My brilliant solution for "busting" texting drivers. Would it work?

New bore, Caldecott Tunnel
@TheHorse (203753)
Walnut Creek, California
November 14, 2015 12:11pm CST
Twice over the past few years, I've almost been killed by texting drivers running a red light. More often, I'm just stuck at a red light as one of the people in front of me is texting away and doesn't realize that the light has turned green. Yesterday, after being thwarted in an attempt to do a lane change in slow moving traffic by someone looking down (she didn't see my turn signal), my brilliant idea came (back) to me. After a dude who was actually watching the road let me merge, I was sitting there staring at the texting woman's license plate. I repeated it enough times that it became the lyrics to a song I was humming. But there was nothing I could do with the information as I sat there watching her drive while texting, only occasionally glancing up. My solution: There should be a database that drivers can access. There, they could submit the license plates of cars that held texting drivers. If one had to use their cell phone for an emergency once, they might appear in the database once. No big deal. But chronic texters would appear over and over. It could be a new way for kids and grownups to amuse themselves while stuck in traffic. Once a certain license plate hits the threshold (say 50 reports), the police could send the owner of that vehicle a warning. If they get up to 100 reports, police could track them, bust them, and issue a ticket. I'd like to see that ticket be more than a slap on the wrist. Do you think it would work? It would be difficult to use the system against your "enemies," because each "reporter" can only submit a given license plate once. But if 100 people call a texter a texter, they're probably a chronic texter. Your thoughts? How can we make this happen?
15 people like this
15 responses
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
14 Nov 15
I think it would be open to too much abuse. These days it wouldn't take long to get 50 of your facebook friends to make false reports on someone you didn't like. Sad but people are very vindictive. Also there's the very obvious risk of people distracting themselves by writing down (or even worse texting) the numbers.
3 people like this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
14 Nov 15
@TheHorse I would make bluetooth hands free systems compulsory and insist that the actual phone is in the trunk. That way you can call but you can't text.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Nov 15
@boiboing That makes sense. But if others are in the car, can they use THEIR devices?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Nov 15
Heh heh. I was thinking about that. As soon as I'm writing someone's number down, I'm distracted. I wonder why the police don't enforce that law. It is illegal to text and drive here in CA.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
17 Mar 16
sounds like a good idea for community policing. Austin is "hands free" now, and I was sitting at a light and there was a lady with her phone next to me. The police here are now riding on buses so they can look down and see if people are on their phones. Then they radio to a partner in a car to catch the person.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
17 Mar 16
@TheHorse my dad was hit by a guy running a red light with us in the car and I was later hit by a gal running a red light, so... yeah, even before texting there were bad drivers, but its like they get in a car and lose their minds...
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Mar 16
@ElicBxn I hope you're both 100% OK. I was almost hit (in my car) by someone running a red light while texting about a year ago. I just happened to look left before entering the intersection and slammed on my brakes in time.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Mar 16
I'm glad they're doing that. In difficult traffic, I'm always worried that I'll be rear-ended by someone texting.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28719)
• United States
15 Nov 15
I kind of like the idea, and it can be used for more than texting and driving. Granted some may take advantage of the system and just report people they don't like, but I could see many people reporting bad driver's. The police can contact the DMV to find out what sort of vehicles they should be on the lookout for, and then they can just start looking for those with lots of reports and pull them over. It should be fairly easy to see if someone has been using their phone while they've been driving as the cop can look and see when the last text was sent vs. how long they've been on the road.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Nov 15
@TheHorse I'm sure, as the driver's are completely unaware of their surroundings. It's a very dangerous thing. You know, they probably have the technology to disable a cellphone while it's in a vehicle that is in drive... they should create something like that. Then the driver is not at all distracted. I know when I hear my phone go off while I"m driving it's hard not to at least look and see who it is and if it's important or not... even then I am slightly distracted even if only for a moment. But if it disabled the phone it wouldn't go off at all and you wouldn't be distracted until you parked the car and then the calls and texts and emails came through.
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Nov 15
@katsmeow1213 Sounds like a reasonable idea to me. I'd think drivers would prefer to pull over to make or take a call than to climb up on the roof or something.
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Nov 15
Ah, very true. There would be ways to confirm that someone was texting while driving. I wonder if as many accidents are caused by texting and driving as by drinking and driving.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
9 Jan 17
Too many would abuse this by reporting their ex whatever, etc. That was the first thing that came to mind. Yes, if 100 people report someone, it might really be a fact.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
24 Feb 18
@TheHorse Think I must write about this too, as someone hit us while talking on the phone. We all have nightmares to tell about such things and this has to stop.
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 18
One report would be meaningless, though.
@LadyDuck (454973)
• Switzerland
15 Nov 15
This is a great idea, people here already take note of the plates and leave an online message for the police. I know that this sounds like a "police state", but I prefer this attitude than being killed by people who text while driving.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454973)
• Switzerland
15 Nov 15
@TheHorse I do not care if the citizens play the police, I have nothing to hide and I appreciate if they help to keep the cities and villages crime free.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454973)
• Switzerland
16 Nov 15
@TheHorse We can also send photos to the police, I do when I see someone texting, so they have the proof.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Nov 15
@LadyDuck My toughts exaclty. With my system, if a couple of people "report" me because they don't like my look or something, it wouldn't matter. But if someone gets 17, or 73, or whatever...complaints, it probably means something, and the police could take action.
2 people like this
@Hannihar (129123)
• Israel
22 Feb 18
I think you are on the right track. They should not get away with what they are doing. They are not only dangerous to themselves but others around them. They should have their license suspended.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 18
Yep, they cause accidents that involve others.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129123)
• Israel
22 Feb 18
@TheHorse So true The Horse.
@snowy22315 (168444)
• United States
3 Sep 16
I don't really notice others texting that much to tell you the truth, but I don;t live in an area that is that populated.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
4 Sep 16
It's rampant here in the Bay Area. You have to derive defensively, because many others are not paying attention. I lost a hiking partner to a "distracted driver" when she was walking across the street. She survived, but still can't hike.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
8 Dec 16
That's a great idea but it's so simple that it probably would never be implemented. A simple computer program could receive and collate the numbers and send alerts to controllers once the goals for a number are reached. I think it sounds doable but then, simple and economical solution are all too often rejected.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
8 Dec 16
Yes, I admit that this solution seems too simple, doable, and cost-effective. Sigh.
@vandana7 (98529)
• India
22 Feb 18
It might if nobody reports you. How do you filter true reports from false ones. lol You are a child...so innocent..lol.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 18
It would be a numbers game. If someone receives enough reports, it's probably worth it to seek them out.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64363)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 15
Why not just make it an offence to use your phone while driving? That's the law over here in the UK. Then they would only need to be reported once.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Nov 15
It's the law here as well, but the police don't seem to be enforcing it.
@nanette64 (20368)
• Fairfield, Texas
19 Nov 15
The law here pretty much just covers while driving through school zones @jaboUK .
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
14 Nov 15
Here we have law.No texting or cell phone.But I supposed it is hard to catch them. report it and talk to some one there.
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Nov 15
Interesting that there's no law there. I had thought it would be pretty universal across the US. I'm not sure why the police don't enforce it here. Maybe it's just too difficult to see from the side of the road (it's obvious when you're next to someone doing it), or maybe they're more concerned with speeders, etc. But in dense freeway traffic, there are no speeders.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20368)
• Fairfield, Texas
19 Nov 15
@TheHorse It's difficult for the cops because stopping cell phone users while driving would take up their entire day.
@MALUSE (69428)
• Germany
14 Nov 15
Why don't you inform yourself by asking someone at a police station?
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Nov 15
I'm sure my briliant idea has been considered before. But I should ask someone in Law Enforcment about it. Do you thnk it could work?
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69428)
• Germany
14 Nov 15
@TheHorse I don't know a thing about US laws, so I couldn't say.
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Nov 15
@Hatley Right. Usually it's just the inconvenience of having to wait at a green light or not being able to have traffic flow smoothly. But occasionally, these people kill. Here in the Bay Area, I see people texting and driving with absolute impunity. The don't even glance around to make sure no cops are near.
1 person likes this
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Feb 16
Did you blast your horn at her? I probably would have. Your idea sounds good to me, but that California legislature is hard to move as I have heard.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Feb 16
I don't like using my horn. It sounds too "angry." But it doesn't accomplish much. Truly entitled types could care less. A $500 ticket might change that.
@nanette64 (20368)
• Fairfield, Texas
15 Nov 15
This is one of the reasons auto-makers are designing cars that are auto-pilot @Horse . Let's not address the issues of the dumbies driving and texting; oh hell no, let's make cars that will drive themselves so that these idiots can go ahead and keep texting; read the newspaper, eat, apply make-up, etc.
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Nov 15
The world is moving closer to the world of Wall-E, where humans can't do much of anything (but act entitled) and machines do it all. Pretty pathetic.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Nov 15
@nanette64 64 is pretty young these days. I fear you'll see more of it!
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20368)
• Fairfield, Texas
16 Nov 15
@TheHorse Exactly and in a way I'm glad I'm 64; hopefully I won't be around.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
14 Nov 15
It will still be prone to abuse because unpopular people could easily be targeted by sufficient people. There is also the factor that the car could be used by several people and the owner may be innocent but suffer from the abuse of another person. Remembering the licence number is another drawback because you cannot exactly text it immediately to the police while you are driving.
@TheHorse (203753)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Nov 15
That's a part of why I originally went with a large number of reports--to make it harder to abuse the system. And that's why I was singing the license plate number--so I could write it down later (I never did).