Death by texting

[Racket_Man]

a man, whilst texting, causes a crash and kills someone. he is sentenced to 30 days in jail and 12 months probation. the COPS are outraged.

http://autos.aol.com/article/death-b..._lnk3%7C214006

and this "punishment" is from a NEWLY created law in Michigan.

[Rapscallion]

Happened a long while back over here, and there's a law now about 'causing death by dangerous driving' to cover this sort of thing. Can't blame the cops over there, actually.

Rapscallion

[Greenday]

Happened a long while back over here, and there's a law now about 'causing death by dangerous driving' to cover this sort of thing. Can't blame the cops over there, actually.

Rapscallion

I remember an article a while ago about some girl texting and driving and killing someone over there. She got more than a month though, I thought.

A month in jail is a slap in the face. I mean, most people when texting don't even look at the road. At least most drunk drivers watch the road. Both are retarded. But to be completely sober and still choose to be a reckless prick? That deserves more than a month.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Exactly. Your Farmville can fucking wait til you're safely tucked away in a layby. There is nothing that you have to text that can't wait til after you've finished driving.

[Ginger Tea]

Why do I get the impression I could deliberatly run over and kill someone, then claim I was texting and get a few months vs what I would originally get for premedative murder.

[HYHYBT]

I still disagree with laws that don't take conditions into account. I'm not talking about this specific case.... but texting is very different than being drunk in some ways that are in its favor, and that's always COMPLETELY ignored. Unlike being drunk, texting is something that can be done in spurts, during times when you're not doing anything else, such as waiting for a light to change or while stuck in a traffic jam. Yet laws would almost certainly not take such things into account. Just make texting while driving against the law, period, and never mind the perfectly innocent AND SAFE people who are, say, letting their boss know they're going to be late to work because of an overturned trailer blocking the interstate.

And where was it a ban on using the phone while driving was being used to penalize people for using it even as a GPS, just sitting there in the seat or on the dashboard?

[Ginger Tea]

And where was it a ban on using the phone while driving was being used to penalize people for using it even as a GPS, just sitting there in the seat or on the dashboard?

When the UK had a no phone whilst driving law (iir hands free kits were and perhaps still OK, just not one hand to the ear phone use) smart phones with GPS sat nav software were not widespread or I might go as far as to say nigh on non existant, if however satnav enabled phones were widespread, I'm sure the law makers would have looked into this as an exclusion, as you don't see people being pulled over for having a Tom Tom installed.

I agree with the "I'm stuck in a traffic jam going no where" usage of the phone as you are stationary, but most laws are "In the driving seat + ignition on + on the phone = whoops fine." even if you have been stationary for 30 minutes.
If you are stationary you pose no risk to you or others, moving however, an eye off the road or hand off the wheel can prove fatal, even if its only a minute fraction.
Once in very slow moving trafic I saw a woman doing a crossword or code breaker puzzle, this was way before Suduko came to the UK, granted she wasn't moving fast, but would she be doing that if she wasn't moving at a slow speed, part of me thought she would.
And a fail blog photo had a laptop table that hooked onto the steering wheel, how irresponsible is that?
Next they'll install a projection screen to the window and watch a blueray on the way to work.

[lordlundar]

That judge did it wrong. The consequences detailed in that law are supposed to be applied in ADDITION to the standard charges in such a situation, such as negligent homicide or gross negligence causing death. The idea is to drive the point home that you're not to text while driving. (pun unintended)

Yeah, I don't blame the cops either for being pissed. And imagine how the family of the victim feels.

[Boozy]

Why do I get the impression I could deliberatly run over and kill someone, then claim I was texting and get a few months vs what I would originally get for premedative murder.

I think the fact that you knew the accident victim would raise a few questions.

Unless you chose to murder a random human being just for fun. Not much sport in that though, is there?

[telecom_goddess]

Maybe he'll get sued for wrongful death too...which isn't a solution but at least would be something.

People who text and drive need to lose their license and car for life just like a drunk driver should. It's dumb to do.

[AdminAssistant]

It's dumb to do.

Exactly. Even if you're at a red light or in a traffic jam, you should be alert and watching to see if traffic's moving or if the light's going to change.