Hey, stop fucking texting while driving

[6a]

Sorry, I have to rant. Stopped in traffic, then this. That car had 1100 miles on it. 60 mph speed limit, crash report said 55, but whatever.  I'm now the proud owner of a month-old piece of shit, a big abrasion on my forehead, a neck injury, and other crap. A couple things; full credit to the emergency services.  A battalion chief was about 20 cars behind and got things rolling. EMS was there in 2 minutes, police in 8. Second thing, comparing the damage to the two vehicles (first pic), Toyota has sold me for a long time. The car automatically dialed 911, or whatever the Toyota call center equivalent is. And the guy that hit me was genuinely panicked. He said he didn't see me (it was a quarter mile backup and it was dark, so WTF?)

[jeffandnicole]

Oh wow...so sorry that happened to you.  Glad you're ok overall.

[Max Rockatansky]

I feel compelled to ask, was the other driver actually texting as the thread title implies?  I get that the rant probably wasn't made in the most coherent frame of mind.  That said, it wasn't clear what the root accident cause was from the narrative post body.

[MultiMillionMiler]

This is why they invented phone holders. But even with those, I wouldn't even think of texting. The only time I physically touch my phone while driving is at those red lights with long ass delayed greens. (I've even made some posts on this forum at those) but looking at and fiddling with a phone at any speed greater than 0 is reckless driving and deserves a ticket. I got only one warning in my life for talking on the phone up to my ear while driving on a local road, but at least I could see the fucking road and had a hand on the wheel. Texting while moving is beyond idiotic.

[kphoger]

I don't text while driving.  I only type posts on this forum while driving.

FTFY.



Also...  about the thread title...  sexting kills.

Also...  I'm glad you're OK.  How bad is your neck injury?

[kkt]

Man, that sucks.

Don't be in a hurry to accept a settlement.  I'd recommend imaging to see if there are problems first - sometimes they take time to become obvious.

For the value of your car if it's totalled, remember they owe you full replacement, including the sales taxes on the new car.  And price out what similar cars in your area cost - they will probably try to lowball you.

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

[hotdogPi]

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

What about using Waze?

Or for this forum: taking photos.

[kkt]

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

What about using Waze?

Or for this forum: taking photos.

Fine, just pull over.
Or get a friend to drive and take them while a passenger.

[formulanone]

Glad you're mostly okay; too bad about the damage. People just need to pay more attention.

[Max Rockatansky]

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

What about using Waze?

Or for this forum: taking photos.

Fine, just pull over.
Or get a friend to drive and take them while a passenger.

Basically close to impossible to obtain a passenger and train them how to take photos the way I want.  The one person who has ever ridden with me that has done photos like I would has been Doug Kerr, he usually isn't available because he lives on the other side of the country.  Most people I know are unwilling to drive some of drive the mountain roads I go venture out on so I can sit as a passenger for photo taking.

[kkt]

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

What about using Waze?

Or for this forum: taking photos.

Fine, just pull over.
Or get a friend to drive and take them while a passenger.

Basically close to impossible to obtain a passenger and train them how to take photos the way I want.  The one person who has ever ridden with me that has done photos like I would has been Doug Kerr, he usually isn't available because he lives on the other side of the country.  Most people I know are unwilling to drive some of drive the mountain roads I go venture out on.

At least the mountain roads you drive on are very lightly travelled

[Rothman]

Man, that sucks.

Don't be in a hurry to accept a settlement.  I'd recommend imaging to see if there are problems first - sometimes they take time to become obvious.

For the value of your car if it's totalled, remember they owe you full replacement, including the sales taxes on the new car.  And price out what similar cars in your area cost - they will probably try to lowball you.

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

Ah, the extreme position has made its way out...

[formulanone]

To be honest, the vehicle looks repairable. The rear of a vehicle is far less complex to repair than the front of it (unless it's rear/mid-engined). Suspension is less complex, there's no steering, cooling system, et cetera.

[kkt]

Man, that sucks.

Don't be in a hurry to accept a settlement.  I'd recommend imaging to see if there are problems first - sometimes they take time to become obvious.

For the value of your car if it's totalled, remember they owe you full replacement, including the sales taxes on the new car.  And price out what similar cars in your area cost - they will probably try to lowball you.

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

Ah, the extreme position has made its way out...

Actually, the extreme position would be that you CAN talk or text on your phone while driving without it affecting how well you drive.

[Rothman]

Man, that sucks.

Don't be in a hurry to accept a settlement.  I'd recommend imaging to see if there are problems first - sometimes they take time to become obvious.

For the value of your car if it's totalled, remember they owe you full replacement, including the sales taxes on the new car.  And price out what similar cars in your area cost - they will probably try to lowball you.

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

Ah, the extreme position has made its way out...

Actually, the extreme position would be that you CAN talk or text on your phone while driving without it affecting how well you drive.

The zealot cries in vain.

I am all against using hands to text while driving and I don't use the phone in dicey traffic.  But, saying all phone use -- even just using it as a GPS -- should be banned is indeed passion for the issue gone amok.

[6a]

I don't text while driving.  I only type posts on this forum while driving.

FTFY.



Also...  about the thread title...  sexting kills.

Also...  I'm glad you're OK.  How bad is your neck injury?

It's really just super sore. CT scans came back negative.

[seicer]

I'm sorry about the incident, but why are we blaming texting and driving when that may not be the case? For all we know, the driver could have been distracted by any number of things, but gauging distances and the speed of slowed or stopped traffic can be difficult. I've been in the habit of leaving a cushion ahead of my vehicle while approaching slowed or stopped traffic and decreasing my speed gradually over a longer distance after being involved in a rear-end collision years ago.

Glad you came out relatively okay. Insurance will surely total your vehicle and don't be quick to take the first settlement. Lawyer up if the other party resists.

-

And for all of the extremist positions on this, note that distractions can present themselves in many different forms. Texting is probably the worst, but with voice commands, I can dictate messages through Apple CarPlay with ease and without having to touch anything more than "Messages" on my screen. Phone calling or calling through Teams or Zoom is just as easy, and I don't need to take my eyes off the road any longer than it would take to adjust the air conditioning... but with controls gradually being digitized, muscle memory becomes less important. I haven't totally gotten used to having an entirely digital interface in my Subaru Outback, where a central screen controls the infotainment system, air conditioning, seat heaters, and certain driving controls. It takes a little more time to glance at to ensure you are pressing the right button... but has that trend contributed to accidents? No one can say just yet but distracted driving is an issue, along with speeding.

[kphoger]

Be honest with the insurance agents.  They really appreciate it.

Fiddling with the radio or climate controls can be just as distracting as reading a text message.  Shouting at the talk show host on the radio can be just as distracting as holding a conversation with your kid in the back seat.  Yes, ideally, nothing should distract us from the road, but a complete 100% ban on phone use isn't practical for most people.  Having said that, however, typing a text message requires a lot of time spent looking down.

[Max Rockatansky]

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

What about using Waze?

Or for this forum: taking photos.

Fine, just pull over.
Or get a friend to drive and take them while a passenger.

Basically close to impossible to obtain a passenger and train them how to take photos the way I want.  The one person who has ever ridden with me that has done photos like I would has been Doug Kerr, he usually isn't available because he lives on the other side of the country.  Most people I know are unwilling to drive some of drive the mountain roads I go venture out on.

At least the mountain roads you drive on are very lightly travelled

I feel like I should start a thread about how many times you have made passengers nauseous on mountain grades. 

[ZLoth]

This is partially why I want my next car to have either Android Automotive (preferred) or Android Auto. Both Android Auto and Apple's Carplay have strict rules on what is allowed and not allowed on the console dashboards, and go through a strict screening process. When I saw the story about Tesla rolls out Steam game support for newest vehicle models, my first reaction was "What the BLEEP are you thinking???" It should be noted is Tesla does NOT support Android Auto or Carplay at this time.

I also have a tragic story to share. A few years ago, a non-profit educational organization was holding their fall conference up in Redding which was three hours drive north of Sacramento. One of the members decided at the last minute to drive up and and attend for the entire day including a part of the evening. Several people offered to share their room so that she can get some sleep prior to driving back down to Sacramento, but she had declined. On her drive back, she fell asleep and her car flipped. While she survived, it took her MONTHS to recover.

[6a]

Be honest with the insurance agents.  They really appreciate it.

Fiddling with the radio or climate controls can be just as distracting as reading a text message.  Shouting at the talk show host on the radio can be just as distracting as holding a conversation with your kid in the back seat.  Yes, ideally, nothing should distract us from the road, but a complete 100% ban on phone use isn't practical for most people.  Having said that, however, typing a text message requires a lot of time spent looking down.

I see your point, but my overall sentiment stands. I just don't see how you can miss a quarter mile of brake lights in general.

[kkt]

I'm at least as honest with insurance agents as they were about the value of my car they declared totalled...

[kphoger]

I just don't see how you can miss a quarter mile of brake lights in general.

Yep!

[MultiMillionMiler]

Be honest with the insurance agents.  They really appreciate it.

Fiddling with the radio or climate controls can be just as distracting as reading a text message.  Shouting at the talk show host on the radio can be just as distracting as holding a conversation with your kid in the back seat.  Yes, ideally, nothing should distract us from the road, but a complete 100% ban on phone use isn't practical for most people.  Having said that, however, typing a text message requires a lot of time spent looking down.

It should be a good 95% ban. Anything that involves looking down or pressing too many buttons (and you know how difficult touch screens can be while you're moving) is asking for an accident. Maybe people who have gotten 3 or more distracted driving tickets within 5 years should have to install an iphone-ignition-interlock device where to start the car, their phone either has to be dead, or it forcefully deactivates any and all apps except for GPS/Emergency calls..etc, while the car is moving.

[In_Correct]

I Agree. News Feed & Weed Must Be Stopped. I Must Stop Them.

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

What about using Waze?

Or for this forum: taking photos.

Fine, just pull over.
Or get a friend to drive and take them while a passenger.

Basically close to impossible to obtain a passenger and train them how to take photos the way I want.  The one person who has ever ridden with me that has done photos like I would has been Doug Kerr, he usually isn’t available because he lives on the other side of the country.  Most people I know are unwilling to drive some of drive the mountain roads I go venture out on so I can sit as a passenger for photo taking.

Did you require a Driver for you to take High Quality Pictures, or a Passenger to take High Quality Pictures for you ?? I can do either.

Man, that sucks.

Don't be in a hurry to accept a settlement.  I'd recommend imaging to see if there are problems first - sometimes they take time to become obvious.

For the value of your car if it's totalled, remember they owe you full replacement, including the sales taxes on the new car.  And price out what similar cars in your area cost - they will probably try to lowball you.

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

Ah, the extreme position has made its way out...

And The Problem Is ... ?! 

I find absolutely nothing wrong with putting News Feed & Weed in the Trunk / Cargo Hold where it belongs.

To be honest, the vehicle looks repairable. The rear of a vehicle is far less complex to repair than the front of it (unless it's rear/mid-engined). Suspension is less complex, there's no steering, cooling system, et cetera.

It Is.

Man, that sucks.

Don't be in a hurry to accept a settlement.  I'd recommend imaging to see if there are problems first - sometimes they take time to become obvious.

For the value of your car if it's totalled, remember they owe you full replacement, including the sales taxes on the new car.  And price out what similar cars in your area cost - they will probably try to lowball you.

Really, drivers should not be using their phone AT ALL, not texting, not speaking into it even handsfree.  It's not a question of touching it (although that's bad too) but of taking attention away from the road and onto the conversation.  A conversation with a passenger is not so distracting because it's obvious to the passenger when driving is taking your full attention.  If you have trouble controlling the urge to phone, stick the phone in the trunk before starting the car.

Ah, the extreme position has made its way out...

Actually, the extreme position would be that you CAN talk or text on your phone while driving without it affecting how well you drive.

News Feed & Weed is not the same thing as C.B. Radios. Commercial Drivers typically master the ability to talk while driveing. However, driveing must be a privilege. Peoples on News Feed & Weed that have the audacity to drive also ought to have their Licenses being Suspended.

Be honest with the insurance agents.  They really appreciate it.

Fiddling with the radio or climate controls can be just as distracting as reading a text message.  Shouting at the talk show host on the radio can be just as distracting as holding a conversation with your kid in the back seat.  Yes, ideally, nothing should distract us from the road, but a complete 100% ban on phone use isn't practical for most people.  Having said that, however, typing a text message requires a lot of time spent looking down.

I see your point, but my overall sentiment stands. I just don’t see how you can miss a quarter mile of brake lights in general.

If I was being chased by an Evil Motorist hijacked on News Feed & Weed, I would have maneuvered off the road and in to the grass so I would be safe. However, The Evil Motorist hijacked on News Feed & Weed would have ostensibly smashed in to the car that was in front of me.

And now you know why it is critical to Stop them.