Distracted driving, a misdemeanor, often becomes a felony when it causes serious injury or damage....it seems that's the case in Maryland.....

Jake's Law was passed in response. Texting while driving or using a hand-held cellphone while driving was already illegal in Maryland. ... Now, distracted drivers who cause serious injury or death can receive up to three years in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.

They damn well better prosecute him for that, and unsafe driving, illegal left turn, driving into oncoming traffic causing an accident, etc. Police are not above the law, they serve it. No excuses here.

'Deck' may be over the top. Putting myself in his shoes, at the time, it may have seemed intentional. He just got up and kept going which seemed odd. I'm sure I would have asked the dude what had happened. In retrospect, after seeing the whole video, I'd be pretty pissed that this idiot is tooling along on his segway apparently not competent to operate it (and couldn't he have just walked along with the camera?). It's about as careless as texting while driving. I'm not sure if Usain Bolt is still winning races, but the legs this guy ran into are what puts food on his plate. So yes, I'd be pretty pissed.

texting while driving-it can wait-PSA has been added as a related post - related requested by oritteropo on that post.

I suspect the FBI's reasoning for not considering it a genuine threat may be in part because the number of people who would actually go through with the kind of shit that she gets threatened with is statistically very small. Conversely, the number of jackasses on the internet who are willing to post all manner of vile garbage simply for their own amusement is HUGE. So that's why I have such a hard time taking the threats too seriously, that and people tend to focus on mass shootings and wind up greatly overestimating their chances of actually being involved in one. Seriously, you're way more likely to be run over while crossing the street by some dumbass texting while driving. Make sure to look both ways before crossing.

This won't stop people from texting while driving.

Having your car impounded for a month, two months, then sold at auction, and a $1000, $5000, then $10,000 fine for 1st, 2nd and 3rd occurances will stop people from texting while driving.

It has been proven texting while driving is worse than being legally drunk while driving. http://www.cnbc.com/id/31545004

Hell, drunks technically could argue the alcohol impaired their choice to drive or not.

Your video, This Is How You Get People To Stop Texting While Driving, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

The cyclists I spoke so fondly of are a small segment of the cycling population and my consternation is borne of the occasional variant described, who treat their mode of transportation like their sexuality or alternative lifestyle-choice.

MOST folks who use bikes as their sole mode of transportation are common-sense courteous and 'invisible' to motorists, this is due primarily to a properly-functioning survival circuit in the grey matter area.

It's the passionate geeks trying to serve as a shining example of conservative, earth-friendly superiors pushing that envelope between sucking-air or taking a dirt-nap. My pal who got killed during a Critical Mass ride in S.F. was not one of these, he was simply in the wrong group at the wrong time.

Oh-when I ride a bike, I ride against the flow of traffic as I do when I walk down a street-WHY? Because I want to optimize my chances of survival against the ever-growing number of lame-brains who compulsively and obsessively, text while driving. Heck, most folks can't carry-on a phone conversation, blue-tooth or not without forgetting they are charged with a 3000 lb death machine.

Erics' right when he says you are hyper-aware while riding on two wheels, be it motorized or not. You have to be if you want to live.

Take a picture-My rant here contained NO expletives or curses, I found Jesus yesterday and he told me to and I quote, "For fuck's sake, fucking cut that shit the fuck out or else!"

Also, why is he recording video on his smartphone while driving at 150km/h, passing another car? Isn't that about as safe as texting while driving?

I estimate the Corvette is going about 220km/h. Pretty fast.

Alternate title: Do NOT Be BAD at texting while driving.

Look I understand everyone wants me to live and don't want me to kill other people. But what the fuck can't I? What everyones lives are soooo precious that I can't take a few out here or there? There's too many people dammit! I'm doing a public service!

I was nearly pushed off a cliff because of some kid texting while driving. He had no idea that he was drifting lanes....

Tip: if you see someone texting and driving, don't hesitate to call the cops. Texting while driving can easily kill people and it is worth stopping them.

Neat, though he was definitely taking it easy through that lap.

I'd love to see a similar view during a qualifying lap, what with DRS, KERS, brake bias changes, engine mapping changes, etc. According to Vettel it's almost like they have to text while driving all the way through the entire race these days.

I wish I could promote this comment. Instead, I'll just have to promote Goldy the Stranger's website, and particular the blog post this comes from...

*five minutes after searching "Rick Perry" on the site*

Holy shit, Dick Perry is so much more of an ignorant, hateful, despicable corporate shill of a fundie rethuglican candidate than I could've imagined! This post in particular got to me, and not just because it involves Switzerland's biggest, evilist bank (UBS) either:

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/08/25/rick-perry-wanted-to-profit-on-dead-texas-teachers

"Let's bet on how quick we can tire old teachers into dying and make killer bucks off their hard earned savings, yay!!"


p.s.: Another tidbit of Perryntelligenz: Gay marriage, dangerous and bad. Texting while driving, a-okay.


>> ^bareboards2:

complete blog post from Goldy at The Stranger -- I thought this was great (emphasis added):
One of the more telling moments from last night's Republican presidential debate was when the audience at the Reagan Library broke out in wild applause at the mention of 234 death row inmates executed in Texas on Gov. Rick Perry's watch... no doubt some of whom were innocent.
I can understand why some people might support capital punishment, particularly the families of victims, although I personally oppose the practice on a number of grounds. But I have zero empathy for those who would applaud Texas's prolific rate of execution, as if it were something to aspire to. The brutal vindictiveness of many in the Republican base is never more on display than when they cheer an execution or two (or 234) as if it were a game-winning touchdown.
There is an interesting analogy to be made with the similarly hot-button issue of abortion, where the anti-abortion-rights forces adopted the "Pro-Life" label in order to imply that their Pro-Choice opponents were in fact Pro-Death. Of course, we're not. We're not even "Pro-Abortion" per se. While we may loudly cheer legislative and legal victories that support the right to reproductive choice, I'd wager that nobody has ever heard a round of hearty applause arise at the tally of aborted fetuses. Through improved education, counseling, and access to effective birth control, the goal has always been to make abortion safe, legal, and rare, with no particular extra emphasis on any one of those three objectives over the others. An abortion may evoke in some a sense of relief, but it's hard to imagine that it has ever been a cause for celebration.

One would think that even the most ardent capital punishment supporters (many of whom ironically self-identify as Pro-Life) would be more respectful of the awesome responsibility that comes with government sanctioned executions. But judging from that disturbing moment in last night's debate, apparently not.

Holy FUCK!!! That was unexpected. Maybe she shouldn't have been texting while driving, huh? >:[

I text while driving cause I'm pro. Teens suck at everything.