It's about time it's a LAW

[EJLemo]

Stop Texting and Drive.http://www.masslive.com/news/index.s...e_new_mas.html

Eric

[caddydaddy]

It shouldn't have to be a law! It should be common sense! What am I saying, nobody has that anymore.

[ninjachica250]

It shouldn't have to be a law! It should be common sense! What am I saying, nobody has that anymore.

Thats been a law here for a couple years now but that never stops people from actually stop texting or using their cell phones while driving.

[Pittenger5]

What about eating? Or shaving? or doing makeup? Oh right, those arent dangerous

[Jim]

absolutely NO way to prove that someone is texting while driving. it's a bullshit law to hand out tickets.

[Stromper]

Computer texting knows when you are

[obsolete]

Won't help. Until cell phone use is banned all together and the punishment is that of say a DUI, the problem will not be solved.

[leftlane]

Why do they keep trying and trying to legislate against stupidity?

[schleppy]

absolutely NO way to prove that someone is texting while driving. it's a bullshit law to hand out tickets.

Sounds like we've got ourselves a driving texter

But you're right Jim, it's going to be really hard to prove. I see a lot of court BS in the states future.

[RandyO]

What about eating? Or shaving? or doing makeup? Oh right, those arent dangerous

I dunno, can you hold yer composure after spilling an extra large fresh hot coffee on the family jewels

didn't MA already have a more general careless/inattentive type law on the books already, enforce that.

[Pittenger5]

didn't MA already have a more general careless/inattentive type law on the books already, enforce that.

Or just enforce unsafe driving laws that ARE on the books.

[BigShel]

I see people texting and driving everyday.....It is going to be hard to prove it, but tell me this once you show up to court a few times for the same texting ticket do you really think the Judge is going to say( I know the cops are just picking on you?)I dont think so.

Sounds like we've got ourselves a driving texter

But you're right Jim, it's going to be really hard to prove. I see a lot of court BS in the states future.

[breakdirt916]

come on guys, it's not the silver bullet, it's the state's best attempt to make it better

I figure motorcyclists, of all people worried about texting soccer moms in SUV's, should be in support of this

[CBR929RE]

absolutely NO way to prove that someone is texting while driving. it's a bullshit law to hand out tickets.

that's not even close to true. Ticket says say 6:20pm. text in outbox on your phone says 6:19PM. proved. now of course its a whole other issue on being able to go into your phone records to find the texting info.

but if a cop sees you texting and pulls you over you'll get a ticket if the cop isn't extra nice. if you go to fight it you either need to come up with some really good BS or just get a nice magistrate that will let it slide. If you can't come up with something good, not just "I wasn't texting" then the magistrate will almost always side with the officer and uphold the ticket.

[Jim]

how can one prove that they're texting and not dialing

[CBR929RE]

how can one prove that they're texting and not dialing

like I said there's a time stamp on the text. when you go to court you should be able to bring your phone bill with you and show that at the time of the ticket you don't any outgoing texts. easy enough to disprove if you actually weren't texting.

if you don't have that proof, good luck getting the court to overturn the ticket.

[Pittenger5]

easy enough to disprove if you actually weren't texting.

Great, so if they actually start handing out tickets everyone gets to take a day off of work and the time to go prove their innocence.

Or heres an idea, why not use THIS law (which is never enforced anyway): For example, an existing law, Chapter 90, section 13, allows police to cite for “impeded operation,” which covers everything from eating, combing your hair, having a dog in your lap, or using any electronic device, he said.

[CBR929RE]

Great, so if they actually start handing out tickets everyone gets to take a day off of work and the time to go prove their innocence.

while I get your point I don't think that the majority of cases will be for innocent people.

I see people texting all the time. you can tell when they're dialing and not texting. most of the time when people are texting they really aren't paying attention so probably won't even notice the cop pull up behind/next to them so he/she can see you doing it.

simple answer is the same as with any other driving infraction. don't do stuff wrong and you won't have a problem.

[Pittenger5]

most of the time when people are texting they really aren't paying attention so probably won't even notice the cop pull up behind/next to them so he/she can see you doing it.

So why not use the distracted driving law?

This is just a way to make themselves look good in november. Its not going to be enforced, the way you see people driving distracted every day. But now you cant use your GPS in the car, or text at a stop light, and Im willing to bet people will be busted for doing those things.

[Harley Davidson]

Interestingly, the law bans the use of GPS navigation on cell phones, so when I place my iphone with Navigon in the cradle and listen to directions through my car audio system (totally handsfree once programmed) I am breaking the law????!

[Jim]

brett, does your phone bill show all times for incoming/outgoing texts? even so, the ticket is written on the LEO's clock...not the clock on my cell. if i sent a text while in a parking lot at 3:45, then get pulled over after leaving the lot at 3:47, how could i possibly defend myself? not to mention the phone companies probably wouldnt bther issuing records for every ticket appealed in court.

[CBR929RE]

brett, does your phone bill show all times for incoming/outgoing texts? even so, the ticket is written on the LEO's clock...not the clock on my cell. if i sent a text while in a parking lot at 3:45, then get pulled over after leaving the lot at 3:47, how could i possibly defend myself? not to mention the phone companies probably wouldnt bther issuing records for every ticket appealed in court.

ha I just looked and got proven wrong. but I bet you could probably get it from your provider with enough bitching. the phone companies won't do anything to help the state prove their case. its up to you go collect evidence to prove you weren't doing anything wrong. just remember an Officers word in court is worth a whole lot more than yours. if he says you were texting and you say you weren't but neither have proof its probably gonna go against you.

what I was thinking with the times was more of an obvious one like you're on the highway.

[GNTurbo6]

Officer, I wasn't texting, I was looking at nudey pics I swear!

[Jim]

While the law bans drivers from texting, it also forbids using a phone to read or compose e-mails or instant messages, looking at web pages, or using a phone-based GPS navigational application.

so now people are forced to buy a portible GPS or a car with NAV built in?

[beet]

They can make all the laws they want. No one gives a fuck. They never hand out tikets! They should make a law against stupid, Mommy tards. You're fucked Jimmy.