A distracted driver finally got me.

[fiatdale]

Yeah, that was my 1st accident with my son in the car. Amazing the paranoia that runs through your head in those 1st couple of seconds after the crash, but the Tahoe did its job in keeping everyone safe.

My wife got hit by a drunk driver at 7am on a Tuesday, 2 days before our son turned 1. Scariest thing in the world, but thank god for airbags and strong, modern cars. Terrifying getting that phone call from her.

Tahoe did well. Easy fix. Easy fix even for the Avalanche.

 

[cjlaw73]

Yeah, that's another reason why I have my wife in her Suburban. She totes around my 3 boys (oldest one being 6) daily. If something happens I'd much rather she be in the Suburban rather than one of them cracker jack crossovers or whatever. I'd be a mess if anything ever happened to one of my kids or my wife.

With all the knuckleheads on the road on their phones today I agree. Whenever my wife goes somewhere with my son, I make her take the Tahoe. Plus its an excuse for me to drive the Vette.

My wife got hit by a drunk driver at 7am on a Tuesday, 2 days before our son turned 1. Scariest thing in the world, but thank god for airbags and strong, modern cars. Terrifying getting that phone call from her.

Tahoe did well. Easy fix. Easy fix even for the Avalanche.

I can only imagine. Hope I never get that call. Cars can be fixed easily or replaced - people can't.

 

[Vector]

I actually felt bad for him as it was his 1st accident

First I am glad to hear everyone was uninjured.

That said, and ASSUMING this was his 1st accident, he still is an example of the menace these irresponsible drivers pose while playing with their phone. For all you know he was not using his GPS program, but maybe texting LOL or OMG which we all know is vital and time sensitive.

Florida recently passed a no texting and driving law, and it is long overdue. A friend lost her husband to a teenage driver who was texting and driving, then after hitting him(he was a pedestrian), she took off and went home. She only returned a couple of hours later with mommy and a lawyer. It was suspected she was also drinking or high, but once she fled the scene, that apparently could not be pursued. So I guess it pays to break the law to CYA yourself.

Worse, it was early in the morning and he was walking to work on a road not that busy. It took another driver to find him, and he was still alive. However he died in route to the hospital. They speculate had he been rushed to the hospital an hour sooner, he might have lived. So now my friend is left with two children to raise, no job skills to take care of them, and they will never know their father.
Meanwhile this POS girl had photos of her partying the next week on her Facebook until her lawyer probably recommended she take it down. She was only charged with fleeing the scene and reckless driving, not vehicular homicide or anything to where she will do jail time. So this irresponsible girl is texting and driving, kills a quality person, and barely gets a slap on the wrist.

Last week my sister in law was driving on a two lane highway, and a woman texting, swerved into her head on at 40 mph. She is lucky to be alive, but she has a knee and back injury. The woman was texting and driving, had her 2 year old in the car with her, and has minimal insurance.

You also hear these PSA's where someone, typically a teenager/young adult laments about the person/s they killed or crippled because they were reading or sending a text. It is becoming an epidemic, yet most places are not doing enough to get them off the roads.

There was a study done a few years back (before texting was common), that showed someone just speaking on a regular phone was just as dangerous as a drunk driver. So just imagine how much more dangerous someone reading or sending a text can be?

Even if this kid that hit you was using the GPS on the phone and not texting,
those programs do not restrict you from doing things you shouldn't while driving like an onboard system in a car does. So he is just as dangerous as a texting fool would be at certain times while trying to drive and use the program.

I am not a litigious person, but maybe the creators of these programs need to incoperate restrictions if they detect the phone is traveling along over 10 MPH. Either that or they need to be sued for any damage the fools using the devices do while driving.

`

 

[cjlaw73]

First I am glad to hear everyone was uninjured.

That said, and ASSUMING this was his 1st accident, he still is an example of the menace these irresponsible drivers pose while playing with their phone. For all you know he was not using his GPS program, but maybe texting LOL or OMG which we all know is vital and time sensitive.

Florida recently passed a no texting and driving law, and it is long overdue. A friend lost her husband to a teenage driver who was texting and driving, then after hitting him(he was a pedestrian), she took off and went home. She only returned a couple of hours later with mommy and a lawyer. It was suspected she was also drinking or high, but once she fled the scene, that apparently could not be pursued. So I guess it pays to break the law to CYA yourself.

Worse, it was early in the morning and he was walking to work on a road not that busy. It took another driver to find him, and he was still alive. However he died in route to the hospital. They speculate had he been rushed to the hospital an hour sooner, he might have lived. So now my friend is left with two children to raise, no job skills to take care of them, and they will never know their father.
Meanwhile this POS girl had photos of her partying the next week on her Facebook until her lawyer probably recommended she take it down. She was only charged with fleeing the scene and reckless driving, not vehicular homicide or anything to where she will do jail time. So this irresponsible girl is texting and driving, kills a quality person, and barely gets a slap on the wrist.

Last week my sister in law was driving on a two lane highway, and a woman texting, swerved into her head on at 40 mph. She is lucky to be alive, but she has a knee and back injury. The woman was texting and driving, had her 2 year old in the car with her, and has minimal insurance.

You also hear these PSA's where someone, typically a teenager/young adult laments about the person/s they killed or crippled because they were reading or sending a text. It is becoming an epidemic, yet most places are not doing enough to get them off the roads.

There was a study done a few years back (before texting was common), that showed someone just speaking on a regular phone was just as dangerous as a drunk driver. So just imagine how much more dangerous someone reading or sending a text can be?

Even if this kid that hit you was using the GPS on the phone and not texting,
those programs do not restrict you from doing things you shouldn't while driving like an onboard system in a car does. So he is just as dangerous as a texting fool would be at certain times while trying to drive and use the program.

I am not a litigious person, but maybe the creators of these programs need to incoperate restrictions if they detect the phone is traveling along over 10 MPH. Either that or they need to be sued for any damage the fools using the devices do while driving.

`

First off, I am extermely saddened and sorry to hear of the situation with your friends husband. That story sickens me.

I completely agree with you. Distracted driving has become a real problem. I love when people try to make the argument that we have always lived with distractions while driving like playing with the radio, eating, etc. None of those happen anywhere near the frequency of mobile/smartphone use. I see it everyday. Someone almost hit me twice today in a parking lot while on the phone.

Whether using a headset, a bluetooth system, whatever...people don't realize that besides the "not looking at the road part" it results in a lack of concentration. You can't concentrate on a conversation and drive at the same time. Maybe there is a real small minority of people who can, but lets face fact, most people are horrible drivers to begin with. One way I explain this to people is this example. Say you are driving somewhere you are not familiar with and you realize you made a wrong turn or are lost - whats the first thing you do - turn down the radio. Everyone does it and probably doesn't even realize they do it. Your brain needs to focus on the task at hand (figuring out where you are and need to go) and the radio is a distraction.

The sad part is auto manufacturers are pandering to this behavior with "infotainment centers". Does anyone (even through voice command) need to really update their Facebook status while driving? Or text? Or listen to VM? REALLY? You should be doing one thing. DRIVING!!!

I've discussed on other auto forums what you mentioned with software that disables phones while driving but the argument you typically here is why can't a passenger be able to use a phone? Take a scenario of two teengage girls getting lost in a bad section of town - you don't want them stopping to make a call so the passenger should be able to talk while riding. (Just playing devils' advocate there and sharing the responses I hear.)

I tend to think the issue is enforcing the laws we have and making the fines or sentences and insurance surcharges/premiums unbearable. Nothing seems to change behavior like a hit to the old pocketbook or wallet. There is no simple answer. I wish there was a device similar to a radar gun that could detect phone use to allow cops to know when it is occurring, because unfortunately most people see a cop and put their phone down temporarily. I also think when thought to be a potential cause of an accident your phone records should be able to be obtained by an insurance company. I'm sure in court they can be obtained through subpeona but lets shortcut the process.

Plus I love when people quote studies of phone use while driving and causing accidents. Yeah because everyone involved in an accident admits to using their phone....

I don't know - Im babbling now. I'd like to think that kid learned his lesson, but he seemed to be playing on his phone an awful lot after the accident.

 

[bigrhino]

I see so many drivers texting it's not funny.

 

[sickk23]

I see so many drivers texting it's not funny.

X2. I'm guilty of reading a txt here and there but I'm working on that... You do not look cool holding a phone while being in the driver's seat.

I'm glad that the accident was relatively minor and op's son was left unharmed. My son is 19 months, my whole world as well as my one month old daughter. I am confident in our Tahoe and that's our main reason for getting it. My wife is an inexperienced driver and I honestly don't trust her...

On a side note, the '14 Silverado/Sierra are Top Safety Picks so I'm assuming that the '15 utes will be as well. I'm very happy about that!

 

[StevenFromTexas]

Federal law should require all cellular companies to totally disable texting if any motion is detected. I don't care if you're a passenger and want to text; your texting can wait. It can wait a long, long time for all I care.

 

[07Burb]

So if someone is walking or riding a bus they can't text?

 

[Phil DeVtec]

What intersection is that?

 

[sickk23]

So if someone is walking or riding a bus they can't text?

That would be a long Gray Hound bus ride lol