posted on May 19, 2001 06:28:00 AM new
I have always told my kids not to talk on the phone while driving. But apparently most parents don't bother doing this, so I thought I'd relate what happened to us last night as a reminder.
We ran down to the mall and were headed home. We were in the right lane on a busy street and stopped at a light. A young teenager behind us rear ended us at full speed for that area. She never even tried to brake.
When I got out of the car and looked back, the girl was talking on the phone. I assumed calling 911, so I walked back to her car window. Nope-she's talking to her boyfriend! I stood there for a second and finally said, 'Hang up that phone and call 911'. To the boyfriend, she says 'Listen, I'm going to have to go', very calmly, talks a few seconds more, then hangs up.
When the police got there (two DPS officers were right there, fortunately), she tells them that 'the phone rang just about the time the light changed, and I didn't see them'.
We're talking about a full size, bright red car, folks-stopped at a light-this girl was already on the phone, no telling how long she hadn't been watching the road! Needless to say, she got the tickets while we went to the hospital to get the knots on our heads xrayed!
If you're going to give your 16 year old a phone and a car, teach them how to use them safely-and not at the same time!
posted on May 19, 2001 06:39:50 AM new
Bearmom, I hope everyone is OK? How about your car...damage?
My favorite expression since the inundation of drivers with cell phones:"Sure you can drive while you are on the phone, but can you stop???
Same expression applies for 4 wheel drive vehicles going like a bat out of hell on bad road conditions!
[ edited by zilvy on May 19, 2001 06:40 AM ]
posted on May 19, 2001 06:57:08 AM new
Morning bearmom - Knots on your heads? OUCH!!! Hope you're all okay, and feeling better today.
Yep, cell phones and driving just don't mix. With all the news about just these sort of accidents, I'd think the message would be out to all...don't use cells phones and drive.
posted on May 19, 2001 07:13:30 AM new
Bearmom I am sorry that this happened to you, hope you are all okay.
Tell me, is it legal to use a mobile (cell) phone while in charge of a car or vehicle. We have a law here in Australia, that we are not allowed to talk on a hand held phone while driving, as a matter of fact we are not even allowed to be sitting in our cars talking on a hand held phone. The fines are fairly steep if you are caught and booked for such an offence. We are allowed to use a hands free phone, so most people have a head set or a car mounted speaker with microphone.
I am interested in knowing if you use those items in the States. Here in Australia you would not survive without them, they are a part of everday life for us. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not.
posted on May 19, 2001 07:46:17 AM new
I recently gave up carrying a cell phone but when I did I would asnswer if driving and say "Hold for a second and I will pull over." I could do that without taking my eyes off the road and still pay attention to what I was doing.
Obviously a lot of people are not capable of doing 2 things at once. I know I can't pay attention to the road and consider anything very complex at the same time and give both the attention needed.
A lot of people don't need a cell phone to get in trouble driving. We were invited to ride with some people to a party in their minivan and as we went down the street the woman driving got more and more engaged in her conversation with the woman sitting up front and was looking at her instead of the road. As we approuched the rail road tracks
the signals came on and her husband said "Ugh - Shelly - the signals." She completely ignored him and kept talking. I smacked the back of her seat hard enough to rattle her and said "Stop the van." loud enough to get through to her little pea brain. We just managed to get stopped short of the gates that were coming down as I spoke. I got out right there as it was only about a mile and a half from home and walked home. They were upset with me for yelling at her. I apologized for saving our lives and promised I would never put myself in need of doing it again. They
seem to have forgotten all about it quickly because they offered to drive again and I said I don't ride with her because she is not competent to drive. Surprised them for some reason.
posted on May 19, 2001 07:57:46 AM new
Bearmom....Hope you're all doin' well this morning
nettak....We don't have a US wide law regarding cell phone usage....In the county in which I live, it's a $150 fine if you are (obviously, caught) using a cell phone without a hands free device...The device that I have is an earplug with contains both the speaker & the microphone (which is a bit odd, cause when using it I look like I'm driving down the road talkin' to myself!)....The next county over is in the process of passing the same law, with the addition of a "NO Dialing" while driving rule...Remains to be seen how that will work...we have visions of people pulling over on the sides of the roads, all over the place and then taking right off once they have made there connection....
Even at the $150 fee, you STILL see lots of folks just driving around talking, phone in hand....
posted on May 19, 2001 09:05:29 AM new
Great subject.
Last September, my niece and her four month old son were driving home on a Thursday evening. Her work was located 60 miles from home, so she had Brandon in his car seat in the front seat. She was three miles from home, on a rural road, talking on the cell phone to her mother. She missed the stop sign. It was a two way stop, two rural roads. And the gravel truck that hit her didn't have a stop sign. He hit the passenger side of the car, pushing the door in all the way to the center console.
The carseat shattered.
EMTs got there, and Steph was upside down in the drivers seat, with her back against the steering wheel. (No seatbelt, either...ah, the foolishness of youth.) They started working on her right away...until one of the guys said "oh my God there's a baby in here".
Brandon's life support was turned off a week later. His mother survived, and is amazingly intact, but with little or no memories of her son or the previous year of her life before the accident. A blessing, I think. I can't imagine the guilt as a mother who caused such an accident.
In People magazine this past week (I only bought it because of the Blake murder...really!) there is an article about a woman who was driving her little girl home from getting her hair trimmed so she could be the flower girl in a friends wedding the next weekend. They are driving home, and some idiot on a cell phone blows a stop sign. That little girl died too. And now her mom is battling to get laws passed everywhere to keep people from driving and chatting.
This isn't a dress rehearsal-you only get one chance. TURN THE PHONE OFF. If it's that important, pull over.
posted on May 19, 2001 09:58:49 AM new
My wife had an accident because of a phone. Wierd one by any standards. She was driving through an apartment complex and got behind another car. Suddenly the car stopped and then went into reverse. The reason for the sudden direction change was the driver had their cordless phone (not cellular) and had gotten out of range of the base unit.
While he was apologizing my wife asked if she could borrow the phone and called the police.
The damage was so minor (scratches on the bumper to me) I told the wife to just ignore it, but it was her new car so that wasn't an option to her. I had it estimated at the dealer and they said $612.00! The cordless phone driver gave us a check for the amount, he was deathly afraid of getting the insurance companies involved because of some other accidents.
posted on May 19, 2001 02:16:51 PM new
Thanks for everyone's concern. Hubby feels fine. The xray showed a chip floating in my spinal fluid, but they didn't know if it was vertebrae or a piece of arthritic calcium deposit. Everything from the top of my head down hurts on the left side of my body, some nausea, sleepiness. But they didn't think I had a concussion, and I will go to my own doctor Monday about the 'chip'. I've taught EMT students about whiplash, but never knew how it really felt-it's strange!! You can actually feel your neck popping back and forth.
My poor car looks awful! I just got it 6 months ago, and it breaks my heart to look at it. But when they say the Taurus is one of America's safest cars, believe it-the way the rear end looks, we are very blessed. Maddie, my heart goes out to your niece, I can't imagine living with something like that.
posted on May 19, 2001 03:38:16 PM new
Rancher thanks for the info. We also have the earphone sets that you were talking about, and yes they do look strange when you see people using them. But boy are they a lot safer, at least you can keep both hands on the steering wheel.
I have to say that even though the hands free sets make it safer, I still do not think it is absolutely safe to drive whilst talking on the phone even when someone is using the hands free method. I have seen some people driving along talking, and they are not concentrating on the road they are arguing the price of chewing gum or some other rubbish, or discussing how much toilet paper is today. How can you have your mind on the road if you are talking on the damn phone.
MaddieNicks, I feel for your family, and what a weight must fall on your niece's head.
Bearmom, you take care and let us know how you go with your doctor.
posted on May 19, 2001 05:58:57 PM new
In rush hour traffic sitting up in a big truck beside phones I have looked down and seen people rolling along reading a book open on the steering wheel - putting on nail polish or mascara using the mirror - pouring milk and cereal in a bowl for their kid - engaging in an auto-erotic pasttime - trying to pull a sweat shirt off over their head - changing their shoes - and yes some of both sex enjoy flashing the truckdriver up in his cab and usually are watching to see how much reaction they are getting instead of watching the road.
