Another Kindle-related distracted driver story

[4Katie]

From today's Washington Post:

Here's another twist on distracted driving: A man driving a luxury car through a crosswalk full of pedestrians while reading his Kindle. (Spotted on Washington Boulevard in Clarendon.)

 

It was accompanied by a lovely pic of the black and white K3's, but... that's not the kind of publicity Kindle needs!

[kb7uen Gene]

I went looking for the article but couldn't find it, could you send me the link to that article?

Thanks, Gene

[4Katie]

Here you go:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/25/AR2010092503994_2.html?sid=ST2010092503998

It's on Page 2, under 'Combating Distractions.'

[Thalia the Muse]

I've certain been tempted to Kindle in slow traffic ...

[w5jck]

I've seen a lot of people in traffic reading newspapers, magazines, and paper maps. I have also seen men using an electric razor while looking in the rearview mirror and women putting on makeup under the same circumstances. And these were all way before cellular phones and Kindles came along. Today's teenager who drives while texting might well have a parent who drove while doing one of the above. It is dangerous and stupid IMO, but on the other hand to put things into perspective it is probably even more dangerous to be distracted by a infant in the back seat who just dropped her passifier.

[mlewis78]

Doing any of these things while driving is very dangerous.  If driving is too boring for them, they shouldn't drive.

[4Katie]

I've seen a lot of people in traffic reading newspapers, magazines, and paper maps. I have also seen men using an electric razor while looking in the rearview mirror and women putting on makeup under the same circumstances.

DH actually saw someone on an 8-lane highway practicing a horn. He was holding the horn with both hands, and had the sheet music resting on the steering wheel.

 

[Whidbeyislandgirl]

This is why I like Text to Speech!

[◄ Jess ►]

It was accompanied by a lovely pic of the black and white K3's, but... that's not the kind of publicity Kindle needs!

On the other hand, it means it's so addicting that people try to use it while driving...but really, I wish people would just stick to audio books while driving!!

[KimberlyinMN]

I was passed on the interstate today at 70 mph by a guy reading a paperback book - and he had passengers in his car!  If I my cell phone would have been handy, I'd have reported him.  I typically don't even use my cell phone in the car unless I absolutely have to - ditto for even getting it out of my purse.

[Joel Arnold]

DH actually saw someone on an 8-lane highway practicing a horn. He was holding the horn with both hands, and had the sheet music resting on the steering wheel.

 

OMG! I saw someone doing that once, too!!! Except he didn't have sheet music - just steering the wheel with his knees. Playing a trumpet.

[meromana]

It really is more dangerous than we realize to multi-task while driving, and I've learned that lesson the hard way. 

I was talking to my kids on my cell phone one night on the way home from a business trip.  It had been raining, so the roads were a little wet, but it was late and deserted, so I felt comfortable gabbing away.  As I came off the highway on a curving ramp, my car went into a spin, because of the wet road  and because I didn't have both hands on the wheel.  The phone went flying as I yanked the wheel back and fought to regain control.  After I pulled over and calmed down, I called the kids back to assure them that the scream they had heard was not the sound of their mom being killed in a horrible, fiery auto accident.

Very humbling experience.  I still talk while driving occasionally, but only with a hands-free set.

--Maria

[Jan Strnad]

I don't know why we don't have a blanket "driving while distracted" law. Instead, they outlaw distractions one by one, disallowing cell phone use, for instance, while still allowing texting, and they're always behind the curve.

[KimberlyinMN]

I don't know why we don't have a blanket "driving while distracted" law. Instead, they outlaw distractions one by one, disallowing cell phone use, for instance, while still allowing texting, and they're always behind the curve.

I think Minnesota has a ban on texting while driving. I also think that Fargo and Grand Forks, ND have this as well.  Well, the texting.  Heck, we see the city cops driving around talking on their cell phones.

[Ann in Arlington]

I don't know why we don't have a blanket "driving while distracted" law. Instead, they outlaw distractions one by one, disallowing cell phone use, for instance, while still allowing texting, and they're always behind the curve.

Actually, a lot of states do.  And they cite that as the reason for not enacting specific phone/texting bans. Distracted driving is already illegal, no matter what's distracting you.  The problem is that they can't usually charge you unless you do something else like run a stop sign or have an accident.  And even many of the phone/texting laws lack teeth:  a person can't be pulled over if the cop sees the phone at their ear, he has to see them doing something else illegal and then it becomes an additional charge.

[meromana]

Yeah, I guess there are other auto laws like that--there's a law against following too closely, but they rarely charge people with it by itself.  Usually, you only get a "following too closely" ticket if you end up hitting someone because of it.  Seems like they're doing the same thing with the phones & texting.  A few preventative measure tickets, even warning tickets, would probably prevent some accidents that cost a lot of money and cause injuries...

[Alice Y. Yeh]

I hear you on the lack of teeth. They started banning texting while driving in Michigan a few months ago, but I still see people do it. Perhaps they should just download Otter or another program that basically says, "I'm driving, please go away."

There are solutions out there besides text-to-speech. Assuming you have passengers, you can bring back the old pastime of reading aloud. It's like having a navigator instead of trying to look at the map and drive at the same time.

[Kindleing]

a person can't be pulled over if the cop sees the phone at their ear, he has to see them doing something else illegal and then it becomes an additional charge.

Here in Washington (state) they upgraded the handsfree law to a "Primary" offense, which means an officer witnessing a violation can stop the driver and issue a ticket.  Also, texting is included in the ban.

Interestingly enough, the accident rate went UP after they passed the law.

Wally

[4Katie]

Here in Washington (state) they upgraded the handsfree law to a "Primary" offense, which means an officer witnessing a violation can stop the driver and issue a ticket.

I hardly see the point of having the law if they can't pull you over for it.

[Ann in Arlington]

I hardly see the point of having the law if they can't pull you over for it.

Well, but there are a lot of things like that.  Seat belts, for instance.  In some places now they can pull you over if they see you or a passenger is not wearing it, but originally the seat belt laws were 'secondary offenses'.  . . they have to see you doing something else and, when they stop you, if you're not wearing the seat belt, they can cite you for that too. . . .

[4Katie]

Well, but there are a lot of things like that.

Oh, I know that. But it doesn't mean I agree with it!

[kb7uen Gene]

In 1976, my mother came down to the WA State School for the Blind to pick me up for the summer, and she was driving one of the older Chevy vans which put the driver and passingers up higher than most cars.

Well she and her friend looked over into the next lane to the left, where they noticed a guy driving down the freeway with a PLAYBOY laid open across the steering wheel, I'll let you all can take it from there.

Gene

[Tatiana]

Yesterday I was with a friend and we were driving (at about 65 mph) south on I-95 between exits 160 and 152 in Prince William County in moderate traffic about noon time.  The 18 wheel, tractor trailer in front of us in the right lane kept drifting out of the lane to the right an into the berm of the road.  The driver would then pull back into the right lane for a few feet then drift right into the berm.  This happened continuously for a couple of miles.  My friend decided to pass the truck because she felt his driving was erratic.  As we passed on the left, I looked over at the truck driver...he was reading a Kindle.  I was close enough to tell it wasn't a small K3 it looked like a K2.

I can now say I saw my first Kindle in the wild...the truck driver as he was driving down the interstate.  I saw my 2nd one at Panera later in the afternoon.

[BTackitt]

OMG Tatiana, that would be SCAREY. Sweet Jeebers.. I am now scared for you for yesterday.

[Tatiana]

OMG Tatiana, that would be SCAREY. Sweet Jeebers.. I am now scared for you for yesterday.

Thanks.   It was more scary after we passed and realized why the driver couldn't keep his rig on the road!  We got off two exits after we passed him.  I was more scared for the drivers on the road around him as he drove south.  I never thought to take down a license # or even look at the name on the truck as DH said I should have done.  My friend and I were just so shocked when we realized he was reading as he drove an 18 wheeler on the interstate at 65 mph!

[cegrundler]

That is truly disturbing. Seriously, the technology is there to prevent this nonsense. We retrofited my daughter's old Mustang with a bluetooth enabled stereo that links to her cellphone; it cost $130. My Jetta came that way; my phone could be buried in luggage and the car will route the call through the speakers. Yet I see people in high end luxury cars with phones in their hands... WHY? 

I think the laws should be far stricter; not only driving while distracted but also driving while oblivious. Too many drivers are so out of touch with actually driving. Last weekend I witnessed something that still boggles my mind. On the road in front of me is one of these modified Hondas, all silly spoilers and super skinny rubber-band tires, with a muffler that looks like a coffee can and makes that annoying rattley whine. But something’s not right, and I could see his right rear tire ISN’T. There’s a few shreds of tread flopping around, other than that he’s driving on the aluminum rim. Doing 40! But he’s slowing, has his blinker on, so I figure he knows something’s wrong and he’s pulling over, (though it takes a lot of driving to reduce your tire to mere rim). I pull alongside (there’s four lanes at that point) to signal him, but he doesn’t pull over… he pulls onto the Garden State Parkway!!!!

[Patra]

Just proves you can't legislate stupid.  Reading while driving should get your license taken away.

[BTackitt]

as long as they they tag all of the women who put on makeup, ANYONE who texts, watches movies on those indash screens. etc... A LOT of drivers should just give up their licenses.