Wednesday, December 2, 2009

No cellphone while driving!



How many times do we catch ourselves texting and driving. Many states have created laws to prevent people from using their mobiles phones while driving. People who use their phones while driving are not responsible drivers and they end up causing accidents on the road.
Take a look at ten accidents in recent history that were caused by the use of a mobile phone while driving:


OC man faces trial in text-messaging


There is just no getting around it: text messaging while driving can never result in anything good. (A friend once joked that people who drive and text message are stupid – phones these days are capable of Internet and so much more.) Martin Kuehl, 41, of Costa Mesa, California is now facing potentially up to nine years in prison if he is convicted for gross vehicular manslaughter. On August 28, 2009, Kuehl hit and killed Martha Ovalle, 32, as she was crossing the street. The prosecution in the case contends that Kuehl was text messaging while driving and became inattentive resulting in the accident.
It was determined somehow that Kuehl did not send or receive a text message at the exact moment of the accident, but he’s still facing felony charges (requests to lower the charge to a misdemeanor, which is unthinkable, were denied). Why? For several miles prior to the accident, he had been text messaging back and forth with someone else. Perhaps he was anticipating the next message or looking at his phone at the time of the incident – we’ll never know. One thing is for certain: cell phone use while driving is absolutely illegal in California and has been proven time and again that it is unsafe. Why take that chance?



[source]http://trueslant.com/marcflores/2009/09/30/oc-man-faces-trial-in-text-messaging-manslaughter-case/

Man texting while driving when he hit Taunton teen with SUV, prosecutor says
December 28, 2007 By Anna Badkhen, Globe Staff



The man accused of killing a 13-year-old boy in a hit-and-run in Taunton told police he was behind the wheel typing a text message on his cellphone when he lost control of the sport utility vehicle and hit what he thought was a mailbox, a prosecutor said today in court. Craig P. Bigos, 31, told investigators that he did not realize the SUV had struck the boy on the bicycle until he drove back down Poole Street hours later on his way to work at a restaurant, said Bristol County prosecutor Aaron T. Strojny.The boy, Earman Machado, was sleeping over at a friend's house Thursday night. The teens had gone out at 12:30 a.m. to meet two girls, Strojny said today in Taunton District Court. Machado was riding a bicycle and his friend was walking on the soft shoulder of the road. Police said the friend, also 13, attempted to call 911, but was unable to get through on his cellphone. Bigos hung his head in court today and was released on $5,000 bail. He was arraigned on charges that included motor vehicle homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and driving without a license. He is scheduled to return to court Jan. 23. His lawyer, Daniel R. Igo, said in court that Bigos has never been convicted of a crime and has four children with his girlfriend of 12 years. He was driving from his mother’s in New Bedford to the home he shares with his girlfriend on Williams Street. Eight of his relatives came today to court. Police said Bigos's 1995 Ford Explorer was found parked at his home. After driving back by the crash scene, Bigos waited several hours before turning himself in Thursday afternoon, said Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney. Taunton's schools superintendent, Arthur Stellar, said Thursday that the boy who was killed was a pupil at Friedman Middle School who has at least one school-age sibling, a brother who attends Taunton High School. This morning a boy who said he was Machado's brother sat with on a bench at the back of the courtroom with another young man. They both wept



[source] http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2007/12/man_texting_whi.html

Click here for cell phone driving laws as of December 2009



http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

Please click on the link below to see a video



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I54mlK0kVw
[Not recommended for children under 18]

Theses are just two of many cases that you can find in the internet about texting while driving.
If driving, concentrate on the road instead of picking up messages or even making phone calls, there are many lives involved, parents, children could get hurt by reckless drivers.


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