Seacost Century=FAIL

[shootingstar]

I keep my cell phone in the back seat when I drive. I can't reach it and have an excuse for not answering any calls.
I get frustrated as well when my SO pokes at the GPS all the time while driving. I tell him it is dangerous. He says it is the same as if he looked at the radio to change channels. Well, that is distracting, too! He says it is the same as looking at the speedometer or other buttons. NOT!!!!

I guess I feel so strongly about cell phone usage in the anything that moves because 15 or 16 years ago, I was talking on the cell phone and had an accident. Fortunately no one was hurt, but since then the cell phone is NOT used any time I am in the car. Even if I am a passenger, I tend to talk to the driver rather than talk on the cell phone. I think me talking on the cell phone can be just as distracting. It just takes one minute of inattentiveness and things can go bad. I know.

Kudos to you, kajero. I wish everyone was like you.
And such an easy solution: put your cellphone in the backseat so that one is not tempted to answer it while driving. If one is that curious, etc., then stop the car to answer.

The scary thought is:

ie. many seniors (and there will be some of us in decades to come in this forum) will believe they will still be competent car drivers in their 80's and 90's as they age. Plus use cellphone while driving. Just so scary to think of this. We will lack our alertness when we get older. It's reality we must face and change our habits...now.

There have been enough car accidents of elderly drivers jumping cars onto sidewalks, running down folks accidentally, and ramming into..buildings, etc. Several have happened in Canada within the last few months.

And this in addition to younger careless drivers.

[rebeccaC]

It's not that hard to turn my phone off when I get into my car. I don't need to ALWAYS be connected to technology or worried about missing a call/text that's usually not all that important 99.9% of the time or worth the distraction. I also always carry my phone when riding for safety reasons but with the ringer off.

hoping future rides are sooooooo much better crankin!!!!!

[eofelis]

A second arrest has been made. Drugs.

[kajero]

A second arrest has been made. Drugs.

I am getting angrier and angrier that society allows people to destroy and ruin other peoples' lives so easily. I hope they get life sentences.

[Crankin]

I heard the news about the drugs right as I was falling asleep. Will listen more this morning.
It doesn't surprise me. That area is known for some skanky activity.
Sigh, the things I learn in my line of work.

[SheFly]

I am getting angrier and angrier that society allows people to destroy and ruin other peoples' lives so easily. I hope they get life sentences.

To me, this is a diversion of responsibility. While someone MAY have sold her the drugs, and MAY have let her use the car, the DRIVER is still the one who went out and killed those women - not the person selling the drugs. Part of the problem in today's society is that everything is always someone else's fault, and people expect that because of that, they will not be held responsible. Don't get me wrong, the drug issue is bad and criminal, but this woman needs to be responsible for the fact that without a license, SHE got into a car, drove it recklessly, and killed two people.

[rant over]
SheFly

[OakLeaf]

And it goes back to what I keep harping on about the mental element. I'm glad that this driver may get what she deserves. But it points out how near impossible it is to prosecute vehicular homicide as currently defined *without* drugs being involved. Even when the mens rea is merely negligence (which negligent homicide is still a misdemeanor), that concept returns back to a community standard of care, and when it's generally accepted that a driver doesn't really have to exercise any care at all behind the wheel, it means that all this carnage is "just accidents."

Speeding is a strict liability offense. Marked lanes and assured clear distance are strict liability offenses. But bingo, kill someone and all of a sudden they have to prove that you were driving much worse than the average person, AND that you knew it and drove anyway. Bah.

[velo]

I've been reading about this and just have to say that it make my heart ache for the cyclists and their families. So unnecessary and senseless. It makes me angry at the lawmakers, too.

[kajero]

It's not that hard to turn my phone off when I get into my car. I don't need to ALWAYS be connected to technology or worried about missing a call/text that's usually not all that important 99.9% of the time or worth the distraction. I also always carry my phone when riding for safety reasons but with the ringer off.

hoping future rides are sooooooo much better crankin!!!!!

If I turn the ringer off, I always forget to turn it back on and then forget to see if there were any calls. I can't miss that one important call (even if I DO have to wait to answer it). I am expecting my first and what I think will be my only grandchild (boy) the end of this year.