Ken Schram: New texting fines would just be a cash grab

How much more money can this state, city, counties grab from us, most of us are hanging by a thread and the state just makes it all a money grab game.  No wonder I know so many people moving from the state I may be next

I agree  a money grab and never ever will a cop pull you over just to say anything your ticketed and you pay the fine.  No wonder I am tired of even the troopers amazing

I always see idiots texting and driving and morons with their cellphone up to their ear while driving.  This is a major reason why driving on the interstate is so dangerous, not just because the roads are crappy (and yes, a lot of them are).  Yes, driving is a privilege, yet people constantly violate that privilege on a DAILY basis.  You want to put your life on the line Ken, do it somewhere else.  Don't put our lives in jeopardy just because YOU feel like texting and driving.

All day everyday I see people texting and driving. Not just the kids but people from all walks of life. It's never going away,especially when we have blowhards like Ken spewing his BS. Wake up Ken!

Kenny....talk to us after someone in your family, or maybe even a close friend, is killed as a result of someone texting while driving.  I'll bet you'd change your tune very quickly.  

I'm very concerned with the burden of proof (or lack thereof) on the police officers.  Simply word vs word is not good enough.  If they are going to increase fines, they'd better increase the burden of proof beyond a "preponderance" of evidence, which essentially is word vs word.

 

Without such an increase, the police are free to write anyone they want a ticket for anything they want.

Ken you need a reality check. One like someone texting away blowing a red light at a intersection you are just about ready to cross or someone drifting into you as your driving along your merry way. I got nailed by someone lighting a cigarette one night. He was doing 60 mph, I was on a bicycle. Need I say more. NO TEXTING WHILE DRIVING!!!!!!!!!

Ken, like many others here, I agree with you frequently. I appreciate your point of view and sense of humor. On the topic of raising fines for those caught texting and driving, however, we completely disagree. So strongly do we disagree that I registered a new account with KOMO _just_ to post this comment!

 

I can see your point about the dangers of managing where and how the revenue generated from the fines should be spent. Let's have a discussion on that topic. However, to condemn the raising of the fees for this crime because of the possibility of the mismanagement of the funds collected is a secondary concern to me when people are _literally_ dying from negligent driving. Your position on this issue is beyond my comprehension. Some people will text and drive no matter the fee, we can probably all agree on this point. We can also probably all agree that some people will stop doing texting and driving completely when it costs them $372 dollars if they are caught. That reduction in texting while driving will directly translate into fewer accidents and more lives saved.

 

How is this _not_ a no brainer? I am bereft at how we can be at such odds on this issue.

 

At the same time, I'd like to point out to the humans of Earth that we can solve this issue, today, without issuing a single ticket. Put down your mobile device and drive. If we self police ourselves, we won't have to have this conversation. How about some self accountability?

 

Without question, on the subject of increasing fines for the crime of texting while driving, Ken: I award you the Schrammy! Warmly and lovingly, of course. ;-)

Yea ,you'll sing a different tune when one of yours is nailed by some moron on the phone!

Ken, I have tried to educate you on this topic with very little progress. While this strategy may not be perfect, anything that reduces the likelihood people will risk texting or cell phoning while driving is a good thing. Hitting them hard in the wallet is a proven tactic. Where the money goes after that is another topic. I would like to see the penalties be at least equivalent to those for DUI. Driving requires focused attention. So does texting or making a phone call. It doesn't matter if your hands are free or not. It is a very different thing from a conversation with someone in the car, listening to music, etc. Decades of research prove this beyond any doubt. Our brains (or at least mine) cannot time-share such tasks effectively. About three percent of the population CAN do it; the trouble is everyone thinks they are in that three percent. It's unnecessary. It's dangerous. It's killing people. I've tried to educate you. As the saying goes, ignorance can be fixed but stupid is forever. I think I know where you are on this subject.

Ken, I almost always agree with you, but those folks who text/talk or anything other than drive?  I am 100% behind anything that nails their pocket book more!  Maybe it will keep one child from getting killed by some bonehead.

Give me a break. Texting while driving is practically the equivalent of driving drunk. Studies have shown this! It is EXTRAORDINARILY dangerous! 

Gotta say, Ken, I totally disagree with you. I think the fine should be at least 3 times that amount. I recently was behind a vehicle that would speed up, slow down, stop in the middle of the road, weave into other lanes, etc. I knew the driver had to be on the cell or texting. Sure enough, when I finally felt I could get around him, it was a 50ish man, driving with his knees and trying to text (and give me the finger at the same time just because I looked at him). Very dangerous person. Not only should the fine be higher, but it should go up for each additional offense, and be even higher with jail time if they cause an accident!

It's simple Ken, Don't freaking text!

Let me get this straight. It IS a fact that ALL driving fines are about MONEY. Somebody has to pay the cops!

In the last 5 years I have been hit no les than three times by cell phone morons.

Most of these individuals don't even know, it now standard practice to check cell phone records in almost every crash. the guilty rate is about70 percent!

It is amazing to me how things have changed. When I was a young teen. If you took one hand off the steering wheel for anything but shifting, you were guilty of neglegent  driving. You got fined, AND 15 points went on your drivers license. The second offence was another 15 points and a fine. You also had your license pulled for 6 months.

You were required to buy ASSIGNED RISK insurance before you got your license back!

I believe if we went back to those times, lots of morons would be off the toad!

It won't be a "cash grab" when these idiots realize it's not only unsafe to text while driving but expensive too.  Any real emphasis on enforcing an already existing law should wake people up that it's a potentially expensive to do.

 

Get hit in the wallet enough times and even idiots learn to stop.

 

Is that so much to grasp Ken?  How about going out driving around and texting while next to a cop car.  See what happens to your bank account and your foolish idea.....

Safety is always about money. I worked for a company who prided itself as dealing with safety as a number one priority. Of course they wanted a safe work environment because of the cost of injuries and loss of productivity.

What's the point, driver education in this country is non-existent, my dog could get a driver's license if she wanted to.

Before cell phones it was other distractions such as talking to a passenger, yelling at your kids, smoking, eating, drinking a legal beverage, etc.  

 

Ken is right--let it go already and simply fine for distracted driving.  I am not interested in paying a cop's salary to pull over people on the phone.  I would rather they catch real criminals.

Hey Ken! What's wrong with that? If these guys are breaking the law by doing something stupid they shouldn't be doing, then I'm all for it! Make 'em pay!

Before it even became illegal to talk/text and drive, I didn't do it. I had a really close call once trying to text while driving and it scared me enough to quit doing it for good.

 

I see people on their phones ALL THE TIME. In fact, just in the past week or so I've seen 3 cops on their phones while driving. If it is illegal to be on your phone and drive for SAFETY REASONS, why is it ok for cops to do it? Oh yeah, that's right, the laws don't apply to the police.

 

I don't think talking on phones while driving has gone down since made illegal. People keep talking on their phones while they drive. Higher fines aren't likely to change that. I'm not too sure imposing higher fines will prevent or lessen texting. It's like the gun laws. People still are stupid enough to leave that loaded pistol where their kids can get it. No laws fixed that. Can't stop a person from owning a phone either. Knowing all this the state made a rational conclusion. Idiot repeat texters are going to make us a pile of cash.  People will go on believing the state failed them because the repeat texters are still killing people. And the state will just keep adding more fines to justify their failures. Just like they do now with the Gun laws. It's a circus. 

Sorry Ken, you missed the mark this time.

Texting and driving needs to be a primary offense., and yes, make it hurt. A ticket AND you get towed!

You pay for the cab ride to the tow yard, you pay the towing fee, you pay the fine!

In my opinion, texting while driving is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. That said, it should carry the same penalties as a drunk driving conviction and maybe even involve jail time for multiple offenses.

Really Ken?  I gotta say it is almost like you are trying to get negitive reactions..

 

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Make them pay for and install an ignition-wired cellphone signal blocker in their primary vehicle after the second offense. Someone else used that car? Too bad. These yahoos think playing out their little psychodramas on the phone is more important than driving safely. 

Here's a thought.. 

 

Don't text and drive!

 

I am ALL FOR the escalating fine structure. The idiots I see on the road daily are a direct threat to our safety and our insurance rates as they also escalate to cover for this texting stupidity.

 

Should make the first offense $1024 and 30-day suspension....

 

That's right.. That just happened.

They can't raise taxes so they go to the next logical area to increase revenues, fines and fees.

"..we're paying the prize money."  Not the driver's with common sense.  Only the AH that text and drive will be paying.  I have seen (and been in) several occasions that texting drivers were not paying attention and almost hit another car or pedestrian.

 

IT IS A SAFETY factor.

I agree, the fine should be increased.  This is far too dangerous and frequent offenders don't take it seriously.  Something needs to be done to grab their attention, other than that text they're sending.

Make it a 3 strikes your out

I'm all for whatever amount gets them to stop doing it. Phone and text. A person on the phone is far worse than a texter. Double it. Triple it. Make it hurt.

So, don't text and drive? It's easy enough. How about finding a real issue? This makes perfect sense to me....

People cannot be punished enough for texting while driving. Seriously. To lump this in with red light cameras as a "cash grab" is just another mindless oversimplification to troll for reactions.

Whaaa. Did someone get a ticket for talking a bunch of bs while driving? Can it Ken I'm tired of having to dodge distracted drivers talking, texting, putting on makeup etc. I installed bluetooth in my truck and I still would rather not talk when driving. I agree with Paul, make it hurt more.

We can't get people to stop drinking and driving and *that* is a criminal offense!