
She Texted About Dinner While Driving. Then a Pedestrian Was Dead - tysone
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/nyregion/texting-driving-vehicular-homicide-nj.html
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ne0flex
>New York, in 2001, became the first state to outlaw driver cellphone use.

I live in Manhattan and walk to work. The amount of drivers I see using their
cellphones while driving on during my daily commute is ridiculous. Sometimes
the drivers are in plain sight of officers whom are standing on the crossing
an at intersection. It's ridiculous.

Sometimes I feel like some sort of program should be introduced where if a
pedestrian can obtain evidence of a driver on the phone or something, it can
be submitted and the driver receives a fine while the person that submitted
the evidence gets rewarded.

~~~
satori99
My city (Sydney, Aus) has recently been rolling out cameras specifically to
catch drivers using phones and other devices. These are not speed or red-light
cameras -- their only purpose is to determine if a driver has both hands on
the wheel and it not distracted by electronic devices.

[https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/09/phone-detecting-
camera...](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/09/phone-detecting-cameras-what-
nsw-drivers-need-to-know/)

~~~
NullPrefix
>determine if a driver has both hands on the wheel

Wait what?

~~~
mc32
Yeah. No phone; I’m glad about that.

Two hands on the wheel? That’s not necessary and also not possible in some
legal scenarios (using car central console, shifting)

~~~
satori99
Australian law says you must keep both hands on the wheel at all times unless
changing gears or indicating.

And regarding phones; it is illegal for a driver to be distracted by an
electronic device -- even if a passenger is the person using it.

It is quite strict, but the number of preventable deaths with this sort of
distraction as a contributing factor is staggeringly high.

~~~
smabie
How about rolling down the windows? Or what about when you have to turn the
wheel a lot and reposition your hands? Or turn on the air conditioning?

~~~
mc32
Also what about people who’re wearing a sling or a cast with an automatic, are
they not allowed to drive?

~~~
satori99
The law does not distinguish between automatic or manual transmissions.

I am not sure about the cast/sling situation. But I imagine if it was
considered a contributory factor in an accident, you would be culpable.

[https://www.canstar.com.au/car-insurance/6-road-rules-
youre-...](https://www.canstar.com.au/car-insurance/6-road-rules-youre-
probably-breaking/)

~~~
smabie
How about if you only have one arm? You can’t drive? That’s fucked up.

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didgeoridoo
My dad gave me some great advice when I started driving: “Drive like every car
and pedestrian around you is about to make the worst possible decision.”

I simply can’t understand how people think it’s OK to take their eyes off the
road while conducting a multi-ton chunk of steel and glass at highway speeds.

I’ve taken stick over the years for refusing to even touch my climate controls
or radio while driving. But, I’ve had two close calls in recent memory where,
had I been looking away for just a second, something catastrophic would have
happened. And it would have been my fault.

~~~
infradig
The advice i gave to my kids when walking to school... don't assume a vehicle
is going to stop for you at a crossing.

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upofadown
The really interesting thing here is that it had to be shown that there was
texting occurring. It seems that slamming into the back of another vehicle and
killing someone would be A OK otherwise. Driving is a responsibility free zone
in our culture...

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rjkennedy98
Good. As someone who bikes to work and sees the disgusting displays of drivers
on a daily basis I hope for more of this.

~~~
smabie
More dead pedestrians?

