thoroughfare seems like a speed trap in itself, and I suggest it's a distracted driving entrapment facility, set up by and an overly officious governing body. I guess if cops need to engage in distracted driving to catch distracted drivers, such a setup is handy, but this hardly seems like it's a real benefit to most of the society that are just trying to get to work or go to grandma's house, it's more like baited entrapment.

And 20kph is a ridiculous speed limit anywhere except perhaps by a playground with no fences. Most people can jog faster than that.