Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, July 16, 2015, 10:50 AM
Town Square
State study finds texting while driving is on the rise
Original post made on Jul 16, 2015
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, July 16, 2015, 10:50 AM
Comments (5)
Posted by Penalties
a resident of Cuernavaca
on Jul 16, 2015 at 9:18 pm
a resident of Cuernavaca
on Jul 16, 2015 at 9:18 pm
If it's as dangerous as drunk driving, make the penalties equivalent to those for drunk driving. Then you'll see a massive decline.
Or how about this: If you're caught texting, it's an immediate 12 hours in a city/county jail cell and a towed car. Explain that one to your employer, spouse, or parent.
A significant consequence would probably scare off 75-90% of the offenders. The State needs to commit to taking this more seriously.
Posted by Watch out bikers!
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jul 16, 2015 at 9:23 pm
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jul 16, 2015 at 9:23 pm
These careless drivers are the reason why biking can be dangerous. I agree that we need to up the penalty. 1st offense, $295 ticket. 2nd offense, 30 day suspension of license, 3rd is one year suspension. That would surely help!
Posted by resident 1
a resident of another community
on Jul 16, 2015 at 11:45 pm
a resident of another community
on Jul 16, 2015 at 11:45 pm
Not sure if the jail system could handle the massive influx of first-time distracted drivers.
I would favor more toward increased penalties such as "Watch out bikers" proposes.
However, rather than the $295 first offense ticket, I would up this to $500, make the 2nd offense a 7-day vehicle impound (with all the requisite towing/yard fees) as well as a $1000 ticket and 40 hours of community service, and make the 3rd offense a 30-day impound with a $3000 ticket and 160 hours of community service, assuming that no other motor vehicle violation was committed.
I don't even think a driver's education class is necessary or useful. Putting down the phone isn't rocket science. It's not like they didn't know any sneaky law about driving, they knew they were breaking the law.
Ultimately, I think that would be a more beneficial punishment to the violator without unnecessary jail crowding, and with more benefits to the community as a whole.
Posted by Penalties
a resident of Cuernavaca
on Jul 17, 2015 at 10:10 am
a resident of Cuernavaca
on Jul 17, 2015 at 10:10 am
I was being somewhat facetious about the jail time (although offenders could all be held in a large room somewhere...without their phones), but do seriously believe in stepping up the penalties.
Unlike many DUI's (not to diminish that serious crime), a driver who's texting is making that decision in a sober, non-impaired state.
The challenge in passing more severe penalties is the large number of "good" folks (probably significantly above 10%), who take a peek at their phones from time-to-time.
Posted by True
a resident of Blossom Valley
on Jul 17, 2015 at 2:38 pm
True is a registered user.
a resident of Blossom Valley
on Jul 17, 2015 at 2:38 pm
True is a registered user.
They're probably posting unhinged anti-cyclist rants to "Town Square" on the Mountain View Voice website.
Don't miss out
on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.
Post a comment
Stay informed.
Get the day's top headlines from Mountain View Online sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.
