We have a candidate for the world's most distracted driver -- in terms of quantity, at least. Vancouver-area law agencies have chronicled the adventures of a middle-aged female driver whose love of texting has led to at least 14 citations. The woman, who was not identified by name, received her 13th distracted driving ticket from Richmond RCMP over the weekend: #Distracted driver nearly collided with @RichmondRCMP officer. Shocked to find these 12 priors #LeaveYourPhoneAlone pic.twitter.com/sUfr1to8Bu— Richmond RCMP (@RichmondRCMP) March 10, 2016 But our distracted dame … [Read more...]
‘Ran into a cop car. OMGGG.’
February 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment
A woman who slammed into the back of a police cruiser while texting & driving hadn't learned her lesson. At least not right away. "I just git into an accident OMG. I was trying to txt u. Ran into a cop car. OMGGG," read the next outgoing message from the woman in Victoria, British Columbia. This immediately after running into the patrol car, which had an officer and a police dog inside. It gets worse: The woman had a child inside her vehicle. The driver admitted to texting. Victoria police checked out the phone, issued the driver the $167 ticket and later posted the bizarre message on … [Read more...]
‘Close to Home’: Social-media tragedy
July 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The latest video from AT&T's It Can Wait campaign against distracted driving shows the consequences of a mom's glance at a smartphone image posted to social media. In slow motion or full speed, it's not a pretty picture: The public-service ad follows through on AT&T's promise to expand It Can Wait beyond just texting & driving, based on studies that show social media use is a significant threat on roadways. The spot also has 30-second versions. Directed by Frederic Planchon via the agency BBDO New York. … [Read more...]
Google points finger at distracted drivers
July 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Google's self-driving cars have been hit 14 times, all the fault of humans operating other vehicles, the technology's developers say. "Not once has the self-driving car been the cause of the collision," Google's project leader Chris Urmson says in a blog post. "Instead, the clear theme is human error and inattention." Put another way: "Our self-driving cars are being hit surprisingly often by other drivers who are distracted and not paying attention to the road." Ouch. The most recent incident, well publicized, came in early July when a vehicle hit one of Google's modified Lexus … [Read more...]
‘Text walking’ lanes lead nowhere in Antwerp
June 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A major mobile phone repairer in Antwerp, Belgium, scored global publicity with establishment of some "text-walking lanes" in the city. The idea was to avoid "collisions with poles or other pedestrians" -- and maybe even save the life of a clueless text-walker. Local government wasn't on board, though, and the company, Mlab, has since admitted its distracted-talking lanes were a marketing gimmick. The lanes reportedly have since been removed as illegal graffiti and the company was fined for mucking about with the social order. Mlab explained its project in Antwerp thusly: Everyone … [Read more...]
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