Texting and driving

billiebob

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MLG Automotive Law, has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, seeking to enjoin it from selling any more iPhones until it installs texting and driving safeguards in its cell phones.

Apple has had the technology to prevent driving and texting since 2008 and received a patent on the technology in 2014. It refuses to install the technology out of a fear of losing market share.

This is why Government Regulations work. They level the playing field making everyone use the technology.


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We have the 'do not disturb while driving' while driving turned on my work iphones, really like it, keeps all notifications and texts from coming through while moving, sending a automated response back to the sender. To access your phone you have to click a button that you are not driving. Now is that going to stop some people, probably not... but it has stopped me from picking it up many times
 
Here is bit from the lawsuit. Definitely a people problem.

We compulsively check our phones because every time we get an update through text, email or social media, we experience an elevation of dopamine, which makes us feel happy. If that desire for a dopamine fix leads us to check our phones while we’re driving, a simple text can turn deadly.

Not only do our bodies physically react when we receive a text but our rational ability to avoid the danger is biologically impaired. The University of Kansas found that drivers have great difficulty resisting the cell phone temptation because the prefrontal cortex responsible for decision making, is fully engaged by the task of driving.


And law enforcement admits the problem is so wide spread they will not make a difference. Texting and driving has nothing in common with drinking and driving.

So if this technology exists to stop texting and driving, should we not be using it? It definitely sounds like the cheapest way to go. And 100% effective.
 
So if this technology exists to stop texting and driving, should we not be using it? It definitely sounds like the cheapest way to go. And 100% effective.
I am going to respectfully disagree with that last part. Personally I don't like the gov't mandating things. I'd say the only 100% effective way to reduce/eliminate driving-related issues is to stop driving. We have the technology to do that (alternate means of mass transit), should we not use it? Unfortunately behavior cannot be legislated or mandated.

I just drove 240 miles today. I received over a dozen texts and 3 phone calls. I didn't answer any of them until my trip was over. If I'm behind the wheel then the phone is either in my pocket or my "truck bag".
 
I don't like the gov't mandating things
Every safety feature on our cars is gov't mandated, seatbelts, side marker lights, speed limits. This lawsuit is about mandating technology which stops the driver from driving and texting. No need to turn off the phone or put it into the glovebox. Can you imagine driving today de-regulated like 1920.

Yeah, some things are over regulated. But of all I have read on texting and driving this Apple Technology from 10 years ago seems like a no brainer. Your phone will not text if you are driving. No need for police to catch you. No need for you to hide the phone. It just stops the problem.... virtually for free.
 
Every safety feature on our cars is gov't mandated, seatbelts, side marker lights, speed limits. This lawsuit is about mandating technology which stops the driver from driving and texting. No need to turn off the phone or put it into the glovebox. Can you imagine driving today de-regulated like 1920.

Yeah, some things are over regulated. But of all I have read on texting and driving this Apple Technology from 10 years ago seems like a no brainer. Your phone will not text if you are driving. No need for police to catch you. No need for you to hide the phone. It just stops the problem.... virtually for free.

From what I've seen of old clips from 1920's and stuff, reminds me of Iraq. It would be interesting to say the least.

Looks like over all we are pretty much in agreement. The "virtually for free" is probably a reason it isn't included by default. If it works as well as you say and the results would be a positive then I hope it the lawsuit goes well. I have mixed views on stuff presented in the name of "safety".
 
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Every safety feature on our cars is gov't mandated, seatbelts, side marker lights, speed limits. This lawsuit is about mandating technology which stops the driver from driving and texting. No need to turn off the phone or put it into the glovebox. Can you imagine driving today de-regulated like 1920.

Yeah, some things are over regulated. But of all I have read on texting and driving this Apple Technology from 10 years ago seems like a no brainer. Your phone will not text if you are driving. No need for police to catch you. No need for you to hide the phone. It just stops the problem.... virtually for free.

To play devil’s advocate, do the regulated features protect us or allow for more reckless bevavior?

My guess is there was a plateau and decline at some point, after a significant increase in safety.

Edit: I’m not disagreeing with avoiding texting and driving, but positing that there’s some regulations that help and others that don’t. It seems like this one may be dealing with a symptom and not the problem.
 
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Scientific fact, as technology improves, people take more risks. One example, improvements in antiskid brakes have allowed stupid people to drive faster on snowy/slippery roads, this increased speed has a direct correlation with increased injuries when things go wrong. Studying this part of what I researched in my dissertation. Dr. Tim
 
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I find when I'm driving my TJ I cant hear texts or calls anyway so I'm safe...…Hang on 🤔 there's the solution, make everyone buy a TJ soft-top and they'll be too busy using there hands to drive and too deaf to answer calls....

I installed a hands free system and 9/10 times the caller asks if I can call them back... pretty happy to oblige.
 
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Just a side bar question: What if I'm the passenger? Does the Apple tech know my position in the car?

On topic: I think if fines, etc. are so obnoxiously large, you will eventually dissuade people from using phones while driving. How many times would you need a $5k fine to stop? And I bet your friends would hear about it pretty fast too!
 
I know in Oz (just this week) they started using cameras above highway signs...made specifically designed to target people on their phones (texting or calling)
 
I just have to say it's a REAL problem in Los Angeles. I'd say every single traffic light is slowed down by at least one driver on there phone texting. Who doesn't see the light change. Because they are to engrossed in their phone. I'm not exaggerating. And we have a law here with a fairly substantial fine. And no one follows it.

I also can see driver after driver texting on their phones while driving even on the freeway at 80 mph. Someday they're going to kill someone and/or themselves. I say pass a law that allows all phone companies to install the software. But it has to work if you pull over and put it in park. Otherwise it's a safety issue. And put a $5000 fine on anyone caught texting while driving. AND pass a bill that funds enforcing it. Because in large metropolitan areas like LA there is little to no traffic enforcement. Especially with texting.

And especially Uber drivers. These morons couldn't find their own ass to save themselves. I can't tell you how many times I've taken my life in my own hands while riding in an Uber. There is NO driver training for these idiots. And around here it's alot of people that can't get employment elsewhere. So it's the bottom of the common sense barrel. If you've ever seen an Uber driver look over their shoulder to check their blind spot before changing lanes - it's rarer than the Hope Diamond.

It takes ten seconds to pull over and answer a text. Which is what I do if I know it's important. And something I need to respond too. Couldn't be any f*cking simpler. But these morons just don't seem to get anything. I wish it were just Darwin's law. But others suffer too.
 
I find when I'm driving my TJ I cant hear texts or calls anyway so I'm safe...…Hang on 🤔 there's the solution, make everyone buy a TJ soft-top and they'll be too busy using there hands to drive and too deaf to answer calls....
Hahaha, so true. I've never liked taking calls while driving to begin with, but the soft top and stick shift combo means I'm incapable of talking or texting while driving these days!
 
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The iPhone tech to prevent texting and driving is a bit annoying, particularly if you're a passenger, so I'm sure most people turn it off.

Personally, I think a better option would to just have a custom voicemail/text response that tells people you're driving and will get back to them that gives you a choice to enable or not when you start driving.
 
As humans, there are lots of example of activities we do no matter how bad or regulated they are for us. I don't see how texting and driving are any different.
So, it seems like we'll need tech to allow us to text and drive safely, rather then trying to beat mother nature at the game.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
No good answer to the problem of phoning/texting and driving.

I hate BIG government. I hated it when they made it law that you had to wear a seatbelt. I’m not dumb, I wore it anyway, but govt felt it had to protect idiots from themselves.

And the trends just continue and continue in that direction. I hate that they need to make laws to force common sense. Ok said in a better way I hate that people won’t use common sense unless the govt forces them to.

Anybody ever spend anytime at all watching traffic/car crash videos from Russia on YT? Their govt doesn’t force them to use the common sense they should. And trust me it doesn’t look like the Russian public bothers with common sense when it comes to driving.

Over here, unfortunately the idiocy won’t stop so the govt needs to step in by any means necessary to make John Q Idiot do the right thing and put the phone down. So if suspected of texting/phoning/web surfing and driving involving an accident, and they find proof (through timestamps and texts etc), then they get a $5k fine and 30 days community service. 2nd offense $10k fine, 90 dats jail and 12 months suspended license. 3rd offense 1yr jail and permanent license revoke.

But there would have to be proof. And if Apple can build into the phone software something that can work with GPS to provide that proof then fine. But I wouldn’t want the phone to not work at all in case you are a passenger, etc.