Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Sued for Choosing Not to 'Lock-Out' iPhones Behind the Wheel to Prevent Texting and Driving

This is so ridiculous. Also please sue shampoo makers for not putting "don't drink the shampoo" on the bottle. Part of "Adulting" is knowing when not to do something dangerous. Apple, no company, should be responsible for irresponsible customers. We are turning into a society where we place the blame on everyone else but ourselves.

At some point the pendulum needs to swing back and people need to assume responsibility for their own lives. It's like someone suing Ford and GM for not putting a block on the ignition if the driver and passengers aren't belted in...
 
  • Like
Reactions: NetMage
toph2toast said:
I don't know if there are any public roads in the US where you can drive over 85 MPH legally, yet car manufacturers still make cars that can go 140 MPH, 160 MPH, 200 MPH, etc, etc.

Since when do we need a company to guard us against personal responsibility and common sense?

This is like suing Budweiser if you drink and drive.
Click to expand...

For years I've said cars should be limited to, say, 80mph and if you want the limit taken off you have to sign something that reaffirms that you won't speed on public roads.

I just don't get why cars can go that fast.
 
Don't CarPlay and the Android equivalent look to do exactly this and lock down the connected device to a much simpler interface and limit things like text message to Siri?

As to all the comments about "no one should tell me what to do" or "people should just take responsibility" unfortunately it's my ever strengthening view that many humans are incredibly bad at doing what's right. Companies used to dump chemicals into the environment because there were no rules to stop them and it was the cheapest option. Banks would screw customers on overdraft charges by doing things like applying debits before credits and stacking the charges largest to smallest, and they still would if it weren't for the rules and regulations that prohibit them.

The number of deaths on America's roads have started to increase after decades of decrease and smartphones must play into that. It's all well and good saying "no one can tell me when I can and can't use my phone" but your viewpoint might be different if you've lost a child/spouse/parent/friend to a car crash caused by somebody tweeting whilst driving...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Arran and Sylvan
So, Americans are stupid and use their phones and endanger themselves and others. But, let's blame Apple and force them to change the way their products work? Sounds like a typical neo-liberal agenda to me. Unreal.

This just in. After an innocent civilian fell to their death after climbing a tree, a new law has been passed that requires all high trees to be fenced off, and their trunks greased to prevent anyone from climbing them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NetMage
Mildredop said:
For years I've said cars should be limited to, say, 80mph and if you want the limit taken off you have to sign something that reaffirms that you won't speed on public roads.

I just don't get why cars can go that fast.
Click to expand...

Most cars do have limiters. They are limited to 124mph or 155mph depending on the tires the vehicle came with. Most are 124mph. 80mph is way too slow. There are highways in Texas that have an 85mph speed limit. Limiting a vehicle to 80mph is also unsafe. What if you needed to get out of a dangerous situation quickly. Or for passing purposes on one lanes highways. Faster you pass, the safer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NetMage and Septembersrain
Apple needs to disable phones in cars.

Americans are incapable of driving and deciding for themselves that they shouldn't text and drive. Therefore, government needs to intervene in their lives, since the people are incapable of behaving properly.

Government is the solution to people behaving irresponsibly.

Personal responsibility just means government irresponsibility.
 
Mildredop said:
For years I've said cars should be limited to, say, 80mph and if you want the limit taken off you have to sign something that reaffirms that you won't speed on public roads.

I just don't get why cars can go that fast.
Click to expand...
Alternatively increase the speed limits! Germany has de-restricted autobahns and I believe their roads are much safer! Most speed limits were set based on the stopping distances of cars in the 60s/70s. Modern cars can stop in a fraction of those distances, but the speed limits remain the same...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mlrollin91
As asinine as this particular lawsuit is, phone use while driving has become a significant issue. You see it each and every day.

The most effective solution is likely greater penalties. If you're caught using a phone in the hand in California right now the base penalty is low, albeit the other components do add up.

Make it a $1000 penalty and a six month driving ban and it may change behavior.

As an aside, an NFC chip in the phone and a reader in the car could potentially locate the phone in the driver's seat. That may be one way to identify and partially disable the driver's phone while letting passengers use theirs unencumbered. Of course this could be circumvented by moving the phone over to the passenger seat area, but then the high penalties would make that much riskier. You could also make it so that if the phone connects to the car via bluetooth then it's assumed to be driving and thus restricted. It's also not beyond the realms of possibility to require the phone to store cases of usage while it thinks it is in a moving vehicle and for that to be available to law enforcement via say a public NFC and reader while preserving the privacy of data on the phone. Were a cop to pull you over, the phone could reveal if you'd used it while driving (if you were driving alone).

I don't agree the suit has any merit at all, but a combination of much higher penalties and possibly some technology components could help. The underlying problem the suit highlights is real and something needs to be done. I think significant increases in the consequences are probably the place to start.
 
chiefsilverback said:
Alternatively increase the speed limits! Germany has de-restricted autobahns and I believe their roads are much safer! Most speed limits were set based on the stopping distances of cars in the 60s/70s. Modern cars can stop in a fraction of those distances, but the speed limits remain the same...
Click to expand...

They did this on Top Gear a couple years back. It took 300 feet to stop a car going 70mph in the 90s. It takes 300 feet to stop a car going over 110mph now days.
 
marty11 said:
While this will go nowhere, and may be extreme. Something needs to be done about phone usage when driving. I stopped commuting by bike because of too many close calls with texting/facebooking drivers.
Click to expand...

With irresponsible drivers, it doesn't matter. Even if somehow you have away to stop any mobile phone being used while the car is in motion (that be a driver or passenger) they will still find away to distract themselves with something else. I hope I see the day when humans will be banned to manually drive a car on a public roads, though I believe that would be possible on a very distant future.
 
chiefsilverback said:
Alternatively increase the speed limits! Germany has de-restricted autobahns and I believe their roads are much safer! Most speed limits were set based on the stopping distances of cars in the 60s/70s. Modern cars can stop in a fraction of those distances, but the speed limits remain the same...
Click to expand...
Or better yet, remove driving privileges from the general public.

The only people that should be allowed to drive are those whose jobs it is to drive.
 
How does the system distinguish passenger from driver?

Why does not every kitchen knife come with somebody that stops you before you do something stupid with it?
 
This is beyond stupid. Should Starbucks and fast food be sued for encouraging people to eat while driving when they use drive throughs? Lets sue auto makers for putting cup holders in cars that encourage the use of drinks in a car. While at it lets sue radio stations for distracting drivers everyday while driving. I have always been more distracted in my car by trying to change the radio station, or spilling drinks and food vs ignoring texts on my phone which is easy to do if a person puts in about 1% of effort.

Besides there is a lock out feature already. Its called not picking up your phone while driving and ignoring the sounds coming from it.

Some people have become obsessed with trying to blame mobile devices for the fact that people can't drive anymore. The idiot drivers would just find something else to get distracted by, like a squirrel.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NetMage and ndpitch
Basic75 said:
How does the system distinguish passenger from driver?

Why does not every kitchen knife come with somebody that stops you before you do something stupid with it?
Click to expand...

You don't. You disable all phones in the cars.

That is the best solution.
 
Basic75 said:
How does the system distinguish passenger from driver?

Why does not every kitchen knife come with somebody that stops you before you do something stupid with it?
Click to expand...

Exactly. Probably why the patent didn't go anywhere.
 
mozumder said:
Apple needs to disable phones in cars.

Americans are incapable of driving and deciding for themselves that they shouldn't text and drive. Therefore, government needs to intervene in their lives, since the people are incapable of behaving properly.

Government is the solution to people behaving irresponsibly.

Personal responsibility just means government irresponsibility.
Click to expand...
I'm British and it's not just Americans. A guy was recently jailed in the UK for killing several people because he was texting or tweeting or something whilst driving a large truck. He drove straight into the back of stationary traffic forcing the car he hit into the back of the car in front of it. There was one family split between the two cars and the fatalities were in the front most car, so the surviving members of the family have to live with the memories of their car being pushed into and killing their relatives!
 
exterminator said:
how are you going to distinguish between the driver and the passenger?
Click to expand...
It's in the original article (bold mine):
MacRumors said:

...The patent describes one method where a motion analyzer would detect whether a handheld device is in motion beyond a certain speed. A scenery analyzer would be able to determine whether the holder of the handheld device is located within a safe operating area of a vehicle. Otherwise, the device could be disabled....
Click to expand...

The vehicle is disabled only if the driver is using his phone inappropriately. Passengers are unaffected.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sylvan
The problem with "personal responsibility" in this context is that not having it makes you a danger to others, not just yourself. It's not like choosing to not buckle your seatbelt.
I can be the most responsible driver and still get taken out by an idiot texting or driving drunk. So it's not my responsibility I'm worried about, it's everyone else's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Arran
mozumder said:
Apple needs to disable phones in cars.

Americans are incapable of driving and deciding for themselves that they shouldn't text and drive. Therefore, government needs to intervene in their lives, since the people are incapable of behaving properly.

Government is the solution to people behaving irresponsibly.

Personal responsibility just means government irresponsibility.
Click to expand...

A pointless proposal which will not serve for any positive purpose. Who says its only Apple devices and who says its just the Americans (Ok its about an American suing Apple...) but what are we really talking about here? I was under the impression that the real issue here is texting and driving? Actually the issue is not TEXTING and driving. the issue is NOT FOCUSING on the road whilst driving. So whats the solution? Banning phones? of course not.

The solution is to educate people. How?

1) (Very) harsh penalties and Jail terms if required
2) Ban them from driving for very lengthy periods of time
3) Put it on their criminal records
4) Create (AND SHARE) educational videos showing simulations of car crashes with as much detail as is logically possible.

Those are *REAL* solutions. not suing iphone to introduce a stupid lock. Uneducated people will find it easy to be 'bothered' by something else other than an iphone whilst driving.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NetMage
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back