only $155 fine if caught? drive now, talk/text later

[jj]

http://www.wheels.ca/Columnists/article/794101

this morning i was delayed at a red-light-turned-green for about 5-10 seconds before i honked...it happened again at next light

i'm not sure if the driver was editing a movie on her iPhone, texting or eating a cheesburger...but i suppose being stationary at a green is better than being mobile through a red!

a half hour later i was behind another driver and same thing happened but it was only about a 3 second delay...i don't know what could be so important (unless, of course, they were posting to corfid!) that it couldn't wait

this 'pre-occupation with digital devices' phenomenon does not just necessarily lead to embarrassing mishaps, but can lead to death(s)...even pedestrians are getting run over while talking and texting, perhaps the driver was doing the same

i have a handsfree device that is paired to my phone but it's still dangerous when i have to reach over and find phone and access the keypad to punch in an ext# or a '1 for sales, 2 for service' selection, etc, etc...the other day i crept over the yellow line while doing so...it wasn't an important call but i figured that since i had the technology i might as well multi-task....dumb....i'm glad to be alive....driving needs to be a single-task

however, driving and simultaneously listening to Lightfoot CDs is permitted:)

police issued a few thousand tix the other day to violators...but they missed a few hundred thousand more violators...imo, the fine needs to be more like $15, 500 to have any lasting impact

please be careful out there...you don't have to be smart, just don't be dumb

[charlene]

Even stopped at a light it is illegal to use any electronic device..including GPS..
I almost got knocked down by a left turner a couple of weeks ago. She was yapping on the phone and only noticed me at the last moment. I was almost half way across the street. Thankfully oncoming traffic was not an issue or she'd have been t-boned..at least she could have dialled 911 immediately. lol
I even stood and watched her sit and wait to turn..when she didn't go i started to cross and then she decided to hit the gas because there was no oncoming traffic, oblivious to me 10 feet away.good gawd.,..

[RM]

One of my pet peeves and one of the reasons I do not own a gun; the casualty count would be enormous.

The penalty should be $2500.