a cut above part 2

[broker]

Cell phones, now you did it, back on my main topic.
BAN THE USE BY DRIVERS.

Not only has a close friend (also a husband and father) been killed because a driver was using her cell phone (running a red light) but it is a reported fact, that hundreds are being killed now each year, due to distractions from the use of cell phones while driving.

I wish everyone carried a cell phone, it has many benefits. Just use them with common sense. Get a phone call while driving, wait until you can safely pull off the road. If they have hung up by then, return the call.

If anyone thinks a cell phone is not a distraction, try this.
Next time you are driving by a driver using one, see what you have you do to get there attention, better yet, how long it will take. They are in a World all thier own.

A nation wide ban of cell phone use while driving is needed.

 

[Scuba]

Hey lets ban EVERYTHING because somewhere someone did something stupid wake up people you cant pass a law on everything or sooner or later the thing you enjoy will be banned also. Good god people screaming ban ban ban please go sit in the corner so you wont get hurt. Life is a crap shoot you never know whats going to kill you but you can worry yourself to death thinking about it. My grandfather was hit by a car 40 years ago why didn't we ban cars back then look at all of the lives that would have been saved.

 

[broker]

What a well thought out post scuba.
I am talking about banning items we all lived without "WHILE DRIVING" that is now killing people.
I'm sure you would be singing a different tune if a child of yours was killed by some idiot using a cell phone while talking about what to wear to the dance that night.

Helmet wearing is a ban I don't agree with.
Anyone wanting to not wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle, it will not harm me or my family.
You are the one saying you don't care if you leave your wife and children without a husband or father, should you dump your bike.

To think you are part of the Panther drivers council, with this kind of unsafe driving promotion.

 

[guido4475]

hiway star,
I wish it was that the "minority" was the law breaking drivers.
Unfortunationally the minority are the safe drivers. That goes for 4 wheelers as well.
I spent time in Law Enforcement (now somemore will dislike me) and it is a fact.
On any given day I could set up on our local interstate and speeders out numbered non by a huge number.

Next time you go into a major city and set your truck at the speed limit.
You know what I'm getting at, you think you are the only one going the posted speed.
BIG JOHN

I actually have the upmost respect for law enforcement officers. the fact that they may not come back home from work because they may get killed in the line of duty really is a big sacrafice to make just to protect and serve. i have many freinds on the force, and there is alot of stress and trauma they have to deal with. where would we be without them out here? same goes for the dot.imagine if we did not have the dot to keep us safe from the un-safe trucks.i am actually wanting to become a dot officer, and am looking into it.so i am not one to put down an officer of any kind.hats off to them for doing what they do.

 

[broker]

That was a very nice post. I know every officer would feel honored to read it.
I will pass it along to some of my old friends on the force.
This has been a very tough week for Law Enforcement. I read today where we lost 3 more in Penn.
thank you,
BIG JOHN

 

[guido4475]

thats what gets me. abosutely no respect for them.i watch cops and just cant imagine going into some of the situations that they do.i dont have balls that big.and what is with all of this cop killing? it should be an automatic death penalty for killing a cop. no questions.

 

[Scuba]

What a well thought out post scuba.
I am talking about banning items we all lived without "WHILE DRIVING" that is now killing people.
I'm sure you would be singing a different tune if a child of yours was killed by some idiot using a cell phone while talking about what to wear to the dance that night.

Helmet wearing is a ban I don't agree with.
Anyone wanting to not wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle, it will not harm me or my family.
You are the one saying you don't care if you leave your wife and children without a husband or father, should you dump your bike.

To think you are part of the Panther drivers council, with this kind of unsafe driving promotion.

First I NEVER PROMOTED ANYTHING 2nd if you want to make it personal I am the king of that so chose your words carefully when you put them in my mouth. The point is the same you can’t ban every danger away and it’s foolish to do so that isn't what this country is about. 3rd cars didn’t come with a radio now all cars come with them and with a radio comes deaths from people switching stations and taking their eyes off of the road. Have you pulled your radio out of your truck? Smoking a few years back a cop was killed on i30 in Arkansas during a traffic stop. This happened because the driver took his eyes off of the road to light a smoke and he drifted into the breakdown lane where he hit the cop’s car. Tragic as that was do you support no smoking in a truck because someone was careless? No I haven’t had a family member killed by someone on the phone while driving nor do I know anyone that has had that happen to anyone in their family. But I still think with my head and I am not ruled by my heart. There are hundreds of things that can distract a driver a cell phone being just one of them banning is stupid period. Today it’s what you want banned tomorrow it’s what the next guy wants banned. If we keep it up the government will tell us what time to go to bed and get up in the morning. Maybe you’re the type of guy that needs that as for me the less the government is involved in my life the better off I am.

 

[Scuba]

hiway star,
I wish it was that the "minority" was the law breaking drivers.
Unfortunationally the minority are the safe drivers. That goes for 4 wheelers as well.
I spent time in Law Enforcement (now somemore will dislike me) and it is a fact.
On any given day I could set up on our local interstate and speeders out numbered non by a huge number.

Next time you go into a major city and set your truck at the speed limit.
You know what I'm getting at, you think you are the only one going the posted speed.
BIG JOHN

To read your posts you are the only safe driver out there.

 

[Scuba]

A statement was made about numbers not being fair. Something like there would be 5,000 T/T trucks to every 5 Expediters.
Well, we ran down hiway 59/77 in Texas the other day (about 300 miles) and I'm sure we saw a couple hundred trucks and maybe 3 times as many cars.
Guess what, we passed a total of 8 T/t trucks stopped by the Patrol and not one car.
Now with three times as many cars than T/T's, don't you think it should have been the other way around?
By the way, on the trip, 9 semi's tailgated us but not one car did.
Almost forgot. I had to get on the CB to a T/T driver who kept going off on the shoulder. Asked him if he was OK. He said ya, just trying to get the @#$ lap top up.
As I went by I looked in and saw one of those lap top stands they are selling now. I think those should be banned from being in a position that the driver can get at.

Can they come up with anymore driver distractions?
BIG JOHN

Just today I saw a shadow on the ground behind me I had to wiggle around to find the car in my mirror seams cars tailgate also. There is a website about fuel savings tips it tells these idiots that if they get close enough to the back of a TT that they can ride in the draft and save fuel. Canada when they started talking about the speed limiters cited over 250,000 speeding tickets to cars on the 401 compared to 54,000 tickets to trucks yet it was the trucks they felt the need to slow down. As far as all cops being fair when pulling people over that’s a fairy tale they have targeted enforcement. Six years ago I was pulled over in NM for speeding I asked the cop well if I was speeding wasn’t the pickup that was in front of me speeding also? He told me straight out “I don’t care how fast he was going I only go after trucks” I beat the ticket by the way by going to a cummings shop and having that days ecm info dumped and printed showing that my truck never hit the speed the cop said I was doing. I have lots of friends that are cops I have family members that are cops this isn’t a dump on cops in general. Just pointing out that some will pass on a car to go after a truck. One reason is they know full well that most truckers will not fight the ticket because they can’t count on being back at court time. We are easy money and to deny that is foolish. By your example no cars were speeding just trucks I find that impossible to believe.Oh and I see you want lap tops banned as well could it be you can’t afford these things so you don’t want anyone else to have them?

 

[cheri1122]

Scuba's point is a good one: the root cause is driving while distracted, not the mode of specific (current) distraction.
The only thing that might change behavior is a campaign to educate and remind drivers that driving requires all one's attention, all the time.
I think it's long overdue.

 

[Turtle]

There are actually laws in every state that prohibit distracted driving. Whatever is distracting to the driver is against the law, be it eating while driving, changing the radio station, watching DVD's, talking with passengers, or, in the case of a Dayton, Ohio mother who was caught breast feeding AND talking on the phone while driving.

She was charged with child endangerment and violating the child restraint law, but some some reason, was not charged with distracted driving.

Almost all (Americans, anyway) say they are safe drivers, even the 80% who will eventually admit to driving while distracted. Nationwide Insurance does an annual study that shows that distracted driving, whatever the cause, aligns with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration data that shows 80% of all accidents are a direct result of distracted driving.

The ones that just crack me up, though, are the ones who have never had an accident, so, hence, therefore and absolutely, they are excellent drivers, when in actuality they are some of the worst drivers on the planet.

Here's a funny one, a Darwin Award consideration, driving a moped while texting, dood ran into a telephone pole. He's dead now.

They really don't need to pass cell phone and texting laws, all they need to do is enforce the distracted driving laws that are already on the books.

 

[Scuba]

Ban the moped lmbo

 

[broker]

No, scuba does not make a good point, if he is promoting the use of cell phones while driving.

Tell me if I'm correct scuba. Are you saying (as a member of the Panther driver council) it is safe to operate a truck while using a cell phone or looking at a lap top and you feel everyone has the right to do so because they are an American?
That banning them would not save any lives?
If not, I publicly apologize.

Again, am I correct you are saying because nobody in your family has ever been killed by a cell phone user, that nobody else has?

So, you are saying also, there is no law that says you can't give a hair cut while driving, so if this becomes common, don't ban it?

Ever heard of laws that are made to PREVENT DEATHS?

Tell me, if you have one of those "cool" lap top stands in your cab and you are looking over to your right, trying to read something off it, are you just as much in control of your truck as if you were focused on driving?

See scuba. If you want to risk your life doing something like this, go for it.
Put my family in harms way, you show very poor driving habits and should not be a professional truck driver.
Ever hear of the word manslaughter?
This is what a person would be convicted of, if they kill someone while being distracted by using a cell phone, lap top, etc.

Not enough money to have one?
What the heck was that statement about?
No, I'm smart enough and having driven over 3,000,000 (not a misprint) over the road miles without single accident (preventable or not), that I know what a distraction while I'm driving can be.

Defensive driving out here is your best friend. Staying off the cell phone and a lap top, are part of that.

 

[cruzer]

Anyone who says useing a computer,talking on a cell phone or doing anything other than "driving" when your supposed to be"driving"is not a distraction or will not lead to an accident or should be acceptable is STUPID thats right just plain STUPID!!!and if you would like I will pm you my home address and you can come by and I will tell you again that thinking like that makes you STUPID.

 

[Turtle]

"Ever heard of laws that are made to PREVENT DEATHS?"

Yeah, we've all heard of them, and by and large they don't work when they are enacted to prevent stupidity. They're feel good laws that make people feel good then they're passed, but end up doing nothing. Banning the use of cell phones is not likely to save lives. It's akin to banning stupidity altogether, and you can't legislate against stupidity.

The problem with passing laws like the banning of cell phones is... what's next? There are already laws against distracted driving, so why do we need a separate, special law juuuust for cell phones? Because some people are stupid, that's why.

Fact is, we don't need a special law for it. Stupid is as stupid does, and legal or not, illegal or not, if you drive while distracted, you're stupid. They ban cell phones, even though there is no need for it (we already have distracted driving laws), and you're fine with it, because you agree with it, yeah, it sounds great, let's do that. But what happens next time when they want to ban something that you're not OK with, just because some other idiot out there is being stupid about it? People have accidents because they're changing the radio station. Shouldn't there be laws against having radios in the vehicle? People have spilled hot coffee in their laps and have had accidents because of it. Should we ban coffee in vehicles? People have accidents while talking on a cell phone, so we ban the cell phone. That makes no sense, because it won't eliminate distracted driving, especially if they're allowed to use a hands-free cell phone, instead, since it's just as distracting as a hand-held phone is.

Most motor vehicle deaths occur, whether you're wearing a seat belt or not, due to head trauma. The day will likely come when everyone in a motor vehicle will be required to wear a helmet. They can't do it now, because people won't stand for it, but over a long series of legislating against stupidity and of legislating other laws to prevent deaths and to keep us safe, it'll eventually come to that, because we will have let them chip away at it until it's a really small chip left to get to that point. It about our safety, and helmets will save lives, so even if a helmut saves just one life.... that's the kind of slippery slope you start down when you start banning everything just because people are stupid about things.

 

[Scuba]

No, scuba does not make a good point, if he is promoting the use of cell phones while driving.

Tell me if I'm correct scuba. Are you saying (as a member of the Panther driver council) it is safe to operate a truck while using a cell phone or looking at a lap top and you feel everyone has the right to do so because they are an American?
That banning them would not save any lives?
If not, I publicly apologize.

Again, am I correct you are saying because nobody in your family has ever been killed by a cell phone user, that nobody else has?

So, you are saying also, there is no law that says you can't give a hair cut while driving, so if this becomes common, don't ban it?

Ever heard of laws that are made to PREVENT DEATHS?

Tell me, if you have one of those "cool" lap top stands in your cab and you are looking over to your right, trying to read something off it, are you just as much in control of your truck as if you were focused on driving?

See scuba. If you want to risk your life doing something like this, go for it.
Put my family in harms way, you show very poor driving habits and should not be a professional truck driver.
Ever hear of the word manslaughter?
This is what a person would be convicted of, if they kill someone while being distracted by using a cell phone, lap top, etc.

Not enough money to have one?
What the heck was that statement about?
No, I'm smart enough and having driven over 3,000,000 (not a misprint) over the road miles without single accident (preventable or not), that I know what a distraction while I'm driving can be.

Defensive driving out here is your best friend. Staying off the cell phone and a lap top, are part of that.

You seem to like to harp that im on the Panther Drivers Council tell me what does that have to do with anything? Yes I talk on the phone I use a hands free set. I also note that you talk on the cb while driving I hope you don’t kill someone while doing that mr expert. I also have over 3 million miles I have been doing this for 27 years with an adv if 145,000 miles a year. I have had2 accidents both times I was not the at fault driver. I wasn’t on the pone either time nor doing anything else I shouldn’t have been doing. Yes I have a lap top stand and no I don’t need to turn my head to see the screen. It sits 5 inches to the right of my wheel I use it for my gps while driving. I can see the screen with just a glance unlike those smaller gps units I have a 15 inch screen. Now go ahead and tell me how you have never glanced at anything while driving and you know what you will be if you say so. Again your getting your exercise leaping to conclusions I never said that talking on the phone has never caused someone to crash and or kill someone. The hair cut thing is really stupid why don’t you count setting the timer on a nuke while driving that is about as likely to happen as cutting hair while driving. Your right there is no law saying that you cant cut hair while driving do I think there should be one heck no that would be covered under distracted driving or are you so simple minded that everything needs to be spelled out for you? You say I shouldn’t be a professional truck driver well who died and made you the truck god. I only wish the rules of this board would allow me to really tell you what I think about you and your snipes. You base your statements about me without knowledge of me that makes you the ignorant one and not really worthy of my time and I hope that someday the dr can remove that third arm you have you know the one that keeps patting your back

 

[Scuba]

Anyone who says useing a computer,talking on a cell phone or doing anything other than "driving" when your supposed to be"driving"is not a distraction or will not lead to an accident or should be acceptable is STUPID thats right just plain STUPID!!!and if you would like I will pm you my home address and you can come by and I will tell you again that thinking like that makes you STUPID.

Tough guy no one said that they arent distracting my argument is against banning them as Turtles post also points out where does it stop. Reading a billboard can be distracting and i don't know of a single sighted person that hasent read one. People have crashed because they were reading them and traffic slowed or stopped in front of them. Do we now ban all billboards?

 

[Turtle]

People have crashed while looking at a particularly hot babe walking down the sidewalk. Do we ban particularly hot babes now? Not on my watch.

 

[Scuba]

Freightliners concept truck that was at MATS has no side mirrors just video monitors one on each side of the steering wheel. That will be in all trucks sooner or later that will be a distraction until people get used to using them. Maybe we should ban them before it goes into production.

 

[broker]

So turtle, if what you say is true, we should not have laws that deal with speeding? That there should not be a law dealing with going through a stop sign, or getting a ticket for not having chains on when going down the mountains outside of Reno in a snow storm.
These laws are made to protect us from the STUPID ones, as one member states.
Not even close to a good argument that a cell phone law will not save any lives.

Not to have a cell phone ban and the death rates will only increase.
Having one, will save lives, maybe yours turtle.

scuba,the reason I bring up the council seat, is I would expect more professional thinking from you. Anytime a new law, that would make it safer for us on the road could be introduced, I would expect someone in your position would be all for it.
Are you going to tell me you have never had to take defensive actions because of a driver on a cell phone?
It is only because you were not also distrated at the time, that an accident was prevented.

I wish someday I could pass you going down the interstate, while you are on your "hands free" cell phone. Bet you wouldn't even look over, even if I honked.
Ever been around these people who wear the "third" ear in a public place. You know, the ones that are walkling around or standing in line, while talking to someone on the "hands free" cell phone and we have to tell them to move or we are waiting for them to move up in the register line BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A WORLD OF THIER OWN.
Same, even worse in a car or truck. They are not focused as to what is going on around them.

Can I ask you something scuba.
How did you ever survive all those years on the road without a cell phone?

35 years on the road here my friend, got you by 8

Stop looking at this like a I'm better than you post.
It is all about making it safer out here for you, our fellow Expediters but most importantly, our families.