Transportation Dept. gives $550k to study texting-ban enforcement

So far, 39 states have some form of law against texting while driving, but it is a hard thing to enforce. Many drivers continue to text on the road, confident that the local smokies won't spot their sins.

That time might be over for Massachusetts and Connecticut, as the National highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded $550,000 in order to develop methods to better spot texters in the act. Each state will receive $275,000 to conduct "high visibility anti-texting enforcement programs."

According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, "We have come a long way in our fight against distracted driving, but there is still much more work to be done." He continued, "Texting behind the wheel is especially dangerous, which is why we're working with states like Connecticut and Massachusetts to address this important safety issue."

While laws are in effect across the country, it is more difficult to detect texting than it is a driver placing a call on a cell phone. This initiative from NHTSA would develop techniques, such as spotters on overpasses and roving patrols, to determine the effectiveness of these practices. The program will be conducted over a two-year period, and the results will be made available to other states that are encountering texting and driving issues.

 

Press Release

U.S. Department of Transportation Gives Connecticut and Massachusetts $550,000 for Texting Ban Enforcement Demonstrations

Grants will allow States to Establish Best Practices for Enforcement Programs Aimed at Curbing Texting and Driving?

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced it is providing $550,000 to Connecticut and Massachusetts to help them plan and conduct high-visibility anti-texting enforcement programs. Each state will receive $275,000 to develop and train police officers on better methods for spotting drivers who are texting, and to develop media techniques that alert the public to the perils of texting and driving.
"We have come a long way in our fight against distracted driving, but there is still much work to be done," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Texting behind the wheel is especially dangerous, which is why we're working with states like Connecticut and Massachusetts to address this important safety issue."

Today, 39 states have laws on the books that specifically ban texting and 10 states have laws that prohibit the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Despite such laws, prior demonstration programs conducted in Hartford, Connecticut, and Syracuse, New York, found that it is more challenging to detect a driver texting behind the wheel compared to drivers talking on a handheld device. The vast majority of tickets issued under those programs were for handheld phone use – about five percent of the citations issued across both communities were for texting violations.

"While it is relatively easier for law enforcement to determine illegal handheld cell phone use by observing the position of the phone at the driver's ear, the dangerous practice of texting while driving is often not as obvious," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "These two new demonstration programs will help identify real-world protocols and practices to better detect if a person is texting while driving."

The demonstration grants announced today by NHTSA call for Connecticut and Massachusetts to develop anti-texting enforcement protocols and techniques such as using stationary patrols, spotters on overpasses on elevated roadways and roving patrols, to test their effectiveness in four successive waves of high-visibility enforcement activities over a 24-month period. The results of these demonstrations will be documented for the benefit of other states which are facing the same challenges.

 

Credit : Autoblog

Cell Phones : How SMS Messaging Is Changing the World

Remember the days when there were still a few rugged individualists who swore they’d “never communicate using a text message?” Those people have all probably died in tragic texting-while-driving incidents by now. Everybody texts these days. People who don’t probably don’t have hands. And it’s the same way everywhere else in the world. Here are the numbers behind SMS messaging and its impact on the world…

Cell Phones : Sprint launches Drive First Android app to curb texting and driving

Are you concerned that your talky teenager is trying to keep up on the high school gossip whilst behind the wheel? Or are you a more experienced driver looking to get rid of the temptation to update your status at 65 MPH? Sprint's got you covered with Drive First. The app, announced by CEO Dan Hesse at CTIA in March, will lock up your phone when it detects you're in a moving vehicle; calls will be automatically redirected to voicemail and incoming texts can get automatically replied to with a customized message. The service costs $2 / month per phone after a 15-day trial, and unfortunately only is available for Android devices, though BlackBerry and Windows Phone support has been promised in the near future as well. We'd say the more the merrier -- for parents, that is.

 

Press Release

Sprint Drive First Application Helps Parents Combat Distracted Driving

Mobile Phone is Automatically Disabled While Driving; Incoming Calls Go Directly to Voice Mail; Those Sending Text Messages Receive Auto Response; Distracting Alerts are Silenced

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), September 12, 2011 - Parents worry when their teenager is behind the wheel of a car. Sprint (NYSE: S) is helping ease the minds of parents by launching Sprint Drive First, a new application that automatically locks a mobile phone when a car is moving more than 10 mph, disabling phone functionality, directing incoming calls to voice mail, and silencing distracting alerts for emails and text messages.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashes, 995 involved reports of a mobile phone as a distraction (18 percent of fatalities in distraction-related crashes). The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. (NHTSA)

How to Get Sprint Drive First

Sprint Drive First, powered by Location Labs, is now available on all Sprint CDMA Android™-powered smartphones for $2 per month per phone and will be offered on BlackBerry® devices and other operating systems in coming months. Parents get started by registering for an account at www.sprint.com/drivefirst. On this website, they will see a list of phones on their account, select the phones to which they want to add the app, and they will receive detailed instructions on how to get the app. For phones already in the market, a software download is required to activate the service.* All Sprint Android-powered smartphones launching after late Q3 will have the Sprint Drive First software preinstalled and will not require a download to activate the service.

Details about Sprint Drive First

Shortly after the car exceeds 10 mph – determined using GPS and cell tower triangulation – the mobile phone will be locked. If the driver is using the phone when Sprint Drive First engages, the call will end and the phone lock screen will appear. Anyone texting the driver will receive an automated message indicating the person they texted is driving. The message is customizable by the account holder.

A locked device displays a home screen with exit and emergency 911 buttons to override the app. Sprint Drive First can be overridden if the user is a passenger in a car, on a bus or train, but the parent or account holder can choose to receive notifications when the service is overridden.

Parents have a choice of programming up to five phone numbers to ring through when the phone is locked as well as allowing functionality of three apps, such as navigation, music or weather.

When the application no longer detects movement it unlocks and full device functionality resumes. Sprint Drive First takes into account stop-and-go traffic, so the driver needs to be sitting idle for a few minutes before it will unlock.

Sprint's Distracted Driving Initiatives

"Sprint Drive First is another action Sprint is taking to encourage its customers to use their phones responsibly behind the wheel," said David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. "We want to help our customers arrive at their destination. Texting while driving makes drivers four times more likely to crash their car. The person you want to call or text will be there when you get done with your drive; we want to make sure that you are, too."

"Location Lab's goal is to empower today's parents with the tools they need to better protect their families," said Tasso Roumeliotis, CEO of Location Labs. "Our collaboration with Sprint not only addresses distracted driving but makes the Drive First technology widely accessible, offering Sprint subscribers an easy way to gain peace of mind when their loved ones are on the go."

Since 2005 Sprint has worked on behalf of its customers and employees on the issue of distracted driving – including sponsoring national and local driver safety programs for teenagers and adults; releasing a distracted driving pledge for Sprint customers and employees; and developing a robust portfolio of distracted driving mobile applications and resources for general and business consumers.

More information on Sprint's distracted driving efforts can be found at sprint.com/focusondriving.

Cell Phones : Translating Text Messages

I’m going to attempt to break down how both men and women should interpret the following text messages.

“Sure”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: Guy’s cool with whatever you said, but doesn’t have the time or energy to put a pretty pink bow on it.
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: She’s probably pissed. I always follow this up with “can’t talk now, call u later” unless of course her response is to “call u later” then CALL HER LATER (no matter how much that sucks)

“What’s up?”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: Most likely he’s bored, just wants to check in, or if it’s late night he wants some ass
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: She hasn’t heard from the guy in a while and is worried or if it’s late night she wants some ass

“What are you doing later?”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: He wants to go out with his buddies, but is hoping to secure booty with the girl BEFORE going out OR he might be meeting up with a girl and wants to make sure he A) doesn’t run into the girl or B) has a back up plan
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: She’s got plans with her girls, but it’s not girls night out. Things are looking good for you, my man.

“I wish you were here”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: … so he can hook up
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: … so she can hook up OR to save her from other dudes / show her friends her new catch

“I’m not feeling well”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: If this is the first text of the convo, he wants the girl to come over and nurse him back to the health (read: hook up). If it’s not the lead text, he just wants to end the convo for now.
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: She just wants to end the convo

“It was nice seeing you last night”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: If he didn’t hook up with you, he wants to. If he did hook up with you, he wants to do it again.
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: Same as above. There is a slight chance she felt bad for not hooking up with you and she doesn’t want you to think she’s a bitch.

“Whatever you want to do”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: Seriously, whatever you want to do. It’s your call. (this is when i throw that stupid smiley face on the end so she doesn’t cut her wrists)
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: Most likely, she’s pissed. If it’s followed by an smiley face (god DAMN those emoticons) she’s perfectly happy with whatever you decide to do. Wife that chick up.

“I’ll text you later”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: He can tell you’re antsy. Yes, he’s dismissing you but it’s better than not getting any response, right? Chill.
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: It’s rare for a girl to ever send this. If she does, a guy should know that’s a free pass to forget about her until she actually does text you.

“OK. (with the period)”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: Unless this is an accident, he’s pissed. Do NOT call or text for at least a day, maybe half a day. Better off calling. If he doesn’t pick up, just leave a message explaining. If no response then adios, muchacho.
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: Pissed. Gonna have to wait this out til her anger subsides then call and leave a voicemail if she doesn’t pick up.

“haha”

Guys Sends / Girl Receives: Could be a dismissive laugh, but he wants to let you know it’s funny and he didn’t really have anything to respond with. It’s filler.
Girls Sends / Guy Receives: To me, I think “lol” is the girls’ version of “haha”. Then again, if it’s followed by an exclamation point, she genuinely thinks it’s funny. Same with extending the ha – as in ‘hahahahhahahahaha’ – that’s the honest to god laughing out loud.
So, just like the original text and text messages in general, I’m not sure if my breakdown helps or hurts, but hopefully it will give you less intuitive folk some insight into the thought process. But, in all seriousness, if you have to think really hard about a text’s meaning, it might be worth your while to just take a deep breath and go for a walk to clear your mind.

Tech : For Women, Text Messages Mean More Sex

Take it from a lady: Nothing gets a gal's heart racing like longing, hand-written missives, promising sweet nothings and slipped into hands or lockers, bags or under doors. Or, you know, a 160-character text message drunkenly sent at 3 a.m.

Apparently, lovelorn romantics of the digital age no longer sit up all night on the phone, draining the battery on the cordless and then sneaking into Mom's room while she's asleep to fetch the old banana phone to keep chatting, hoping that she won't wake up. (Typical teen experience, right?) Instead, they just text. While this isn't surprising news, a poll conducted by American Media's Shape and Men's Fitness magazines has determined that oft-texted, heavily "poked" (yes, we went there) lasses are more likely to hop in the sack.

While we wouldn't tout a poll published in a consumer magazine as being totally scientific, the New York Post quotes a psychologist who brings up an apt point: "The texting and all the social networking that's happening... creates anticipation." Tidbits of stilted, typo-ridden correspondence may actually heat things up through titillating interaction; an innuendo-laden text or a friend request is much easier (and cheaper/more realistic) than the archaic flowers-at-work-the-next-day. Poring over Facebook photos creates a sense of intimacy (albeit maybe a false one), and text-based conversation is exciting, secretive and brief. ("What does he mean, 'C U L8r'? Do you think he misses me?'") While they may have waited until the next date in days past, 40-percent of women say that receiving flirtatious messages makes them more likely to get freaky sooner.

The Post points out that social networking gets ladies more ready for romance; by friending, messaging and digitally encountering a paramour, a girl (or, we'd venture, a guy, as well) feels more familiar with her suitor. Facebook spying, sexting and awkwardly placed SMS typos? Certainly beats a glass of Merlot and Barry White's Greatest Hits.

Cellphones : Txt Msgs Make Kidz Gr8 Spellrz, Study Says

Just because your young daughter types "CU L8R" when she texts her friends doesn't mean she won't be able to spell real words when she grows up. In fact, one new study claims that, contrary to popular belief, texting will actually improve her spelling skills.

The study, conducted by researchers at Coventry University, examined 114 9- and 10-year-old children who did not already use cell phones. The subjects were prompted to take a series of reading, spelling and phonological awareness tests, before being divided into two groups. Half of the kids were given a mobile phone with which to text their friends on weekends and holidays. The second group served as a control. After ten weeks, researchers administered a second wave of tests, and recorded any differences in performance.

After controlling for differences in individual IQ levels, researchers found that children who regularly texted over the ten-week period improved their test results by a greater margin than those in the control group. The report speculates that these higher test scores could be explained by the "highly phonetic nature" of text lingo, as many abbreviations require students to understand the alphabet in a unique way. The study also acknowledges that texting could exert a positive effect on literacy "because of the indirect way in which mobile phone use may be increasing children's exposure to print outside of school."

The results were apparently robust enough to convince Professor Clare Wood, a senior lecturer at Coventry's psychology department. "We are now starting to see consistent evidence that children's use of text message abbreviations has a positive impact on their spelling skills," she told the Telegraph. "There is no evidence that children's language play when using mobile phones is damaging literacy development." So there you have it. If you want your kid to be a Gr8 speller, you'd better teach him how 2 txt.