America, please, please, with ice cream on top..... Pull Your Heads Out Of Your Apps!!!!!!

I know, (2nd rant in one day) this one is probably a little more appreciated than the 1st. I drive to work very early in the a.m. usually 0500ish, - there is virtually no traffic. I drive home around 1830 each night, again the traffic is sparse.

Today I had a lunch meeting, so it required me to leave the comforts of my office and get out in the traffic; (there are detours, holes in the roads, highways falling apart reconstruction/construction everywhere) pick up my client and proceed to their favorite watering hole for a nice meal.

I probably dodged a dozen vehicles, left of center, passing wrong side, right of center, tail gated and then some. The drivers in my city are terrifying. 6 in 10 vehicles are on their phones; texting, apping, God knows what else (tendering, perhaps, FBing?) they are doing on their phones. We just passed a hefty fine backed law, that seemingly has done nothing to prevent this.


I found this nice cure for texting and driving whilst searching for content

"Distracted driving" is a nice term for talking about people dying while they text (amongst other things). According to the US Department of Transportation distraction.gov website, 3,154 people died in distraction-related car accidents in 2013 -- around nine per day. So any technology that can keep someone's hands on the wheel and off the phone has the potential to save lives.

Enter Smartwheel, a snap-on steering wheel cover that monitors hands on the wheel. The Smartwheel is aiming for a US launch toward the middle of 2016 with a price of $199 (around £135 or AU$275). It will deliver real-time alerts in three main cases: Having one hand off the wheel for too long, having both hands off the wheel at all, and having both hands too close together (because it suggests a phone is being held while driving).

The cover delivers visual and audio alerts to keep a driver focused, and logs activity via Bluetooth so a parent or a boss can learn how focused, or how dangerous, drivers are being in their car. The visual feedback in the demo suggests there is even a green light shining when you have hands in an OK position, but I worry that in itself could be a distraction, particularly when driving at night.

a reply to: ReadLeader

I live in a small town where Main street divides into two one-way roads. This divide happens right after my driveway. I have now seen 5 different cars going the wrong way on a one-way road, I honked and flashed lights, but they kept coming and I have had to pull off the road every time. These incidents have all happened in the past year.

Driving in this nation is getting bad, really bad.

ok done ranting myself

a reply to: hubrisinxs

I feel ya Hub. My commute to work is aprox 4 miles and 10 minutes. EVERY day I am thankful to make it home without a #ing bicycle even texting and swerving

a reply to: ReadLeader

This type of behavior could be one of many efforts by TPTB in culling the human herd.

Pity me, I drive during rush hour and drive just under an hour one way.

I've seen quite a bit, and to add to the stress, I am mom taxi, so I have our 5-year-old in the car.

a reply to: ketsuko

OMG! ! ! ! PLEASE be the Mom that puts her phone in the purse until arrival to destination I even see Mom taxis with this behavior and I am terrified for the young ones

on another note; I dont think I could stomach your commute Ket... Hats off to you!!

there is no need to text and drive it is so unsafe

a reply to: ReadLeader

I am a mama and a grandma and I never answer my cellphone while driving.

a reply to: ReadLeader

I have a flip phone. Insane to do any kind of text unless I am stuck in bumper to bumper jam and not moving. I have called on occasion when stuck in traffic or running late, but normally, it is in my bag.

a reply to: ReadLeader

your commute is 4 miles?

I drive 2 hours one way brother... I see every kind of bad driver out there. i may be one sometimes. I don't think so.

a reply to: tinner07

Yea, Tin; in the summertime, I drive to work EARLY, go home @ lunch and ride my 29er back to the office after a good 10-20 mile ride I dont DARE ride in the street (unless absolutely necessary) I have it pretty good-

here is my biggest pet peeve on the highway....

I am driving 70 or 75 on the highway, get over for a car getting on... and he floors it to not let me over behind him(because of traffic] or in front of him....

I hate cars that don't drive in the right lane, regardless of how fast you are going

on country roads??? I see a guy make a turn behind me maybe 2 miles back... he proceeds to run up on my ass but won;t pass. rides my ass on a curvy road.

I have a 2 hour drive. i see it all

a reply to: ReadLeader

ok I think it is great you leave to work early... I fu#$%ng love being up early, We start work at 7 am. I love it. The fact that my project is 2 hours away, not so much like...but I do it.

originally posted by: mamabeth
a reply to: ReadLeader

This type of behavior could be one of many efforts by TPTB in culling the human herd.

I'm all for the mass culling of the stupid from the human herd, they are probably the majority now. Probably more so than anyone on this site.

The sad part of it all is that these morons often take innocents with them.
If it was just them paying the price then I have zero sympathy for them and the consequences of their stupidity but I do feel for the innocent victims of the risk they feel they just NEED to take.

a reply to: ReadLeader

We just passed a hefty fine backed law, that seemingly has done nothing to prevent this.

Hefty fines won't do anything if the law isn't being enforced. Wheres the traffic cops?

If that many people are being that obvious, they should be out writing tickets in that area. Hella way to send a message.

originally posted by: mamabeth
a reply to: ReadLeader

This type of behavior could be one of many efforts by TPTB in culling the human herd.

Vs the logical explanation that people are equal parts dumb, arrogant, selfish , cowardly and well dumb when they txt and drive..

Or drink and drive..

Or drive while high.

Or drive while putting makeup on..

a reply to: ReadLeader

But, but, but what about MY FREEDOM. I don't care about anybody else's freedoms but MY FREEDOM is sacred. My FREEDOM to text whenever TF I-I-I- want, MY FREEDOM to endanger the lives of others. MY FREEDOM.

a reply to: FyreByrd

Lol sarc, right Fyr?

@ Ope Or drive while putting makeup on.. Bwha ha. I once witnessed a lady utilizing a hair curler iron whilst driving, and drinking a latte~