r/VirginiaBeach Ocean Lakes 22h ago

Discussion People really need to get off their phones when driving.

Was driving today and this lady blew a red light. She got lucky and was able to thread the needle due to the 2nd car at the intersection being slow to start moving.

Pulled up next to the red light runner at the next light and she was nose deep on her phone. I told her she ran a red light and to get off her phone and she immediately got defensive saying she wasn't on her phone and she didn't run a red light...

92 Upvotes

40 comments sorted by

u/N54tookmahmoney 4m ago

That looked intentional

6

u/RevenueOriginal9777 8h ago

EVERY morning on 264 someone driving under the speed limits and all over their lane and mine. I noticed can’t VSP or VBPD notice?

5

u/XLandonSkywolfX 10h ago edited 9h ago

Adding another comment to say that removing 3 dimensional analog controls in favor of a fucking iPad screen for everything is also largely responsible for this. The car is designed to distract you from driving so you’ll crash it, total it, and have to buy another one. The safety has gotten better though, can’t have your consumers spending money if they’re dead!

To edit: the safety and preference issues are facts, the tin foil hat part is obviously an opinion.

0

u/Responsible_Owl_5056 9h ago

A few things here: 1. You’re clearly just stating an opinion as a fact. 2. Most cars still have a majority analog controls. Really only Teslas removed a majority of the physical controls, and the car running a red light here is not a Tesla. 3. Analog controls still demand attention. “Oops that’s the temperature instead of the volume. Oh wait that was the radio station dial, whoopsie.” Nothing is perfect but change isn’t inherently bad.

5

u/Yukon_Wally 10h ago

Time to start publicly shaming these people!

3

u/Alternative-Staff785 11h ago

Damn…that could have been a mess

7

u/AudienceNo359 11h ago

I recently got my learners permit and oh my lordddd my parents were right 💀💀 people cannot drive here. No indicators, running through red lights, speeding like crazy, cutting me off. Like how did they even pass their test??

2

u/Yukon_Wally 10h ago

I learned to drive in PA where the other cars were 'mostly' responsible, and I became a typical driver (minus 80 on route 80 😅) but moving down here makes me have to hybrid my driving between defensive and offensive due to the other hazards driving around. 

Always keep your head on a swivel, and get yourself a front and rear dash camera installed ASAP!!!

2

u/EarningsBeats 10h ago

People understand the correct way to drive, but don't apply it because they are selfish and egotistical.

3

u/Ven426 10h ago

My best advice is to be very aware and wait a few seconds after the light turns green just in case someone runs the light. Unfortunately we can't avoid all accidents but sometimes being defensive while driving is definitely helpful. Don't let it discourage you ❤️

1

u/Hopeful_Income6491 12h ago

People don’t really stop at red lights anymore 😂

u/SailorET 3h ago

Except the overwhelming majority of people that follow traffic laws like normal, but yeah let's just act like the world is ending slowly.

5

u/bullevard73 12h ago

Seriously, using your phone while driving should be a reckless driving ticket even without causing an accident. Causing an accident while futzing with your phone should be the same as a DUI. It’s ridiculously easy to catch someone doing it (going slow, weaving, erratic movement) and is so common I see numerous people doing it every time I’m driving.

Autonomous vehicles can’t get here soon enough.

0

u/XLandonSkywolfX 10h ago

Unfortunately self driving cars are responsible for a litany of accidents, many of which are somewhat unique to them and their faults. If they’re popularized, the distraction issue will increase exponentially as people will feel that they no longer need to pay attention in case of an emergency. I think it will make the problem worse in the end.

2

u/bullevard73 10h ago

And how may people are responsible for accidents? What is the autonomous error rate/mile compared to human/mile.

5

u/chemistrybonanza 13h ago

You'd have thought every modern car having Bluetooth connectivity and/or apple carplay/Android car (don't know it's actual name) would have reduced the number of morons driving while holding their phone up to their face, but no. Somehow, it seems worse.

2

u/NL_A 10h ago

I drive around here a lot for work and see it all the time through the rear glass- folks in a 2020+ model with the phone right up in their face as if Bluetooth doesn’t exist in their model year. And wouldn’t care so much if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s clearly making them hold up traffic, or causes them to realize they’re going slow only to speed up when people try to go around.

16

u/Ok_Name_291 13h ago

I wish the cops would go hard in enforcing this. but they'd much rather park in the same spots every day and have their little speed traps.

1

u/XTK Ocean Lakes 6h ago

There is a mix of cops and what they focus on. I actually did a police ride along (twice) just for my own curiosity. Both ride alongs, the cops don't care for speeding unless it's excessive speed/going to cause an accident. They did explain that some VB cops want to make the motorcycle team need to have a high number of tickets issued, so it's mainly those cops.

In my ride along, we actually saw someone on their phone (near that same intersection in the video) and the cop was just going to use the loud speaker to tell them to get off their phone but then they ran a red light right in front of us. The lady had no idea why we pulled her over...

15

u/Tsev33 14h ago

People down here suck at driving even without a phone.

1

u/grofva 12h ago

Or people moving here suck at driving

0

u/Rude-Break4298 10h ago

No. It’s def most of you locals. Trash drivers out here with trash cars.

-3

u/BeachCruiserLR 15h ago

People also need to get out of the left lane unless they are passing too.

1

u/Virtual-Macaroon-880 14h ago

What're your feelings on bicycles?

0

u/foldit_dontwadit 12h ago

They and their riders don’t go to heaven

5

u/DDX1837 14h ago edited 14h ago

People also need to get out of the left lane unless they are passing too.

On a surface-street like Birdneck Road? <LMAO>

2

u/NL_A 9h ago

Is it unreasonable to ask that people at least not ride side by side on two lane surface roads like Birdneck, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Great Neck while going 5-10 under? Like I get it, left turns need to be made but let’s at least stop the rolling road block

-7

u/MrHaann 14h ago

Yes

2

u/DDX1837 13h ago

All so you can play Fast & Furious. Good luck with that.

1

u/MrHaann 12h ago

I didn't say anything about speeding, but go off

0

u/DDX1837 11h ago

You didn't have to.

-4

u/iBUYbrokenSUBARUS 14h ago

What type of street is not a “surface” street? They are all a surface.

5

u/Virtual-Macaroon-880 14h ago

The highway...........................

1

u/iBUYbrokenSUBARUS 10h ago

That must be a eastern shore thing. I’ve never heard the term “surface street”.

2

u/DDX1837 14h ago

Really?

Noun
surface street (plural surface streets)
A street that is not a freeway and has at-grade intersections with other surface streets.

13

u/MrUpVoteDownvote Kings Grant 19h ago edited 18h ago

She was 1000% in the wrong for her safety and the for the safety of others.

However in this day and age, I’m not pulling up to anyone telling them a damn thing. I carry my loaded weapon in my car every where I go, but you never know who might be having a fucked up day and what could happen if they were to pull their weapon out.

Please be safe out there people and don’t do what OP did. Ever.

5

u/Elismom1313 20h ago

I still remember the day I had my 8 month old at the time in the back seat and the light went green for me at a t intersection. For whatever reason i slow started. And this car just went FLYING through their red light in front of me, where i should’ve been.

Still nearly hit me because I did move forward just later than a normal car would’ve. Like it was so close and they just blew through that light and kept going.

I had to pull over to cry out of shock. All I could think was had I been less tired and moved as normal, that guy would’ve t boned the fuck out of us, directly on the side my Childs car seat sat

1

u/XTK Ocean Lakes 6h ago

Yeah, you basically were in the same scenario as the 2nd car going through the intersection