quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
I’m just gonna go ahead and say it’s cell phones.

I don't think that there's any doubt about it. The term now in use is 'distracted driving', which could mean any number of things, but let's be honest about it. When compared to years past, there's really only one additional factor in the mix today, and that's smart phones, or, I suppose in some rare instances, a dash-mounted GPS unit. However, people aren't texting and checking their facebook page on a GPS, are they? The culprit is people staring at their smart phone. 'Smart phone' is the wrong name for these devices. Perhaps calling it your 'distraction assistant' would be more correct.

Distracted driving is a major factor but not the only factor. Visual distraction at intersections, poor traffic engineering, a lack of defensive driver training and skill, following too closely, and the big one, SPEED. Vehicles traveling on a roadway with a 55 mph speed limit see traffic lights (yellow lights) that are timed for traffic that is moving within a certain margin of the speed limit. If you are driving 20 mph or more over the limit and within the yellow light zone, you cannot stop before the light changes. Add some distraction and risk taking to the equation and you get a spectacular crash.


We kept copious data on crashes at a number of intersections with 50,000-75,000 cars a day traversing them. When we did targeted red light enforcement we were writing hundreds of red light violations per day at those intersections for people "tailgating" through the red light and just blowing the light in the last couple seconds because they just thought they could make it. This was before smart phones were commonplace.

Interestingly we could not reduce the number of crashes with targeted enforcement. But the thing that dramatically reduced INJURIES from crashes was targeted speed enforcement on the approaches to those intersections.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
I’m just gonna go ahead and say it’s cell phones.

I don't think that there's any doubt about it. The term now in use is 'distracted driving', which could mean any number of things, but let's be honest about it. When compared to years past, there's really only one additional factor in the mix today, and that's smart phones, or, I suppose in some rare instances, a dash-mounted GPS unit. However, people aren't texting and checking their facebook page on a GPS, are they? The culprit is people staring at their smart phone. 'Smart phone' is the wrong name for these devices. Perhaps calling it your 'distraction assistant' would be more correct.

We are absolutely on the same page here: https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/8700042064

I know a few people who have been rear ended at a traffic light by someone on their cell phone. One couple I know was hit by a young woman who never touched her brakes. She slammed into them doing about 40 while they waited at a red light.

I really think the issue here, and the cause of fatal accidents, is people blowing through a red light. These people aren’t distracted, they’re just in too big of a hurry to stop for a fuckin red light. I think HayesGreener identified them. They’re on multilane urban streets. They’re 10-20 over the speed limit. They don’t watch the light ahead because they don’t care about you and I. The light turns red before they even reach the intersection, and they are still doing 40. Fuck it. They punch it and blow on through, if you’re unlucky enough to be the one who cruised out there on green. Too bad for you

I've had the methbillies up here just blow through stop signs.
Can't be bothered to obey traffic laws.

Speed limits, stop lights, it's all the same. Why obey a traffic law when you're in a hurry.

Just heard this morning, the voice of the Auburn Tigers, Rod Bramblett and his wife were killed back in May after being rear ended by a 16 yr old driver. The kid was in a Grand Cherokee and ran into Bramblett and his wife, in a Highlander, while they were stopped at a red light. The investigation revealed the Cherokee was going about 90mph when the accident occurred. He had levels of THC in his blood indicating recent marijuana use. He was charged with two counts of manslaughter.
https://www.al.com/news/montgo...ime-lawyer-says.html

Drunks. Goddammed drunks.




Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlP5stawrNE

quote:

Originally posted by Gear.Up:
It certainly seems like there are a lot of people running reds. Guess they ain't got time for that.

This dashcam video of mine has a t-bone accident from a red light runner.

Jocko podcast? Can’t mistake that voice.



I am in disbelief that there isn’t more enforcement for distracted/cell phone driving. I assume it’s like a seat belt ticket used to be. Wasn’t really enforced. Once they started click it or ticket and pulled people over for not having a seat belt, people started to wear them.
I imagine it’ll be the same way with phones. If the enforcement of the laws gets damped up and people are cited a fine that is severe enough, it will stop.

When I was a kid people would get multiple DUIs and it wasn’t that big of a deal. The fines weren’t bad, and there was no jail time. Once the fines escalated and jail time was included, as well as long term suspensions of driving privileges, the DUIs scaled back.

Similar to a breathalyzer in the car for DUI offenders, what if there was a short distance cell jammer installed after conviction of distracted driving?

A few months ago a woman ran a red light, totalled my car and probably a second car as well. I watched as she adamantly told the police that the light was definitely green (or yellow). The LEO appeared to believe her.

The second car, a Prius, spun around and hit a bus. Fortunately the bus had a rear camera which showed she ran the red. Best to install a dash cam and be protected.

Dash cams are $20 at Wal-Mart.

There is zero excuse to not have one anymore.

Back in February I caught a fatal milti-car wreck on mine. This is after the hit and run I just posted. The wreck was so bad, you couldn't tell who was fault with the exception of camera witness video.

The asshole that killed the guy came around me like I was standing still and I was going 80. He rear ended a car and it slammed over 4 lanes into the wall and a car hit him square in his driver side door. The initial driver got out and ran away, leaving a mess of piled up cars. I ran over to help the stricken crash victims and saw things I never should have.

Yep. I’m in suburban Chicago and I take it for granted that at least one car will come through the intersection after the light has changed. Red light cameras don’t seem to help much either.

Edit to add: Some of you may remember that a couple of years ago, I witnessed a pickup truck run a red light and "t-boned" a car, killing a young boy. I was pretty shaken up about it, but luckily a number of you guys urged me to write a statement detailing what I saw. I did and gave it to the sheriff's deputy investigating the crash.

Fast forward a year or more and the driver of the pick up was on trial for vehicular manslaughter. I was subpoenaed to testify. The day before my scheduled testimony, the prosecutor called me and asked if I was I was still willing to testify to what I said in my statement. I told him, not only was I willing to, but that I didn't even need the statement because not a day went by that I did not vividly recall the accident and think about that little boy.

The prosecutor called me back that afternoon. He said that when he passed along what I'd said, the driver decided to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:

A few months ago a woman ran a red light, totalled my car and probably a second car as well. I watched as she adamantly told the police that the light was definitely green (or yellow). The LEO appeared to believe her.

Similar story here. August 14, 2018, I was on my way home in my delivery truck after a day of re-supplying the stores that are my customers.

I was slowing for a red light ahead of me. When I was maybe a couple hundred yards from the traffic light, it turned green so I kept going. As I entered the intersection I caught movement on the crossroad at my three o'clock position. I looked to the right, saw a Mercedes sedan about to enter the intersection, she had a red light. Not enough room to maneuver, my truck took the hit as she slammed into the right side.

Cop came, took her statement, came over to me and told me that Mercedes Girl claimed that I had run a red light. I showed him video from the dash cam, he said "You're OK, V-Tail, don't worry about anything," and proceeded to write her a ticket. I really wish that he had written her for lying to a police officer, as well.

Funny thing, it was a brand new dash cam, maybe a week old. My wife and I had discussed how crazy and aggressive the drivers were becoming around here, so I bought two cameras, one for each of us.

They just passed a law here in TN prohibiting drivers from having a phone in their hands. I still see people holding them, staring at them all the time though. They are completely oblivious to their surroundings.

In addition to people being obsessed with those stupid goddamn phones, drivers are just more aggressive these days. There is a growing incivility out there. I’ve been driving for a living for 15 years now and I see it every day. People not wanting to share the road, not wanting to even tap their brake pedal.

It got bad enough a long time ago to make me quit riding a motorcycle on the street. Bring on the self driving cars. With some more development, they wouldn’t be any worse.

My mom was hit broadside by a truck not paying attention going almost 60mph who, you guessed it, ran the light. She was driving a brand new Explorer and walked away only beaten and bruised. Even the police commented that thing saved her life, and one of the reasons why they like them as well for their squad cars. I can't stand "distracted" or to me a more accurate term, don't give a fuck drivers

Just had a man and woman killed Saturday when he ran a red light on the motorcycle carrying them both and hit a car that was turning. In this instance it looks like he was trying to time running the light at high speed and either the driver making the turn slowed down, or he didn’t time it correctly

The young lady that was killed is the daughter of friends of friends

Worries the heck out of me as the dad of a young driver. My son is under strict orders to count to 3 Mississippi before he goes when a light turns green. This area is insane already.

Years ago my uncle, driving a dump truck,had killed a person when the driver ran a red light. Thankfully for my uncle the witnesses told the police what happened and my uncle was cleared.
Even back in the day people were distracted, but not so much as now.