Alberta passes distracted driving law

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Rathji

The vast majority of the people texting etc don't do it in front of their face either. They do it on their lap.

because that's a better idea

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Rathji

The vast majority of the people texting etc don't do it in front of their face either. They do it on their lap.

Which is the problem as I see it; and why we need a higher fine. At $172 I might be inclined to just be more sneaky about it. At $1000 and demerits I don't think I'd even want to risk it.

I know it isn't scientific, but on Mythbusters they showed it to be just as bad as impaired driving. Why not make the penalty approach the level of that drunk driving?

[polak]

How long until we ban the driver from speaking with the passangers in the car? Surely it's no more distracting than a cell phone conversation? That is one thing I never understood. I call BS that having one hand off of the wheel is really what makes the difference between a cellphone conversation which according to most of you, should warrant decapitation of the culprit and his offspring, and a hands free conversation / a normal conversation with a person in the car, which we are A-OK with.

I bet 90% of men drive with one hand on the wheel anyways. Yeah, omg sexism, I get it. Deal with it.

[rayne008]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Soooo, I'd like to add a good swift smack to the back of the head to the fine and demerits.

I would also like to add a rider to the bill to support the perverted arts.

agreed.
road head is one of the last remaining expressions of democracy and freedom.

[polak]

They can take our phones, but they can never take our BJ's!

[jayswin]

I was waiting at a light near McLeod and Bonaventure drive yesterday. In the parking lot beside me there was two guys in a truck, doing cocaine blatantly in front of everyone waiting at the light.

The driver bent down did a line then looked up, pushed his nostril and snorted the rest back. I thought A) That was awesome, to do it so blatantly in the afternoon, in front of people, and B) That was very mindful of the driver to pull over to do it. That was a man who has respect for Alberta's distracted driving laws. We need more people like him.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by flameswin

I was waiting at a light near McLeod and Bonaventure drive yesterday. In the parking lot beside me there was two guys in a truck, doing cocaine blatantly in front of everyone waiting at the light.

The driver bent down did a line then looked up, pushed his nostril and snorted the rest back. I thought A) That was awesome, to do it so blatantly in the afternoon, in front of people, and B) That was very mindful of the driver to pull over to do it. That was a man who has respect for Alberta's distracted driving laws. We need more people like him.

No one likes a bump when doing a bump.

Tough to keep between the lines when snorting them up your nose.

Better snuff than sorry.

AKA, Jokes my dad would tell if he understood recreational drug use.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by polak

How long until we ban the driver from speaking with the passangers in the car? Surely it's no more distracting than a cell phone conversation? That is one thing I never understood. I call BS that having one hand off of the wheel is really what makes the difference between a cellphone conversation which according to most of you, should warrant decapitation of the culprit and his offspring, and a hands free conversation / a normal conversation with a person in the car, which we are A-OK with.

I bet 90% of men drive with one hand on the wheel anyways. Yeah, omg sexism, I get it. Deal with it.

I'm not buying your argument.

If you're talking with someone in the car it means you have someone else who can watch for things.

Especially if it's my wife. She likes to help me drive.

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by Rathji

The vast majority of the people texting etc don't do it in front of their face either. They do it on their lap.

Crotches kill.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Slava

I actually don't know the answer to this, but is there any evidence that we have reduced collisions because of this law?

I think that can only be measured if the punishment is strict enough that enough people wouldn't be willing to risk it.

My windows remain tinted because the privacy and cooler temperatures in the summer are worth the $57 slap on the wrist I've gotten once in 6 years. Not saying I text and drive, but at $1000/3 demerits, more people will eventually stop doing it.

[Northendzone]

Perhaps all of you who say that driving and talking on a phone is not distracting can provide some rationale behind my unscientific observation that the majority of times you see someone driving slower than the flow of traffic on deerfoot or leaving an extraordinary large gap between the vehicle in front of them the driver usually has their phone in their hand.......

Personally I am in the camp where the penalty should be a higher fine and demerits

[mrkajz44]

Originally Posted by polak

How long until we ban the driver from speaking with the passangers in the car? Surely it's no more distracting than a cell phone conversation? That is one thing I never understood. I call BS that having one hand off of the wheel is really what makes the difference between a cellphone conversation which according to most of you, should warrant decapitation of the culprit and his offspring, and a hands free conversation / a normal conversation with a person in the car, which we are A-OK with.

I bet 90% of men drive with one hand on the wheel anyways. Yeah, omg sexism, I get it. Deal with it.

There have been studies that show talking to a passenger is FAR safer than someone on the phone. Basically there are two reasons:

1) Passenger can help alert you / notice things on the road
2) Passenger is aware of changing driving conditions and recongizes situations where talking could be distracting

Really, point 2 is the biggest reason. When you are talking to a passenger there are aware of driving conditions like you and don't expect a fully focused conversation depending on the situation. A person on the phone does not, and therefore you attribute way to much focus on the call (so as not to be rude) rather than on the driving.

[polak]

Those two points only apply to adults. What about little sh**heads in the back throwing up on each other or whatever kids do these days?

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by polak

Those two points only apply to adults. What about little sh**heads in the back throwing up on each other or whatever kids do these days?

lol, I don't have kids but I don't think that's even close to a regular event.

[Red Potato Standing By]

Originally Posted by polak

Those two points only apply to adults. What about little sh**heads in the back throwing up on each other or whatever kids do these days?

I am sure if a police officer sees you leaned back trying to clean it up you would be fined for distracted driving. But even if they didn't does two wrongs make a right?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Rathji

The vast majority of the people texting etc don't do it in front of their face either. They do it on their lap.

Not everyone. I was following some d/h on Stoney this morning as he was puttering along in the left lane (doing 100, the nerve), and he was blatantly holding up his phone, texting away. I was thinking that it would be nice if civilians could submit video from dash cams to police to fine these people. I don't have a dash cam, but I'd be installing one tonight if it was useful like that.

[Rathji]

You can report someone for distracted driving, having video would be a huge bonus

[AcGold]

There are a few times where I've seen cars driven like in GTA; straight through stop signs, on the left side of the road, swerving into merge lanes or not picking a lane at all. Every single time it's been someone on their cellphone not looking at the road for extended periods of time.

That's the issue, your eyes should be on the road 100% of the time and some people make the roads exponentially more dangerous thinking looking down at a screen at any amount of time is safe. I've pulled up beside some of these people and yelled/honked at them so they get their eyes on the road. If a cop ever can do that to someone it should be a huge fine and demerits.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

There have been studies that show talking to a passenger is FAR safer than someone on the phone. Basically there are two reasons:

1) Passenger can help alert you / notice things on the road
2) Passenger is aware of changing driving conditions and recongizes situations where talking could be distracting.

I also remember during my driving training, a good many moons ago, the instructor telling me that when I was talking to the passenger...they are a captive audience, and can (or should be able to) hear me just fine...so I don't have to look at them. I can watch the road and 'talk' to the windshield just fine.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

There have been studies that show talking to a passenger is FAR safer than someone on the phone. Basically there are two reasons:

1) Passenger can help alert you / notice things on the road
2) Passenger is aware of changing driving conditions and recongizes situations where talking could be distracting

Really, point 2 is the biggest reason. When you are talking to a passenger there are aware of driving conditions like you and don't expect a fully focused conversation depending on the situation. A person on the phone does not, and therefore you attribute way to much focus on the call (so as not to be rude) rather than on the driving.

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

not aimed at you just addressing these points that come up often. Distracted driving should be a law but it should be done like this:

1. cop sees you driving like a donkey
2. cop pulls you over and charges you with distracted driving

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.