Mass. Bills Would Ban Text Messaging by Drivers

January 4, 2008

  • January 4, 2008 at 7:23 am
    Mike says:
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    Ban the cell phones and the text messaging that comes with them.

    Then make the fines very stiff, like these:
    $1000.00 for first offense and 2 points against the persons license

    $2500.00 for the second offense and 4 points against the persons license.

    $5000.00 for the third offense and the revocation of the persons license.

    Those who we can’t control what is going on are wrong.

    We can control this but the question is, are we willing to do what is necessary before more people get injured or die (And yes, people have been injured and have died from this).

    With so much money involved, I suspect that nothing will really change until a major loss of life occurs..Then it will be too late.

    Mike

  • January 4, 2008 at 8:03 am
    lastbat says:
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    I have to agree – even though I talk on the cell myself while driving (never text, phones are for talking).

    It would take a major culture shift to implement though. We have become obsessed with instant and constant connectivity with the world. We also drive ourselves to hard – harder than in past generations despite what we like to think. The average American spends more time and work and commuting than ever before – and more time than any other industrialized nation – so it’s no wonder we try to get something done while in the car.

    I don’t see the shift happening anytime soon.

  • January 4, 2008 at 10:48 am
    KLS says:
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    The idea of texting and driving has never even crossed my mind.

    I really don’t get why some people do it.

    How tragic for that young boy’s family.

  • January 4, 2008 at 2:03 am
    RMW says:
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    I agree this is tragic, but I feel legislators are wasting their time with these bills. First, it would be tremendously difficult to enforce, and secondly, those who text and drive know its dangerous yet continue to do it despite that fact. Particularly considering the judgmental/risk-taking aspect of a young person’s brain is not fully developed until they are in their twenties, these legislators should be spending more time focused on how to effectively educate young drivers on the dangers of texting while driving.

  • January 4, 2008 at 2:14 am
    Anonymous says:
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    The people in this story who are actually stupid are the kid’s parent(s) and the kid. Who rides there bike on the road in December, especially when they are 13. I bet you anything that this was partly the kids fault.

    The only thing creating no-text-messaging laws will accomplish is people will be more secretive when they text in the car, thus causing more of a distraction.

  • January 4, 2008 at 2:34 am
    Curious about last post says:
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    Sad to see someone blaming a kid for riding their bicycle. That is what they do. Makes me wonder if the person who posted that message had done something similar.

    I’ve always been a proponant of banning all cell phone use/text messaging in cars period. Studies show cell phone use while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk. This law has been around for over a decade in a number of european countries. I now some states have taken the initiative. It time that the whole country do something about it.

  • January 4, 2008 at 2:36 am
    Bobby Unserwriter says:
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    I do it all the time. Of course, it’s dangerous, but no more so than people who drive with their knees while they smoke and drink a cup of coffee.

    I’ve never had a problem, though it ‘drives’ me crazy to see others on their non-hands-free cell phones, which are outlawed in the three States whose boundaries I cross.

    I used to do the crossword puzzle in ink while driving this darned commute.

    In fact, I am texting right now as we ‘speak’. I have a 57 mile cummute each way, in moderate to heavy highway traffic, and I text so as to not lose a minute or two of available work time.

    To my left,…….. OH NO……… OUCH… THAT HURT….. THE CAR IS ROLLING OVER…. (click)

  • January 4, 2008 at 2:45 am
    Dread says:
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    Agree w/you RMW. Used to be that driving a car was a full-time responsibility. Just because technology is advancing doesn’t mean the responsibility has diminished. Younger generations are the products of stupid and permissive parents who failed to instill and enforce values and personal responsibility. Nothing is that important that the driver of a car has to be on the phone talking or texting. Personal convenience has trumped public safety so we’d all better beware.

  • January 4, 2008 at 3:27 am
    alm says:
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    There is really only ONE stupid person here—-the guy texting on his phone while driving at the same time. Yet we have to have another law passed for people to USE THEIR COMMON SENSE.

  • January 5, 2008 at 9:15 am
    wudchuck says:
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    um…if i remember correctly, don’t we use our cell phones for text messages? so if we already are not allowed to use our cell phones, why are we creating a new law to ban text messages? in fact, does it not require more attention to text messages than to talk on the phone?

    there is one state, i know that the fine for using a cellphone is $150. i know in a city in VA, that if on a cellphone while in an accident and you were not at fault, you now become the at-fault party. reason behind that law, was the other party caused an accident and someone had passed away. the party she hit was on a cellphone and could have helped prevented the accident from the descriptions of the witnesses at the scene of the accident.

    today’s society has forgotten the word – responsible. they would rather pass the buck. but in this case, prevention is a key. defensive driving is another key. NO DISTRACTIONS another. i know we are not all perfect and that accidents can happen. until we develop vehicles that no longer need us behind the wheel and can take us safely to our destination, we still need to be aware of our surroundings and take charge of what we do. become responsible citizens and say I DID! remember that driving is a priviledge and not a right. so come prepared, just like those w/other addictions (smoking and alcohol, just to name a few). every second counts. every view and relook is needed. it could be you in that other vehicle.



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