State Bans Texting While Driving

netbuzz writes "The state of Washington yesterday became the first in the nation to ban text-messaging while driving. The law could use sharper teeth, but it's a natural and necessary progression of the movement to clamp down on those who find the need to constantly communicate more important than the safety of their fellow travelers."

Comments

Killing the Dangerous Drivers

[Anonymous Coward]

I believe in using Darwinism to eliminate the drivers who use their cell phones while they are driving their vehicles. Such drivers are stupid people, and they deserve to die.

I am a former race-car driver. When I drive on the freeway, I hunt for stupid people. When I see another driver using his cell phone, I observe him for about a minute.

I cut in front of him. Then, I observe him for another minute in my rear-view mirror. When I notice that his eyes have glanced away from the road, I immediately apply the brakes. Just before his car slams into mine, I swing my car to the right.

At this point, what usually happens is that the other driver, being distracted by the cell phone, has lost control of his vehicle. He has applied his brakes hard to avoid hitting me, but now, his car has spun out of control. In most cases, his car slams into the concrete barrier. In some cases, the car flips upside down.

So far, my tally is the following.

Out of 37 encounters of this kind, 25 resulted in fatalities. All 37 resulted in a serious accident.

I videotaped the whole encounter with a camera pointing out of the rear window. The point of the camera is to provide videotaped evidence that I have not broken any traffic laws. In all 37 encounters, I gave the videotape to law enforcement. No charges have ever been filed against me. Sweet. Huh?

Re:I admit guilt

[JustNiz]

Did it not occur to you to pull over somewhere safe or wait until you'd finished driving to respond?
If you are one of the many that can't say no to being on an electronic leash, then turn it off when you're driving.

Re:Whatever happened to common sense?

[glenstar]

I like the first two ideas (the third one would simply fill the same purpose as the outright ban, in my opinion). I do NOT believe that restaurants should be smoking ever... even the heaviest of smokers can go an hour without lighting up. But smoking and drinking are so chained together in the American psyche that it just seems strange to not have one without the other.

And I quote the great philosopher Alice Cooper: "All of my life was a laugh and a joke, a drink and a smoke, and then I'd pass out on the floor". What a sage.