I understand your pain. But that idiot girl didn't set out that day with plans to kill someone. She was simply guilty of what nearly every teen driver does on a daily basis. Hell most people here have probably had a situation where they were distracted enough by their phone while driving, that they could have caused an accident. One of your loved ones probably has texted while driving, and probably will again. If you want to be angry, be angry at the fact that our society has let this distracting and dangerous practice continue after countless deaths and studies showing how dangerous it is. Put that effort into a campaign to educate people on the dangers of texting while driving. Because this happens every day and it's a widespread problem.

Pics, I demand pics!

You wouldn't believe how many times I've caught myself gawking at some chick and I realized that I was paying NO attention to the road. That is probably about 10 times more distracting than a phone. I can ignore the phone - I have a harder time with the jogger. Pun intended.

Fall is here - I'll be out as often as I can.

Though stories like this do have you remembering your basics a little better. I recall a couple of times last night that I made a special point of swinging towards the center line a little when I was behind a vehicle and we came onto someone turning left, just to make sure he saw me and didn't start his turn after the truck in front of me cleared him.

On my ride into work there is a merge where 2 lanes go to 1 (and the other is an exit only going up a hill to a stoplight). I saw a guy puttering along in the exit only at highway speed and knew there was no way he was getting off there as he'd just gotten on and hadn't started to slow down for the stoplight at the top of the hill. Sure enough, just as the exit split, he cut across the median and back onto the highway. I had already gotten over a lane and watched him rocket right into where I'd have been had I simply not been watching for morons. I tend to watch for crap like that, but I also haven't been on the bike for awhile due to the heat - maybe I'd have been lax but/for the thread?

There are a lot little things riders can do to cut down on the risk of a collision. Things like this remind us to keep up on them and watch for the idiots. A lot of the time they'll give themselves away before they act.

Your friend was an avid rider and had a bunch of other friends that were as well (not to mention the folks on here as well as anyone that reads/hears about the story and rides). If nothing else, there's a good chance that his loss will save someone else from serious injury just by reminding them to be careful out there. People are idiots.

This.

Calling her a murderer is a little over the top.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0LCmStIw9E

Very graphic PSA from England about teen texting while driving.

Prolly NSFW

I don't know how to imbed.

no, denied

<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R0LCmStIw9E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Or once again, maybe he was just a bad driver.
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Basically, there will always be dumbass people who continue to do dumb shit like text and driving, but you should at least control what you can control and wear helmet/seatbelt everytime you're out on the road.
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And a case can be made that driving a Big Gas Gussling SUV is a good defense vs. crazy kids.

BTW, thanks Donger.

Yeah, I really don't like to talk on the phone while driving and try not to do it at all. The texting thing man, I stupidly tried it once and one letter into it I was like "this was a terrible idea, never try to do this again" and put it away. I really think the biggest problem is so many people treat the privilege to use the roads as their unalienable right to do what they want in their vehicle.

I'm sorry about your friend.


That said, I've worked 27.5hrs the past 2 days covering about 500 miles to do it. There is no way I can get my work done without multitasking and it includes taking phone calls on the road, and sometimes taking a peek at a text or email. I never do it in traffic and wait until I'm stopped to respond other than a call. It's just not feasible to stop every time. If the high-n-mighty who likely do the same thing when not putting scarlet letters on others don't like it, I've got an uncomfortable suggestion.

Today it was very nice out....I had at 2 motorcycles blow past me on rural roads going at least 90. It's harvest season...Construction equipment, combines, wagons.....

A little over the top...but pain clouds a mind.


She sounds more like a kid, who did something stupid that had a horrible outcome.


I'd guess we've all be * * close to something as tragic a few times.

My best friend (well one of 2) is a 28 year old woman who used to text and drive all the time. I've begged her many times to stop and chastized her many times when she texts me when I know she's driving. In the last month or so she's said she's making a real effort to stop. She has gotten better (as far as I know at least) but she still does it. She'll give me the excuse that she's at a stop light or something.

I don't know why she can't just quit doing it. It's not an addiction like drugs or booze, it's a simple choice. She has a 10 minute drive to work, she doesn't need to text me on the way.

I told her about this thread today and showed it to her. She promises to re-dedicate herself. Now show me don't tell me.