Should punishment for driving while texting be as severe as DUI?

[piasabird]

The ticket is not enough. A lady slammed into the back of my car while I was coming to a stop at a stoplight. My vehicle was pushed into the car in front of me and that car was pushed into the car in front of it pushing it into the intersection. A $159.00 ticket is a slap on the wrist. It is barely more than running a red light.

Besides the ticket, the offender should get a 5 year ban for using a cell phone. Also the insurance should not pay for the accident. This is a willful premeditated crime. It is similar with attempted manslaughter or premeditated murder. I think a $10,000 fine for every person injured and a $5,000 fine for every car damaged would be a more fitting punishment.

 

[piasabird]

Texting while driving is a symptom of a mental disease.

Stupid text robots.

 

[GT1999]

The ticket is not enough. A lady slammed into the back of my car while I was coming to a stop at a stoplight. My vehicle was pushed into the car in front of me and that car was pushed into the car in front of it pushing it into the intersection. A $159.00 ticket is a slap on the wrist. It is barely more than running a red light.

Besides the ticket, the offender should get a 5 year ban for using a cell phone. Also the insurance should not pay for the accident. This is a willful premeditated crime. It is similar with attempted manslaughter or premeditated murder. I think a $10,000 fine for every person injured and a $5,000 fine for every car damaged would be a more fitting punishment.

Could you afford $15,000? Here's a fact for EVERYONE, 9/10 people who get arrested for a DUI never get arrested again. Basically, most people learn their lesson. The last thing our country or states need is more laws to fill the governments and politicians pockets. It is seriously becoming a problem. Instead of huge fines or having a permanent record for ANY type of offense where nobody is hurt and it is a FIRST offense, the defendant should be required to do mandatory counseling at their own expense. This will help not only educate them, but the people around them who they are social with. $15k is excessive for texting, just like a lifelong record for a DUi where nobody was driving is also way too excessive. Give them counseling, and it will help eliminate the problem.

I'm not totally against fines, just not ones that will bankrupt an everyday person.

 

[ControlD]

The ticket is not enough. A lady slammed into the back of my car while I was coming to a stop at a stoplight. My vehicle was pushed into the car in front of me and that car was pushed into the car in front of it pushing it into the intersection. A $159.00 ticket is a slap on the wrist. It is barely more than running a red light.

Besides the ticket, the offender should get a 5 year ban for using a cell phone. Also the insurance should not pay for the accident. This is a willful premeditated crime. It is similar with attempted manslaughter or premeditated murder. I think a $10,000 fine for every person injured and a $5,000 fine for every car damaged would be a more fitting punishment.

That's just silly. I really don't think anybody texting while driving is doing it with the express intent of killing somebody, which I would say is close enough to the legal definition of a premeditated crime. I wouldn't be surprised if you could already be charged with involuntary manslaughter if you kill somebody while texting. Why do we need new laws on the books when existing ones can already be applied? In your case I would say the lady driving could have been charged with something more serious like reckless driving.

I was involved in a similar accident to yours close to 20 years ago. I had stopped for a red light and a lady plowed into me from behind sending me into a busy intersection. The lady had turned around to yell at her misbehaving kids and didn't realize I was stopped in front of her. She was distracted in much the same way a texter would be. I understand the dangers of distracted driving, but I don't think she set out that day hoping to put me in danger. I don't think she should have had the equivalent of a DUI attached to her record or a $15k fine either. I do think she should have been watching the road the same way I wish people would put their phones away (talking OR texting) while driving. Still, there were laws on the books to handle our accident just as there are today. We don't need more when they won't even enforce the ones they have now.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Here's a fact for EVERYONE, 9/10 people who get arrested for a DUI never get arrested again. Basically, most people learn their lesson.

Here's a fact for everyone: 92.7% of statistics are made up. You damn sure pulled that one out of your ass.

Drunk driving has an incredibly high recidivism rate. 33% of those arrested are repeat offenders.

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/pas-99-023.html

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Here's a fact for everyone: 92.7% of statistics are made up. You damn sure pulled that one out of your ass.

Drunk driving has an incredibly high recidivism rate. 33% of those arrested are repeat offenders.

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/pas-99-023.html

Which does not contradict Geekish thoughts claim. Learn and love statistics.

 

[ControlD]

Here's a fact for everyone: 92.7% of statistics are made up. You damn sure pulled that one out of your ass.

I think that statistic is made up.

 

[SSSnail]

You do realize that if you kill someone with your car you can be charged with murder (or some derivation of), right? If you drive impaired and cause problems you DO get in trouble. Yes, it can be easy to trace that someone has been texting. What is your point, exactly?

Actually, no. It seems like not only you're ignorant of the law, you also speak out of your ass.

Some examples. Not too long ago, an 18 year old rammed into a mother and her 2 year old daughter at a stop sign crosswalk. That incident killed the daughter, and left the mother incapacitated for life. Do you know what the 18 year old driver got? Even though she was found guilty of driving while texting? 12 months probation, because she "has a bright future ahead of her"

Another one, where a stupid punk ass bitch drove onto a sidewalk, killing a father and daughter riding their bikes. Guess what the driver was doing at the time of the accident? You guessed it! Texting.

And my answer to the forensic evidence regard texting is to fight the so called "BS" charges that you "F the POLICE" crowd seem to be so hung up on. If forensic evidence can be used to convict you, it can also be used to exonerate you. Stop being a child.

Do you live in the United States? All of those things you listed, if a cop sees you doing them, that cop can absolutely cite you for it. It's a moving violation. Depending on where you live, it's usually a "careless driving" offense or something similar.

Yes, I do. What's your point? A slap on the wrist does not convey, or drive the point home, of the consequences of a person's wrong doing. Proof? Your very arguments.

So is your entire argument that you think being around roads will be safer if we ban cell phones in cars? Motor vehicle fatalities have declined in the last few decades, not increased: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...n_U.S._by_year

I never said ban cell phones in cars you idiot, I said heavily fine the people that are driving while texting, or doing other stupid shits that are causing them distractions that could lead to senseless death. How difficult is that to understand?

Regarding your statistic, if ONE person die from preventable causes that are caused by stupid people doing stupid things while driving, that's ONE person too many.

I really hope none of the people you know ever end up being in that statistic, because you'll change your tunes really fast. If you end up being on that statistical chart, I'll chalk it up to nature working itself out.

 

[GT1999]

I'm with you SSSnail, if somebody gets hurt, or especially killed, 12 months probation is just a joke. Not a slap on the wrist, but a huge f-ing joke... Our system is completely screwed up.

 

[ControlD]

I'm with you SSSnail, if somebody gets hurt, or especially killed, 12 months probation is just a joke. Not a slap on the wrist, but a huge f-ing joke... Our system is completely screwed up.

I agree. In those cases referenced the people responsible for those accidents should have been heavily prosecuted. And they could have been but they weren't. In those cases it wasn't a lack of applicable laws that kept those drivers out of jail, it was a lack of enforcement of already existing laws or worse selective application of those laws. So, is the solution then to pass more laws that can also be selectively ignored or applied? How about simply adding mandatory enforcement of existing laws if it can be proven that a driver was texting at the moment of an accident? I would be all for that.

 

[Evadman]

Absolutely.

 

[ImpulsE69]

So what you are all saying is we need another law that works as well as DUI's that keep all those drunks off the roads...oh wait...

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Let's not get too crazy here. Who knows what dangerous ideas we might end up with if we advocated evidence based governance?

 

[DrPizza]

Should punishment for driving while texting be as severe as DUI?

What I think is that such a decision shouldn't be based on emotion, gut instinct, etc. Rather, such a decision should be based on solid statistics and research. If the research shows that someone isn't as impaired, then the fine shouldn't be as large. If the research shows that someone texting is more impaired than someone with a BAC of <arbitrary number>, then the fine should be more, etc.

 

[Druidx]

Then what would be the penalty for texting while driving drunk?

 

[rh71]

how can you tell someone is texting as opposed to looking on google maps? Either way it's dangerous but how can the cop differentiate? Sometimes I even pick up the phone and hit the voice dialer, then the speaker button.

 

[Zargon]

my friend got one of those.

he was out in the winter at a bar and was too drunk to drive so he slept in his car for a few hours. since it was winter and like 20 degrees, he turned his car on to get some heat going. he put his seat back and passed out.

he woke up to a cop knocking on his window and received a DUI for it. received a DUI for being responsible. such bullshit.

didnt you hear? there is a special place in hell for him

 

[Thebobo]

yes

 

[bunnyfubbles]

how can you tell someone is texting as opposed to looking on google maps? Either way it's dangerous but how can the cop differentiate? Sometimes I even pick up the phone and hit the voice dialer, then the speaker button.

pretty sure most phones have a message history

'tis rocket surgery, I know

 

[ControlD]

pretty sure most phones have a message history

'tis rocket surgery, I know

Yeah, and it takes all of one swipe and tap to delete it.

So, what we will end up with is you getting a ticket regardless of what your message history says. If you want to fight the ticket it will be up to you to see if you can get your outgoing message history from the cell phone company. Sounds lovely.

 

[Chiropteran]

I think the penalty for a "DUI" is too high already, so no I don't think texting should have the same penalty.

IMO, DUI laws are getting out of control. A regular drinker who steps into a car after spending 3 hours to sober up, drives home 5mph below the speed limit to play it safe but gets caught at a checkpoint and blows .07 and gets arrested shouldn't get the same penalty as a kid who drinks till he nearly blacks out, stumbles into a car, and crashes into a minivan and kills a family of 4, with a BAC of .32

You can even get a DUI for sleeping off the alcohal in your car, without ever putting it into motion. That law or ruling is BS and serves no purpose, it actually encourages the drunk to drive drunk instead of sleeping till sober because he will get the DUI either way. What are they trying to encourage here?

For the most part, I feel like punishment should be linked to damages. You think about killing someone, you can't get tried for murder, but if you attempt to kill someone you can.

Punish the drivers who cause accidents FOR ANY REASON. If my wife and kids were killed by a driver, would I feel better if the police told me "hey I know this seems bad, but great news! the driver was completely sober, so we are just going to give him a little slap on the wrist". Hell no. Killing someone with a vehicle needs a several penalty in ALL cases. Possible exception if the accident can be clearly proven to be the fault of some major defect or traffic flaw, but even then someone should be held accountable, such as the company the built the defective car.


So yeah, you kill someone while texting I do think it should be the same penalty as killing someone while drunk. But if you text and cause no traffic issues of any kind, why should it be a problem?

 

[NuroMancer]

Don't most jurisdictions have a law something to the effect of driving with undo care and attention?

I don't care if your using a cellphone for GPS, texting, putting makeup on, shaving. How often do you see a vehicle driving irratically and the person is doing one of the above. IMO most drivers engaged in the above activities have a visible impact on the roads.

I have a friend who is an officer, and he had a case where he honked multiple times, flashed his lights and the person was so oblivious (texting) that he pulled them over.

Seems to me that the tools for LEO's are already in place(if you have a similar law).

 

[Zargon]

Yeah, and it takes all of one swipe and tap to delete it.

So, what we will end up with is you getting a ticket regardless of what your message history says. If you want to fight the ticket it will be up to you to see if you can get your outgoing message history from the cell phone company. Sounds lovely.

pretty much. though they may actually be ones having to get a warrant to get your records

my locality is pretty grey, they have a no texting law, but its written so 'well' that it talks about data, not text messages

 

[z1ggy]

'I don't see the difference between if you are texting while driving, jacking off while driving or whatever. If you are operating your vehicle in any other state then having 100% of your attention on the road, then you are putting others at risk. Being drunk and getting caught is easily measured, so that's why fines are simple. Texting isn't a finite thing. You could be sober as can be, text and be ok then text again and crash or hit somebody else. If you injure others the charges should be the same as if you were drunk.. I mean the outcome is the same and the situation ( you were distracted and not operating the vehicle with full alertness). As far as a ticket goes? Probably a slap is okay if you just get caught and are pulled over with out harming anybody. If it happens again, increase the fine and probably take the license away, but I think being charged thousands of dollars like a DUI isn't called for.

 

[alkemyst]

texting is much worse than DUI.

I have witnessed at least 6 accidents where I saw them texting and watched as they totally plowed into someone or ran off-road.

I only witnessed one DUI type accident and it was someone just backing into a low pole in the ground.