I'm surprised this hasn't resulted in more mainstream speech-to-SMS software.

Yes, but 100 percent of Americans think that they're the one person who should be considered an exception to any such law.

Pocket Ninja: Yes, but 100 percent of Americans think that they're the one person who should be considered an exception to any such law.

Just one more aspect in common with drunk driving.

Old and Busted: I drive fine when I've had a few drinks. I know my limits.
New Hotness: I can text and dive fine. I'm very coordinated.

I'm right handed and drive a stick. I can't even talk on the phone when I'm driving (sans Bluetooth ear thingy).

Pocket Ninja: Yes, but 100 percent of Americans think that they're the one person who should be considered an exception to any such law.

Bingo. I love how everyone can always justify how they have the right to do it.

True story: Friday morning - 50 miles per hour - 4 lane divided suburban corridor - mascara brush in right hand, applying intermittantly to eyes, has her cell phone in her left hand and is texting with her thumb - topside of her knuckles are the only part of either hand in contact with the steering wheel.

Shoots ME a dirty look when her car drifts over into my lane and my passenger window and her drivers window are, oh..I'd say, 6 inches apart.

I desperately need one of those red-LED scrolling signs in my car's back window so I could type a message to.... oooops, never mind, next time I'll just fire a round or two through her window.

Diogenes: I'm right handed and drive a stick. I can't even talk on the phone when I'm driving (sans Bluetooth ear thingy).

I have a friend who drives a stick. He texts while driving. I don't know how he does it.

Isn't "Careless & Imprudent" driving already illegal? Whether you're texting, eating a plateful of spaghetti, or getting a beej, stupid driving is stupid driving.

In my hometown of Lake Wobegon, texting while driving is legal and we have no traffic accidents.

Texting while driving is more dangerous than driving after a few drinks. Seriously, try both! Not at the same time though, I'd imagine that would result in your car in a lake.

What is the obsession with outlawing the mundane? Texting while driving is a fairly simple process. You steer with your knees and keep half an eye on the road while you type. It's not hard. Any idiot who can't do it likely can't drive very well even if they were 10-and-2-ing it. Make people take a farking driving test every two-three years and leave it at that.

I just don't understand what's so fricken important to text about all the time.


/get off my lawn!!

If you people see me fly by you in my Subie, I'm not racing, I'm just trying to get away from you farktardian texters.

I can only hope that the 3% constitutes the entire pitifully small minority of people stupid enough to text while driving. Unfortunately, I have my doubts that the numbers are truly that small.

I weep for humanity.

I c wht u did thr Suby

As long as I can still fap on longish trips, I'm perfectly fine with draconian texting laws!

Pocket Ninja: Yes, but 100 percent of Americans think that they're the one person who should be considered an exception to any such law.

Yep. This. Uh huh.

I'll be one of the first to admit that I can't text while driving.

Almost slammed into the guy ahead of me this weekend, looking up an adress on google maps on my Blackberry while driving. So stupid. Thankfully had the brakes done a few weeks ago.

tricycleracer: In my hometown of Lake Wobegon, texting while driving is legal and we have no traffic accidents.

Well that's because all the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above average.

A friend of mine just told me about a former police colleage of his who is suspended without pay for wrecking a police car by texting while driving.

IdBeCrazyIf: I c wht u did thr Suby

I find it's harder for me to text in abbreviations. My phone has this thingy where it guesses what I want to say, so it's much easier to spell things correctly or else i will end up with some random non-sense word.

/I don't like to text or talk while driving
//it's my time
///which means i space out

What the heck are you doing? Come on, it's a four way stop, no one else is here, you can go! (HONK! HONK!) Ohhhhhh, I see, you're sending a text. Sorry about that! I didn't see you texting there, go ahead and finish your sentence, I'll wait.

omg i luv txtg n drvg jk

I drive better while I'm texting

LintLicker: I just don't understand what's so fricken important to text about all the time.


/get off my lawn!!

I'm 21 and I have to resist the urge of slapping my roommate's phone out of his hand.

Shrinkwrap: Texting while driving is more dangerous than driving after a few drinks. Seriously, try both! Not at the same time though, I'd imagine that would result in your car in a lake.

you think someone who tries that will get off that easy?

I refuse to text while driving. If I get a text I will wait until I am at a stoplight to check who it came from. If it is important I pull over somewhere and deal with it.

I'm too busy trying to avoid all the other people texting and talking on their phones to do so myself. Make it farking illegal already.

It's still ok to poop while driving though.

tricycleracer: In my hometown of Lake Wobegon, texting while driving is legal and we have no traffic accidents.

What about that six-horse pileup you guys had last summer? All I know about Lake Wobegon is that dogs steal your fish.


/Thanks, Garrison Keillor!

Epstein's Mother: I drive better while I'm texting

Me too, but only because the distraction makes me miss the farmer's markets and children that I'm aiming for.

Is it necessary to link to Gizmodo's article about the New York Times article?

drzimp: Is it necessary to link to Gizmodo's article about the New York Times article?

Yup. No NY Times as "source" in the Link Submission Thingee, for some reason...

stevarooni
Isn't "Careless & Imprudent" driving already illegal?

I wish it was; it's getting scary out there.

stevarooni: Isn't "Careless & Imprudent" driving already illegal? Whether you're texting, eating a plateful of spaghetti, or getting a beej, stupid driving is stupid driving.

I waffle on this. On the one hand I want to agree that there's already a rule against being an idiot in control of a four-wheeled, four ton death machine. On the other hand, there is a difference, for example, between intentionally running red lights at full speed and texting while piddling along at 10 mph between those red lights. Both are careless and both may cause on accident, but one is much more likely to cause an accident, and the results will likely be much more devastating if an accident occurs, so can the two both really be classed under the single concept of "dangerous driving"?

Of course, I'm of the mindset that people get away with far too much when they're caught being stupid behind the wheel. I think if you get caught more than once driving drunk (drunk, not "had a drink and then drove somewhere" like those boneheads at MADD want) you should never be allowed to drive again, and that if you do anyway without a license you should get 20+ years in prison. I also think if you get pulled over for driving dangerously - lane weaving, speeding (as in: 90 in a 65ish speeding - "excessive" speeding), tailgating - you should lose your license on the spot for a year.

People get away with far too much, and I think if there were some actual consequences beyond a day's pay or less every couple of years they might shape up a little quicker. If not, at least there will be a lot more idiots taking the bus instead.

/ people who get into the passing lane and then don't pass anyone should be shot on sight

If you are smart and you can multi-task - then you can drive fine while texting.

If you are stupid like most Americans, especially the old folks who make the laws - then you cannnot text and drive.

So, as usual, the dumb people ruin it for everyone.

I'll admit to doing it a lot. Mostly sitting in traffic.

gorgor: It's still ok to poop while driving though.

Ummmm... oh. oh god. CRAP GORGOR'S HERE BAIL OUT BAIL OUT!!!!!!

shrive me fool: I find it's harder for me to text in abbreviations. My phone has this thingy where it guesses what I want to say, so it's much easier to spell things correctly or else i will end up with some random non-sense word.

If its one thing I'll miss its the shorthand txt as full keyboards with touch screen becoming more common place with cell phones.

...who the fark am I kidding, assholes and tweens still do it on the intertubes even with a full farking qwerty at their fingertips

Bohemian: I refuse to text while driving. If I get a text I will wait until I am at a stoplight to check who it came from. If it is important I pull over somewhere and deal with it.

While I'm glad you pull over, I'm bothered by the way technology has reprioritized everything. Fifteen years ago -- when not a lot of people had cell phones -- you might get a phone call while you were driving, but that phone call would occur at a place called YOUR HOUSE and you would learn about it when you got home. If you were a doctor, drug dealer, or other important profession, you might have a pager, which would go off and you'd have to find a phone and return. Somehow, the world managed to get run just fine back then even though people were waiting more than a couple of minutes for responses to their messages. Why does having the technology to respond immediately bring with it the REQUIREMENT to respond immediately?

Only this guy is coordinated enough to be the exception:

Guy Texts on a motorcycle (new window)

Tissot = Troll in French

Not that I am advocating drunk or even buzzed driving but at least a drunk is watching the road. (with one eye closed perhaps but watching nonetheless.)

put down the phone, it's taking longer than you think.

I actually saw a txting-while-driving accident.

pulling out from a stripmall (ha ha, 'strip'), stopped at the turn-out. guy drives left to right on the road, slows because the guy in front of him is pulling into a gas station.

Texty MissSUVPants comes in from the left, looking down at her phone, tapping away with both hands, looks up, SLAMs into him.

They get out, she HIDES her phone and starts yelling at him. Me and like three other drivers start pointing and yelling "SHE WAS TEXTING". She flips her shiat.

/waited for the cops to show
//gave statements
///three weeks later got T-Boned at the gas station that other guy was pulling into
////now I take a different way to that mall

A few weeks ago I noticed in my rear view a car swerving around as we went through a school zone with kids everywhere. When we got to the stop sign, I looked in my mirror, and saw the reason for the swerving. Some stupid chic was flossing her teeth and steering with her elbows.

it was a few weeks ago, so hopefully by now she has driven off bridge or something.

MonkeyAngst: Bohemian: I refuse to text while driving. If I get a text I will wait until I am at a stoplight to check who it came from. If it is important I pull over somewhere and deal with it.

While I'm glad you pull over, I'm bothered by the way technology has reprioritized everything. Fifteen years ago -- when not a lot of people had cell phones -- you might get a phone call while you were driving, but that phone call would occur at a place called YOUR HOUSE and you would learn about it when you got home. If you were a doctor, drug dealer, or other important profession, you might have a pager, which would go off and you'd have to find a phone and return. Somehow, the world managed to get run just fine back then even though people were waiting more than a couple of minutes for responses to their messages. Why does having the technology to respond immediately bring with it the REQUIREMENT to respond immediately?

because i need to know whether you want sausage or pepperoni on your pizza NOW! Not 10+ minutes later. )#($*)@*#$()@#$
god. some people.

Texting while driving is a lot safer on the streets with those raised bumps in between the lanes.

Fizpez: Shoots ME a dirty look when her car drifts over into my lane and my passenger window and her drivers window are, oh..I'd say, 6 inches apart.

This is what makes me see red and want to purge with the unholy fire of 10,000 suns: Dumbass does something stupid, and then looks at me as if it's my fault.

Greil: Shrinkwrap: Texting while driving is more dangerous than driving after a few drinks. Seriously, try both! Not at the same time though, I'd imagine that would result in your car in a lake.

you think someone who tries that will get off that easy?

The drunk driver/texter always walks away unscathed.