Distracted Driving is No Joke (update)

"Mosqvich" (mosqvich)
01/07/2015 at 16:42 • Filed to: Distracted Driving, Toyota Camry, Phil Cooley, USAF, Dodge Ram

178

Last night I lost a dear friend. Lieutenant Colonel Phil Cooley, USAF Retired, was killed on January 6th by a "distracted driver" identified as 38-year-old Jesse Matamales of Yoder, Colorado. According to several news reports, Matamales was driving an uninsured 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 truck. What you see above are the remains of Phil's 1996 Toyota Corolla.

Colorado Springs' !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! reports the following (and the above photo):

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

According to State Patrol, a Dodge 2500 pickup was following behind a Toyota Corolla too closely while traveling on Highway 94. When the vehicles reached the intersection with Peyton Highway, the man behind the wheel of the Corolla slowed to make a left turn. Troopers say the driver of the pickup truck kept driving at the same speed he had been, and slammed into the back of the Corolla. The vehicles became stuck together and skid for more than 150 feet.

The driver of the Corolla, identified as 59-year-old Philip Cooley of Calhan, was killed. The driver of the Dodge pickup, identified as 38-year-old Jesse Matamales of Yoder, sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Troopers say both men were wearing seat belts.

There were no other occupants in either vehicle.

Matamales has been charged with careless driving causing death and no proof of insurance.

Phil was a car guy. He owned a Buick Riviera that he was restoring. He and I made a trip to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in Boulder, Colorado in 2013. He recently messaged me about taking racing lessons at Pikes Peak International Raceway south of Colorado Springs. Below is a photo of Phil from his FB page at the Rusty Wallace Experience.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I will miss Phil and I'm angry that he is a victim of distracted driving. Initially I was angry at Mr. Matamales, but after looking up information on him, I began to put myself in his place. I know that is what Phil would have done. Matamales very likely feels horrible about what happened. He is being charged as noted above and I'm sure he's frightened at the potential outcome. He appears to be a fairly normal person. He's a construction worker and appears to like off-road vehicles and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He has kids. What he did is inexcusable and there will be consequences without a doubt, but not as significant as Phil's wife, 3 kids, family and friends' loss.

The bottom line here is that distracted driving isn't just risky, it can be deadly. Put your phone down, pay attention to driving. It's not worth your life or liberty, and it certainly is not your right to deprive someone else of the same. No text message, adjustment to your GPS unit, or picking out new music is worth the high price Phil Cooley just paid.

Update: The car was a 1996 Toyota Camry according to the Colorado Springs Gazette reporter !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! based on her conversation with the Colorado State Patrol.

DISCUSSION (100)

Steve in Manhattan > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 16:50

Bloody hell.

What was the distraction?

Mosqvich > Steve in Manhattan
01/07/2015 at 16:51

Apparently the investigation is on-going, so I'm not sure.

ttyymmnn > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 16:59

I have few words beyond emphasizing what you say about distracted driving. I once witnessed a (thankfully) single-car accident by a teen who was texting while driving, but he could easily have hit other cars on the road at the time. Cities can legislate a ban on distractions in the car, as Austin recently did with its in-car cell phone ban, but people will continue to think that they can multitask behind the wheel. They refuse to understand that driving requires a commitment of mind and body at all times. RIP, Col. Cooley. And thank you, Mosqvich, for telling us about such a wonderful man. It's too bad it had to be under these tragic circumstances.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:02

Damn. Very sorry for your loss, and deeply saddened for the family.

Hey, y'all, watch this! > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:03

I'm sorry for your loss.

And you're right. It's entirely too easy to fall in the trap of thinking you can multi-task behind the wheel, and then other people pay the price.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:18

This is awful, so sorry for your loss.

Your eloquent, thoughtful post is a constructive tribute at a terrible time. Well done.

mazda616 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:19

Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend and I couldn't agree more about paying attention behind the wheel. It's scary to think about how many people don't.

Rainbow > ttyymmnn
01/07/2015 at 17:19

I have also witnessed a distracted-driving crash before. The driver left his lane and side-swiped a pickup truck, on the freeway, at about 70mph. I don't know how neither vehicle lost control, but it was some scary stuff. I still think there needs to be a system wired to the ignition that will not allow you to start the car until your phone is plugged into a slot inside of the glove box.

Rainbow > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:26

I'm very sorry for your loss. But I have to say, I love how you're not blindly furious at the guy who hit him. We all make mistakes, and some of us learn our lesson by passing over the rumble strip. Others are not so lucky, but that doesn't mean they're bad people. (Although, in some cases they're complete idiots - but there's still no ill intent, at least. I don't really know where I'm going with this.)

ttyymmnn > Rainbow
01/07/2015 at 17:28

That's not a bad idea. In my case, I had been following the guy for many miles in rural Texas, watching him weave all over the road. I thought he was drunk. He finally put two wheels off the edge of the road, over corrected, and slued across four lanes of highway, narrowly missing oncoming traffic, before ending up in the ditch in the opposite side of the road. I stopped and waited for the police so I could make a report, and asked the officer if the guy was drunk. No, he was just texting his girlfriend. And the kicker: the kid was working for a car dealership and delivering the car to a customer.

Rainbow > ttyymmnn
01/07/2015 at 17:31

"We're going to give you a higher trim level for no extra charge, sir. One of our former porters is generously paying for it."

Mosqvich > Rainbow
01/07/2015 at 17:35

That's the point, it's a bad thing, but not necessarily an evil person.

Axial > Rainbow
01/07/2015 at 17:39

Some people (more than you'd think) have multiple phones. Besides, using those piece of shit touch interfaces auto-makers seem to love or even just talking on the phone hands-free can be distractions of similar magnitude. It's a real pickle.

knowledgedrop > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:47

Kinja'd!!!

Especially when you pin someones wife to a tree like in Signs.

GODDAMN YOU M. NIGHT!!!!!!!

jalop1991 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:49

We assume distracted driving, but assumption is the mother of all fuckups.

Is there actual proof of distracted driving here?

What were the speeds? "Slowed down" can mean anything. Was he effectively stopped when he was run into at full speed by the truck?

Anyway: how do I buy a new car that's just a car, not a rolling infotainment center where actual piloting of the vehicle is incidental?

onemoretime > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:50

In much the same way that construction zones have double fines, I'd really like to penalize people who drive without insurance. I know it wouldn't make a single difference in this case, but if the consequences are severe, it might keep a few more uninsured drivers off the road.

Sorry for your loss.

doubleshotpower > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:50

I am very sorry that you lost a dear friend. I had to deal with uninsured drivers all the time when I obtained my NJ drivers license in 1986. I figured that shit would be almost non-existant now.

I hope the fuck face gets at least 10 years. He shouldn't have been on the road!

Mosqvich > jalop1991
01/07/2015 at 17:50

The truth, or at least the best that can be determined, will come out at court.

I agree with the whole rolling infotainment issue. I just helped my in-laws get a new BMW and specifically got one without iDrive, etc....

Rainbow > Axial
01/07/2015 at 17:51

Talking is nowhere near as bad as texting, but still distracting for sure.

There should be a section of everyone's driving test where they have to navigate an obstacle course while texting. It won't affect the final score, but it will certainly show how stupid it is to try.

venable_STEVEN > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:51

Sad article is sad. I'm sorry for your loss. Prayers for that family.

TeeJayHoward > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:51

Kudos to you, sir, for your views on Matamales. You're a better man than I.

mrandreww > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:52

That sucks, but there is no evidence presented in this piece that the driver of the Ram was in fact distracted, or by what.

Gavin S. > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:52

We're all guilty of distracted driving from time to time and this post should serve as an example of how dangerous it really is. I will be more aware as a result of reading this. Sorry for you loss.

Mosqvich > TeeJayHoward
01/07/2015 at 17:53

I'm not sure about that, but we all make mistakes. It's not my job to judge him.

weapons > Rainbow
01/07/2015 at 17:53

I carry 2 phones, at one time I carried 3 of them. People can buy an old phone for 20$ on ebay and plug it in just to meet that rrequirement. The better solution is a technological one, which would be crash avoidance systems and and sometime in the future, self driving cars.

No matter how good a driver someone is, there is no offsetting the stupidity of other drivers. And no matter how much we advocate paying attention, we all know people are going to get distracted.

And while we all love our old cars, one has to ask themselves "Would this have been the result if he was driving a modern car that actually passes safety standards. No, not a GM!"

qoncept > ttyymmnn
01/07/2015 at 17:53

It's really amazing to me just how hard it is to text and drive. You can fumble with the stereo and realize you're drifting off the road, look down to brush crumbs off your shirt and have to slam on the brakes or turn around to yell at the kids and miss your turn, but it is NOT possible to drive even remotely safely while texting. People think they can, but they absolutely cannot.

DerW220 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:53

This (among other reasons) is why I drive a vehicle with a significant mass to it.

Mosqvich > Gavin S.
01/07/2015 at 17:54

That's why I wrote the post. I quit texting and driving a few years back. I try to keep both hands on the wheel at 9 and 3 (don't want to get smacked in the face by my own hands if the airbag deploys).

Mosqvich > DerW220
01/07/2015 at 17:55

I agree with you on this too. I wish he'd have been in a more substantial car if I'm truthful, but it's hard to say how much that had to do with what happened.

Uuuughghhhh > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:56

Question about US state insurance laws. In Ontario if you do not have insurance you do not get a new yearly sticker for your license plate which designates that the vehicle is registered, insured and has passed emission tests (to a lesser extent can reveal if the driver is licensed or not because you cannot get a new sticker if you do not have a license). Being color coded stickers its easy for police to spot someone that doesn't have any of the above qualifications. Is this similar in the US or is insurance separate from your plates?

Mosqvich > mrandreww
01/07/2015 at 17:56

The implication is made in the full report by KKTV and others. The CSP uses "careless driving" in lieu of distracted driving. It's time to be honest with ourselves about these significant problems in our digital world.

dopaz > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:57

" following behind a Toyota Corolla too closely... the driver of the pickup truck kept driving at the same speed he had been, and slammed into the back of the Corolla"

That doesn't make sense. If the truck was following too closely and the car slowed down normally, the truck would have hit the car with a small difference in speed. Judging from the photos the truck hit the car with a pretty large speed difference.

faaipdeoiad > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:57

I lost my father due to a distracted driver that didn't realize an intersection had stop signs.

Condolences for your loss.

Mosqvich > Uuuughghhhh
01/07/2015 at 17:57

We have the same thing here, though he could've had insurance when he got his tags and something occurred to cause him to be uninsured such as not paying the bill, etc...

Mosqvich > faaipdeoiad
01/07/2015 at 17:58

I'm so sorry you had to go through this. It's tough losing a parent.

Mosqvich > dopaz
01/07/2015 at 17:58

I didn't write that part. There is still an ongoing investigation.

HammerheadFistpunch > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 17:59

I think we all have a distracted driving story or two, mine was watching a 4Runner full of teens slam into the back of my aunts Sequoia that was stopped and signaling to turn left and pushed it with enough force to push both cars 50 feet and over some logs and just 2 feet downstreet of about 20 kids lined up to buy snow cones...The driver was texting. No major injuries, but it could have been REALLY bad. I had pulling into the same store 5 minutes early and watched the whole thing unfold, scary stuff.

ttyymmnn > qoncept
01/07/2015 at 17:59

Most of those things you can do without taking your eyes off the road. Muscle memory guides you to the radio knobs. And I've managed to get my boys' attention on numerous occasions while driving. But you are correct, there's something about texting that is just a major mental CPU hog. Typing on a flat piece of glass has a lot to do with that, and it's for that very reason that I fear the growth of touch screens in cars. TWD is insidious. It's so simple when we focus on it, but there's simply no way you can do it while driving.

DerW220 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:00

My belief in this truly started back in the late 90s when my mom was hit head-on by a mustang doing 70+mph. The Mustang driver swerved completely into her lane. She was driving a new Infiniti Q45 (one of the heaviest and safest cars at the time). It saved her life that day. In fact, she stumbled out in the pile of debris and airbag to tell the other driver off. After this accident she would only drive the biggest SUV she could find.

Mosqvich > DerW220
01/07/2015 at 18:01

My wife drives an X5 for the same reason.

Leonard1818 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:02

I was rear-ended in my Honda Civic by a dump truck tipping the scales at 17 tons.

I can't prove he was distracted as nobody checked his phone or cab afterward, but there were THREE sets of signs, spaced accordingly, about the lane closure on the highway ahead and clear visibility of the orange barrels that closed the lane ahead as well as the line of vehicles starting to slow down to merge over.

Missing that many cues does not indicate distraction, per-se, but there was obviously something else going on besides alert, aware, cautious driving.

I was lucky in that it only mangled my car and wrecked my back (to this day, at this very minute, I have pain) — and did not kill me.

R.I.P

TheCrudMan > DerW220
01/07/2015 at 18:05

But your vehicle with significant mass puts others in danger, while simultaneously making you more likely to be in an accident, with worse visibility, less effective brakes, etc....

saf7 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:06

Very sorry for your loss to such a senseless accident. I see it daily...not just cell phones, but books, newspapers, make up...anything but driving. As far as cell phones are concerned, I am pretty certain they could turn the text function off if the phone was moving above 4 miles per hour. This step alone would keep people from looking at the screen while driving and trying to read minuscule text while covering a football field a second.

Stop it people...nothing you have to say is more important than a person's life. NOTHING.

PGH2 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:06

So sorry for your loss and may your dear friend rest in peace.

I just finished reading "Deadly Wandering", a book I highly recommend for all of my fellow drivers. Unfortunately your friend is another victim in a problem that continues to grow, even as we learn more about the hazards of distracted driving. I think (hope) that in not too long we'll look back at this time and wonder how on earth we tolerated this period of allowing distracted driving to continue unchecked. It's not just phones. Most modern dashes and all include plenty of ways to keep the drivers attention away from the road. It's time to start considering distracted driving in the same class as driving under the influence with criminal penalties to match.

Kinja'd!!!

ERN > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:08

What does the insured status of the vehicle have to do with anything?

TheCrudMan > dopaz
01/07/2015 at 18:08

If you don't have time to react to what the car in front of you is doing then you're following too closely. It doesn't matter what the distance is. If he was distracted and therefore didn't have TIME to react, then the distance he was following at (which is basically the same as time, since speed = distance/time) was too close. "Too close" for a distracted driver is different than that for an undistracted driver, weird as that may sound.

Corinthian Leatherface > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:09

Such a drag. As of a couple of months ago, texting-while-driving was still legal in 4 states. Stories like this make me wonder what those states' politicians are smoking? Wether this accident was due to texting or not.

dexercapo > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:10

yeah , it must be the gps . maps were so much safer ... kids , did you ever owned a road atlas ?

jariten1781 > Uuuughghhhh
01/07/2015 at 18:10

Some places allow you to pay an uninsured drivers fee. It's designed for rich folks or fleets who have enough money to self insure but it has been abused. Additionally there are fraudulent tags, people who buy insurance and cancel it the day after they get their registration renewed for the year, or (most common) people who use unregistered out of state tags that local enforcement are not familiar with. All are illegal and in many states it's a criminal charge, not just a moving violation but people do it anyway.

Eddie > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:11

Sorry for your loss my friend!

Ive seen distracted driving. Ive been in a few cars where the driver or.passenger distracting the driver.

Seriously, ive nearly died mutliple time in all sorts of vehicles.

Just last year (well 2k13 10 days before 2k14) i was in the car with a friend (not anymore), his sister who had no seatbelt, and my friend (only one who stayed to be my.friend after that day). We were in December. 21st, i remember this night very clearly. Still gives me chills just thinking about it.

We were looking at christmas decorations around town. Theres a street that is just a downhill that intersects the houses that we were looking at.

My friend (dick) decided to go 70 mph in a residential area with slow moving traffic on a snowy and icy night. We were headed straight into a ford explorer if i didnt calm the situation. I had to alert everyone because for some off reason everyone in the car was havung a good time speeding...i on the other hand...sure i love speed and all but there is a time and.place. neither conditions or anything for that matter came into their heads. So that night i warned my friend about the explorer 10 yard away that was about to.turn. i told him to slow the hell down and better pray that explorer doesnt turn. We hit a patch of ice when he slammed on the brakes. I felt the car sliding sideways...

I grabbed the girls hand that was next to me and hand the other hand.on the door to jump out.

It was after this night i lost 2 friends. They talked alot of shit to me that night and.that i.ruined the fun.

Sorry, my life is worth more than your entertainment.

We ended up slowing, the explorer didnt luckliy turn because they saw us at a high speed.

I saw the look of the occupants..they werr scared.

We are.all alive but im glad im not friends with them.

DoYouEvenShift > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:12

I am so sorry for the loss of your friend. There are not many things in this world that get me worked up like people that text and drive or drink and drive. No excuse.

Mosqvich > Eddie
01/07/2015 at 18:14

Wow, what a tragic tale. Thank you for sharing.

N@tedog > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:16

My grandfather was killed as a passenger in a vehicle broadsided by a teenager who ran a red light texting while driving. He was my hero. When I am a passenger, I will deadpan tell any driver texting to pull over and let me out if they want to continue texting. Put your phones away.

Bond...Adrian Bond > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:17

So...what distracted him?

Clay_T > Rainbow
01/07/2015 at 18:17

I like the idea but lets take it one step further and actually have it affect the final score.

During the driving portion of the test, DMV tester/observer tells applicant to get out their phone and send a text.

A. Applicant whips out phone and proceeds to show off their texting skills... FAIL (with extreme prejudice) .

B. Applicant says no way, ain't gonna happen, nope nope... (or pulls over and parks). PASS

Mosqvich > ERN
01/07/2015 at 18:19

Well, it could impact Phil's family. An insurance company might have to pay some fees. Otherwise, it's a minor aspect to this case except a DA might need to have multiple charges in order for something to stick - if that's the goal.

Mosqvich > Bond...Adrian Bond
01/07/2015 at 18:20

It's not known yet. The investigation is pending.

interrogator-chaplain > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:21

Sorry to hear about your friend, tell his family that the good folks on Oppo send their condolences.

I hope you can find some comfort in this time, and I commend you on your level headed approach in this emotional time. Phil Cooley will be remembered.

Eddie > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:22

your welcome. Also to.include. he was on his cellphone while going fast....

I called them all fuckwits and i think i have the right to say so.

John Coctostan > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:22

You are driving a thousands of pounds vehicle at a rate several times faster than you could run.

My dad had a saying, 'An automobile is deadlier than a 1911 Colt .45 because a .45 can only at best kill eight people.'

There is zero excuse for distracted driving.

toecutter (so grey, I gotta wear shades) > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:22

Don't put yourself in Matamales shoes. He has kids, cars, motorcycles and probably a lot of other cool stuff. He likes a lot of the same stuff as you, but so did your friend. What he doesn't have is insurance and one ounce of sense. Every consequence that he has to endure he has earned in spades. He deserves no empathy, don't do it.

Tomek G > ttyymmnn
01/07/2015 at 18:25

Problem is that people become too complacent. They think they can do more while driving.

Politicians just think cellphones are absolute evils while stupid stuff like searching for favorite tune on radio can be equally dangerous. I won't lie, I do check my phone when driving, but with relative safety.

John Coctostan > Rainbow
01/07/2015 at 18:28

I hit an innocuous curb driving into my apartment complex when I was younger in an E30 completely wrecking the oil pan. (It did hang down like a pair of dog nuts) I was almost home and thought it a good idea. Not any more, I learned my lesson. If the phone is actively working in my car ever, it is running Torque or a GPS app.

ttyymmnn > Tomek G
01/07/2015 at 18:28

I have become a proponent of my iPhones speech recognition. I admit that I have sent an occasional text this way. But now that such a thing is banned in my hometown, I won't be doing it at all.

John Coctostan > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:28

Steve in Manhattan > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:30

Texting, smoking, talking on speakerphone (is it illegal to hold a cell phone like here in NY, where you are?) - when you're piloting a half-ton pickup, you have an obligation to pay attention. Not that I don't when I rent a Prius or a Civic, but something so massive demands attention.

DerW220 > TheCrudMan
01/07/2015 at 18:30

You sir, are very wrong. I have better visibility (as most do sitting up higher), and manufacturers use brakes which are engineered specifically for the vehicle (larger rotors and more pistons) and are able to stop in about the same time as a lightweight depending on how new it is. What you are saying is common among most drivers of low-mass vehicles; I guess it comforts them. Every vehicle is different. You could have a 70s Chevrolet with no brakes, or a new S65 AMG with Carbon Ceramics and some of the best handling.

Quade > ERN
01/07/2015 at 18:30

Well, to me it indicates he's probably a dead-beat and that this might not be his first accident like this.

John Coctostan > TheCrudMan
01/07/2015 at 18:31

This.

Mosqvich > Steve in Manhattan
01/07/2015 at 18:32

It's amazing, but Colorado does not have a hands-free law. I didn't know, but it didn't matter because I use either blue-tooth or a head set. I thought about asking a Police Officer about it, but he was literally driving and talking on his cell phone.

John Coctostan > Eddie
01/07/2015 at 18:32

Rite betta.

tech47 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:33

Very sad and sorry for the loss of a husband, father, friend, etc. There are so many distractions driving nowadays. There isn't a call or text that is that important to answer immediately. If so, pull over to answer. Me personally, if I'm home texting a friend and I find out they are driving, I stop texting them. I don't want a friend to get in a wreck because they were contacting me back. I'd feel horrible. So yes a driver can make the decision to get on their phone, but also the sender could stop contacting the driver if they know they are on the road. Just my thoughts. Again, very sorry for the loss. :(

Quade > Leonard1818
01/07/2015 at 18:34

You have to keep an eye on your 6 and be ready to bail if you see someone closing on you quickly. I've avoided at least on accident by nailing the gas when I was setup to make a left turn across traffic. In this one specific case, a truck was closing and I could see there was no way he could stop in time.

When I'm coming to a stop on a street, getting ready to make a turn, I pay more attention behind me than I do in front. The danger is always greater from the rear.

theRealRealMikeyG > weapons
01/07/2015 at 18:35

no no no no and a thousand times more no!

technology isnt the answer.

the real answer is to teach people that they are driving a multi thousand pound BOMB and that while doing so, they should be paying attention to doing so.

putting more and more nannies into a car doesnt make for safer drivers, its the exact opposite, it makes for drivers who are more and more callous with their attention and think it is perfectly acceptable to spread their limited abilities over more and more operations.

GreenN_Gold > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:37

I was once rear ended (at very slow speeds, nothing tragic here whatsoever), and when I got out of the car I asked the guy why he rear ended me. I had been stopped at a red light for quite a bit of time before being hit. He replied, "I was talkin' to my girl."

As if that's a reason to not pay attention.

John Coctostan > dopaz
01/07/2015 at 18:37

I am in an Abarth and saw a distracted driver looking at her lap when she should have been braking. She got bigger in the rearview and I DD-meowed out of the spot I was in. Her reaction to the noise my car made was panic and she locked them up, 4-runner. She completed her stop to where half of my car was. I hope she drops her phone in water by accident.

EMWhyte > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:41

sorry for your loss, as well as the loss of another enthusiast. My heart goes out to you.

GreenN_Gold > John Coctostan
01/07/2015 at 18:45

Not if you line 'em up.

/morbid

Eddie > John Coctostan
01/07/2015 at 18:45

i hit the period button a few times by accident.

botoxparty > Uuuughghhhh
01/07/2015 at 18:48

California doesn't require proof of insurance during the registration process, only at traffic stops. And yes, that's insane.

jztemple > ttyymmnn
01/07/2015 at 18:49

I got my training 45 years ago when I was obtaining my private pilot's license. I learned to be able to operate every control without looking at any of them. After the training it occurred to me that this would logically be something I should do for my car as well (I'm an engineer, we kind of obsess about procedures). I know it sounds weird, but I get a sense of satisfaction being good at this practice.

bradleyjp > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:50

What a shame. I have no doubt he was a great man and made a difference in people's lives.

As someone who has been rear-ended, thankfully at 30 MPH, by a distracted driver, I have no remorse towards anyone who drives this way. I thought I could multi-task all the time myself. I know better now. I don't touch my phone while rolling. I avoid using it at all costs when stopped. I can only hope people realize that self-driving cars need to become a reality now as well as cheaper, alternate means of long-distance travel in order to ensure we don't lose more lives.

Fabrizio Oliveira > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:51

My best friend recently got into an accident because of a distracted driver. Guy was on the phone not paying attention and changed lanes into my friend's car without looking. They hit fender to quarter panel on the freeway and the distracted driver's car spun out 90deg, went head on into the center median, bounced off and ended up on the right shoulder. Distracted driving is a really big problem and for whatever reason goes unaddressed. I'm fairly certain that close to 100% of people would agree that using a cell phone while driving is dangerous, even people who are continuous offenders yet for whatever reason lawmakers refuse to address this problem and like in my home state of Michigan, they'd rather spend their time changing helmet laws for motorcyclists making them no longer required.

GoesLikeHell > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:51

Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend.

Regarding the report saying no proof of insurance, that's not necessarily the same as no insurance. My wife was cited for the same thing in an accident, only because she wasn't able to find the insurance card in the glove box after the wreck. In her case there was a passenger airbag lying over the glove box and her glasses were knocked off her face in the collision. The car was t-boned by a driver who ran a red light at full speed. That driver was likely distracted, as are most of these situations. The type of distraction is hard to tell unless you've got a really honest driver or video of what happened. Something as simple as daydreaming or highway hypnosis can be just as bad as someone texting on a phone or reading a novel.

Hornet6 > DerW220
01/07/2015 at 18:52

It's a double-edged sword though - the 'substantial mass' that Matamales was driving killed a man. It's worth considering that a small car might not have done enough damage to cause death in that situation. I'm not blaming the vehicle of course - we can all in theory drive with enough care to avoid causing collisions. But when you buy a massive truck to be safer from others, you make yourself more dangerous to them as well.

Mikey > DerW220
01/07/2015 at 18:53

Brakes don't help you stop. Tires do. As do low centers of gravity. Both help with handling, as well. Do you like data, instead of just theories?

2011 Suburban: 0.7G skidpad, 145ft 60-0, 55mph slalom.

http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/subu…

2012 Sonic: 0.84 skidpad,123ft 60-0, 66.1mph slalom.

http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/soni…

factsonly1 > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:54

hopefully matamales losing a child to distracted driving. I dont care if that sounds mean. No one is truly regretful until they know what the pain feels like.

ttyymmnn > jztemple
01/07/2015 at 18:56

I am a professional musician, and we are all about muscle memory. And like you, I try to remember where all my controls are without looking. It drives me crazy that I keep missing the window control in my VW. I always hit the rear window. :/

Dy-no-mite Jay > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:56

I am so sorry for your loss of a good friend, I pray for comfort for you and his family. Thank you for sharing this story as I am sure we are all guilty (myself included) of distracted driving at some point or another and we can all learn from this.

PeteRR > DerW220
01/07/2015 at 18:57

3/4 ton Dodge. Hit a logging truck head on at 40 mph. Severe injuries, but he survived. The Cummins diesel motor ended up on the seat next to him.

Kinja'd!!!

Bruce McDougall > Tomek G
01/07/2015 at 18:57

"Relative safety"? Tell that to someone's relatives after you have killed or seriously injured them with your stupid and selfish behavior. Grow up or stay off the roads until you do. (And if you cause an accident while searching for a song you should have your license lifted as well. Stop playing with toys and DRIVE dammit!)

OkCars- 22k Crossroads > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:57

Sorry for your loss.

I do what i call "alert driving" which is being aware of what are the people in the cars around me are doing.

Theres not a single day i dont see an idiot looking at their phones. Or a night whithout looking someones face glowing because of the cellphone screen.

AlsoKnownAsRukh > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 18:58

I feel your pain, Mosqvich. I found out on January 7th, 2004 (eleven years ago to the day - huh) that I had lost a good friend in Colorado Springs, when an underage drunk driver crashed head-on into his car. It sticks with me to this day, and is the main reason I became a Driver's Ed teacher. I figure if I can change just one person's path, then my friend's death won't have been entirely in vain.

RIP Paul Fischer

RIP Phil Cooley

klurejr > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 19:06

This woman was reading her tablet while driving at 65+mph on the freeway with kids in the back of her van.....

http://youtu.be/2eDIem7i3fY?li…

I see this kind of thing all the time, it is scary.

Haze > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 19:07

Sorry for the loss of your friend. Distracted driving is terrifying. When I first got my motorcycle, I took a 90 degree turn nice and slow, straightened up only to see a guy with his blackberry on the steering wheel, thumbs a clicking away, while his gold Pontiac was completely on my side of the road. I was just able to go around him on the right because I had the bike. I have always said that it was the one time riding a bike worked in my favor. Jerk looked up just in time to see me passing him on the right in the break down lane. One the other side, my wife just got a new Mercedes. It has so much, and I can only say this one way, crap in it, that it is constantly bleeping, flicking lights or knocking on the steering wheel. I had to drive it to my mother's house yesterday, and almost had an accident when the tire pressure monitoring system flashed a message telling me that everything was fine with the tires, and while I was trying to dismiss it, I almost hit the guy in front of me. One of the reasons that I bought a Cadillac is that it just doesn't have all this stuff. It just lets me drive. There has to be a turn away from "tech" in cars or people are going to get killed.

Then again, I guess I am starting to sound like this guy:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/holma…

Diesel_Powa > DerW220
01/07/2015 at 19:10

Instead of everyone beefing up on heavy trucks/SUV, how about creating a new class and requiring a special driver's license for these vehicles? Insurance cost increase?

This way, most would go back to driving light, compact cars... Better for safety, better for the environment, better for your budget...

Oh wait, 'Merica's oil industry is not interested in that... 'Merica, fuck yeah!

Rand0nS > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 19:12

I have no simpathy for someone that causes an accident while driving uninsured. If you are going to drive without insurance (which I know is illegal) you better be the safest damn driver on the road.

timgray > Mosqvich
01/07/2015 at 19:14

So sorry for your loss Dan. Horrible to lose a friend, doubly horrible when you lose them to an act of carelessness by another person.

Rand0nS > Rainbow
01/07/2015 at 19:14

Decent idea, but everything has loopholes. Example, people with work and personal cellphones. That was me for about 3 years.

Rick-Cavaretti > TheCrudMan
01/07/2015 at 19:16

BMW's old ad campaign: The best way to survive an accident is to avoid getting into it in the first place. A task best accomplished with a good handling and braking (low mass) vehicle with a low center of gravity, not a converted agricultural/work vehicle.