Commentary
Chevy Looks For Anti-Texting Solutions
- by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, October 5, 2016
Admit it, there’s not a single person among us who hasn’t picked up their phone while driving. “I only do it while I’m stopped at a stoplight” is an often-heard excuse.
The statistics regarding the dangers of texting and driving are startling. According to the National Safety Council, the activity …
Senior reporter Tanya Gazdik covers automotive, financial services, travel, sports, and pets for MediaPost's "Marketing Daily." She is the chief programmer for MediaPost's Marketing: Automotive conferences and is the lead juror for MediaPost's annual Marketing: Automotive awards. She previously was the deputy editor of MediaPost, animal welfare reporter at "The (Toledo) Blade," Detroit bureau chief of "Adweek" and associate editor at "Ward's Automotive Reports" and "Ward's AutoWorld."
I am boomer to begin with and maybe I have old ideas that come with age. However, I simply don't have text on my cell phone. I have a very old cell service plan that was started in 1997. Back then, there was no texting but did start shortly after. If I wanted to text, it cost $0.35 per text. So I don't text and I don't miss it.
Wow, I wonder if the kids would be willing to pay $0.35 or more for each text while they were moving? Mommy and Daddy might not be willing to pay this part of the cell bill if they actually knew the amount when they see the real bill for text.
Wither we like it not not, we all pay for these tragedies and deaths in the form of higher insurance rates. Why should I since I don't text by choice?
Good idea, Craig re: the surcharge for texting while moving. I think in order for that to work, GPS woudl have to be turned on in the phone. It's pretty easy to deactivate, unfortunately. Those with privacy concerns keep it turned off, I am told.
Thanks Tanya, I think I was heading more towards what the responsiblity the cell phone companies have more than the car manufactures. Another good comparison would be with a person gets drunk in a bar and wants to drive him or heself home. Like texting, it's not a matter of when a accident will happen, it more about the total damage and deaths that will take place.
I suspect the real reason nothing is done about texting and driving is cell phone taxes are a cash cow for local, state and the federal government. Taxes is a worse addiction to politicans than texting is to kids.
Yep, I was talking about the GPS in phones. It would have to be turned on for a cell company to know if the phone was being used in a moving vehicle. And it's easy to turn off. There's got to a be a solution here. I agree, I think the cell phone companies should be baring the brunt of the responsibility here.