Don't text and walk. It's a crime now.

[Duke87 1,070]

At least, in Fort Lee, NJ it is.

Paying attention to where you're going while walking is obviously advisable, but this is silly. As a distracted driver, you are a threat to others. As a distracted walker, you are a threat only to yourself. All this is is another method of revenue enhancement.

[Easy Bakes 253]

The best thing you could do for them is to take their phones away for a week.

or let survival take its course.

  Edited May 14, 2012 by Easy Bakes  

[simlink 1,098]

I laughed when I saw this go by on the news. While it always nice to have the person who is texting and about to walk into you notice, you can walk around them. If they are on a collision course with a pole, well...

I think that is a little crazy though.

[mrbisonm 1,620]

I heard about this a while ago (a year or so) that it was illegal in some european country also. Good thing, because I almost ran over one of those "texters" here in town with my big 4x4. The dummy was crossing the street where it was not allowed to cross and texting at the same time, totally concemtrated in his world of letters without even lifting his head when I stopped only about 8 foot in front of him. I hanked the "flute" and he dropped his phone.......lol. That gave his heart a little exercise! Pale he was for a few minutes, I guess.

mrb

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Texting while not paying attention is dangerous if you are moving in any way. Imagine two texting people running into each other and at least one of them being injured. Darwin awards may be granted where some people walk into the street while texting.

This is the ultimate effect of the electronic leash. The communications net is a wonderful thing, but this wide-spread abuse makes it downright dangerous at times.

[dazza262 133]

I would also include those who wander, run, or ride bikes around town with their mp3 players plugged into their ears.

I know it seems a little heavy handed, but seriously these people are a danger to themselves and to others.

I wouldn't want to take anybodys liberties away, but seriously these people go around lost in their own little world, without a clue what's going on around them.

I drive for a living, and see this on a daily basis. People crossing roads without even looking, and they can't even hear the traffic because of their earphones !

Rant over,

Thank You.

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

Also mobile-phone theft is a growing type of theft. When you're not aware of your surroundings you not aware that you're about to become a victim until it's too late.

[MandelSoft 2,769]

I would also include those who wander, run, or ride bikes around town with their mp3 players plugged into their ears.

I know it seems a little heavy handed, but seriously these people are a danger to themselves and to others.

I wouldn't want to take anybodys liberties away, but seriously these people go around lost in their own little world, without a clue what's going on around them.

I drive for a living, and see this on a daily basis. People crossing roads without even looking, and they can't even hear the traffic because of their earphones !

Rant over,

Thank You.

There is a difference between texting and listening to an MP3-player...

Listening to an MP3-player is passive distraction, just like listening to a car radio (of which almost no-one seems to make a problem out of that). You don't need to really do anything or pay attention to the thing that distracts you. You can easy move your focus to your environment or filter out the distraction. Sudden events that happen (loud noises, etc.) can also lead to passive distraction and funny enough these events make you more alert.

However, texting and having a (phone) conversation while driving/walking (even handsfree!) is active distraction. You have to take action and attention to keep you "focussed" on the distraction, and therefore you lose sight on your evironment. Therefore, active distraction is way more dangerous than passive distraction.

I would forbid the second type, but not the first. I see quite some people here texting while riding a bike, which is downright dangerous However, from my own experience, listening to car radios or MP3 players while driving, biking or walking doesn't seem to do much harm. I can easily pay attention when required and I'm still quite aware of what happens around me.

It's just about how much you need to focus on the distraction that makes a distraction dangerous or not...

Best,

Maarten

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

A good point, Maarten, for our multi-tasking world. However, one does wonder if it is necessary to have music(?) at all times? Surely such a thing makes appreciation of a concert by a gifted artist very difficult to separate from the hum drum of the daily noise?

[jacksunny 741]

Sorry for going slightly off topic, but I personally believe that wearing headphones while driving should not be allowed. It isn't necessarily the music that is distracting in this case, it is that you have limited hearing of what is happening around you that makes it dangerous to both yourself and fellow drivers.

Wearing headphones while walking however should be let slide. A lot of accidents that occur because of this are just pure stupidity. Several weeks ago, a teenager got hit by a train near Edmonton. He was walking on the tracks, and investigators believe he didn't hear the train coming because his music was so loud and his headphones prevented him from hearing what was happening around him. Obviously, that is not the only reason, he shouldn't have been on the track in the first place, but that is besides the point.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Sorry for going slightly off topic, but I personally believe that wearing headphones while driving should not be allowed. It isn't necessarily the music that is distracting in this case, it is that you have limited hearing of what is happening around you that makes it dangerous to both yourself and fellow drivers.

Wearing headphones while walking however should be let slide. A lot of accidents that occur because of this are just pure stupidity. Several weeks ago, a teenager got hit by a train near Edmonton. He was walking on the tracks, and investigators believe he didn't hear the train coming because his music was so loud and his headphones prevented him from hearing what was happening around him. Obviously, that is not the only reason, he shouldn't have been on the track in the first place, but that is besides the point.

Agreed. The person driving should be free of all distractions. Here you are supposed to pull over if you get a phone call, hands free or not. As for distracted walking, you don't have to have an electronic leash to have that happen. All you need to be doing is thinking about what is happening on the job or in school with some concentration and you are likely to walk into a lamp post.

Sorry about the kid on the tracks. Actually sounds like a suicide, doesn't it?

[Alejandro24 575]

Glad to see that some authorities, at least in some part of the world, are taking this seriously. There has been a lot of accidents because walking and texting at the same time.

But of course, is also responsability of the pedestrian to do a priority of walk or send messages.

[jacksunny 741]

Sorry about the kid on the tracks. Actually sounds like a suicide, doesn't it?

That was my thought, I'm sure he could of at least felt the track vibrating as the train came towards him.

[zahrul3 471]

Don't know about anything here but it sounds like a form of bad justice, here in Indonesia. A personal risk should not be fined, especially if it's accepted by the surrounding society. It's quite common for a person to walk and text here in Indonesia, but they don't usually do it in sidewalks.

Sorry about the kid on the tracks. Actually sounds like a suicide, doesn't it?

That was my thought, I'm sure he could of at least felt the track vibrating as the train came towards him.

It's a really obvious suicide or otherwise he has extremely low IQ. The train driver would have tried to warn him by sounding the horns anyway.

[Duke87 1,070]

I personally believe that wearing headphones while driving should not be allowed. It isn't necessarily the music that is distracting in this case, it is that you have limited hearing of what is happening around you that makes it dangerous to both yourself and fellow drivers.

Indeed. Music out loud is one thing, you can still hear sirens and whatnot. But headphones, especially earbuds, plug your ears and make that quite difficult. I only ever use headphones when I am sitting still, Of course, I do not own an mp3 player, so using them while moving would be difficult... but this is why I don't own one. Not wanting to use headphones on the go means when would I have use for one?

[Easy Bakes 253]

I personally believe that wearing headphones while driving should not be allowed. It isn't necessarily the music that is distracting in this case, it is that you have limited hearing of what is happening around you that makes it dangerous to both yourself and fellow drivers.

Indeed. Music out loud is one thing, you can still hear sirens and whatnot. But headphones, especially earbuds, plug your ears and make that quite difficult. I only ever use headphones when I am sitting still, Of course, I do not own an mp3 player, so using them while moving would be difficult... but this is why I don't own one. Not wanting to use headphones on the go means when would I have use for one?

you should still be able to hear sirens and trains with ear buds in. they have a low frequency vibration component in the sirens

so you feel them as well as hear them.

[dazza262 133]

I would also include those who wander, run, or ride bikes around town with their mp3 players plugged into their ears.

I know it seems a little heavy handed, but seriously these people are a danger to themselves and to others.

I wouldn't want to take anybodys liberties away, but seriously these people go around lost in their own little world, without a clue what's going on around them.

I drive for a living, and see this on a daily basis. People crossing roads without even looking, and they can't even hear the traffic because of their earphones !

Rant over,

Thank You.

There is a difference between texting and listening to an MP3-player...

Listening to an MP3-player is passive distraction, just like listening to a car radio (of which almost no-one seems to make a problem out of that). You don't need to really do anything or pay attention to the thing that distracts you. You can easy move your focus to your environment or filter out the distraction. Sudden events that happen (loud noises, etc.) can also lead to passive distraction and funny enough these events make you more alert.

However, texting and having a (phone) conversation while driving/walking (even handsfree!) is active distraction. You have to take action and attention to keep you "focussed" on the distraction, and therefore you lose sight on your evironment. Therefore, active distraction is way more dangerous than passive distraction.

I would forbid the second type, but not the first. I see quite some people here texting while riding a bike, which is downright dangerous However, from my own experience, listening to car radios or MP3 players while driving, biking or walking doesn't seem to do much harm. I can easily pay attention when required and I'm still quite aware of what happens around me.

It's just about how much you need to focus on the distraction that makes a distraction dangerous or not...

Best,

Maarten

I would agree with you Maarten, if evidence that I've seen with my own eyes did not suggest otherwise.

I think there is a huge difference between listening to a car radio, (which I would call passive as this is just background noise), and listening to music through earphones.

Listening to an mp3 player maybe a passive distraction, but because you would generally be listening through earphones, it almost entirely robs you of one of your senses, ie hearing.

For instance, what I encounter on a regular basis while I'm driving, is the situation where I am turning left off of the main road into a side street. A person walking along the sidewalk travelling in the same direction as me, ie with their back to me. When they get to the side road that I'm turning into, they will often just step into that road without even checking to see if there's any traffic coming into it. Obviously, they should be looking first before crossing, but my point is that without earphones in, they would most probably hear my vehicle coming first, and stop to see where I'm going.

I also see plenty of people listening to an mp3 player AND texting while they're walking, which is utter madness !!

[MandelSoft 2,769]

For instance, what I encounter on a regular basis while I'm driving, is the situation where I am turning left off of the main road into a side street. A person walking along the sidewalk travelling in the same direction as me, ie with their back to me. When they get to the side road that I'm turning into, they will often just step into that road without even checking to see if there's any traffic coming into it. Obviously, they should be looking first before crossing, but my point is that without earphones in, they would most probably hear my vehicle coming first, and stop to see where I'm going.

That's more a matter of traffic insight. Would a person without earphones hear you coming through all the other background noises? Would they notice the difference of cars passing nearby or cars turning left? I think that it wouldn't make that much of a difference.

I've always learned to look before you cross a street and you need to know what the other drivers are doing (I know some circumstances where drivers just ignore priority and yield rules for pedestrians and cyclists). Eye contact is very important in traffic; it means that you've seen one another and then you can participate on the situation.

It's not listening to the MP3-player that causes this nuissance and danger; it's not looking at the traffic, which should be unhindered. I'm completely capable of observing traffic while I'm having my MP3 plugged in. I still hear some traffic noises (though I can imagine that you don't hear them when you set your volume to high levels). The important thing is that you should focus your vision on traffic as a pedestrian or cyclist at all times. If not, you'll put yourself in a serious risk....

However, while texting, vision is blocked and therefore it's very dangerous in traffic, because at 95% of the times in traffic, we rely on vision. Ever seen a blind driver? No. Ever seen a deaf driver? Possibly...

Best,

Maarten

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Timothy Leary was right. "Turn on, tune in, drop out."

[metaknight919 2]

That's... odd.

Good thing I don't have a smartphone, or even a texting phone, but a simple prepaid flip phone. xD

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

And I refuse to have any kind of electronic leash.

[Duke87 1,070]

That's more a matter of traffic insight. Would a person without earphones hear you coming through all the other background noises? Would they notice the difference of cars passing nearby or cars turning left? I think that it wouldn't make that much of a difference.

Except that it has been demonstrated that pedestrians make use of auditory signals and are less aware of their surroundings without them. A study by the NHTSA has shown that hybrid and electric cars, which are quiet at low speeds, are more likely to be involved in accidents where a pedestrian is struck, because people can't hear them coming. And, they are looking at requiring such cars to be built with artificial noisemakers to compensate for this. So, yeah, it makes a difference.

Ever seen a deaf driver? Possibly...

It's legal. But they are required to have a device on the dashboard with a light that blinks whenever it detects a loud noise such as a siren or a horn, to make up for their inability to hear them. You don't have this as a non-deaf driver with headphones in your ears.

I don't see why anyone would ever want to put their headphones in while driving, though, seeing as the car comes with its own sound system which is bound to be of superior quality.

  Edited May 16, 2012 by Duke87  

[hym 358]

I don't see why anyone would ever want to put their headphones in while driving, though, seeing as the car comes with its own sound system which is bound to be of superior quality.

Some individuals drive vehicles that are not equipped to accept auxiliary input from devices like MP3 players. Thus there is no way to listen to your music through the car speakers. As for the speakers, $200 will buy you a better set of earbuds than any car audio system for the same price.

[Duke87 1,070]

Some individuals drive vehicles that are not equipped to accept auxiliary input from devices like MP3 players.

There are adapters that can be purchased where an mp3 player can be made to broadcast on a radio frequency (pick an unused station, tune your car radio to it), or play through a tape deck. So, lack of an aux jack is no excuse. Or you can just use CDs.

[Easy Bakes 253]

  Edited May 20, 2012 by Easy Bakes  

[hym 358]

Some individuals drive vehicles that are not equipped to accept auxiliary input from devices like MP3 players.

There are adapters that can be purchased where an mp3 player can be made to broadcast on a radio frequency (pick an unused station, tune your car radio to it), or play through a tape deck. So, lack of an aux jack is no excuse. Or you can just use CDs.

Just because you and I know that doesn't mean the individual driving with headphones in knows that.

[Meg 368]

Except that it has been demonstrated that pedestrians make use of auditory signals and are less aware of their surroundings without them. A study by the NHTSA has shown that hybrid and electric cars, which are quiet at low speeds, are more likely to be involved in accidents where a pedestrian is struck, because people can't hear them coming. And, they are looking at requiring such cars to be built with artificial noisemakers to compensate for this. So, yeah, it makes a difference.

I drive a Prius and I've found that I have to be very careful while driving in a parking garage. In a cramped space like that, I couldn't get the gas engine to kick in if I tried. The car is very quiet while running on the electrical engine. I keep the headlights on and move slowly and I have still startled people walking through the garage.

[Zelgadis 638]

At least, in Fort Lee, NJ it is.

Paying attention to where you're going while walking is obviously advisable, but this is silly. As a distracted driver, you are a threat to others. As a distracted walker, you are a threat only to yourself. All this is is another method of revenue enhancement.

Begging to differ, as a passive walker, you are a danger to drivers in some jurisdictions. Not that you are likely to injure a driver if you mosey into the street right in front of a car, but in many jurisdictions, the driver is always at fault in a car/pedestrian accident. In short, dead or severely injured jackass texter, driver in prison. Not to mention what happens to everyone's insurance rates.

ISF

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

^ Well, you can get ticketed for jay-walking, so maybe we need to do something about text-walking as well. The ticket should be substantial.

[hamsterTK 93]

So how is texting and walking defined? Is it like traveling in basketball, but reversed, where if you take one step you foul and cop blows a whistle? Maybe as long as you don't make eye contact with the phone per every other step it's ok, and if it's only one step its more analogous to double dribbling.

Seems pretty stupid. I think it would be more fair to have a time limit, for instance if the pedestrian is distracted for greater than 5 seconds on the sidewalk, 2 if in a crosswalk, etc. Cops can count, I think. Not sure. "Distracted" is a rather subjective term, is answering your phone quickly and stepping to the side the same as wandering aimlessly looking down at a screen?

Begging to differ, as a passive walker, you are a danger to drivers in some jurisdictions. Not that you are likely to injure a driver if you mosey into the street right in front of a car, but in many jurisdictions, the driver is always at fault in a car/pedestrian accident. In short, dead or severely injured jackass texter, driver in prison. Not to mention what happens to everyone's insurance rates.

Yeah right.

Seems kind of perverse, no? Given how many drivers get off after practically committing vehicular homicide even if at fault, I'm in doubt that this is a substantial problem.

  Edited May 18, 2012 by hamsterTK