this week arnold schwa---california's governor--- signed the law restricting underage drivers to use any kind of electronic devices while driving. that means no more texting...nothing for us the lower driving age group. the age group that has the most restrictions, like curfews and such. a previous law had just recently banned use of cellphones w/ the exception of hand-free devices but now they are not letting us text. supposedly, us minors are prone to get more easily distracted and this is just for our own good. our own good??? are you kidding me??
Anybody is prone to getting distracted; it doesnt depend on the age. yea driving is a big resposibility but sending a text is not as time consuming as they make it seem. experienced "texters" are capable of replying to text without the use of looking at the keypad, the same way as typing on a keyboard. i find it hard for texting to get in the way of driving. its not like we are trying to text schwarzenegger. now that would be a whole different story.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
No one should text while driving. I'm of the opinion no one should chat on their phone while driving. You really don't need to. Music is far less distracting; you don't reply to music like you do to someone you're on the phone with.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
That is a very funny ending. I am from CA and the joke out here in NM between my friends and I is that CA is has a rule for everything. At least the measure is to protect our nations future instead of to invade its privacy.
As if that is any comfort.
~Californianita
all truths are easy to understand once discovered; the point is to discover them ~galileo
Maybe if you were in the car with those cheerleaders when they totaled it while the driver was replying to a text message you might feel a little differently about the law....
As a driver you have a responsibility not only to passengers in your car but to the other drivers....that responsibility is to pay attention to what you are doing!!! If you are on the cell phone sending a text message or chatting with someone are you really paying attention to what is going on with the other drivers??? I agree that this is not an age thing but younger drivers are newer and not as fluid in focusing on driving as us old folks. Just remember we were all young drivers once and know all about the rules that we had to follow and that our insurance was sky high. If you really need to chat with someone or text someone do everyone a favor and pull off to the side of the road --- this may not only save others lives it may prove to save yours..........
I don't think anybody needs to text and drive. That just doesn't make sense, and everybody I've ever seen text and drive glance down at the phone, then up at the road. Things can go wrong in that split second.
From my own experience, I can drive with one hand anyway. Driving with both hands is odd; it feels like one hand is fighthing the other for control over the wheel. I have never attempted texting while driving because I know I can't. I know the keypad well enough to do most of it without looking but then I always glance over a text before I send it to make sure I didn't key-in gibberish. I don't think the argument that it's distracting is baseless nor do I think it's discriminatory against drivers our age; it just so happens that drivers in our age group text more than others (than other adults in general, not just adult drivers.)
*EDIT*: I just remembered that it only applies to younger drivers in which case I call "this shit is bogus." Older drivers may be more experienced but I don't think experience has any bearing when something like texting is just as distracting.
················································································
Gabriel
Thats crazy it should apply to all people not just younger adults.
It is true that anyone can get distracted, but I guess the purpose for this law, is that underage drivers do not have as much experience, and therefore are not as good drivers, so extra distractions are going to make it even more difficult for them to concentrate on hazards. I agree, these things are always dangerous distractions, but after some time, I know from experience that they are less distracting. I remember trying to call my mom one time when I was sixteen, a few weeks after getting my liscense, and I almost drove straight into a huge truck, but now I can talk on the phone and drive alright. But texting and driving should be a HUGE no no. That requires removing your hands from the wheel and looking at the phone to look at what you're writing. I've almost gotten in about dozen accidents from texting and driving. I don't care how old you are, that is dangerous.
What?!??! I'm from New Jersey, and electronic devices are illegal while driving for EVERYONE. And I'm pretty sure they have been for awhile, and I'm not angry with that law or anything, that's exactly the way it should be.
Last week, there was an episode of Dr. Phil on this, and I don't usually like that show but I thought it was interesting. There was one 19-year-old boy who thought he was a really good texter, and texted while driving all the time, until one day, he hit a bicyclist and killed him and never did it again. Then, there was a naive 17-year-old girl exactly like you, who said she was experienced enough and hardly needed to look at her screen... but it turns out, she messed up while driving several times. It's impossible to pay attention to those two things at once. I think the math was (I don't feel like redoing it) if you're driving 60 mph and you look down for one second, you just drove 88 feet without looking, and a lot of things could happen in that distance. On top of that, it's much safer to have both hands on the wheel at all times. I don't see why you would want to take the chance because there are much more important things than texting.
i do agree w/you. But like you said in New Jersey the law applies to everyone. I just dont see why underage teenagers should be the only target in California.
you are right.
my best friend texts while she drives. well not if she's on the highway or something, but if she's at a stop light. she doesn't realize the light turns green, so i have to constantly tell her. sometimes she texts while actually driving sometimes she serves a little onto the shoulder. it's so creepy, im always scared that one day she's going to get into an accident or something.
i think that texting should be illegal in ALL states.
I could understand why governor Schwa signed a law forbidding the use of electronic devices while on the road because this Morning, I almost got hit by car while trying to cross a street because even though a woman heading Northbound said that I can cross, a guy heading Southbound almost didn't stop for me because he was too busy talking on his cell phone.
No texting while driving, please. You're still being distracted (even w/o looking at the keypad) b/c your more focused on what your trying to text than what's going on around you on the road. That goes for any person of any age. It's common sense--use it.
_________________
<3 Bridget <3
"Love is like a war. It's easy to start, hard to stop, and impossible to forget."
No texting while driving is a good thing. I hate being a passenger with someone that is texting.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tiffany-southall
http://www.progressiveu.org/161923-the-little-you-inside
I agree no texting while driving is a good idea for everybody. (I actually find it sad that a law even has to be made about that but...) And although I don't like it, I think it makes a lot of sense that if nothing else it should apply to the younger generation. We are less experienced and experience can often make a difference in close calls. Also studies show (i think it's the first 6 months or something like that) the habits you develop in the first 6 months will in general be the habits you have as an adult. If you get used to being focused on too many things while driving in your first 6 months (statisticly) you will not only struggle with that as an adult but it is likely to get worse.