New Jersey Drivers: Driven To Distraction?

My worst distraction is when I listen to news on the radio and I hear whiny liberals like Nancy Pelosi spewing hate and lies. Then I start yelling in the car and get distracted from the traffic. My wife has to calm me down so I don't take the drivel and distortions to heart...after all there are jerks on both sides of the aisle...McCain, Palin, Graham et al. I usually turn to classic rock and start singing along to some song from the 70s.

OMG! Now, as much as you all know how I'd love to zap every idiot on the road, this has got to be one of the most ridiculous wastes of taxpayer time and money ever. How is a cop going to pull me over and claim that I was changing the radio station??!!!! I hope our esteemed Assembly people don't spend anything more than about 60 seconds on this nonsense!

puhhh-LEEEZZZE!

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 7 /Episode 62

http://www.hbo.com/curb-your-enthusiasm/episodes/index.html

All I know is that if any of these phone-talking/text-sending drivers who try to back out of their driveways while communicating with their "whomevers" ever hit me or my car - especially if my kids are with me, I'll be sure to tell the cops what they were doing.

Yes, lady pulling out of a driveway on Gordonhurst, I'm talking about you yesterday morning!

I'm all for pulling cell phone talkers (or worse, texters). The collective stupidity and lack of reflexes of motorists is horrendous enough, and we don't need things that make it worse. However, to pull someone over for fatigue? That's ridiculous. To be honest, it is one of the worst driver distractions, but you just can't police it. If you're swerving all over the place, or if you're doing 90 down the rumble strips (that's a sound that'll wake you the hell up), then perhaps pull them over to make sure they're ok, but I refuse to accest that the dark bags under my eyes warrant a ticket.

No, it works Spiro.

I plowed into a group of nuns crossing North Fullerton and told the judge I was distracted because Harry Reid was on the radio.

I got off with a warning!

Once, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, I made a left turn at a red light right in front of the cop who was behind me.

I was in the middle of my 450 mile photo route and still had the 110 mile shot back to Denver. I was so tired that I completely spaced out the light. The cop took one look at me and said "Take a nap." and then let me go. I took his advice. There's nothing like a power nap stretched out on the comfortable front seat of a 1975 Checker Marathon. I slept like a baby for 40 minutes and got back to Denver without further incident.

Heavy fines! Put the fear of monetary loss into the texters/no-headseters!
And, am I the only one who hates seeing a cop driving around in a police car talking on the phone AND without a headset??!! What the F!?!?!
Personal calls while on the job have always been frowned upon any place I have worked/managed/owned. I know the idea of leading by example is a dead issue here but please. Someone ticket the cops.

I'd like to see more drug abuse while driving enforcement - though I'm not sure how a cop would be able to do a hair sample test on site. I work with a woman who talks openly about taking valium when she is nervous about driving somewhere pre-trip (no pun intended). I've told many co-workers the day she plows into me in the parking lot I'm insisting a hair sample be taken at the scene and drug tested.

Aside from the texters and the cellphone chatters etc, it's the 'Driving While Eldery' that scares the crap out of me. The ones where you can barely see the puff of white hair sticking out over the steering wheel. These people can hardly make a decision at the supermarket let alone be responsible for hundreds of pounds of moving machinery. It's been said before, but I'll say it again, testing should be required yearly past the age of say... 65? 70?

Beware violet, I'm seeing more and more elderly drivers using cell phones behind the wheel.

It's a scary, scary world out there.

my biggest distraction: annoying kids in the care(my own). The arguing, whining and the urge to turn around and give them what for . The only time I ever had an accident, I was backing out of my driveway - 30 seconds in the car and my son and friend were getting so obnoxious I managed to hit the neighbor's car parked across the street. I was not exactly speeding, so only pride and pocketbook were injured.

I totally agree about those giant SUV's... they seem to have the worst drivers who apparently think rules don't apply to them. Just this morning I was on Rt 3 when a big black Escalade went right through a STOP SIGN while merging onto Rt. 3. I had to swerve into the next lane so she wouldn't hit me. And thank God no one was in that lane or I would've hit them. So I looked over at the Escalade driver, and what's she doing? You guessed it - talking on her cell phone... laughing no less! Completely oblivious that she almost hit me. IDIOT! Oh, and I had my 11 month old in the car with me.

When will people learn that a conversation on your cell phone is not more important that someone else's life.

I think we should go colonial on people using their cell phones against the interest of the driving public. Have them stand along side of the road in the place they were cited with a sign that says something like, "I'm too good to obey the law" and we passersby get to chuck some over ripe vegetables in their direction.

Or, how about strictly enforcing ALL the traffic laws equally - not just the speed limit.

Wow, Ruby, the same thing happened to me last Thurs. on the way home from work when the road was slick with snow - an SUV merging onto Rt 21 from one of those notorious suicide entrances didn't even slow down or look! I had to slam the brakes (thankfully they worked even in the slush) while the moron continued along, cutting off people as he went. He was not driving an Escalade but I think it was a Black ford Explorer. He got off at Mill Street in case anyone feels like hunting him down for me.

Along that note, for the same salary (plus mileage) I would gladly spend my days driving around and Zapping every bad driver in northern NJ. This includes the people near my house who park *directly* under the no parking sign, making the street nearly impassible. Also includes the morons who think the stop sign is a suggestion, as well as people who weave in and out of traffic like they are playing Grand Theft Auto (this morning, it was someone in a loaner car from a Ford dealer in Paramus. Nice! They lend you a car and you do your best to wreck it!) Finally, people who turn left in clear view of the "No left turn" sign will be zapped twice.

(Those Morons!!!)

Now THAT would be a great job.

Nick, I like your idea but we have to catch 'em first. How about I just throw fruit at bad drivers as they are in the process of doing something stupid?

Roo, I am waiting for my zapper!!!

NJ already has some of the strongest existing laws regarding cell phone use/texting while driving. Why are *those* not being enforced? Instead of wasting time and money trying to bring about a new bill, they could just take the existing ones seriously.

In NJ, all drivers are prohibited from using handheld cell phones or texting while driving; novice drivers and bus drivers are prohibited from any use of a cell phone while driving. These laws are primary enforcement, meaning that an officer can cite a driver without any other traffic offense taking place.

As for the issue of older drivers... I think that *all* drivers should be re-tested for fitness to drive at regular intervals.

Liz - you truly are the bad girl of Barista!

Since this is a family website, the worst offense I will admit to would be one similar to Iceman's:

Once, many years ago (as will be apparent), I started to scream at the radio at Buddy Harrelson to pull Sid Fernandez - who was in one of his patented 6th inning meltdowns. I screamed so hard I started to black-out, fortunately I managed to pull over and stop the car.

MB2 - You had a Marathon? Lucky you! That's on my list of cars to buy if I ever get rich enough to collect cars.

B4 U SAY NO
U SHD TRY 2 TXT N DRV
IT = FUN
I M DOING NOW
OMG WTF A TRK!!11!!1

Years ago, before cell phones, my kids laughed about an idea I had. Each town would have a "sledge hammer man". He would be one of the biggest, strongest men in town. He would have the authority to mete out physical justice to cars based on the severity of the infraction. Double park on Bloomfield and it could cost you two headlights; cutting off pedestrians would result in a badly damaged hood. Upgrading my idea to the present, reckless drivers using cell phones, etc. would probably need roof and side door repairs.

My biggest distraction is talking to the passenger next to me. Are they going to outlaw more than one person in a car, too? Or maybe they should pass a law against talking while driving.