New testing while driving laws.

Rats! That's supposed to be texting.

Is this a National thing or is it allowed where you are?

State Senate said: ALBANY -- The state Senate overwhelmingly approved a measure that steps up the penalty for texting while driving, which studies have shown can pose an equal or even greater threat than driving under the influence. The bill will not only make a texting while driving citation a two-point license deduction, it will also make the offense a "primary violation" that would make a driver eligible for a police stop. Currently, officers must have another reason to stop a texting driver. The bill passed 57-3 and now moves to the Assembly, where member Harvey Weisenberg, D-Long Island, promised to champion it. Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Senate-increases-penalty-for-texting-while-driving-1364491.php#ixzz1LNZ86ina

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Senate-increases-penalty-for-texting-while-driving-1364491.php

We have a testing while driving law, if caught, you're license can be suspended along with a fine.

Anything with a phone can be a fine in Missouri, and God help you if you get into an accident.

yeah not only will they take your SAT away, which makes you fail, you will get a fine and it's just a hassle. Also it's hard to really think will driving

in PA, they give you a fine but I don't think it's really in effect yet. I don't think they really do anything with your license. As said above though god help you if you wreck and on the phone.....

The law passed a while ago in NC. The first year a whopping 3 tickets were written for it according to the news.

No texting and driving in Oregon (I think it's statewide and not a city/county thing), and it's a primary offense.

I'm anti texting-and-driving, but I'm afraid one of the big shifts I've seen is that people still do it, but now they hold the phone down low and take their eyes further off the road in an attempt to hide what they're doing. It's even more dangerous and it's still pretty obvious that they're texting...

Cannot text and must talk hands-free in Delaware. The hands free law has been in effect for a while but they added the texting part at New Years.

No texting while driving in MN- but it's only a secondary offense, they can't pull you over for it.

ransom wrote: No texting and driving in Oregon (I think it's statewide and not a city/county thing), and it's a primary offense. I'm anti texting-and-driving, but I'm afraid one of the big shifts I've seen is that people still do it, but now they hold the phone down low and take their eyes further off the road in an attempt to hide what they're doing. It's even more dangerous and it's still pretty obvious that they're texting...

Yes, I hear lots of people saying that. They pretty much say its a stupid law because no one can stop them from texting and its just more dangerous to do it so no one can see it.

I've got to admit that I text while driving.

But I only do it when I'm stopped at a red light.

in Texas theres no texting/talking allowed only in school zones.

i've noticed that in afternoon traffic, the cars that don't move when a light turns green, or are driving well below the flow of traffic in the left lane are consistently futzing with their phones

A young lady ran into the back of the wrangler last week - texting. No damage to wrangler (3/16 thick rock bumper). Her car wasn't so lucky.

Yep, I've noticed an awful lot of people lately gazing at their crotches. Some are smiling.

In reply to Travis_K:

Just to clarify, I don't think it's a stupid law, I think it's a stupid reaction to the law (not sure you were lumping me in with those guys, but thought I'd clarify). That being said, if that's how people are going to react, it is certainly an awkward call.

Of course, it could be that lots of people have stopped texting while driving, and that the remainder are the type of people who will drive while effectively staring at their own crotch, so may well find another way to drive badly with or without the anti-texting law...

Aiding that viewpoint, they're not doing it in a way that nobody can see, they're doing it in a way that they think nobody can see; it's pretty obvious what they're doing. Unless they have a really fascinating crotch, but you'd think the novelty would wear off eventually...

I'd be all for a system that blocks all cell phone use when the car is in "Drive", except maybe, 911 calls. I got by for 4 or 5 decades without people being able to bother me in the car, I can get by for another 3, hopefully ! 4 would be nice.

so what about my phone that has text to speech for txt? no different than using the speaker phone to talk to someone... how about if someone is sending an email (it is not texting... it's sending an email...) lol...

In reply to donalson:

It's probably too much to hope that the laws were written completely and sanely, but your examples seem reasonably straightforward to me:

Text to speech, as long as you don't have to do additional prodding at the phone, would be regarded as talking on the phone. You're essentially checking or leaving a voice mail which happens to be stored as text. (Hands-free only in my neck of the woods)

Email I would think should be included in texting, as would instant messaging, on the grounds that they all involve reading and doing text entry.

My own personal grey area where I'm not sure what the law actually says is using the mp3 player in my phone. It's effectively operating my car stereo, though admittedly the interface isn't as 'no-look' as the actual stereo unit; I tend to try not to futz with it unless I'm stopped or in a situation where surprises are highly unlikely...

ransom wrote: In reply to Travis_K: Aiding that viewpoint, they're not doing it in a way that nobody can see, they're doing it in a way that they *think* nobody can see; it's pretty obvious what they're doing. Unless they have a really fascinating crotch, but you'd think the novelty would wear off eventually...

What makes me want to laugh is when people try to surreptitiously text and drive at night. The glow from the screen on the phone is usually pretty obvious.

I think laws against texting while driving are a good idea, i agree that people have a stupid reaction to it. Basically there are people that feel like cell phone used while driving is one of their rights as an American and no one can stop them no matter what. That's the stupid part.

Call me a luddite... but I'd be happy to see cell-phone blockers in all vehicles (while in motion).

Lesley wrote: Call me a luddite... but I'd be happy to see cell-phone blockers in all vehicles (while in motion).

Fine for the driver, but what about pasengers?

Ian F wrote:

Lesley wrote: Call me a luddite... but I'd be happy to see cell-phone blockers in all vehicles (while in motion).

Fine for the driver, but what about pasengers?

Worth the sacrifice if people cant stop being idiots. As stated its just as dangerous as drinking and driving and most places (maybe all now) dont allow a passenger to drink in the car either.

Lesley wrote: Call me a luddite... but I'd be happy to see cell-phone blockers in all vehicles (while in motion).

Lud·dite   /ˈlʌdaɪt/ Show Spelled [luhd-ahyt] Show IPA

–noun a member of any of various bands of workers in England (1811–16) organized to destroy manufacturing machinery, under the belief that its use diminished employment.

I'm confused again.

Countless times I've had to take action to avoid someone either cutting in front, or swerving obliviously in front of me while distracted by their chatting/texting. It's getting to be a daily occurance, waiting for the driver ahead to look up from his crotch and realize the light has turned green (minor annoyance) or seeing a berkeleying huge Yukon barreling head-on, two feet into my lane while the driver's main focus is on his twiddling fingers. It's no big hardship to pull over to make a call.

In reply to 914Driver:

in modern speak, a luddite is a technology-hater.