New California law: No texting while driving.

[Liberal_in_LA]

Last year's new law... no hand held cell phone calls while driving is roundly ignored.

What's next: No shaving while driving? No reading while driving? I've seen both occur. Someone proposed, no lap dogs while driving.

[Mojambo]

1. It's incredibly sad that that had to be written into law.

I fucking hate people who text!

[dana_b]

2. really! what else IS next? no putting on makeup?

no watching movies on my phone? no lap dances? damn... CA is tough!! :P

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. lol. n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. well I have seen worse

I saw a woman blowing a guy driving on the 405

[dana_b]

6. well damn...

you know, the 405 can be like a parking lot at times. What is a guy to do??

seriously, wtf are people thinking/not thinking? if they want to risk their own lives, fine, just get off the damn road first.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

5. Rats -there goes my marketing plan for hairdryers that plug into cigarette lighters

I had it all figured out - including a special accessory alumiunum cup/hairdryer holder
plus a plug in to lighter curling iron.

[tularetom]

7. I remember riding the basketball team bus in high school

we passed a guy getting a BJ as he drove down the highway. High point of the season for us 16 y.o. dipshits.

They'll probably make that illegal next.

[Lucian]

8. I was reading reviews of the Blackberry Storm on Amazon...

and someone was bitching because he/she couldn't type emails one-handed while driving. :wtf: Why the fuck would you want to type emails one-handed while driving? Shouldn't you be watching the fucking roads?

I support the no texting while driving law. People should keep their fucking eyes on the road.

[Lucian]

9. Dupe.

[Withywindle]

10. Oh hell yes.

Please. And just talking on the damn phones for that matter.

My mom nags me to quit smoking. OK, understood. But she does it on her CELL PHONE WHILE SHE'S DRIVING. I can hear the traffic noises in the background. Which is the quicker death, I ask you? :shrug:

[Liberal In Texas]

11. The "Nanny State". Don't you love it so?

We need more of these laws to tell what NOT to do.

<sarcasm left off>

[pnwmom]

12. Yes, since I've been rear-ended twice by distracted cell phone users.

The sad thing is that people aren't smart enough to realize that it isn't safe to text while driving.

[Liberal In Texas]

15. I had a brand new SUV rear-ended by a driver in a Southwestern Bell

truck talking on his cell phone. It took 3 years to get a settlement.

Stupidity can't be legislated against on any one more type of any other stupidity or another. If the person is driving while distracted, he shouldn't probably have been driving. No more than watching TV or texting. To say I can NEVER use a cell phone while driving does not take into consideration every circumstance that it might be just fine. Plus, I may have more situational awareness of the traffic, (don't use the device in heavy city traffic for example). To blanketly say that NOBODY can do this sinks us further and further into the wonderful "Big Brother" society I don't want.

I would favor tougher tests to even get a license. For example, if I want to fly an airplane, they don't let me read some silly manual and take cursory vision test. I have to PROVE I know how to operate the aircraft in many conditions. I have to submit to a pretty rigorous physical. I have to take classes that teach me how to fly. Every few years, I have to hire an certified instructor to check me out before my license is renewed. I am told over and over that travel by this means is SERIOUS.

Pilots routinely talk on something called the radio. They wear headsets and have to push a button to activate the transmit part of the conversation. Not all communications are "official" talk to the airport. Helicopters, for example, have a dedicated freq to talk to each other. 90% of this is chat. But pilots have the "situational awareness" that is not taught to car drivers.

Driving shouldn't be any different. Pushing a 1 to 2 ton piece of metal down a road should be taken seriously. If people had a stake in it, they might be more aware, and careful. Education is a real boon to making better and careful motorists.

[pnwmom]

19. This isn't about ANY cell phone use, it's specifically about texting.

And I can't see any way that texting would be safe.

Of course we can legislate against stupidity. It isn't 100% effective, but it helps. In Washington, decades ago, we legislated against people who stupidly don't put their seat belts on. Consequently, we've always led the country in seat belt use -- which every year saves lives.

By the way, it's usually Rethugs who love to complain about the Nanny state. It's a sexist way of complaining about Medicare, welfare, and the rest of the social safety net. I'm always surprised to see that term thrown around here. It's like having people favorably quote Rush Limbaugh.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

13. Cell phone use was a factor in 61 deaths and 3489 injuries on California roads

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28446274/

[silverojo]

16. Sadly, a nanny state is necessary

When "adults" act like idiotic toddlers.

[pnwmom]

20. Medicare is one of the features of the Nanny society. I'd rather have more

social programs, not less. I can never understand why Dems like to ape Rethugs in their use of this term.

[snot]

14. Hallelujah; wish we had it here.

[Divine Discontent]

17. I thought that every wrong in TX was met with death by lethal injection? j/k

[snot]

21. Hm, so you keep track of du'er's statehoods . . .

but yeah, you're pretty much right, esp. re- perps who claim to be retarded.

[Historic NY]

18. Sick isn't it...we had a few teens killed in my county.....the last thing

at impact was the text message they were sending. FCS a text message.