Driving and SMS
This gave me an excellent opportunity to realise something: New Zealand lawmakers should worry less about the anti-smacking bill (hey, it's already illegal to smack someone!) and look at all those mad, stupid, dumb drivers who are behind the steering wheel and sending SMS at the same time, while driving.
I counted many cases of people talking on their mobile phones while driving, but worst of all is to see someone that is looking down to their laps because they are writing a SMS, instead of having the eyes up and on the road ahead.
One of the people I saw yesterday looked like sleeping, because the eyes were looking down... He was at the same time slowing down because there were two cars in front of him... And a red light. I saw at least three people doing the same, in two blocks.
I wonder how many car crashes we have in the heavy morning or evening traffic, thanks to idiots who can't take the time to put their mobile phones away.
The New Zealand Police should worry less about someone doing 10 KM/h over the limit on an empty highway, and pay attention to those idiots in heavy traffic. Oh, and perhaps also look at stupid people who don't stop on STOP and don't indicate either. I think those are more dangerous things than the speed on the open road.
And since we touched the anti-smacking bill... As I said, it's already illegal to use more than reasonable force when disciplining children. This new bill is there to prevent those child abusive parents to use the "reasonable force" defence. But clearly this is already covered. Worst, it will make even moving a children to a timeout place an offence. What's next? Timeout corners will be illegal because some MP will deem those a form of torture?
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Comment by guyz, on 25-Mar-2007 09:30
i would not condone txting and driving at the same time but your question "I wonder how many car crashes we have in the heavy morning or evening traffic, thanks to idiots who can't take the time to put their mobile phones away." deserves some comment.
I know of no statistics (as yet) that shows a percentage of road accidents serious or minor that is directly attributed to txing and simultanious driving. In my thoughts i would consider many variables of distractions whilst driving that can lead to driver distractions apart from txting.
An example is there used to be signage in buses discouraging passengers from talking to the driver while he s driving! Another is the LTSA forbid signage on main highways and motorways that are within a measure proximity to the roadage and any with that border must not be greater than stipulated size..again to prevent driver distraction.
So on this premise..we should not talk to ANYONE whe driving including our passengers OR look at signage displayed on our journeys?
Even the radio/cd player running in the back ground can lead to driver distarction leading to an accident.
BUt i do commend you on your observations and yes i feel something should be done but i would hope we dont do what us kiwis always do and current gvernment tend to do is go to exremes and over regulate something than can be easily rectified by DRIVER EDUCATION perhaps?
Whats wrong with warning signs( placed within LTSA guidelines) as per the intersection warnings and speed reduction warning signs?
your comments in response would be welcomed
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Comment by juha, on 25-Mar-2007 09:28
Using SMS while driving is incredibly dangerous, and there have been fatal accidents already. Suspended license if caught, I say.
The "reasonable force" defence has been upheld by juries to include beatings with garden hoses, fence palings, vacuum cleaner pipes, bamboo sticks and riding crops. It doesn't seem wrong to me to remove such options for abuse...