Don't Text While Driving in Irvine

iacrenter

iacrenter

Well-known member
I was sitting at the stop light @ Jamboree & I5 6pm yesterday and happened to look at my side view mirror. The IPD motor bike officer was slowly riding between the cars stopped in traffic and peering into the car windows. I was impressed at how sneaky he was--coming up from your blind spot and between cars while sitting in traffic.

He caught a poor sap in a blue BMW X5. Moral of the story--don't text/email while driving or even sitting at a stoplight. Be careful out there.
 
Also heading south on Jamboree toward the 405, as you crest the hill in the 60 mph street, Tustin PD Dodge Charger is usually there or motor cop with radar pointed at you, not much time to slow down.  Must be a cash cow for Tustin PD, interesting how only that part is patroled by Tustin PD while the rest of Jamboree before and after the "radar" zone is Irvine.
 
I'm surprised you're not allowed to text at stop lights since they take an eternity to change.  I wonder how they can tell you're texting or just looking down at things.  I've discovered you can read and write entire novels waiting at the stop lights in Irvine.  I wonder if that's illegal also.
 
The Motor Court Company said:
what do I do when I see cops talking on their personal cell phones? video tape it and post it here?
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They are legally exempt.http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc23123.htm

"(d) This section does not apply to an emergency services professional using a wireless telephone while operating an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in Section 165, in the course and scope of his or her duties."

But if caught talking with your cell phone--here is your legal excuse--I am calling my dcotor for an emergency.

"(c) This section does not apply to a person using a wireless telephone for emergency purposes, including, but not limited to, an emergency call to a law enforcement agency, health care provider, fire department, or other emergency services agency or entity."
 
2018 UPDATE: Police are still looking out for drivers who text.

Fast forward 6 years. Same general area, same issue. Another BMW driver in a X5 stopped at red light texting (Jamboree & Bryan). Motorcycle officer sneaks between the cars peering into car windows. The BMW driver is oblivious in the left turn lane checking his phone while the cop 2 lanes over is staring at him for a full minute.  Sure enough after the signal turns green the officer lights up the driver. One more ticket!
 
iacrenter said:
2018 UPDATE: Police are still looking out for drivers who text.

Fast forward 6 years. Same general area, same issue. Another BMW driver in a X5 stopped at red light texting (Jamboree & Bryan). Motorcycle officer sneaks between the cars peering into car windows. The BMW driver is oblivious in the left turn lane checking his phone while the cop 2 lanes over is staring at him for a full minute.  Sure enough after the signal turns green the officer lights up the driver. One more ticket!
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A co-worker volunteered to drive to a work meeting recently and she was texting the entire drive home, weaving between lanes and making me fear for my safety. I'm thinking: Just call your damn spouse - it's a lot safer!
 
This thread reminds me of the time I had too much crap in the car and cup holders so I was holding my phone in my hand at a stop light, placed it on my lap to start driving and was immediately pulled over (driving north on jamboree right before the district) by a motorbike cop.
I had the kids in the car and told him I was not using my phone, just holding it in my hand because I didn't have a good place to place it in the car and out of force of habit. I gave him my phone and access to it. I let him see my most recent calls, recent text messages as proof I was not recently using it while driving. He checked it out and let me go.
Texting while driving is as bad as driving intoxicated IMHO
 
paperboyNC said:
A co-worker volunteered to drive to a work meeting recently and she was texting the entire drive home, weaving between lanes and making me fear for my safety. I'm thinking: Just call your damn spouse - it's a lot safer!
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I know someone who mounts their phone on their windshield and talks to their spouse/family on Facetime while driving... seems pretty distracting to me.
 
Seriously, consider not texting while driving regardless of enforcement. Irvine is low crime (which is great) so my greatest fear of harm to life is in car crashes.
 
Peoples habits will not change as commute times get longer and traffic gets worse, and fines are little more than a slap on the wrist .

This is why we need autonomous cars on dedicated lanes ...
 
fortune11 said:
Peoples habits will not change as commute times get longer and traffic gets worse, and fines are little more than a slap on the wrist .

This is why we need autonomous cars on dedicated lanes ...
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I'm in support of road safety in general. It's a tough problem because it requires buy-in from drivers, broadly. I don't know if texting laws really help but I think this is a serious enough problem that just throwing up our hands and shrugging is not an acceptable state of affairs either.

I would really like to bike to work due to its health benefits since I am lucky enough to both live and work in Irvine (and I would be one less car on the road) instead of driving my car everyday.
 
HMart said:
fortune11 said:
Peoples habits will not change as commute times get longer and traffic gets worse, and fines are little more than a slap on the wrist .

This is why we need autonomous cars on dedicated lanes ...
Click to expand...

I'm in support of road safety in general. It's a tough problem because it requires buy-in from drivers, broadly. I don't know if texting laws really help but I think this is a serious enough problem that just throwing up our hands and shrugging is not an acceptable state of affairs either.

I would really like to bike to work due to its health benefits since I am lucky enough to both live and work in Irvine (and I would be one less car on the road) instead of driving my car everyday.
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Solving distracted driving will take time and is a complex problem. No amount of legislation will solve the problem and while technological innovation can help (e.g. do no disturb function while driving, glove boxes that isolate cell signals), they can create new ones as well (e.g. more touch screen dependent car functions). Just like wearing seat belts has become second nature (regardless of risk of tickets), hopefully we get to the point in society with distracted driving. It will take a lot of public education and time.
 
annabanana said:
Can't text even if you are not moving?
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No, because you are still operating the vehicle (the car's gear selector are in Drive and the car are in the middle of the road).  No texting while operating the vehicle not no texting while the car is moving.

 
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