Need I say more?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7050000/newsid_7050200/7050201.stm
The video of that was all over the news yesterday. The cop said he had a hard time getting her out of her car because she was on her cell phone trying to call for help.
A second man had a run in with an Amtrak yesterday because he was text messaging on his phone and didn't see the train.
I personally think cell phone use in autos needs to be banned...PERIOD!
loathar wrote: I personally think cell phone use in autos needs to be banned...PERIOD!
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
It is illegal to use a cell phone while driving here in Australia. Studies here have shown, driving using a cell phone is like driving drunk.
Regards,
Nige.
ngartshore350 wrote: loathar wrote: I personally think cell phone use in autos needs to be banned...PERIOD! It is illegal to use a cell phone while driving here in Australia. Studies here have shown, driving using a cell phone is like driving drunk.Regards,Nige.
It is here in the States as well. Police tend to ignore it as most people do it anyway, including the police (who can do it legally). Almost every time I see someone pulling a real stupid on the road maneuver, I see a cell phone being held to the ear. The lastest in stupidity is driving and text messaging at the same time. Five high school girls were killed in an accident near where I live a few months ago because the driver of another car had to text the driver of the car to tell her that she "just went past her house.....". Duh!
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
jeffrey-wimberly wrote: loathar wrote: I personally think cell phone use in autos needs to be banned...PERIOD!You'll get no argument from me on that one.
I can drive through my Wal Mart parking lot and almost get into 5 wrecks with morons talking on their phones!
howmus wrote: ngartshore350 wrote: loathar wrote: I personally think cell phone use in autos needs to be banned...PERIOD! It is illegal to use a cell phone while driving here in Australia. Studies here have shown, driving using a cell phone is like driving drunk.Regards,Nige.It is here in the States as well. Police tend to ignore it as most people do it anyway, including the police (who can do it legally). Almost every time I see someone pulling a real stupid on the road maneuver, I see a cell phone being held to the ear. The lastest in stupidity is driving and text messaging at the same time. Five high school girls were killed in an accident near where I live a few months ago because the driver of another car had to text the driver of the car to tell her that she "just went past her house.....". Duh!
Actually, it depends on which state you are in. Not all states have laws against using cell phones while driving. Some states require "hands free" devices if you are going to use your cell phone while driving, other (like Utah) have laws against "distracted" driving.
George
"And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers ride their father's magic carpet made of steel..."
loathar wrote: jeffrey-wimberly wrote: loathar wrote: I personally think cell phone use in autos needs to be banned...PERIOD!You'll get no argument from me on that one.I can drive through my Wal Mart parking lot and almost get into 5 wrecks with morons talking on their phones!
howmus wrote:It is here in the States as well. Police tend to ignore it as most people do it anyway, including the police (who can do it legally).
The only state that I'm aware of that has banned simultaneous driving and cell phone use is New York state. It would be great if all 50 would ratify that law. Sadly, its the youngest drivers (who lack the years of driving experience) that run the greatest risk because they are the heaviest users. Even so - whether newbies or seasoned drivers - being distracted while you are driving is dangerous.
The one question to ask is: Did the woman learn from the experience? I sure hope so.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Dave-the-Train wrote:Need I say more?http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7050000/newsid_7050200/7050201.stm
Lots said here too: http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1241935/ShowPost.aspx
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
This is a copy of my statement in the trains.com Gen Discussion forum thread about this topic.
I am inclined to give this clearly distraught woman credit for being in a suitably emotional state due to the magnitude and potential danger to everyone involved, whether the passengers and crew on the train, the peace officers who were doing their duty to her as a member of the public, and for her own sake...was she a mother and wife, for example, and did it hit her hard at impact that she might not have seen her family again, or that they would have had to bury what was left of her. Would her husband have been able to recognize her from the remains, and what would that have done to him?
Her tears and expressions of remorse are nothing more than gratitude, shock, fleeting and hurried thoughts and fears, and true regret for not having been more careful.
I think she just made an error, not an egregious one. The cell phone thing is germane; I don't feel that it is sensible or that it ought to be acceptable to drive and manipulate a hand-held device at the same time.
tstage wrote: howmus wrote:It is here in the States as well. Police tend to ignore it as most people do it anyway, including the police (who can do it legally).The only state that I'm aware of that has banned simultaneous driving and cell phone use is New York state. Tom
The only state that I'm aware of that has banned simultaneous driving and cell phone use is New York state.
http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/phon-vt.htm
Not quite. Althought the terminology in the law says you can't "use" a cell phone while driving it defines usage as holding a cell phone in proximity to ear or in one hand. Hands free cell phones can be used while driving. So in that sense, you can legally talk on a cell phone while you are driving.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
selector wrote: I don't feel that it is sensible or that it ought to be acceptable to drive and manipulate a hand-held device at the same time.
So, if I put a little switching layout on my dashboard, I shouldn't use a hand-held throttle while driving down the Interstate at 70? How about a Zephyr, then? Would that be OK?
Y'know, I'm glad we've got one of these we can joke about. No injuries. Most of the time people aren't so lucky. Still, I'll bet the engineer of that train didn't know the vehicle was unoccupied when his headlight beam reached the intersection and he saw all the "police activity" and a car on his tracks. He probably got to breathe a big sigh of relief to find out later that there was no one inside.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley wrote: So, if I put a little switching layout on my dashboard, I shouldn't use a hand-held throttle while driving down the Interstate at 70? How about a Zephyr, then? Would that be OK?...
So, if I put a little switching layout on my dashboard, I shouldn't use a hand-held throttle while driving down the Interstate at 70? How about a Zephyr, then? Would that be OK?...
A Zephyr is a Digitrax product, isn't it. I guess I could make an exception in that case.
loathar wrote:I personally think cell phone use in autos needs to be banned...PERIOD!
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
When I was a kid back in the early 1970s, there was a couple here in town that were drinking and got into an argument, and when the woman threatened to leave him, the guy stopped the car on the tracks in front of an oncoming SP freight train and they were hit. They both survived with a lot of injuries. They were really lucky.
My cousin Connie was killed back in April of 1987 by a Santa Fe coal train between Bellville and Sealy Texas. She had her raido on real loud and apparently didn't hear the horns blowing. My younger cousin that saw the accident said she was coming over the tracks real slow because the crossing was bumping and was waving at here when all of a sudden the train came along and hit her doing about 50 mph.
I also agree with you folks that are against cell phone use and driving. I had a friend who's sister was killed in an accident because she was looking down dialing a number and slammed into the back of a truck that was stopped at a red light while she was doing about 60 mph with no seat belt on.
Tracklayer
tstage wrote: howmus wrote:It is here in the States as well. Police tend to ignore it as most people do it anyway, including the police (who can do it legally).The only state that I'm aware of that has banned simultaneous driving and cell phone use is New York state. It would be great if all 50 would ratify that law. Sadly, its the youngest drivers (who lack the years of driving experience) that run the greatest risk because they are the heaviest users. Even so - whether newbies or seasoned drivers - being distracted while you are driving is dangerous.The one question to ask is: Did the woman learn from the experience? I sure hope so.Tom
Actually, it is banned in 5 states with partial bans and restrictions in quite a few others. I should have said New York State in my previous post. And yes, using a "hands free" device is permited.
You can use a hands-free kit here too! But if you don't, they definitely don't just ignore it.
WHOA, folks!!!
The article says she was using her cell phone INSIDE A STRANDED VEHICLE - not that she was chatting with one hand and driving with the other.
My wife carries a cell phone for EXACTLY that kind of situation - and, fortunately, has never had to use it. As for other use, about three hours a month is spent communicating with her friend in Sacramento, while both of them are sitting in their respective living rooms watching The Golf Channel.
In that situation, if I was the policeman involved I would have done ANYTHING to get her attention, up to and including smashing her door window with a five-cell flashlight. Whatever he did, he succeeded - for which everyone concerned is thankful.
Cleaning up a well-crunched EMPTY vehicle is a lot less traumatic than cleaning up one that isn't empty.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
tomikawaTT wrote: WHOA, folks!!!The article says she was using her cell phone INSIDE A STRANDED VEHICLE - not that she was chatting with one hand and driving with the other.
I saw an interview with the cop yesterday. He said the woman was talking to her sister on the cell phone trying to get direction to a party. She got lost and turned down what she thought was a street only to end up on the tracks.(while talking on the phone) She then sat in her car, on the tracks trying to call for help. The cop had a hard time convincing her to get off the phone and out of the car because there was a train coming.
Cities can ban cell phones too. Brooklyn Ohio (my home town) was the first city in the US to ban cell phones while driving. They were also the first city to make seat belts manditory. I knew the mayor and all the cops. Trust me...It had more to do with ticket revenue than safety.
Washington D.C. has also banned cell phone use - don't know about hands free.
Enjoy
Paul