Alberta passes distracted driving law

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Swarly

Neither of these two reasons are addressed in the fact that hands free calling is still perfectly legal.

When the law was introduced the question had come up- and really it came down to a couple of factors. The first being that speaking on the phone isn't nearly as bad as texting, entering address on GPS, etc. However the main reason given was that it would be very hard to tell the difference between somebody talking on the phone, and talking to a passenger or even singing.

Just because something is not illegal, doesn't necessarily make it a good idea.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Swarly

not, oh that guy touched his phone at a red light, getting my quota for today! (which I have personally seen happen to a co-worker leaving work and seeing if it was an important email while sitting 3 cars back at a red light)

all the bad driving that people have mentioned in this thread and "is always someone staring at their phone texting", I have seen done by people not talking on their phone too, many many people just suck at driving in general. I'm all for raising fines on distracted driving as long as they raise the fine for stupid people sucking at driving while not on phones also.

good grief, lets amend the law to have an important email override - if what if the important email arrived just as your co-worker was going thru a school zone and he runs over some kids? where do you draw the line - if the email is that important, then sit at work until it comes in, pull off the road to look at your phone or wait until you get to your destination.......i fail to understand why people continue to not understand this law - if you get cuahgt looking at your phone while you are behind the wheel you are going to get a ticket it is that simple.

i hardly think your co-worker was screwed because of some kind of quota system

i continue to be amazed at how many people are defending looking at thier phone while they are behind the wheel

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Swarly

not, oh that guy touched his phone at a red light, getting my quota for today! (which I have personally seen happen to a co-worker leaving work and seeing if it was an important email while sitting 3 cars back at a red light)

Good.

Tell your co-worker that he isn't so important that the email can't wait 20 minutes for him to get to his destination.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

good grief, lets amend the law to have an important email override - if what if the important email arrived just as your co-worker was going thru a school zone and he runs over some kids? where do you draw the line - if the email is that important, then sit at work until it comes in, pull off the road to look at your phone or wait until you get to your destination.......i fail to understand why people continue to not understand this law - if you get cuahgt looking at your phone while you are behind the wheel you are going to get a ticket it is that simple.

i hardly think your co-worker was screwed because of some kind of quota system

i continue to be amazed at how many people are defending looking at thier phone while they are behind the wheel

please. sitting at a red light and looking at the subject line of an email...[slippery slope enters here]... kids are getting run over in playground zones OMG!!!!! next thing you know roving gangs of meth dealers will be raping people in the streets, where does it end!!!

some common sense could be used in applying this law

[polak]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

good grief, lets amend the law to have an important email override - if what if the important email arrived just as your co-worker was going thru a school zone and he runs over some kids? where do you draw the line - if the email is that important, then sit at work until it comes in, pull off the road to look at your phone or wait until you get to your destination.......i fail to understand why people continue to not understand this law - if you get cuahgt looking at your phone while you are behind the wheel you are going to get a ticket it is that simple.

i hardly think your co-worker was screwed because of some kind of quota system

i continue to be amazed at how many people are defending looking at thier phone while they are behind the wheel

Oh give me a break. Ticketing someone for looking at their phone at a red light, when they're not moving is dumb.

[Northendzone]

so the cop is supposed to be able to discern from 15 feet away that your co-worker is only looking at the subject line of the e-mail and decide that is ok versus another guy who is texting/facebooking.......

to me the law is clear the way it is.......if a particular police officer chooses to enforce it in that situation is left up to him as i am sure that thru the course of the day, and police officer driving the streets is witness to tens/hundreds of various driving transgressions that they choose not to write tickets for.......

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by polak

Oh give me a break. Ticketing someone for looking at their phone at a red light, when they're not moving is dumb.

No looking at your phone while on the road is dumb, plain and simple.


You need to be aware of what is happening around you even when stopped at a red light.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

so the cop is supposed to be able to discern from 15 feet away that your co-worker is only looking at the subject line of the e-mail and decide that is ok versus another guy who is texting/facebooking.......

to me the law is clear the way it is.......if a particular police officer chooses to enforce it in that situation is left up to him as i am sure that thru the course of the day, and police officer driving the streets is witness to tens/hundreds of various driving transgressions that they choose not to write tickets for.......

no, I never said that. What the cop should be able to discern is they are sitting at a red light 3 cars back not moving at all and looked at their phone for 2 seconds, even texting for 10 seconds, and realize they are not endangering anyone or anything. If the light turns green and they continue to text or have a delayed reaction to the light, then apply the ticket.

I don't know how much concentration some of the people here think you need to be stopped at a light. I personally use nearly zero and am usually the first car off the line.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

No looking at your phone while on the road is dumb, plain and simple.


You need to be aware of what is happening around you even when stopped at a red light.

I hate people who text while they're driving as much as the next guy, but there is nothing wrong with reading a text message or something small like that while sitting at a red light. The point of the law is to prevent people from doing this stuff while they're moving. If they're too busy using their phone to notice the light turned green, then sure, ticket them. But if they look at the screen for a few seconds while stopped, who cares? Who are they going to hurt?

[Slava]

Whats the difference between changing the radio station at a red light and looking at the phone quickly?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Swarly

I don't know how much concentration some of the people here think you need to be stopped at a light. I personally use nearly zero and am usually the first car off the line.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by codynw

I hate people who text while they're driving as much as the next guy, but there is nothing wrong with reading a text message or something small like that while sitting at a red light. The point of the law is to prevent people from doing this stuff while they're moving.

Maybe it is me, but I want to know what is happening around me. Using zero concentration and being first off the line isn't the best appproach. People run red lights all the time. I want to make sure that the traffic is stopped prior to entering the intersection.

You are driving, nothing is so important that it can't wait and if you believe the email is important, then pull over to give it you full attention rather than a half-ass effort for 2-10 secs.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Maybe it is me, but I want to know what is happening around me. Using zero concentration and being first off the line isn't the best appproach. People run red lights all the time. I want to make sure that the traffic is stopped prior to entering the intersection.

You are driving, nothing is so important that it can't wait and if you believe the email is important, then pull over to give it you full attention rather than a half-ass effort for 2-10 secs.

its an automatic response, cars stop going the other way, light goes green, now I can accelerate. Nothing is more important that breathing, how much mental effort are you putting into that every day?

If I pull up to a light that just changed to red I know I'm going to be sitting there for 1-2 mins before I have to move. So I send a text, it takes maybe 30 secs. that leaves a good 0.5-1.5 mins to reassess the situation around me, what could possibly have changed so drastically during 30 seconds at a red light that it needs my constant attention? Ambulance or police driving behind me? I get out of the way because luckily I have not gone blind or deaf during those 30 sec. No more so anyway than the guy with his stereo cranked up watching the cute girl in yoga pants jog by.

[Northendzone]

i guess a lot of you guys are far better drivers than i could ever hope to be......

as for changing the radio station versus looking at your phone - i would say that if you have a digital tuned radio in your vehicle, then you can usually just reach out and hit the seek button and the radio will find the next station so to me you can keep your eyes directly on the road and find your radio with your periphal vision.

Now if you had an old style radio with an analog tuner that requires some delicate adjusting via the tuning knob, then that is a little more distracting........

my guessw is that the co-worker in question has likely looked at his phone while behind the wheel (wether he is stopped or driving) on more than this one occasion - and this time he was caught........i speed and i have not been cuahgt for quite some time and when i am stopped - i won't assume it is about some officer trying to make his quota it will be about me breaking the law and deserving a ticket......

[Brannigans Law]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Maybe it is me, but I want to know what is happening around me. Using zero concentration and being first off the line isn't the best appproach. People run red lights all the time. I want to make sure that the traffic is stopped prior to entering the intersection.

You are driving, nothing is so important that it can't wait and if you believe the email is important, then pull over to give it you full attention rather than a half-ass effort for 2-10 secs.

I know that for me, once I stop paying attention at red lights next thing you know I'm plowing over pedestrians 3 at a time. Next thing you know I'm in jail taking it in the shower from 3 fellas Shawshank style. All because I checked a text message for 4 seconds stopped at red light.

[polak]

Seriously. I really want to be in a car with you.

I picture you sitting at a red light, leaning forward, eyes pointed directly ahead, in gear with your foot on the clutch (if applicable) and hands at 2 and 10.

Jesus, its being stopped at a red light. As long as you're not taking a nap I think you will be okay.

[Brannigans Law]

Originally Posted by polak

Seriously. I really want to be in a car with you.

I picture you sitting at a red light, leaning forward, eyes pointed directly ahead, in gear with your foot on the clutch (if applicable) and hands at 2 and 10.

Jesus, its being stopped at a red light. As long as you're not taking a nap I think you will be okay.

I can just imagine him leaned forward with sweat POURING down his face *gotta be alert, GOTTA BE ALERT*

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Swarly

its an automatic response, cars stop going the other way, light goes green, now I can accelerate. Nothing is more important that breathing, how much mental effort are you putting into that every day?.

"automatic response", I guess if it was an automatic response there would be accidents at red lights. Yet, there are instances of vehicles running red lights and impacting vehicles that are legally in the intersection.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Brannigans Law

I know that for me, once I stop paying attention at red lights next thing you know I'm plowing over pedestrians 3 at a time. Next thing you know I'm in jail taking it in the shower from 3 fellas Shawshank style. All because I checked a text message for 4 seconds stopped at red light.

Originally Posted by polak

Seriously. I really want to be in a car with you.

I picture you sitting at a red light, leaning forward, eyes pointed directly ahead, in gear with your foot on the clutch (if applicable) and hands at 2 and 10.

Jesus, its being stopped at a red light. As long as you're not taking a nap I think you will be okay.

Originally Posted by Brannigans Law

I can just imagine him leaned forward with sweat POURING down his face *gotta be alert, GOTTA BE ALERT*

Easy kids don't get so upset.


At the end of the day, do your texting/emailing, get your ticket, then successfully fight it in court.


I am sure the judge will be accepting of your arguments.

[Vulcan]

What I find is half the drivers aren't aware of what they are doing, they are just following the guy in front of them. The driver who isn't paying attention, when the light turns, they step on the gas not realizing it's only green for the left turn and the guy behind him steps on the gas as well because he's just following the car in front of him. I'm all for paying attention and putting the cell phone away when driving since some are only marginally aware anyways.