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FYI - 16 February 2015 - Denton, Texas now has No Texting Laws in effect. Includes GPS devices.

bloodhound13 wrote:FYI - 16 February 2015 - Denton, Texas now has No Texting Laws in effect. Includes GPS devices.

They were smart to exclude I-35, as they knew too many people from out of town would not know about the law.

At my company, if you're driving a company vehicle and get caught using a phone while the vehicle is in motion: you're fired.

My personal car has voice activated bluetooth so I don't have to touch anything. However, if I was driving it on company business and got caught using the phone with the vehicle in motion, hands free or not, I'd be fired.

As far as what city's ban texting, that could soon become a moot point as HB80 has been placed on the General State Calendars:

"Relating to the use of a portable wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle; creating a criminal offense; modifying existing criminal penalties."

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLook ... &Bill=HB80" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think this is a very ambiguous crummy law. The OP's wife did nothing more than read the message the same way I would read the screen of my radio to see the title or artist of the song that was playing. She didn't text anyone or make or receive a call. Could someone also be ticketed for removing their sunglasses and stowing them in an overhead slot? Or the ever popular, applying makeup, taking a bite of a burger or burrito, or taking a drink from a bottle of water?

For myself, I have a car with bluetooth and can do the hands free thing. I tried it the first year we had the car and found it to be more distracting than just holding the phone up to me ear.

C-dub wrote:I think this is a very ambiguous crummy law. The OP's wife did nothing more than read the message the same way I would read the screen of my radio to see the title or artist of the song that was playing. She didn't text anyone or make or receive a call. Could someone also be ticketed for removing their sunglasses and stowing them in an overhead slot? Or the ever popular, applying makeup, taking a bite of a burger or burrito, or taking a drink from a bottle of water?

For myself, I have a car with bluetooth and can do the hands free thing. I tried it the first year we had the car and found it to be more distracting than just holding the phone up to me ear.

I just wondering why? How does it work? After pressing the voice command button on my steering wheel I just say, "dial a number" if the number isn't in my phone, or "call" if it is, and am prompted for follow up commands. There is a mic in the roof of the car and the receiver plays through the car's speakers. So, for example, I say, "dial a number," the voice says, "dial a number," I say "555-5555," the voice repeats the number, and if it's correct I say "dial" and am connected. Or I say "call," the voice says "call," and displays a list from my phone directory, and I say "home,"...it repeats "home," and I'm connected. For me that's much easier than using my phone or having to hold it to my ear.

VMI77 wrote:At my company, if you're driving a company vehicle and get caught using a phone while the vehicle is in motion: you're fired..

Where I am, you're expected to be 24/7/365. I'm pretty sure I'd be hung if I was on a 3-hour cross country and didn't read my texts.

Note, I'm not for texting and driving - but the laws are goofy. I can use factory navigation, but can't use navigation with my phone? I've got a motard motorcycle which is probably on the ragged-edge of street legal. It's speedometer IS my GPS-enabled phone. In some municipalities, I can be ticketed for having the speedometer "on"? Really?

And then we've got cars with Heads-Up-Displays...

cb1000rider wrote:

VMI77 wrote:At my company, if you're driving a company vehicle and get caught using a phone while the vehicle is in motion: you're fired..

Where I am, you're expected to be 24/7/365. I'm pretty sure I'd be hung if I was on a 3-hour cross country and didn't read my texts.

Note, I'm not for texting and driving - but the laws are goofy. I can use factory navigation, but can't use navigation with my phone? I've got a motard motorcycle which is probably on the ragged-edge of street legal. It's speedometer IS my GPS-enabled phone. In some municipalities, I can be ticketed for having the speedometer "on"? Really?

And then we've got cars with Heads-Up-Displays...

You can have the navigation and such on your phone on. You just can't be holding the phone or typing texts.

cb1000rider wrote:

VMI77 wrote:At my company, if you're driving a company vehicle and get caught using a phone while the vehicle is in motion: you're fired..

Where I am, you're expected to be 24/7/365. I'm pretty sure I'd be hung if I was on a 3-hour cross country and didn't read my texts.

Note, I'm not for texting and driving - but the laws are goofy. I can use factory navigation, but can't use navigation with my phone? I've got a motard motorcycle which is probably on the ragged-edge of street legal. It's speedometer IS my GPS-enabled phone. In some municipalities, I can be ticketed for having the speedometer "on"? Really?

And then we've got cars with Heads-Up-Displays...

I'm thankfully, not on call. I have a company provided cell phone but I couldn't even tell you when the last time was someone actually called me on it. Our vehicles have radios, so I guess if they really wanted to talk to me they could call on the radio, and then I'd have to pull over to respond if I was by myself. Only problem with that is I never turn that radio on.

mojo84 wrote: You can have the navigation and such on your phone on. You just can't be holding the phone or typing texts.

But I can't manipulate the phone for navigation.. But I can manipulate the car's on-board nav system.

Honestly, the law is easy to work around: don't hold the phone above door-sill level.. Still the lots of corner cases for enforcement that I hope are used appropriately.

cb1000rider wrote:

mojo84 wrote: You can have the navigation and such on your phone on. You just can't be holding the phone or typing texts.

But I can't manipulate the phone for navigation.. But I can manipulate the car's on-board nav system.

Honestly, the law is easy to work around: don't hold the phone above door-sill level.. Still the lots of corner cases for enforcement that I hope are used appropriately.

Here's the text of the ordinance. https://sanantonio.legistar.com/Legisla ... FullText=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Attaching it to your dash is a better option than breaking the law.

VMI77 wrote:

C-dub wrote:I think this is a very ambiguous crummy law. The OP's wife did nothing more than read the message the same way I would read the screen of my radio to see the title or artist of the song that was playing. She didn't text anyone or make or receive a call. Could someone also be ticketed for removing their sunglasses and stowing them in an overhead slot? Or the ever popular, applying makeup, taking a bite of a burger or burrito, or taking a drink from a bottle of water?

For myself, I have a car with bluetooth and can do the hands free thing. I tried it the first year we had the car and found it to be more distracting than just holding the phone up to me ear.

I just wondering why? How does it work? After pressing the voice command button on my steering wheel I just say, "dial a number" if the number isn't in my phone, or "call" if it is, and am prompted for follow up commands. There is a mic in the roof of the car and the receiver plays through the car's speakers. So, for example, I say, "dial a number," the voice says, "dial a number," I say "555-5555," the voice repeats the number, and if it's correct I say "dial" and am connected. Or I say "call," the voice says "call," and displays a list from my phone directory, and I say "home,"...it repeats "home," and I'm connected. For me that's much easier than using my phone or having to hold it to my ear.

Mine works the same way. It's me. I couldn't get used to it and found myself talking to and focusing on the little mic too much when using it and not looking around and keeping my eyes on the road as much.

I have no problem with banning texting while using a motor vehicle.
In fact, if you are involved in a accident and you cause a death or serious
bodily injury, and you were found to be texting at the time of the collision/accident/wreck.
I would like it to be a criminal offense. Not a slap on the wrist.
Of course, I feel the same way about drunk drivers. Involuntary manslaughter is a slap
on the wrist for the drunk driver who kills the innocent.
I've donned my asbestos fire suit, so all you folks that think you're Mr. Ace driver
and texting doesn't affect your attention or driving skills....flame away.


p.s. thank you Lord for the rain. Everyone have a nice safe weekend!

gemini wrote:I have no problem with banning texting while using a motor vehicle.
In fact, if you are involved in a accident and you cause a death or serious
bodily injury, and you were found to be texting at the time of the collision/accident/wreck.
I would like it to be a criminal offense. Not a slap on the wrist.
Of course, I feel the same way about drunk drivers. Involuntary manslaughter is a slap
on the wrist for the drunk driver who kills the innocent.
I've donned my asbestos fire suit, so all you folks that think you're Mr. Ace driver
and texting doesn't affect your attention or driving skills....flame away.


p.s. thank you Lord for the rain. Everyone have a nice safe weekend!

What about eating a cheeseburger with fries, putting on makeup, reading the paper, adjusting the radio, etc.?