Park rangers give techno tips to save your life

Rangers at Utah's Zion National Park say that technology has proven a godsend for some visitors who've gotten into trouble. No, we're not talking GPS systems, but rather, the simple use of cellular telephones. Here's an example:

A Virginia man tried descending a steep in darkness the man stepped off the trail to urinate. He lost his balance and fell onto the switchback below, breaking his leg. Unable to stand, he crawled and reached as high as possible for cell signal to send two brief text messages to his friends who called rangers for help.

This season alone, Zion's rangers have dealt with several hiking and canyoneering incidents with the aid of text messaging. These include canyoneering parties have gotten ropes stuck, were unable to find rappel anchors, and who were under-prepared for the route and conditions. Why is text messaging some helpful? Voice contact from the canyon floors is often impossible due to the nature of the terrain and noise of flowing water. Though cell service is quite limited to non-existent in the park's terrain of deep, narrow canyons, texting has worked when calls couldn't. Text messaging has helped rangers respond quicker, and often spare themselves unnecessary danger.

Anti-text n talk while driving software has drawbacks

Since many state and local governments are outlawing e-texting and cell phone talking while driving, companies are lining up to try and cash in on the legislation. Be it for employers to cut back on hired-driver texting, or by parents trying to keep the kids in line, the basic idea boils down to making the device recognize when it's in motion, then cutting off the ability for use.

Drive Safely Corporation's idea is to use a phone's GPS ability to "see" when the phone is moving at more than 15 miles per hour. To make legitimate use by a passenger, the phone will flash up a series of letters and numbers--the "legit" user then simply keys back in the series of characters. The designer's thinking is that a driver won't be able to concentrate on driving, and keying in the code to access the road.

We can already hear many parents clearing their throats. Tell us, what teen-aged, 'got the world by the tail' driver isn't going to try and prove he can beat that system and still keep the family fliver out of the ditch? Is there a "more harm that good" issue in this one? Other ideas from the safety engineers include an embargo on incoming or perhaps outgoing text messages until the vehicle comes to a stop.

The drawbacks? All of the new safety technologies come with a price, usually an up-front software download cost, and then a monthly subscription fee. And since the software can't determine whether the phone is in an RV, car, or truck--where texting would indeed be dangerous, versus whether the phone is on say, a bus or commuter train, there's always the "override" to allow for use in the latter. Somebody who really wants to text while driving has got the "out" with the override.

This leads to but one question: Can common sense trump out over technology?

photo commentary by mmajunkie92 on photobucket

California Drivin'? Don't Text, Tommy!

In what should be a real, "Duh!" situation, California has joined five other US states that prohibit drivers from driving and texting at the same time. Electronic billboards on the Interstate 5 corridor remind drivers to keep their texting for break times.

In a story appearing in the San Franciso Chronicle, "Texting while driving is so obviously unsafe that it's hard to imagine that anyone would attempt it," said Sen. Joe Simitian, the Palo Alto Democrat who was the author of the cell phone and text-messaging bills. "But everyday observation as well as statistical information from around the state and nation suggest otherwise."

Statistical information? Two different surveys revealed some scary ones. An insurance company poll revealed that some 19% respondents confessed to texting while driving; another poll showed over three-fourths of their respondents had sometime texted while driving. How can you text and drive? Use your knees to maintain the steering wheel, and hope nothing happens while your face is pointed at the display.

The results are carnage on a grand scale. Five teenage girls were killed in 2007 when the driver of their car smashed into a truck while texting. And need we mention the California metro train accident that took 25 lives whilst the train's engineer was keying text messages?

The California law's teeth aren't large: Senator Simitian figures first-time offenders will be out around $100. Other states where you can get a ticket for texting include Washington, Alaska, Louisiana, Minnesota and New Jersey.

photo: tommy and georgie on flickr.com