Guy Kills 3 People While Using His Cell Phone Driving & Only Gets A $500 Fine??????

[shifrbv]

I'm sick of all the losers on the road with their cell phones. I, myself, have almost been sideswiped a couple of times by idiots chatting away on their phone and not watching the road. Why doesn't the US make laws about this? Every other industrialized country has protection in place.

Here's a small portion of the very sad story which happened not long ago in my home town:

After finding Randall Ard guilty of driving left of center in a triple fatality accident, city court Judge Mark Peden fined him $500, the maximum allowed under the law, and charged him $75.50 in court costs.
Ard, 51, was charged after his vehicle collided head-on with a van last year. Killed in the crash were Krista Baker, 21, and her daughter, Brooke Ladigo, 2, and Elizabeth Baker, 14.
Deputy Larry Sanders said he interviewed Ard two days after the accident. He said Ard told him he had no memory of the crash, but he remembered talking on his cell phone as he headed to Morgantown to unlock his wife's car. Sanders said Ard's cell records indicate he was talking on his phone at the time of the collision.

What's really bad is that most people who cause accidents try to hide the fact that they were on their phone and distracted. And since data is not required to be collected by almost every state (except for a few) in the US, nobody does anything about it because they don't have any results to point to. Pathetic.

If somebody ever hits me while using a cell phone, their Nokia better say hello to my Smith & Wesson.

 

[Total Refected Power]

I think it should be required to have "hands-free" cell phone operation in cars.

 

[Locutus of Board]

I agree with you.
Much of the time, when someone is weaving, I see them on the phone.
They have the law in Suffolk, NY that started last month.
Police handed out 500 tickets to cell talkers this month.

Hee haw.

 

[StageLeft]

I've heard that hands free doesn't make much of a difference...I think it would make some for me, but unlike talking with somebody in a car when you're on a hands free you still have to be fully engaged in the conversation; if a person is in the car and you're taking a car or doing something requiring concentration people automatically wait, but its different on a cellphone.

I do know that cellphones are the root of all evil while driving. I've used mine on a few ocassions and I'm normally a great driver but when I use it I can hardly even tell where I am. That makes me scared of people who say that using a cellphone makes no diff for them because you gotta wonder: How bad are they normally that a cellphone doesn't hurt their driving?

 

[warcleric]

Nothing worse than a soccer mom in a big ass SUV talking on her cell phone with 9 kids in the back, and doing 85 down the expressway.

 

[ArkAoss]

thats not good, I use a handsfree thingy, and have all important numbers in one touch dialing, and one touch answering, but I'm gonna try to get a phone soon with voice dial.

but 3 people, and only 500 bux?? but they should put on his record that he's banned from cell use, so if a cop runs his plates and notices he's on the cell, mail the fricker another 500 bux fine. or if they pull his plates and run em at a time, check his record for that time, so they can fine him, and ticket his arse.

 

[bigbootydaddy]

yeah hands free is better than cell cause you get that extra hand, but you are still distracted. its like driving while looking thru a camcorder...

yes ive done that, its crazy...and no one was around.

 

[nickdakick]

<< I think it should be required to have &quot;hands-free&quot; cell phone operation in cars. >>


Since Feb 1st it's the law over here. Hands free only. Was about time.

 

[Pastore]

Most people I would say are dangerous behind the wheel when talking on a cell phone... I on the other hand do it relatively often, and feel that I am just a good a driver when on it... So, if a person is not a good driver when talking on a phone, they shouldn't be doing it, but I on the other hand, am good at it, so I don't see a reason why I shouldn't be able to...

 

[ArkAoss]

yeah though sometimes the handsfree doesn't help, if I'm on the phone, and my dad calls me to try and help him diagnose a virus he found in his office, or he expects me to walk him thru setting up a multi os boot over the phone, or if I'm talkin a little suntin suntin with my girl, or I'm talking to my buddy bout his latest hair brained scheme's. I usually hafta cut em offf and finish the call later.

 

[shifrbv]

ArkAoss - but 3 people, and only 500 bux??

Even though the justice system didn't do right by this family, you might say social justice has prevailed. This guy has been harrassed so much since this case broke out. He has to have police protection out by his house because of the public outrage. There were no laws in place in this county (like alot of the counties in the US), so all the judge could do was give this guy the maximum fine which was only $500 for a &quot;moving violation&quot; - crossing the center line. It's not considered an impairment like driving under the influence, so there's nothing the state can do.

The victims relatives are now in a trial with the guy's insurance company over the deaths.

 

[mpg]

hehe try keeping a conversation in AIM while driving, yes it is possible

 

[StageLeft]

I know I've written a couple of emails on my old blackberry for &quot;fun&quot;, only to say I'd done it. Not very smart, and no there were no people around

 

[ArkAoss]

oh citizens are harassing him.... interesting.
personally I hate driving, wish we had better public transport, I could do so much with my time, Heck if i could, I'd try to get a helicopter liscence, not that it might save much time, but it'd be more interesting..

 

[sharkeeper]

The fact that he has to wake up every morning for the rest of his life realising he took three lives is harder than any monetary penalty.

Cheers!

 

[shifrbv]

ArkAoss - oh citizens are harassing him.... interesting.

It's not that I live in a really redneck area, but I think what really ticked people off about this was that the guy only received a ticket for this accident. He then went on to try to fight the ticket by saying he wasn't guilty (even though cell records proved he was on the phone at the time) and offering no apology to the victim's families. A real bastard.

 

[pmark]

Skoorb is right, there are studies done about the effects of cell phone use and hands-free units and there is no difference in the accident. The reason being is that with a hands-free unit, you are still not giving 100% attention to your driving. But you say how is that any diffence from just talking to someone else in the car? When you are talking to someelse in the car, the other person is aware of the situation and can also warn you or upcoming traffic or even stop talking when traffic gets bad. With a hands-free unit (or cell phone) the other person doesn't know the driving situation and therefore can't warn you.

The key factor is what is taking the drivers attention away from the road. It isn't the fact that the driver is holding a phone in one hand, it is the fact that the driver is having a conversation and putting more attention to that conversation than driving. Therefore leaving hands-free units no better than cell phones.

Also I really don't think one more hand on the wheel is really going to stop an accident from happening. I usually drive with one hand on the wheel and have never been in an accident.

But it also said that talking on the phone had the same accident rate as driving drunk :Q

Sorry that I don't have web links right now, but my girlfriend did a paper on it for grad school. I'll try and get them later tonight when I'm at home.

 

[ArkAoss]

yeah, to fight the ticket... he's got an ego problem there, or some societal disfunction. in the words of a radio show i listen to he's a &quot;Stew Pidasso&quot;

 

[atom]

Hopefully karma will one day come around to kick this guy in the ass.

 

[Total Refected Power]

Also I really don't think one more hand on the wheel is really going to stop an accident from happening. I usually drive with one hand on the wheel and have never been in an accident.

Since not everyone is the same quality driver that is too simplistic of an answer. But the quality of the driver is at the heart of an issue and I believe that two hands on the wheel has to better than just one.

Is talking a distraction? Yes. Is hands-free the answer? Partially. Do some drivers tolerate distractions better? Of course. It is up to the individual to police themselves whether they do well driving and talking. Most people don't drink and drive etc.. But it still happens. We can't make the world safe but people need to be educated and at this point there is little other than common sense, which people can lack.

 

[Zucchini]

hands free phones, hands free children, ban makeup, hands free fastfood, limit car stereo's to 4 large buttons, hell just ban everything, its easier

 

[pmark]

Total Refected Power,

I agree with you. I think people need to be educated about the dangers about talking and driving at the same time and start to use common sense.

But I don't think there should be a ban (total or partial) on cell phone use. As I stated before cell phones aren't really the reason, it is the people themselves. If cell phones are ban then people will just find something else to distract them sush as laptop, GPS, or the next new thing.

People should be able to police themselves and not have to rely on the government to tell them what to do or not to do once they know of the dangers of it. The main point is that people need to be EDUCATED about it! If people still are careless then the police should just enforce the laws that exists, such as reckless driving, careless driving, etc...

As for this case I don't understand why the man didn't get manslaughter? Wasn't he found responsible for the accident that killed 3 people?

 

[bigd480]

i've seen way too many asholes around Austin almost get into accidents because of their damn cell phones...

i say you should get your license revoked for a year if you're caught talkin on one while driving... that's the only ways these idiots will pay attention...

my g/f talks on the phone all the damn time in the car and it really upsets me... cellphone use makes u as likely to have an accident as drunk driving, according to a recent report...

if you need to talk to someone then wait till you're out of the car, or if it's that important, pull over...

i don't want anyone ufckin up me, my loved ones, or my car, just cuz they're a moron who chooses to voluntarily inhibit their ability to drive safely...

 

[Azraele]

geeezzzz

cellphones are handy, but gawd, sometimes people go overboard with them. Like the ones you see in the grocery store with a cellphone pasted to their ear while looking at the broccoli. Sometimes it's just better to miss a call.

 

[Thegonagle]

I consider myself a good driver in general, and in most situations, I?m fine talking on the phone behind the wheel. As for hands-free operation, I hold the phone to my ear with my shoulder. If traffic is heavy, or someone needs my help with computer stuff, or I need to write down, an address or number, I pull over, or if I can?t (or don?t want to,) I cut them off, tell them I?m driving, and I call them back later. I don?t consider it rude, and nobody?s ever gotten annoyed with me for doing so.