Alberta passes distracted driving law

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

I still don't understand why it matters. There are text messages that are so important that they can't wait to be read until you're parked somewhere or done driving?

Not really, but if I see a message pop up while I'm driving I'll give it a looksy Lou at the next light.

[AcGold]

It's pretty simple to me, if your car is moving your eyes are on the road.

The issue is rarely with men though, and I hate to say it, but I've never seen a male blindly texting while moving. Every time it's been a female, my little sister included here as she had her eyes on something in her car and got into a fender bender. Ex girlfriend totalled 2 cars, on her phone both times. Obviously I'm not saying men are innocent it's just the trend I've subjectively experienced where women more consistently do not look at the road when they are driving. Maybe it's just a limited sample size and the trend is the opposite, please don't flip out. I just think it needs to be stressed to women more that driving safely happens from looking out the front window and not inside the car, maybe I'm just a horses ass so take it with a grain of salt.

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Not really, but if I see a message pop up while I'm driving I'll give it a looksy Lou at the next light.

Fair enough ... I have to admit, it does seem somewhat silly to ban a quick check of your phone at a red light, so I wonder if a solution is to strengthen consequences for people who a texting while their vehicle is moving and be a little more lenient in a situation when traffic is stopped.

[SportsJunky]

I see dudes do it just as much.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

I see dudes do it just as much.

Fair enough, maybe it's just a misnomer

[Resolute 14]

I see a lot more guys on the road than girls. It seems to be the movie theaters where (primarily teenage) girls do it.

[calgarywinning]

One way to resolve the issue once and for all, which I don't doubt will become a fact in the future, is to control the phones functionality with the GPS unit and limit it's capabilities much like they do in the in car systems.

You cannot fully access your in-car GPS system when the car is in motion but you do have basic functions. This law is basically unable to be enforced due to the number of people with phones on the road.

I've seen three dudes pocket texting on deer foot this week alone. Swerving and going 10-15 kmh below posted.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by polak

But I like how people immediatly jump onto their high horse with this issue. Again, I listed off a bunch of things that are just as distracting as reading a text when stopped that are completely legal and no is trying to fight against. The notion that people who check their phones while stopped are some sort of reckless spawns of satan and terrible drivers is quite silly when you all do things like read ads, drink coffee, check on kids, change songs, fiddle with AC... etc.

http://thoughtcatalog.com/jim-goad/2...g-car-crashes/

[T@T]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

One way to resolve the issue once and for all, which I don't doubt will become a fact in the future, is to control the phones functionality with the GPS unit and limit it's capabilities much like they do in the in car systems.

You cannot fully access your in-car GPS system when the car is in motion but you do have basic functions. This law is basically unable to be enforced due to the number of people with phones on the road.

I've seen three dudes pocket texting on deer foot this week alone. Swerving and going 10-15 kmh below posted.

It's been mentioned many times, problem is this needs a large nation to write it into law because no phone manufacturer would dare be the first to put the system in.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

One way to resolve the issue once and for all, which I don't doubt will become a fact in the future, is to control the phones functionality with the GPS unit and limit it's capabilities much like they do in the in car systems.

You cannot fully access your in-car GPS system when the car is in motion but you do have basic functions. This law is basically unable to be enforced due to the number of people with phones on the road.

I've seen three dudes pocket texting on deer foot this week alone. Swerving and going 10-15 kmh below posted.

Guarantee this would never happen. What about all the people using phones as passengers in cars? On buses? On trains? Hell, even ferry rides.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Guarantee this would never happen. What about all the people using phones as passengers in cars? On buses? On trains? Hell, even ferry rides.

Nobodys saying shut down the phone function, just the distracting parts.(and no,talking on a phone is not distracting IMO)

Is social media life so importaint you can't wait a little while to use facebook,texting..etc.until safe to do so? never mind driving a car,over 3000 people a year in NA are either hurt bad or killed just walking while using social funtions on a smart phone. It's brutal, I almost ran over a girl myself last year in inglewood,as I hit the brakes hard on a green light not only did she think it was her right to walk in front of me the car behind almost hit me from behind.

I said get off your %#^ing phone and pay attention you stupid *^%#. she gave me the finger and walked away! I hollered back "your going to be someones hood orniment *#&%.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

One way to resolve the issue once and for all, which I don't doubt will become a fact in the future, is to control the phones functionality with the GPS unit and limit it's capabilities much like they do in the in car systems.

You cannot fully access your in-car GPS system when the car is in motion but you do have basic functions. This law is basically unable to be enforced due to the number of people with phones on the road.

I've seen three dudes pocket texting on deer foot this week alone. Swerving and going 10-15 kmh below posted.

A decent though but I don't see how it'd work. In existing systems it's simply tied to a relay that only allows full functions if the e-brake is on. Not sure if there's a way to do that with wireless devices unless the in-phone GPS detects movement at a certain speed. But then what about passengers, people on busses, planes, trains, etc.

As someone who bypassed the e-brake switch on my truck's headunit, I can tell you this wouldn't work Netflix while driving? Sure why not?

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by T@T

Nobodys saying shut down the phone function, just the distracting parts.(and no,talking on a phone is not distracting IMO)

Again, how does it differentiate between a driver and passenger?

[IgiTang]

Originally Posted by Handsome B. Wonderful

Change songs - button on steering wheel
Fiddle with AC - automatic climate control

You must be poor.

My truck reads the text to me and asks me if I would like to reply then does voice to text. Its hilarious when it screws up.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Again, how does it differentiate between a driver and passenger?

Again, social media life can wait and the passenger can actually have a conversation with the the driver.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by T@T

Again, social media life can wait and the passenger can actually have a conversation with the the driver.

"Social media life" has nothing to do with it. By shutting down any "distracting parts" while a vehicle is in motion, now your passenger can't listen to music, use GPS, kids in the back can't watch Netflix. And why would this only work in a car? If it's based on speed, now it limits functionality on the C-Train or bus or anything else that moves. And what constitutes distracting apps? Shut down the music player at speed in case someone tries to switch songs? It's never going to happen.

[calgarywinning]

I think that syncing your phone up with your car would help to control some of these restrictions. Things will continue to converge even more and you will see this tech will all be possible.

While unlocks and hacks will always happen, the average user won't be bypassing. They just won't be able to text unless they move to the passenger position, the ctrain, etc.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

I think that syncing your phone up with your car would help to control some of these restrictions. Things will continue to converge even more and you will see this tech will all be possible.

While unlocks and hacks will always happen, the average user won't be bypassing. They just won't be able to text unless they move to the passenger position, the ctrain, etc.

and how would your phone know the difference if you are in the driver or passenger position?

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Swarly

and how would your phone know the difference if you are in the driver or passenger position?

NFC proximity or something such to a chip in the steering wheel or driver's door. Wouldn't be that hard.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Acey

NFC proximity or something such to a chip in the steering wheel or driver's door. Wouldn't be that hard.

So instead of texting in their lap people would be leaning and texting from the passenger seat.