He also posted a comment later on that says:

I posted this video so parents can show their kids how dangerous texting/ drinking/ distractions can be while driving.

I won't post names and locations because I'm trying to protect all people involved.

Everyone was ok. I stayed and helped until police and emergency arrived.

Everyone there was glad I caught it on film. The entire video was sent to the police and people involved.

Please, don't text/ drink / become distracted and drive.

Unfortunately the lack of information provided is what makes everyone question what really happened. We are not doubting that the video shown is a powerful reminder that the roads are dangerous, but unfortunately there is no clear evidence that this accident occurred due to a specific mental impairment (I'm including texting while driving as a mental impairment).

It would be more helpful if there was a link to an associated news story that said texting was the clear reason.

In my opinion on this video, once the car came bouncing off the retaining wall into oncoming traffic, you would expect the brakes to be applied immediately (in fact, I don't see any brake lights at all) and some immediate correction in direction to the right to avoid the oncoming traffic if texting was the only distraction involved.

Additionally, throughout the video we see the vehicle swerving all over a straight road. Generally this is not typical behavior if someone is texting and driving, since they wouldn't even be using the steering wheel since both hands (or at least one) is on the phone texting.

And anyway, since when do we take what everyone posts on YouTube at face value?

>> ^bareboards2:

from the person who posted this vid, per YT description -- emphasis added to the word "teen":
"I was following a teen that was texting.
I called the police then followed him and video taped him.
He hit two cars... TEXTING and DRIVING is not worth it!!!!
The original video was given to police."
Not drunk, not on drugs. Just doped up on being a teenager who thinks they are immortal.

So the moral here is that texting while driving is bad, but videotaping while driving is ...?

Hey, how about FUCKING DRIVING.

Most establishments have video surveillance in use signs up. And it's common sense that you "watch where you are going", but perhaps they need a sign up for that too.

But let's do a little common practices and expectations when it comes to workplace conduct. Most businesses don't mind if you use your phone sparingly, but they will be pissed if you text while driving or handling machinery or putting yourself in dangerous situations by doing so. So they probably have a clause that says no cell phone use while on their time or unless it's company related.

I mean this is along the lines of thinking for activities such as driving without your prescription glasses, doing possibly dangerous or strenuous activities when you just started taking a new medication, carrying something that obstructs your vision on uneven or uncleared terrain, etc, etc. Things you can get away with sometimes doing, but you know you shouldn't be doing it. It's just more convenient to risk it than it is to take the time to do it in a safer way. And when things go wrong and it doesn't work out for you, the fault falls on you.

If she had been doing that and walked into traffic and got drilled by a car and the video caught her doing this.....I'd be thanking my lucky stars if I was the driver of that car. Because it was clearly her fault for not heeding right of way/jaywalking/whatever. Just like it would have been my fault if I was texting and driving and drilled her with my vehicle while she was legally crossing at a crosswalk.

The biggest crime here is that she hasn't learned that she bears responsibility for the consequences of her actions. If she had realized this and stepped to the side to quickly type her message and move on, there would be no video to be shown. People SHOPPING at malls would be shocked if they weren't being filmed nearly their whole time on the premises, so I highly doubt an employee could expect otherwise.

And that she claims she's humiliated by this video, but comes forward to identify herself....give multiple interviews and hint at lawsuits. Rape victims have more difficulty doing this due to humiliation and public scrutiny and they are victims of an actual CRIME. This lady is a victim of her own stupidity.

I view the guards who filmed and released this video as an entirely different subject than what this woman's problem is. Their punishment should not be based on the content of the video but if they violated any policies, laws, or agreements made to not release video unless authorized. The content of the video could be an empty hallway or someone doing donuts in their vehicles in the parking lots, and it should be judged in the same manner.

The only caveat to this video existing is if someone took this video in a place where there was a reasonable expectation of privacy. In her house, in her yard surrounded by privacy fence, even a public restroom. But the corridors of a mall are in no way private and someone could have captured her stupidity on any recording device and released it.

If she's being harassed at work over this, that's yet another subject......but it probably doesn't fall any under illegal form...since I don't think your incompetence or stupidity is legally protected. She could quit, and if I were her employer I would hope she did...because she's a "work injury" claim waiting to happen.

You support the death penalty, then? See, direpickle, this is a statist. He believes the state has the right to take your life as long as it can be proven to discourage murders.

HA... why do idealists always resort to such extreme examples?

No, it is not okay for the state to commit genocide in order to bring about the great society.

If it could be proven, however, that detainment until sobriety, and income appropriate fining reduced automotive fatalities, I would support that. In the case of murder, death is too light a sentence .


Third, once you open the door to government restrictions where do they end? First you needed a permit to drive. Then they made you wear a seat belt. Now you can't talk on your cell phone. Next you won't be able to change the radio station or talk while driving. All in the name of safety to prevent risk.

You draw the line where the cost of intervention outweighs the costs imposed by the unregulated marketplace. Part of this requires an understanding of "token" laws if you will. Texting while driving, for instance, is obviously stupid. Unfortunately people still do it, and die because of it all the time. As a result, many states have token laws banning it. Everyone knows it's damn near impossible to enforce, or at the very least it's not enforced. All it does is pass the message from the government to the people "trust us on this one, it's a dumb idea." Just putting the law on the books can be enough to get people's attention, and help the greater good. It doesn't ever even have to be brought up in court.

Call me a party pooper, but this just pisses me off. How stupid do you have to be? It's bad enough we have people trying to text while driving... This guy is going to have his cat on his steering column, play with it and videotape it, all while heading towards oncoming traffic. Asshole.

I'm all for cute and cuddly cat videos, but not in traffic; when you're supposed to be concentrating on A) not getting killed and B) not getting someone else killed. I worked too many accidents (and/or fatalities) in my time I spent at DOT that were attributed directly to people doing stupid shit like this.

Downvote for the content, not for DFT.

this is dumb america, not saying anywhere else is necessarily any more clever, but I seriously hold no sympathy for texting while driving....

dum,de,dum dum dum!

It's *terrible of me to text while driving. However I always buckle up.