It was an elaborate crackdown, the first of its kind in West Bridgewater: Plainclothes officers stationed along Route 106 spotted dozens of people engrossed in their cellphones while they drove. A quarter-mile ahead, uniformed officers pulled the drivers over, 51 in total, for texting while driving.
But while 37 people were given $100 citations or warnings, 14 others were let go. They were not texting, they explained; they were dialing a call or looking at directions, both still legal.
Comments
Guy in front of me blows through a red light and I can see him on the phone completely oblivious, and then I catch up to him a minute later and he's in a ditch because he has driven off the road. He could have just as easily killed someone! Arrest a few of them and scare the crap out of all the others! They already HAVE injured and/or killed innocent people!
Yes, we could also close all the bars and package stores in this state too. That would save a lot of accidents. It would also not stop people from drinking and driving.
The MA law used to be that you were required to keep BOTH hands on the steering wheels at ALL times, unless you were shifting a standard transmission or hand-signalling a turn. Enforcement of that law alone would allow law enforcement officials to deal with the whole range of bad behaviors, including texting, dialing, reading emails, applying make-up, shaving, scarfing down a big Mac, yadda, yadda, yadda. These accidents and deaths are totally preventable!!! It's way past time to put some freaking teeth into the law and enforce it. I, for one, am tired of sharing the road with all the nitwits who think that their windshield is just a monitor screen for their video game of life. You don't get to hit "play again" when you kill somebody, and your victims do not get to return to the world of the living!!!
Would you be willing to pay for the doubling of the size of your police department in order to catch these people? I think not. This is not a perfect world we live in.
I don't think this guy was very smart when he was watching other drivers punching on their phones while he should have been paying attention to his own driving.
I use the 511 service to check on traffic, sometime when driving, to look for alternative routes. It requires punching in the route number on the dialpad, thus forcing me to pick up my phone and redirect my attention from driving, even though I use a headset. Rhode Island's version accepts verbal route input, which is safer. Why doesn't Mass update it's system as an example of promoting safer driving?
Why not just pull over?
Am I the only one who thinks it is particularly egregious when an adult is using a cell phone, looking at their lap while texting or just 'scanning fb' with a child in the car? It is unbelievable the way we stick our heads in the sand sometimes while we've done that car companies have enables technologic advances to further distract ones attention.
The longer the Commonwealth waits to ban distracted drivingthe harder it will be; Mayor Menino and Gov. Patrick ought to make some executive decisions about this and protect the rest of us. Other states have done it; what are they waiting for? Stop being so cowardly.
This is hardly news. As stated in the article, it was known that this law was unenforceable when it was passed.
As always happens, it will take a "high profile" death (someone very important or a senate's member's family) before those who are SUPPOSED to be looking after OUR interests, will do something. Anyone who drives have seen people totally distracted while talking on a hand held device so this issue is no surprise.
So many states have a ban on hand held devices, why is Massachusetts different?
If you are what your sign in name says you are you know, as I do, that hand held or hands free really doesn't matter. The operator's mind is elsewhere while conversing on the phone.
It is hard to get people serious about the problem when more and more auto makers are putting touch screens on the dashboard to control all systems within the vehicle. They compare it to your tablet. It is much easier and safer to get use to finding and hitting a button or turning knob. The same thing can be said about GPS systems, just watch drivers after traffic is detoured, it seems every 3rd car starts to drive slower and all over the road while they reprogram the system.
There is a simple solution. Ban driver use of cell phones and laptops.
When cars become self driving, you can text all you want. Until then, if you just can't put the phone down, take the train.
This comment has been removed.
The article states that rear end collisions are "up". How much? Compared to what time periods? Or is this just a police "feeling" that, out of context may be meaningless? Recent nationwide studies show no decrease in accidents in states that prohibit use of phones. How is that possible if phones are so distracting? Why does it always have to be a law that intrudes on ALL OF the public to discourage bad behavior? Why can't the law be simple: you get in a an accident when you are texting, calling or "distracted" in any manner that can be proved and THEN you get penalized. If you're a new driver, you lose your license for a period. You get a surcharge on your insurance. Maybe you pay an additional fine. Why does the law HAVE TO BE one that is "hard to enforce" and intrusive to ALL citizens? Why can't ONLY those who take too many risks, act recklessly AND cause accidents be targeted for the appropriate penalty? I don't text when I drive and rarely use my phone but I can easily see how anyone can take an occasional risk and yet get a "moving violation" just because they are unlucky. Is it that fair? Why not focus on those PROVEN to be irresponsible?
This comment has been removed.
Is someone who changes channels on their radio irredeemably "irresponsible"? I was hit on a virtually empty highway once by a driver who gave me this excuse. Is anyone who drinks something in a car, something that might spill and, naturally, distract them completely irresponsible? Is someone who talks to a passenger "irresponsible"? That can be distracting. There is a multitude of things we routinely do in cars that "distract" us from the road....like looking a pretty girls too long or reading signage should police, similarly, be able to pull us over for those distractions? The point is that, apparently, an awfully large percentage of the public both use phones and yet avoid accidents. The statistics do not bear out the case for a vast number of accidents relative to the increase use of phones. Therefor, you can opine that this behavior is "irresponsible" by definition but you can't much prove it results in more accidents or worse accidents. I believe in "science", don't you? And the science of statistics does not, as yet, demonstrate a significant increase in accidents since cell phones have been in use. Besides, I'm not even suggesting they aren't a risk, I'm just suggesting that there are more rational ways of inducing better behavior and reducing risks than by issuing tickets. Users/abusers should pay for their abuse and recklessness by all means. Penalizing someone who is not an abuser merely because the happen by a traffic enforcement is neither fair, effective or well targeted.
This is a great article and it hits the nail on the head. The laws are very diffiuclt to enforce. You are 28 times more likely to have an accident when texting while driving. Your reaction time while texting is 8 times worse than the legal equivelent of .08 blood alchohol levels. Face it, its a bad idea, and it will really stink when someone crashes in to you while doing it. Hopefully you will live to tell about it. Some dont. There is software that you can download to your smartphone that prevents texting, emailing, and use of the handset while driving. You can still make handsfree calls via the Bluetooth system in your car. Check it out at www.kyrusmobile.com Life is about choices and making good decsions. Texting and emailing while driving is just aksing for trouble. Be smart and drive safely!