Gaming While Driving: It's Not Just Stupid Anymore

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Gaming While Driving: It's Not Just Stupid Anymore


Honolulu City Council [http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/council/ccl.htm] has approved a bill that would outlaw gaming and text messaging while driving, a move intended to strike at the very heart of the city's notorious "gaming while driving" criminal underground.

The bill, which council approved by a 7-1 vote, would ban writing, sending and reading text messages or email, as well as playing videogames, while driving. Members of the council acknowledged the bill was flawed but said it was a good start toward a more comprehensive and effective ban on the use of handheld devices while driving. "Most citizens will abide by it so if we can prevent one accident, whether it be by texting or playing a video game, then the imperfect law on the books will have done its job," said Councilman Nestor Garcia.

But Councilman Rod Tam, who cast the lone dissenting vote, didn't share Garcia's optimistic sentiment. "This is bad legislation - unenforceable - an embarrassing situation," he said. Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who has the power to veto the bill, has apparently expressed similar concerns, as has the Honolulu Police Department [http://www.honolulupd.org/].

"We would be unable to determine what a person is doing as opposed from texting, as opposed from downloading, as opposed from utilizing the phone for communication purposes," said Traffic Division boss Maj. Thomas Nitta. Nitta said a more complete ban on in-car cellphone use would be easier to enforce, but efforts to impose such restrictions in 2002, 2005 and 2007 have all failed, leaving Hawaii and Alaska as the only U.S. states without prohibitions on cellphone use while driving.

A legal ban on playing with your DS while hurtling down the highway might seem like unnecessary, "feel-good" legislation since only an absolute moron would try such a thing anyway, but the truth is that the bill was introduced partly because of the suspension in September of a city bus driver who was in fact busted for playing a handheld game [http://www.kitv.com/news/17552633/detail.html#] while on the job. And while it may have been monumentally stupid, Councilman Charles Djou, who introduced the bill, pointed out that it wasn't actually illegal.

"Although the bus driver received some administrative punishment, there was nothing wrong or illegal with that bus driver engaging in that activity," he said. "This Honolulu City Council needs to make a very clear statement that that sort of activity should not be allowed on our public roadways."

It may be a bit tragic that the people of Honolulu "need" to be told that playing videogames while driving is a bad idea, they can at least take comfort in the fact that they'll still be able to fart around with their built-in DVD players, satellite radios, in-dash GPS devices and super-jumbo drink holders.

Source: HonoluluAdvertiser.com [http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090129/NEWS01/901290378/1001/localnewsfront]


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Feb 13, 2008
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"Although the bus driver received some administrative punishment, there was nothing wrong or illegal with that bus driver engaging in that activity,"

Uh...that's quite scary in itself. I know that under English law it would be "Driving without due care and attention", which is 3-9 penalty points; but under American Law (which is a 'mare to find out), the closest I can see is Negligent Driving; which I'd assume this would come under?
 

Nimbus

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Oct 22, 2008
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Malygris said:
...but the truth is that the bill was introduced partly because of the suspension in September of a city bus driver who was in fact busted for playing a handheld game [http://www.kitv.com/news/17552633/detail.html#] while on the job. And while it may have been monumentally stupid, Councilman Charles Djou, who introduced the bill, pointed out that it wasn't actually illegal...
Seriously? What the hell was that guy on?

Maybe a law like this is required, if only so we can punish idiots like this.
 

Anton P. Nym

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Sep 18, 2007
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I'm pretty sure that gaming while driving would be considered either "unsafe operation of a motor vehicle" or maybe even "driving while impaired" up here, though I Am Not A Lawyer. (Nor do I play one on TV.)

It's pretty shocking that you'd have to introduce new legislation for this, and I say this as someone who's had to dodge idiots texting behind the wheels of their ginormous surrogate peni SUVs.

-- Steve
 

Firia

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Sep 17, 2007
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Nimbus said:
Malygris said:
...but the truth is that the bill was introduced partly because of the suspension in September of a city bus driver who was in fact busted for playing a handheld game [http://www.kitv.com/news/17552633/detail.html#] while on the job. And while it may have been monumentally stupid, Councilman Charles Djou, who introduced the bill, pointed out that it wasn't actually illegal...
Seriously? What the hell was that guy on?

Maybe a law like this is required, if only so we can punish idiots like this.
I've seen bus drivers around my area have a news paper laid out on their steering wheel when they drive. It freaks me out! There must be some kind of over confidence when it comes to driving 3 tons of steel down the road.
 

Blank__

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Oct 9, 2008
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Unenforceable, sure, but there's nothing wrong with slapping stiff fines on people who cause accidents because of texting.

Firia: Also, the more you drive a circuit, the more comfortable you feel (which, by the way, is a bad thing because letting your guard down while driving is bad regardless of where you are). This happens to everyone, human nature and all, but is especially dangerous to those driving large vehicles with many lives in their hands. The fact they read and, apparently, play video games is due to this overconfidence from driving the same route without incident for many months or years.
 

Fightgarr

Concept Artist
Dec 3, 2008
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When was is only just stupid to play video games and drive? Hasn't it always been fucking insane to do so? Hasn't it always been suicidal?
 

mattttherman3

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Dec 16, 2008
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Well they should make it if you get caught driving while playing video games, you lose your license forever.
 

BobisOnlyBob

is Only Bob
Nov 29, 2007
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I've seen bus drivers reading books, newspapers, and gaming on the bus - WHILE PARKED. Even at a stop, if it's a long-stay stop (ie. due to arriving early or resynchronisation) I don't blame them in the slightest. While driving, if I saw that kind of behaviour, I'd be impulsively tapping "999" into my mobile.
 

I III II X4

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Nov 14, 2008
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I find this hard to believe...There are cars in Hawaii?!

Hahahaa...ugh, not as funny as I hoped.

Anyway, who in the bloody hell plays a game while driving? What could compel someone to do something like that?

----

Wait, I can redeem myself and my lame sense of humor!

These people must be playing GTA on the PSP, right?!
 

acer840

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Mar 24, 2008
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If I can play Devils Advacate here, it says he was "playing Video Games while on the job". It actually doesn't say he was "Playing Video Games while driving". Could it be that he was playing it at a Bus Stop where an inspector came aboard? Seems more likely than compleate stupidity (than again, I could be wrng and people are this stupid)
 

Fronken

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May 10, 2008
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Sounds reasonable, there's nothing wrong with gaming, but when driving a vehicle that should be ones ONLY focus, so this is not more than fair.

Wouldn't mind if this became a law here in Sweden as well, lots of idiots/brats here in Sweden driving around while text messaging, see them all the time, which is really scary seeing as it doesnt take more than a couple of seconds to go from driving straight on the road to ending someone elses life, if they crash and kill themselfs they deserve it, but if they were to harm others then its wrong.
 

Dark Crusader

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Sep 3, 2008
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I do believe they just passed that same bill over here, banning Text Messaging while driving. [New Zealand].
Also, gaming while driving is just stupid, I just hope they mean gaming for just the driver, to be banned from being able to game while in the passenger seat would suck.
Also, was he gaming while driving or gaming while stopped, I'd say more than a few passengers would freak out if he was gaming while driving, and as such, he woulda been reported much faster.
 

Reaperman Wompa

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Aug 6, 2008
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Gaming while driving? People are getting dumber. Seriously, they need to make "recieving an ass kicking and being mocked" a punishment for certain crimes. How dumb do you have to be to take your eyes off the road while driving a vehicle, let alone a frakking bus.