http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/ Engadget Comments for Texting + driving = $1,800 ticket http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/Dec 19th 2005 1:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/Dec 19th 2005 1:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/Dec 19th 2005 1:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/
The ban on the use of mobile phones while driving was another result of this tragedy, only wireless hands free talking is allowed during driving, with NO use of the main phone during ANY aspect of making a call (activation button on the headset is the only allowable control and you have to obviously use voice commands).

These laws are very enforceable, a police man only has to see you in a car (stationery in gridlock or otherwise) using a phone and you will be pulled over, as you are not allowed to be using it for SMSing or calls while driving. Warrants for data on cell traffic from the network on the alleged cell phone would also be sought for any court case.

The UK's quick and blanket response to matters of road safety are probably partly responsible for the UK having half the automotive related deaths (per 100'000 of population) than the USA (according to the "economist" in an issue last year). So much for "unsafe" small cars and a higher (70mph) speed limit.
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But just for the record, most of the USA has at least a 70mph speed limit (outside of cities). In my state (Colorado) and many other nearby states, it's 75mph.

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Check out this web site that lists speed limits in each state:

http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/laws.html

Only 19 states have speed limits under 70. And most of those are small states. An enormous chunk of the country out west has a 75mph speed limit.

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I wonder how many states actively put their maximum as the standard. The last state i lived in was michigan and the 70 maximum was pretty standard.

where as when driving through places like Oklahoma, the maximum may be 75, but i only saw it posted in BFE.

so i think there may be a discrepancy between maximum and what is standard.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/
Of course, much of America is, indeed, BFE. Most interior western states (where "rural" means "desolate") always post the maximum outside of cities. This is also the case in most of the Deep South, where rural areas are actually quite settled. In contrast, I do seem to recall North Carolina having way too many 65mph areas for a 70mph state, but it's been a few years since I've been there.

What I'm really curious about is exactly where 70mph speed limits are posted in the UK. I've never had a car when I've been to the UK, so I don't have a good feel for where motorways are with respect to cities, or if they lower the speed limit on motorways in urban areas.
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You may accept the risks and freedoms, your victims famillies proabably will not.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/
We have dual carriageways (roads with a median). 70mph unless otherwise posted.
We have motorways (you know when you're on one of these, big blue signs tell you when you areentereing one, all the road signage is in blue, and there are blue signs that make it clear when you're leaving one. 70mph unless otherwise posted.
Regular roads (no median) are 60mph unless otherwise posted.
Roads in built up areas (ie with street lights placed close together) are 30mph unless posted.

There are plenty of signs telling you the speed limit, and (it seems) almost as many speed cameras to make sure you comply.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/15/texting-driving-1-800-ticket/Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM