Is Any Message That Important?

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Trolley Texting

Trolley Texting

This past spring, a trolley conductor in Boston was responsible for a trolley crash in which 49 people were taken to the hospital. One green rail trolley crashed into the rear-end of another causing both trolleys to derail. In what may have seemed like an ordinary mis-scheduling of trolleys, further investigation pointed to the cell phone records of one of the conductors. Upon reviewing his cell phone records, investigators concluded that he had been texting his girlfriend upon impact of the two trolleys.

This is just another classic case of what can happen when a person is operating machinery while distracted. How many cases have to happen like this before people learn, or before lawmakers start to imopose restrictions on texting while driving. What's next? Must we worry about a pilot landing a 747 while sending a text message? Is any text message that important and dire that it must be sent at that exact moment in time?

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/05/ems_49_taken_to.html

Texting Leads to Tragic End for Train and Passengers

In mid-September of this year, a train collision in Washington D.C killed 26 people and left dozens of others injured. You may ask, how can something like this happen in this day and age? Aren't the trains run so methodically and mechanically that a crash or collision would be impossible? Well, it turns out that the trains on the railroad are controlled and coordinated by human conductors much more than we may think. Conductors have the responsibility of not only stopping and starting the train from a scheduled stop, but have the responsibility of making sure that trains run on the correct track and obviously do not cross paths with another train.

The problem comes in when these, although experienced, conductors become distracted with other immensely important, life or death tasks... for example texting. The conductor who murdered 26 people had run a stop signal because he was "allegedly" texting, with his eyes completely removed from the tracks, while driving the train. The cause of the deadliest train crash in 16 years has come from a method of communication that had not even existed when the last crash occurred.

CBS Station KCAL correspondent Kristine Lazar reported exclusively that one minute before the crash, a teenager received a text message on his cell phone from the engineer, whom friends identified as Robert Sanchez. It is clear that whether or not the conductor had received or sent a text at the moment of impact, what is a fact is that he was distracted moments before.. at the time when he could have seen the stop signal or pulled the emergency break.. or even called the dispatcher to re-route his train or the other train.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/15/national/main4449292.shtml

MTA Bus Driver Hits FIT Student

An MTA bus driver recently struck and killed a 22 year old FIT student from Westchester. Witnesses say that the young man was sprinting through an intersection and did not make it accross in time.

While this may be the complete story, we have to wonder if the driver was completely focused on the road. He has a history of distraction. He had been suspended a few weeks ago for texting, and updating his facebook page while driving. It is against the law for bus operators to use electronic devices and drive, so he was suspended and has been going to saftey classes. While his phone was checked at the scene and there was no recent usage of the phone, his workers papers were already in the process for him to be fired.

It is crazy to think that even an MTA bus driver, a professional driver, is abscent minded enough to be text messaging while driving a 40 foot long tank filled with innocent riders. I can think of plenty of times walking through the Bronx where I stepped off the curb with an MTA bus barreling down the bus lane. To think that maybe the driver is texting, and may potentialy mow me down is an awful thought. It'll make me think twice or maybe three times about whether or not the driver is even paying attention.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/11/09/2009-11-09_driver_flunked_text_had_just_returned_to_bus_job_when_vehicle_killed_student.html

Depressing Truth

This post is not from an article, but from a video. The video I found has been circulating on the internet and has been a topic of discussion for people from many walks of life including my parents. My mother actually brought the video to my attention, and I found it on the internet. To give credit where it is due, a British High School is responsible for the video and they made it while trying to improve awareness concerning the dangers of texting while operating a motor vehicle. I plan on using this video as part of my presentation, and I also feel that it brings to life the severity and the dangerous implications that texting and driving bring about. While the video may be depressing, I believe it is useful in my presentation.

As a result, I feel it is as valuable as an article and in fact more thoroughly helps to show that an accident can happen at any time... to anyone. Like I've talked about before, in my opinion, the most significant reason for the continuation of texting and driving is the age old belief that "it will not happen to me". Well, enjoy.

watch

A Quick Question

Any ideas on the severity of the punishment for texting and driving?

Driven to Distraction

The topic of this article is "Driven to Distraction- Britain Sets Tough New Laws for Texting While Driving". As you can imagine by simply reading the title of the article, this article describes a recent death in Britain, and the means of punishment that are being taken as a result.

Recently, a 24 year old woman was stopped on the side of the road after her car had suddenly broken down. Momentarily parked on the shoulder lane, the rear end of her vehicle was slammed into by another automobile, this one driven by a 22 year old woman. As stated in the article, many times this would be seen as a tragic accident and would be dismissed with a few sad shakes of the head and another tragic funeral. However, nowadays in Britain, accidents are examined and inspected in a more detailed way. The young woman whose vehicle was used as a homocidal weapon... well... she was carrying a cell-phone... and that cell phone had a recent history of a dozen or so text messages, the most recent coming in (but never opened) seconds before the crash. Before.. a few sad head nods. Now.. 21 months in maximum security prison.

According to The New York Times, the British government regard "prolonged texting as a serious aggravating factor in “death by dangerous driving” — just like drinking — and generally recommend four to seven years in prison". Texting while driving is attacked fiercely in Britain, and is seen not as bad judgement but as a heinous crime. It is appropriately placed on the same level of drinking and driving, driving while high on drugs, or racing another vehicle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/technology/02texting.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&ref=technology