Cagers texting, all over the road??

**rocketman1** · 16th December 2007, 19:55

I have followed a few drivers in recent times that appear to be totally drugged or drunk, weaving all all the place and not paying attention.
Not until I pass them can I see they are holding the wheel with one hand and texting with the other.
Females are as bad if not worse than guys at this deadly passtime.
I am worried about vehicles coming the other way, not to mention motorbikes who have no chance in a head-on with these idiots on the road.
The MOT do not mention the number of accidents associated with texting while driving, but I bet there are quite a few fatals already as a consequence of it.
Inattention is a major cause of accidents and bloody texting while driving doesn't help.
I have told my kids not text me if they know I am driving, and never text while driving, do you think they will listen?

**Ronin** · 16th December 2007, 20:05

I'm always amazed at the amount of people who drive past my place txting.

The one that takes the cake was the Cop......

**Subike** · 16th December 2007, 20:05

I have often wondered about the road toll in NZ
The claims that speeding and Drunk driving are the major contributors may be factual
But how many of the fatalities that younger cage drivers are involved in are caused by the distraction of texting whilst driving.
Could be a valid point that is overlooked
Which brings me to the most leathal of all drivers on the road.
The speedster, no
The Drunk. no
The Suicide Driver!!!
There is no way you will win against them,
Speedsters and drunks are not hell bent on bending their cars
But a person with suicidal tendencies will aim for you, usually at the last second and its all over.
I agree that Texting in Bad, should be an offence
But how do you control or a Suicide?
I had to scrap several cars that had been written off by suicide drivers, two of which took out innocent others in their desprate duel with deth.
As Bike riders, we have no protection at all from suicide drivers.
Heaven forbid that there are Bike riders who have done the same

**kerfufflez** · 16th December 2007, 20:33

Originally Posted by rocketman1

I have told my kids not text me if they know I am driving, and never text while driving, do you think they will listen?

They won't listen - you'll probably have to text them with that info if you want them to pay any attention.

But I agree, I hate to see anyone texting while driving.

**Edbear** · 16th December 2007, 20:42

Originally Posted by kerfufflez

They won't listen - you'll probably have to text them with that info if you want them to pay any attention.

But I agree, I hate to see anyone texting while driving.

Good one!

My Missus text's when she's riding pillion!

**motorbyclist** · 16th December 2007, 21:48

on symonds street at the university i nearly hit a pedestrian who walked out from some cars to cross the road while txting. you'd think he would've atleast heard me coming with all the racket i was making

and a girl was hit by a car on symonds street doing the same thing - so it's not just txting drivers that are a problem, it's txting pedestrians crossing 4 lanes of fast moving traffic without looking at anything other than their phone

stupidest part is that both incidents happened directly above the underpass

**Shadows** · 16th December 2007, 23:09

Originally Posted by Subike

The Suicide Driver!!!
There is no way you will win against them,
Speedsters and drunks are not hell bent on bending their cars
But a person with suicidal tendencies will aim for you, usually at the last second and its all over.
I agree that Texting in Bad, should be an offence
But how do you control or a Suicide?
I had to scrap several cars that had been written off by suicide drivers, two of which took out innocent others in their desprate duel with deth.
As Bike riders, we have no protection at all from suicide drivers.
Heaven forbid that there are Bike riders who have done the same

You honestly think somebody who wanted to take himself out would try to have a collision with a vehicle smaller than his own? Damn, if that was the case than not even pedestrians would be safe from the "suicide driver".

I think the term you might be looking for is "homicidal driver" - about one in every two NZ drivers fall into that category.

**motorbyclist** · 16th December 2007, 23:20

yeah, why would a suicide driver try to take out another vehicle at all?

maybe a kamikaze driver...

but the homicidal sort definitely exist:

my mate (in his car) passed a car doing 40kph and was then followed, chased, and rammed (at which point my mate went from 90 kph to "as fast i could get out of there"). god only knows what the two islanders in the car were thinking but i'm glad they didn't try that on a biker

**Romeo** · 16th December 2007, 23:43

I just got cut up by a chick doing 80kph in a 60kph zone the other day. Cellphone, oversized glasses and mum's RAV4. Though, to be fair I've had a close call with a dude shaving his head on the motorway before, so if anything there'd need to be a blanket law for all in-car distractions.

**skidMark** · 17th December 2007, 05:46

ive been passenger in my mates car many a time while hes driving....and texting.....

and it's bloodey scary.

because he completely zones out to the phone.

looks up every few seconds....

unbelievable....

i send texts while on the bike if i'm meeting somebody and running late and they are going where the hell are ya.....

just hold in in left hand at lights...release clutch.....sorted just clutchless shift as per usual.

but yeah when i first started doing it it was bad....look up after stuffing up a word......SHIT cager back out of driveway...etc.....

but now i can do it just takes me forever to...i avoid doing it if i can...

very easy to get too comfy when driving a car...people are very relaxed...not realising htey are drive 1.5 tonnes of weapon.

**J_P** · 17th December 2007, 09:33

Originally Posted by skidMark

i send texts while on the bike if i'm meeting somebody and running late and they are going where the hell are ya.....

Sounds like you are setting yourself up for a fall. I would suggest getting rid of your cell phone altogether, its an unnecessary distraction, or if you have to use it, do us all a favour and pull off the road first.

This is a good thread, unfortunately a lot of drivers tend to do anything but drive the car, spending most of their time adjusting the radio, reading the paper, talking or texting on the phone, doing their hair, eating food... the list goes on. Its another reason I enjoy the motorbike though. When you are on the bike, you focus entirely on riding, basically using your brain and body to ensure you get from A to B safely.
The amount of work needed to drive a cage in comparison is minimal, which is possibly why cage drivers are easily distracted.

**Usarka** · 17th December 2007, 09:36

Originally Posted by J_P

When you are on the bike, you focus entirely on riding, basically using your brain and body to ensure you get from A to B safely.

I was thinking about this yesterday while i was out riding. Therefore, it's not true....

**J_P** · 17th December 2007, 09:55

I can't fault your logic.

**marty** · 17th December 2007, 10:39

If I see someone texting, especially on the motorway, I'll sometimes just slowly drift over to their car (esp. if I'm in my truck) as though I'm not paying attention. Fuck it's funny watching them get a huge fright when they finally look up and see a wheel in their window!

If they have their window down, give 'em a long, loud blast on the airhorns - great fun!

**jrandom** · 17th December 2007, 10:42

Originally Posted by J_P

Sounds like you are setting yourself up for a fall.

Welcome to the Life of skidMark.

One does occasionally wonder whether his entire motorcycle-related career is nothing more than a carefully-planned series of tragicomic vignettes, written by a professional and acted out in public by an up-and-coming young thespian, which will in due course be revealed as the fraudulent social experiment that it is.