Another cross the centerline fatal

[Goldenhawk]

Wouldn't even need that to start out. Take the 4 most junior guys in the PD, one driver, one passenger, stick them in a 2 plain cars that have been impounded. Have one "crew" start in Solomons and drive north, the other at the AA county line and drive south. When they reach the other end of the county and turn around and start over. Passenger gets a decent digital camera to take "evidence" photos of the offending driver looking down, sideways etc for the court cases, make the stop, issue the fine and continue on.

Great idea - but I have to gently argue the practicality. They'll make a stop in the first 30 seconds - and spend the next 10 minutes on the side of the road doing paperwork with that one driver, and as far as anybody passing them knows, it's just another speeding ticket. Net result, six tickets an hour and nearly zero effect on the problem. Until someone develops automated "ticket for texting" cameras that snapshot every car (yeah, I know how THAT suggestion will never fly on THIS forum, and I actually agree with those speed camera naysayers), your suggestion won't make a difference because it won't cause any fear.

Functionally, I don't see this problem ever having an law enforcement solution that works. The only possible solution (which also won't work for social reasons) is prohibiting phones from working while moving.

Or maybe autonomous cars. Which is where it's going anyway. In 10 years you won't be ALLOWED to drive a car manually, and the problem will go away. And we'll all just be sucked into the Matrix and spend our entire lives slurping "reality" from a screen.

 

[vraiblonde]

Alright let's walk it through:

The main congested areas during rush are Rt 235, Rt 4, and Rt 5. In order to thoroughly police those routes, they'd need what? 20 or 30 cops on each road, spaced out between the commuters? Think about bumper to bumper traffic in all lanes, so a cop 8 cars behind a texter isn't going to see it, which means they're going to need to be placed closer.

Not gonna happen. There's simply not the manpower, #1, and #2 think how crazy you all would get with cops all over your commute.

At some point we have to say #### happens, cops can't be everywhere, and people need to stop driving like morons. They should lose their license at the very least, and they should do jail time if they injure or kill someone while they were texting bitmojis to bae and BFF. This girl in OP needs to be charged with vehicular manslaughter and punished accordingly. That freaking teacher not too long ago - whatever happened to her? Is she in jail? Because she should be. She killed someone through blatant negligence WHILE she was committing another crime, and last time I looked that was against the law. Was she ever punished?

We need to stop being soft on these people.

 

[Clem72]

In my opinion, no amount of enforcement will keep people addicted to their phones from texting while driving. Even now, to keep from being seen doing it, they keep the phone in their lap so they have to look down making their reaction time even worse. At least with the phone up at eye level they might see something from their peripheral vision.

But, my hope is that active lane assist and adaptive cruise / auto-breaking will become standard features in the not too distant future. But even then it will take a decade for most of the older cars to get off the road.

 

[MR47930]

Great idea - but I have to gently argue the practicality. They'll make a stop in the first 30 seconds - and spend the next 10 minutes on the side of the road doing paperwork with that one driver, and as far as anybody passing them knows, it's just another speeding ticket. Net result, six tickets an hour and nearly zero effect on the problem. Until someone develops automated "ticket for texting" cameras that snapshot every car (yeah, I know how THAT suggestion will never fly on THIS forum, and I actually agree with those speed camera naysayers), your suggestion won't make a difference because it won't cause any fear.

Functionally, I don't see this problem ever having an law enforcement solution that works. The only possible solution (which also won't work for social reasons) is prohibiting phones from working while moving.

Or maybe autonomous cars. Which is where it's going anyway. In 10 years you won't be ALLOWED to drive a car manually, and the problem will go away. And we'll all just be sucked into the Matrix and spend our entire lives slurping "reality" from a screen.

You don't think word of mouth and this forum would be lighting up after the first week of ticketing? There would be a thread 1000 pages long about how the police are out to get working class folks and how we live in a nanny state blah, blah, blah. I can see it all now. Littlelady would be telling everyone what they used to do back in the day, what her husband thinks, and what is being done in Montgomery County this very moment.

 

[frequentflier]

In my opinion, no amount of enforcement will keep people addicted to their phones from texting while driving. Even now, to keep from being seen doing it, they keep the phone in their lap so they have to look down making their reaction time even worse. At least with the phone up at eye level they might see something from their peripheral vision.

But, my hope is that active lane assist and adaptive cruise / auto-breaking will become standard features in the not too distant future. But even then it will take a decade for most of the older cars to get off the road.

Personally, I don't see what is so damn important that cannot wait until the next traffic light or section of road to pull off on. But that's just me...

 

[glhs837]

Alright let's walk it through:

The main congested areas during rush are Rt 235, Rt 4, and Rt 5. In order to thoroughly police those routes, they'd need what? 20 or 30 cops on each road, spaced out between the commuters? Think about bumper to bumper traffic in all lanes, so a cop 8 cars behind a texter isn't going to see it, which means they're going to need to be placed closer.

Not gonna happen. There's simply not the manpower, #1, and #2 think how crazy you all would get with cops all over your commute.

At some point we have to say #### happens, cops can't be everywhere, and people need to stop driving like morons. They should lose their license at the very least, and they should do jail time if they injure or kill someone while they were texting bitmojis to bae and BFF. This girl in OP needs to be charged with vehicular manslaughter and punished accordingly. That freaking teacher not too long ago - whatever happened to her? Is she in jail? Because she should be. She killed someone through blatant negligence WHILE she was committing another crime, and last time I looked that was against the law. Was she ever punished?

We need to stop being soft on these people.

Hmm, so is that how we deter DUIs? No, we don't have cops swarming the road, we make and enforce, mostly, harsh penalties. And there's a ton of social opprobrium that goes along with drunk driving. You don't that many cops. Make a $200 ticket and 2-3 points and a name in the paper, harsher for repeat offenders. One officer spending an hour three days a week in traffic could issue say 5-8 of these an hour (pure traffic stops without the smell of pot of a gun on the floor taking very little time these days what with computerized records and in car printers). Make it hurt, make it socially visible. We know how to do this, we did for the other big killer DUI.

So, I agree on the harshness when they cause a crash, but I do NOT accept the idea that enforcement and social pressure cannot be a deterrent.

 

[lovinmaryland]

And again, the at-fault driver walks away while another family has to bury their loved one.

That is the first thing I thought of when I read the story this morning. Very sad for that family.

 

[vraiblonde]

But, my hope is that active lane assist and adaptive cruise / auto-breaking will become standard features in the not too distant future. But even then it will take a decade for most of the older cars to get off the road.

See, I am against developing technology that enables stupid people to continue their stupidity. I'm all about bleaching that gene pool. Driving a car isn't difficult. I've been doing it successfully for almost 40 years. Most people can operate their vehicle without mishap. The ones who cannot are typically careless and stupid in other areas as well - THEY are the problem, not the car.

And the other problem is that stupid people don't realize they're stupid. "Oh, I can drive just fine while texting," as they weave all over the road.

Emperor Vrai's solution would be to implement solid public transportation, and make it very difficult to get a driver's license and a car. Pass a test, both road and written, demonstrate common sense in various situations, and have a background check. If you fail, on the bus you go.

 

[MR47930]

See, I am against developing technology that enables stupid people to continue their stupidity. I'm all about bleaching that gene pool. Driving a car isn't difficult. I've been doing it successfully for almost 40 years. Most people can operate their vehicle without mishap. The ones who cannot are typically careless and stupid in other areas as well - THEY are the problem, not the car.

And the other problem is that stupid people don't realize they're stupid. "Oh, I can drive just fine while texting," as they weave all over the road.

Emperor Vrai's solution would be to implement solid public transportation, and make it very difficult to get a driver's license and a car. Pass a test, both road and written, demonstrate common sense in various situations, and have a background check. If you fail, on the bus you go.

Maybe the insurance companies need to get involved...If you are in, or cause an accident that can be proven, without any doubt, that was due to your texting or web surfing, we ain't paying out.

 

[Clem72]

See, I am against developing technology that enables stupid people to continue their stupidity.

But that's the wrong way to think about it. This prevents stupid people from hurting others. I might be with you on the public transportation, but only if we could not only magically pay for it, but also somehow keep it clean and well appointed which is not possible from what I have seen in NY, LA, ATL, and SF (only places in the US I have used public transport regularly).

 

[Clem72]

See, I am against developing technology that enables stupid people to continue their stupidity.

But that's the wrong way to think about it. This prevents stupid people from hurting others. I might be with you on the public transportation, but only if we could not only magically pay for it, but also somehow keep it clean and well appointed which is not possible from what I have seen in NY, LA, ATL, and SF (only places in the US I have used public transport regularly).

 

[vraiblonde]

Maybe the insurance companies need to get involved...If you are in, or cause an accident that can be proven, without any doubt, that was due to your texting or web surfing, we ain't paying out.

Insurance hell. Execute them in the public square. THAT will send a message that we are not playing with them anymore.

 

[vraiblonde]

but also somehow keep it clean

Oh, honey, I have a solution for that as well.

 

[Goldenhawk]

See, I am against developing technology that enables stupid people to continue their stupidity. I'm all about bleaching that gene pool.

Yes, BUT: over and over again, the offender is the one who lives. Scientifically speaking, the person who sees it coming tenses up, reacts, does something that makes it a worse injury for them. But the offender is usually relaxed and thus less injured - same as happens with drunk drivers.

 

[Goldenhawk]

Maybe all police vehicles should have a digital sign on the back that says what the current stop is all about. "Pulled over for texting" or "Pulled over for speeding" or "Pulled over for following too closely" flashing red on the back... that would help, yes?

 

[vraiblonde]

Yes, BUT: over and over again, the offender is the one who lives.

But if we did it right....not for long. If it were up to me, very shortly after their act of mayhem, they would be quite tensed up.

 

[RetiredCPO]

I've always thought about setting up in a chair with a few beverages (legal) in an inconspicuous area along 235 during rush hour and take pictures of everyone on the phone as they pass. Then start a SOMD community Facebook site were I (and anyone else who joins) can post the pictures. Maybe if we take matters into our own hands, these idiots will realize we know who they are and they'll thick twice about answering that text or call while driving. I doubt it, but I still have hope and besides, maybe having there face posted will get the LEO's doing something about it.

 

[vraiblonde]

I've always thought about setting up in a chair with a few beverages (legal) in an inconspicuous area along 235 during rush hour and take pictures of everyone on the phone as they pass. Then start a SOMD community Facebook site were I (and anyone else who joins) can post the pictures. Maybe if we take matters into our own hands, these idiots will realize we know who they are and they'll thick twice about answering that text or call while driving. I doubt it, but I still have hope and besides, maybe having there face posted will get the LEO's doing something about it.

I like that idea, too. Citizen policing - the cops can't be everywhere and at some point we need to help them out. But someone would surely bitch and cry about their photo being posted and sic the lawyers on us, and that would be that.

 

[stgislander]

Maybe all police vehicles should have a digital sign on the back that says what the current stop is all about. "Pulled over for texting" or "Pulled over for speeding" or "Pulled over for following too closely" flashing red on the back... that would help, yes?

 

[Restitution]

At some point we have to say #### happens, cops can't be everywhere....

We don't need them everywhere! If there were LEO posted at particular areas then the results would be spectacular.

Let's take the 235 corridor for instance. If they posted 3 teams... one in each of the following areas:

- At the Wawa across from NFCU
- At CPFCU behind the Chipotle
- At the new Urgent care center next to Red Robin.

Hell.. just these 3 areas would probably net at least 50 offenders within the hours of 3pm and 6pm for various violations including cell phone use! The only problem would be how tired the LEO would be after that 3 hour span!