I have to agree w/ most of the rest of your post, but this part is worth further discussion.

If we demand that these laws be enforced, our taxes will go up when LE claims the need to double their staff, and we have too many cops now, and we're paying too much, already. And many states have laws for "hands free" cell use, while driving, but these don't seem to be lessening their frequency of use.

It seems that the Verizon's & Sprints, et al, who are profiting most from this texting craze should be the ones to insure that no one texts & drives. They need to find & fund the solution.

A deterrent could be as simple as a computer check @ each accident report determining whether the driver's cell had been in use @ the time. If in use, driver pays $1,000 (or ?) fine, plus assumes liability for all vehicles involved. Insurance companies can likewise impose unpleasant penalties when they are simultaneously notified of driver's accident and infraction.

Or some such scheme to make it crazy-risky to text while driving.

 

First,- glad you and the wife are doing ok after the wreck. Hope your bike gets ficed or replaced sooon and you can continue to ride.
Second- The cause of the wreck and her behavior are symptoms of an entitlement society. You know the type that gets out of a car with expensive rims and system and goes in to get groceries and "pays" with a welfare card? But manages to wear $200 sneakers and has the cell phone.
In Charlotte, they want to build an "Affordable" housing complex (read project) in an area of expensive homes and don't understand why the people who own thos homes don't want it there. It's becasue the "entitlement" folks have no stake via their own hard work in their cars, their housing or anything else. They just ask, as they did in New Orleans> where is my social worker, where is my check? They dind't do anything to earn it, they just expect it. Meantime, our veterans and old folks see their income drop every month. It's jsut a bitch.

rant mode off

 

I'm gonna start a new trend. When you get behind someone who is obviously "talking/texting" and not paying attention lay on the horn. I mean lay on it, NO beep, beep crap Keep on the horn "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. Kind of like teaching your child to scream bloody murder when a stranger approach's her in the park. Lay on it till they put their phucking phone down and start driving again. Let other driver know there is an idiot in front of you and to watch out. Make noise!
I did this once and it worked better than you will ever know.
Try it!

 

Bummer. Glad you both are OK though. Bought my new 2010 FXDC Oct 6th and on Oct 9th a woman behind me at a traffic light munched my rear fender and tail light. She'd been behind me the entire time, and once the we had a green light, she just ran into the back of me. I was sitting still, waiting for the traffic in front of me to start moving. Sucks.

 

Hearing this more and more as time goes on .. Not sure what the right solution is .. with a car in between you, you handled it as well as could be handled .. Just glad you and your wife were not injured seriously .. Just another idiot endangering people because of their own self rightous attitude thinking they have the god given right to text while driving .. Perhaps a year suspension of the driving privelge is in order .. Might deter a few anyway ..

 

lets take this further: sue the fast food restaurants because they have drive throughs and therefor encourage eating while driving, how about the wall street journal? i see people reading the newspaper all the time. book publishers too. how many times have you seen people reading a book on the highway?

i guess you support suing a bartender for someone driving under the influence. and gun manufacturers in the case of armed robberies as well....

yes, and no.... how many times have you seen a cop just drive by someone who is doing something wrong?

i don't agree that the onus should be on the cell companies. but i do agree with there being some way to find if the phone was in use at the time of the accident and adjusting the fine accordingly.

 

Hell, I've seen police officers texting while driving, too. In their cruisers...go figure.

Sad to say, but there is nothing that can stop drivers from not paying attention while driving. Nothing....

 

UPDATE

The car owner's State Farm adjuster checked out the bike and dealer estimate. Everything was approved for the repairs. All the damage is sheetmetal and chrome stuff and a saddlebag. Frame wasn't affected. Even still, it's going to cost just short of $4,000 to repair. No injuries, nothing sore anymore. So I guess we got off pretty easy. We're counting our blessings cause it could have been a lot worse. It's a shame that driving a car has become so nonchalant that looking out for others is optional. Hopefully some day that can be fixed. In the meantime my wife and I will continue to ride as much as we can.

 

I think that is a given!

Jim

 

He said she had insurance. Besides, he should have uninsured/under insured motorist coverage.

Jim