A third of Americans still text and drive

The sad part is that it will take either a serious fatality or tougher Laws to make ppl change. Sometimes its as easy as getting a ticket. Out here in Nevada we have Laws in place about talking/texting while driving. Unfortunatly ppl think they are immune from those Laws. A buddy of mine who happends to be a Stae Trooper put it to me the best way. "How many ppl do you personally have to kill before you will set your phone down?"
Try explaining to someone the importance of having a Bluetooth device in the car while they travel. I have many of my customers who at the time they purchase their phone decline the Bluetooth. We explain there is a Law in effect that demands that if you have a phone/gps/ect in your car you have a hands free device to go with it. All we ever get for our trouble is attitude. We are explaining the imprtance of not talking/texting while driving, but they JUST DONT CARE! That is untill they either get a ticket or kill someone. Then the world is just unfair because they are being held accountable.

Is not illegal to do so there?

If someone whips their phone out whilst driving here they get one hell of a hefty fine and a stack of demerit points...

That is the true solution to the problem. Cars that drive themselves. Take the driving out of the hands of the distracted driver.

If someone goes through a red light here, they get a hefty fine. But it isn't the police that are issuing them, it's the red light cameras. With that said, talking on the phone and texting while driving are illegal here also. But, I picture the ratio of people that do it, and don't get caught, to the people who actually get tickets for it, is likely astronomical. I sit behind distracted drivers all day, waiting for them to shut their yaps and drive, and none of them are using "hands free devices". Plus, I figure the police here may be "distracted" themselves, with their faces buried in their lunches.

To capsulize, tons of people text or use the phone while driving, and ounces of people get caught at it.

I don't know what utopia / police state you live in, but my account is an accurate view of, "life in the big city".

So you think the expense of automated cars and highways is justified to allow people to kick back and talk or text each other on subjects of no gravity or purpose?

Every time I overhear a cell phone being used, it's usually some inbred fool that is simply unable to shut their mouth, be alone for more than 5 minutes at a time, or trying to get a hold of their drug dealer.

Well, I'm a militant too, and I think they should outlaw cell phones entirely, and give a vasectomy to every male over 16 years of age that can't reasonably pass an IQ test. There's my utopia!

You can build your automated highways and cars with your local real estate taxes. Mine are busy funding a "school system", which is basically a daytime holding pen for the 3rd or 4th generation of social entitlement "parents". I use the term "parents" in its loosest possible terms. "Breeding stock" is closer to the truth.

Is it legal to text / use your phone while driving in America? Here in Australia it's illegal and the police are super vigilant for it.

Most of what's "super" about big city cops in the US, are their salary demands, egos, and arrogance.

It's illegal in the UK to text/call(without handsfree kit) but I still see one or two every day on my 15 minute commute to work.

Cellphones should be disabled when they are within 3 feet of the steering wheel in a vehicle when it is running and in gear. The only exception should be emergency numbers, they should never be disabled under any conditions.

What device are you playing with while downloading porn? As far as I can remember you said you never owned a cell phone...

Text & driving??? I find just swearing & making rude gestures at other drivers takes up 99% of my time behind the wheel nowadays, I wouldn't find the time to send text messages as well.

I suspect you don't really want the Captain to answer that....

Seconded.

@Capt
To a certain extent you are correct about the police force in the big cities of America. Where you will have a few stellar police officers the rest tend to be lack luster at best. I have personally seen more cops talking on their phones then previously before. Funny thing was I watched a cop who was talking on their phone pull someone over for the same thing!!

Funny thing was I watched a cop who was talking on their phone pull someone over for the same thing!!
It was probably the cop calling the driver to warn them not to answer the phone or he'd pull them over.