You're not necessarily correct. It's still a violation to sit and block traffic in most all jurisdictions, regardless of the reason. You are also leaving out that since someone is absorbed in their phone, watch, etc., when they do suddenly realize the light is green, they tend to quickly accelerate, and haven't been paying attention to pedestrians, etc., that may have entered their path.
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Ontario Judge Finds Woman Guilty of Distracted Driving for Looking at Apple Watch
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You're not necessarily correct. It's still a violation to sit and block traffic in most all jurisdictions, regardless of the reason. You are also leaving out that since someone is absorbed in their phone, watch, etc., when they do suddenly realize the light is green, they tend to quickly accelerate, and haven't been paying attention to pedestrians, etc., that may have entered their path.
Right ... quota for someone checking their watch 4x to tell the time in 20 seconds? She's NOT 5-8yrs old ... 1 glance without unlocking the watch is enough in 4seconds to tell the time. 1 button press if a notification is on the face and time is there.
Either you don't own an Apple Watch to know how it works or you don't realize turning 20 degrees of your wrist while the watch is on your hand to view the time. The car dashboard has the time too and has in cars for almost 100yrs now! So what is her excuse?!
This cop most likely saved her life!
Key Point: Cop shined a light in her car at her and she drove off (after missing the light change to green)!!
^ proves distraction!
BRAVO! Someone gets it!
Key Point: Cop shined a light in her car at her and she drove off (after missing the light change to green)!!
Imagine the cop ignored this and she drives off and BOOM side swiped by another car running the red light!?! Again because she was distracted and NOT paying attention to the road, lights and other cars near the intersection.
Too many drivers think and feel their invincible and just do whatever. Many if tested today all day would loose their license for common infractions based on habits formed by ignoring rules that they must abide by as driving is a PRIVILEDGE not a RIGHT!
ANOTHER who GETS IT!!!
The policeman granted her the ability to live another day and save a pedestrian's life by correcting this habitual mistake.
There is absolutely NO meeting being important enough for ANYONE to check whilst driving or at a stop light?
iOS offers:
DO NOT DISTURB
Audible Alerts & Accessibility announcements & ability to show you a calendar reminder 15mins (default) to alert you about a meeting.
SIRI to vocally send the message you're running late.
Apple & Google Maps to get the quickest and safest route to your destination to get there on time.
Oh wait ... Watch and iPhone have alarms to wake you up get your things in order to leave early for that important meeting.
The ONLY thing and officers will agree mostly, is if someone is on Amber Alert, sudden Death alert or you've just broken your water and about to deliver your baby! none of which occurred here.
"who doesn’t sometimes look at their phone at a red light" This is actually part of the issue. You really shouldn't you should be looking out for other cars, pedestrians crossing - even if they're cutting the light changing. Everyone has a right to walk, driving is a priviledge granted if you continually follow the rules and laws of the roads, signs, etc. Do you really want to risk hitting someone, or getting hit by another careless driver just cause you can't deal with remaining alert at the intersection.
Is the social media, macrumors, your wife's complaint you didn't send her "love you xoxoxoxo" over text before leaving that important? IF you explain the safety concerns and she/he (husband) still complains ... you need to reconsider your relationship or just time that better.
This person really thinks an important meeting is a good excuse for distracted driving -- even at a stoplight, not paying attention around their surroundings. (shakes head).
Sweden: Changed driving a different side of the road in 24hrs back in 1960's, changed road signs, markings road paint, focused on blitzes for road safety. Their car related deaths are less than 250/yr ... per YEAR. adjust the population and directly compare to Canada, Ontario or any one of the United states every year since 1970 and marvel. It's about habits and awareness ... not making or believing in excuses.
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Let us NOT forget those pedestrians ... like everyone on this planet have a RIGHT to walk ... driving is a priviledge hence the ability to LOOSE your license!
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$400 is NOT going to destroy anyone that can a) afford a car, b) insurance, c) afford an Apple watch that costs $450 after taxes for the cheapest one! I'm not sure who suggested $5K maybe I'll re-read the reply to your post for which I quoted. Still, the ouchie moment is a $400 fine ... she didn't get demerit points did she? The OUCHIE for her is her sponsors will take notice as she's in sports an sponsored by Adidas (if it's the same woman).
https://gryphons.ca/roster.aspx?rp_id=7586
You can navigate off it no problem, but if you want to interact with it you have to pull over
No but I bet it is in most parts, because you are still technically on the road in traffic, you are not pulled over.
There are plenty cars without clocks. If I need to know the time I have to check my wristwatch or tap my dash-mounted phone.
No, and rightly so, if you are caught using an electronic device or worst cause an accident whilst using one, some insurance companies as I understand won’t touch you, you will have to pay a high premium after.
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Then I suppose very taxi driver is breaking the law too! They constantly touch their displays for routes etc.
I’ve wondered about the watch, I never use my phone while driving (I used to a fiat but years ago). I’ve found the watch even hard and more annoying to use while driving. Yet it’s not specified in laws.
Definitely should be included but I still find it odd that is perfectly okay to tinker with the radio or gps in the dash.
Definitely should be included but I still find it odd that is perfectly okay to tinker with the radio or gps in the dash.
It’s not, you can use your cars own devices but if you are caught for dangerous driving or driving without due care and attention because you were fiddling with the cars radio you will be fined for it as it’s illegal still. Your in a car to drive and concentrate on the road end off.
Like if you’re busy fiddling with the cars stereo and swerved to the other side of the road and a cop sees you, they’ll have you for driving without due care and attention or similar, distracted driving offence.
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Whil, in general, i agree with the distracted driving laws, this argument is at best misguided. The whole point of all traffic controls / laws / etc. is to ensure the safety of you and everyone around you. How, exactly, was this lady negatively impacting safety. The vehicle wasn’t moving, and neither were those around her, therfore there was zero probability of her causing an accident! If she had been moving this would be a very different scenario.
IMHO, one of the reasons that the collective “we” dont follow driving laws more fully is because they are enforced as revenue generatora without the use of logic.
You don't understand how many accidents are caused by cars hitting, and at times killing, pedestrians, kids on bicycles, that elderly woman who can't walk fast enough to make it across the street before the light turns, in the intersection or other cars that may have entered the intersection while you are focused on your Twitter feed or reading your friends latest Instagram post about the great taco he just ate at the cool new food truck and look up too late to see granny stepping out in front of your car.
There's also the many road rage incidents from when people honk at your distracted self sitting at a green light. You then flip then off. More words and stupid driving ensues until someone pulls out a gun. All because you had to see how many likes your facebook post received of your grainy and overexposed picture of Taylor Swift at the concert
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Has anyone been to the airport lately? Things used to be laxed there too a while back. You guys keep saying, “whah-whah, i wanna do what i want while driving my car, even if it causes inconvenience or death to others, whaaahh.” Just wait until youre deemed terrorists, because thats what you are to others who are watching you mess up while behind the wheel of a vehicle. When you drive, prepare before hand, know your route, drink and eat before turning on the ignition, set the radio before moving or have preprogrammed stations. How hard is that? Stop being a bunch of useless, disrespectful, ****s to others or suffer the consequences of having the system adapt to compensate for your ignorance. If people actually did what they were supposed to, flying would not be the huge inconvenience it is today...
Good
We have distracting driving laws for a reason
Since Ontario banned the use of mobile devices behind the wheel, traffic collisions, especially fatal ones have dramatically decreases. The laws work.
People who argue against these sort of regulations are pretty self centered. Distracting driving should be stopped whenever police see it
When I get in my car, my phone gotta immediately into the centre console until I arrive at my destination
We have distracting driving laws for a reason
Since Ontario banned the use of mobile devices behind the wheel, traffic collisions, especially fatal ones have dramatically decreases. The laws work.
People who argue against these sort of regulations are pretty self centered. Distracting driving should be stopped whenever police see it
When I get in my car, my phone gotta immediately into the centre console until I arrive at my destination
Yes it is. And that’s one of the reasons, if Apple doesn’t get Siri working up to at least the same level of it’s competitors that the Apple Watch will lose its foothold in the wearables area.
I just read about a traditional watch that has a small OLED display window in the dial and works with Alexa. If digital assistants are reliable, then there’s few reasons to look at the watch face ever. Just ask the assistant to announce the time, or the sender, or read the contents of the text. Turn by turn directions are read aloud as well.
The woman was staring at the Apple Watch screen, because Siri is useless, and a user needs to use the screen. But good digital assistants relieve the user from the need to look at the screen. So in the future, no watch needs a display like the Apple Watch unless they just want one, and that’ll substantially increase the battery life too, as well as prevent Heise kinds of dangerous traffic distractions.
I don't disagree with what you said, with the exception of your linking this behavior to electronic devices only. All of the empirical data indicate that it is distracted driving per se, not the specific form (e.g., looking at an electronic device, looking at a physical map, talking to someone in the car, etc.), that is the problem. However, most laws only deal with the current zeitgeist rather than the actual issue, distracted driving. That is the issue people have with this.
OK ... challenge on.
Name three car models (not just manufacturers) of cars that where produced and made available for public sale, mass produced and from the factory or show room made street legal ... in the last 90yrs that came without a clock (Analog or digital) that the driver can see (dashboard, tachometer or similar front steering wheel view) ?!
PS: In other words the McLaren F1 didn't come with a clock and at 1 Million was not made street legal at the factory it had to be made that way upon order for the country you lived in (outside of UK, USA, Canada, and France).
It is very simple drive around them if you are in such a hurry
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Dude there is no way in h-ll I would be a cop they constantly have poor attitudes and walk around with chips on their shoulders like they are better than everyone else and for your information I have a life so chill out
Unless, of course, it is. Feel free to look up the law in your state. Unfortunately it won’t necessarily be what your gut wants it to be.
And by the way, what should the cop do if he looks over and sees you in your non-swerving, non-speeding open a bottle of whiskey? Or snort some coke? Still stay out of your car?
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Ask Elon Musk or Uber or Google how that is working out. I prefer being in control of my own driving and knowing I can respond to other driver's errors (defensive driving).
What a silly remark.
The evidence was that the driver failed to respond to the green light until after the officer shone a light into her car. She may have even drove forward if the light was still red simply because of that trigger. I know that I've been triggered by a car honking only to realize that the light was not yet green. There are factors that play into such circumstances. In my case, I was not having a good day. My brain was tired, and I was not thinking clearly. This person, being a student, may have also been tired and not thinking with 100% clarity. So the safest decision would have been to not let your digital device distract you at all.
A person of rested mind may have had no problem in that exact same scenario. That's why laws target the lowest common denominator — to keep everyone safe. It does not make the police officer a bad guy for enforcing the law.
Your comment comes from a particular vantage point. That vantage point would change drastically if you or your family was affected by distracted driving. Guaranteed.
Defensive driving can also be a form of aggressive driving. And that contributes to increased stress on the road for everyone. And the biggest problem on the road is drivers not thinking about anybody else, only themselves. Such driving may get you from Point A to Point B safely, but you may not have left other drivers in a calmer state of being. Something to think about next time you choose that tactic. We should all work towards helping each other out and being friendlier to each other on the roads.
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Yup, and the Apple Watch even has voice-activated Siri to check the time. So there's no excuse for this driver. None. That's just become one expensive Apple Watch...
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I see your point, but I don't agree with it. This officer, and the law itself, is designed to prevent accidents. This officer did his job by (a) noticing a situation, and (b) taking action before anything drastic happened. He observed before he acted. He did not just act without first observing a pattern of behaviour.
Imagine if he did nothing, and this person was over-tired and caused an accident 3 miles down the road? His action sent a strong message to this driver, and to all drivers that think it's okay to be distracted by a smart watch, that driving needs to come first when you're sharing the public roads with others. I applaud his actions, even if the fine was really extreme. She'll think twice next time, and so will others due to this being in the news.