Drunk Driving or Texting!

[donner]

LE issues very few citations for texting while driving unless it resulted in an accident. Apparently, they lack the ability to see about 80% of the drivers on the road with a phone in their hand like you and I can. I support LE but for whatever reason, this law is not enforced very strictly. I once rode side by side with a state trooper steering with his knees while he texted with both hands. I kid you not. Get a dash cam, try to be aware, and sue them for every cent they own if a texting or drunk driver hits you. If you live. If not, ask your surviving next of kin to do it for you. Everyone thinks the rules don't apply to them.


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Our city passed a rule saying that anyone caught texting while driving a city vehicle would be fire immediately. Our police chief wasn't too happy when we started emailing him pictures of his officers driving around town while texting.

As best we can tell, he put a quick end the practice.

Being a college town, the number of students you see texting while driving is scary. I worry about them far more than i worry about drunks or anyone else when i'm out cycling.

 

[ShaunyP26]

Our city passed a rule saying that anyone caught texting while driving a city vehicle would be fire immediately. Our police chief wasn't too happy when we started emailing him pictures of his officers driving around town while texting.

As best we can tell, he put a quick end the practice.

Being a college town, the number of students you see texting while driving is scary. I worry about them far more than i worry about drunks or anyone else when i'm out cycling.

I'm surprised you cycled in this state? I'm a cyclist as well and I'm terrified to ride on the streets here. This city (OKC) has the least cycling friendly infrastructure I've ever seen.

 

[donner]

I'm surprised you cycled in this state? I'm a cyclist as well and I'm terrified to ride on the streets here. This city (OKC) has the least cycling friendly infrastructure I've ever seen.

I actually live in Oxford Ms now, which doesn't have a great infrastructure either. But i'm on a city commission working to change it. And generally, once you get out of town, the traffic thins out and it's mostly rural traffic. We avoid town during big events like football games, opting to start outside of town, ride mountain bikes (or lately, go out to the national forest and ride gravel bikes).

I've done a few rides in tulsa. I don't think i'd bike to the start too often, but you can take some of the trails/paths and get out to the side streets and do some nice rides out there.

 

[ShaunyP26]

I actually live in Oxford Ms now, which doesn't have a great infrastructure either. But i'm on a city commission working to change it. And generally, once you get out of town, the traffic thins out and it's mostly rural traffic. We avoid town during big events like football games, opting to start outside of town, ride mountain bikes (or lately, go out to the national forest and ride gravel bikes).

I've done a few rides in tulsa. I don't think i'd bike to the start too often, but you can take some of the trails/paths and get out to the side streets and do some nice rides out there.

Tulsa is better I think. Okc has really weird and bizarre planning. As an example, NW Expressway has no sidewalk or path and that's an insanely busy street with lots of retail clustered together. Often times sidewalks just randomly end in grass with no discernible reason why. The dedicated bike roads that are around are terrible and riddled with potholes.

 

[ShaunyP26]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/cell-phone-jammer-fines/

I don't know how I feel about this one. There may be some legitimate emergencies where someone will have to at least make a phone call. I also like the idea of some busybody blocking my signal without my consent, even if I'm not using it. I have a sick father so I'd like to hear my phone ring if it's him or the hospital calling.

This is a tough one to resolve.

 

[sanjuro893]

You're referring to the felony murder rule, and Oklahoma has it. Can you puzzle out why it's called the felony murder rule?


Seriously? "Selling their vote?" And I assume you'd define that generously, to include campaign contributions, not as being caught actually receiving cash.

My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle.

Sir, I have nothing tangible to contribute to this conversation. I just wanted to high five you on your excellent delivery of a Firefly quote.

 

[donner]

Tulsa is better I think. Okc has really weird and bizarre planning. As an example, NW Expressway has no sidewalk or path and that's an insanely busy street with lots of retail clustered together. Often times sidewalks just randomly end in grass with no discernible reason why. The dedicated bike roads that are around are terrible and riddled with potholes.

We have our share of those problems, too. It's taken several changes in city leadership, as well as concerted discussions with citizens to get things to start changing. We've recently completed a 'complete street' policy that requires sidewalks and other active transportation options before any construction begins. We're not operating such that they have to show reasons why NOT to build the infrastructure, rather than fighting to get it built. We're also slowly going through and retrofitting existing roads as they are being repaved.

It helps that we just completed a 20 year plan for the city with pedestrian networks being a top priority. Our growth, coupled with the fact that the 'heart' of entertainment/commerce is an old town square, has meant that getting people to and from without a car has become an increasingly important issue.

We're finally wrestling power away from developers who felt they could do (or not do) whatever they wanted for many years. Now the city planner/engineers have a lot more power to control what/how things are built and enforce agreements (the number of developers who don't want to build neighborhood sidewalks after agreeing to when seeking city approval is shocking).

 

[Pstmstr]

I'm surprised you cycled in this state? I'm a cyclist as well and I'm terrified to ride on the streets here. This city (OKC) has the least cycling friendly infrastructure I've ever seen.

I rode a motorcycle until last June. Too many close calls from distracted drivers so I sold it while we were both in 1 piece. I wouldn't even think about riding a bicycle on a public street. In the first year the texting law was in effect, OHP wrote 307 tickets for it STATE WIDE. Don't believe me, its public information once you bug them enough to get it. You'd think OK would want to increase ticket revenue with the current budget crisis and the OHP griping about cutbacks, not allowing troopers to drive more than 100 miles a day, etc. Again, I support LE but I seriously have to wonder why it's not enforced more. I have noticed more Troopers and OKC PD with traffic stops on I35 and 235 lately so maybe it's changing. I certainly hope so.


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[ShaunyP26]

We have our share of those problems, too. It's taken several changes in city leadership, as well as concerted discussions with citizens to get things to start changing. We've recently completed a 'complete street' policy that requires sidewalks and other active transportation options before any construction begins. We're not operating such that they have to show reasons why NOT to build the infrastructure, rather than fighting to get it built. We're also slowly going through and retrofitting existing roads as they are being repaved.

It helps that we just completed a 20 year plan for the city with pedestrian networks being a top priority. Our growth, coupled with the fact that the 'heart' of entertainment/commerce is an old town square, has meant that getting people to and from without a car has become an increasingly important issue.

We're finally wrestling power away from developers who felt they could do (or not do) whatever they wanted for many years. Now the city planner/engineers have a lot more power to control what/how things are built and enforce agreements (the number of developers who don't want to build neighborhood sidewalks after agreeing to when seeking city approval is shocking).

I'm not surprised. It's tough to strike the right balance but more and more people are demanding green space and more pedestrian friendly options in lots of cities. Most of the infrastructure in lots of cities is built around cars, which is fine and dandy, but it would sure be nice to have a dedicated bike lane, at least.

Spokane, WA was pretty incredible for bike lanes and paths and people from the pacific NW told me how crappy it was. (These people are high and have never lived anywhere else.) There's one path where you can literally ride across the entire Idaho panhandle with virtually never having to deal with a car but for minor crossings. It was heaven. I would totally pay more in taxes for something like this. (Though not everyone else would sadly.)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_the_Coeur_d'Alenes

 

[ShaunyP26]

I rode a motorcycle until last June. Too many close calls from distracted drivers so I sold it while we were both in 1 piece. I wouldn't even think about riding a bicycle on a public street. In the first year the texting law was in effect, OHP wrote 307 tickets for it STATE WIDE. Don't believe me, its public information once you bug them enough to get it. You'd think OK would want to increase ticket revenue with the current budget crisis and the OHP griping about cutbacks, not allowing troopers to drive more than 100 miles a day, etc. Again, I support LE but I seriously have to wonder why it's not enforced more. I have noticed more Troopers and OKC PD with traffic stops on I35 and 235 lately so maybe it's changing. I certainly hope so.


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I feel for people on motorcycles. It's hard enough even with no drivers using their phones. You could never get me on one on the interstate.