Is That You Watching TV While You're Driving?

[MagicMtnDan]

When a pickup truck crossed the double yellow line along Seward Highway and killed two occupants of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, police initially thought the accident was another tragic mistake by a momentarily distracted driver.
Then they spotted the dashboard DVD player.
In what may be the first trial of its kind in the nation, prosecutors have accused the pickup truck’s driver of second-degree murder for watching a movie instead of the road when he crashed head-on into the Jeep.
The pickup’s driver, Erwin J. Petterson Jr., denies using the DVD player as he drove north on Oct. 12, 2002, and contends he was only listening to music from a compact disc, said his attorney, Chuck Robinson.
“It’s an excessive charge for what happened here,” he said. “This was not a murder. Even the state medical examiner said during cross-examination that the manner of death for the people in the other car was accidental.”
Petterson, 29, is accused of killing Robert Weiser, 60, and his wife, Donna Weiser, 56, of Anchorage, while on a three-hour drive between Kenai and Anchorage. In his truck was the equivalent of a home entertainment system — a DVD player, speakers and a Sony PlayStation 2.
2 prosecution theories
While no Alaska law prohibits operating a DVD player in view of a driver, prosecutor June Stein said the facts warranted charging Petterson under one of two theories: that he knew his conduct was substantially certain to cause death or that he knowingly engaged in conduct showing extreme indifference to human life.
Initial Alaska State Trooper reports said Petterson was at fault when he took his eyes off the road to reach for a soda. Stein, though, will try to prove that the DVD player was on, apparently playing the movie “Road Trip.”
“We know it was,” she said. “It was wired so that the screen was in the open position when the ignition key was turned out.”
The murder trial, which got under way last week in Kenai Superior Court, may be the first of its kind in the nation, said Matthew Swantson, director of communications for the Consumer Electronics Association, a trade association.

[AngryJosh]

Fry the Focker. Screens where the driver can see them is a NO-NO. If the law doesnt say it, then common sence does!! What an idiot, even if he was reaching for a soda. Was it in the freakin back seat??

[Jordy]

Yeah fry that guy!!! I hate those in dash DVD players... :cool: :D ;)

[HCS]

I watch TV while I drive all the time. It's the only way to go.
One time I went to the 49er's in SanFran. Then when I made
the trip home I watched the Raiders Jets on TV all the way home.
:cool:

[wildbillg]

YOU should NOT be watching TV (dvd) while you are DRIVING a GOD DAMM car..
If you want to watch a movie GO HOME or to the theater.
So it would be ok YOUR mother or father or YOUR SON or DAUGHTER were KILLED because some JACKASS was WATCHING a movie on his dvd player while TRYING to DRIVE>>>
Get a F*%KING clue!!
Cars are for TRANSPORTION to and from not to sit and ddrive around while WATCHING a movie. Am I wrong arent you supposed to be WATCHING the ROAD! !! ! !
This is my opinion and I'm entitled to it..........

[Slib77]

1- The shop has to have the person sign a waiver if they want the screen to work while they are driving.(We DO)
2- The screen can stay open to control the menu options of the head unit. Not meaning that the person is watching a movie.
3- The screen can be open also for navigation.
Do not take this wrong way, please. I am no way condoning(sp) the use of a monitor for the driver, but people ask us to do it, so we do. That is why we have them sign a waiver.
If the guy was watching a movie, and that was the cause, than he will be punished.

[CJ]

Hell, I pay more attention to the Nav system than the movie! I've seen that damn Nemo movie 100 times! And for some reason that is all that is played in my system.

[AngryJosh]

Hardcore-Ski----I hope your kidding, cause thats very selfish and irresponsible. If someone hits me or my family because they are watching TV, I'll rip that M, F, er from their dash and pound it down their suck. Straight up!! You want to keep track of a game, listen to the radio and keep your eyes on the road fool.
AngryJosh

[Jordy]

Even worse are TV's in the visors so you don't have to look at the dash. :D
The trick is to take movies you've seen 10000000 times. If you watch something new, you will end up putting the truck into a ditch, pole, or worse. :D

[riverbound]

Originally posted by Slib77
1- The shop has to have the person sign a waiver if they want the screen to work while they are driving.(We DO)
If the guy was watching a movie, and that was the cause, than he will be punished.
Having a customer sign a waiver will NOT release you of any liability for hooking it up wrong, trust me I know first hand. the monitors up front should never be hooked up to work while driving, they never leave my shop working while driving. What the customer does after it leaves my shop is on them.
I have had a flip up dvd player in my car since they have come out. I watch movies and tv all the time. I am even in the process of buying direct tv for my truck. I have never had any problems or close calls. But again I guess it would depend on the driver and thier ability to multitask. Most people I know dont actually watch the movie they listen to it more than anything and ocassionaly glance at the screen. Now the nav. is a different story that thing distracts me more than movies.

[CJ]

Riverbound, how does that Dish thing work? At what kinda cost?

[riverbound]

Originally posted by CJ
Riverbound, how does that Dish thing work? At what kinda cost?
Basically, its a replacement radio that has a screen built into it. Some are only fm/am tuners with a screen all the way up to units that are fm/am dvd cd mp3 navigation qall in one piece.
Prices range from $799-$2499 depending on which one suits your needs.

[Danhercules]

Originally posted by jordanpaulk
The trick is to take movies you've seen 10000000 times. If you watch something new, you will end up putting the truck into a ditch, pole, or worse. :D
My wife watches moves on her portable DVD player, ITs on her lap. I dont watch. I do have a cool thing that plays the DVD audio on my radio, so I listen to the movies. She brings one that I have seen many times, I can see the movie in my head.

[Slib77]

I hear you RB, but I'm not the owner of the shop, my cousin is. I just line up customers and dealerships for him. It's outa my hands.
Like you said, some people can do it and some just can't seem to do 2 things at once.

[EricU]

In Alaska they should be allowed to watch DVDs while driving. Ever been to the Kenai Peninsula? There is nothing to do there but fish! When you drive down the highway to Homer, there are signs saying how many accidents there was the previous winter involving Moose!
The place sucks for anything but fishing, during summer it is light 21 hours a day. But during winter it is dark 21 hours a day. That is why they have such a high rate of alcoholism and teen-age pregnancies.
Maybe we could get Bush & Cheney to outlaw Moose.

[HCS]

Originally posted by AngryJosh
Hardcore-Ski----I hope your kidding, cause thats very selfish and irresponsible. If someone hits me or my family because they are watching TV, I'll rip that M, F, er from their dash and pound it down their suck. Straight up!! You want to keep track of a game, listen to the radio and keep your eyes on the road fool.
AngryJosh
Actually I did do that one time. I didn't want to miss the Raiders
Jets.:rolleyes:
I mostly just listened in. I thought it was pretty cool though.
The game came in the whole 2 hour trip home.
That's the only time I did it.:D You should have seen the looks
on other drivers faces when they realized I was watching TV.:eek:
Talking on cell phones, watching TV, and playing with navigation
systems at the sametime while driving could be dangerous.
I wouldn't do it very often.:D ;)

[PlyaPlya22]

I've tried it a couple of times and I couldn't do it. I thought about the risk. TIVO:D

[HCS]

Originally posted by PlyaPlya22
I've tried it a couple of times and I couldn't do it. I thought about the risk. TIVO:D
Now I have my TIVO.;)

[roostwear]

Watching a movie while driving shows the same intense stupidity as the people that read a book or paper while driving. Hell, just look up every 5 or ten seconds to look at the road..... what can happen in 5 seconds?:mad:

[PlyaPlya22]

Originally posted by roostwear
what can happen in 5 seconds?:mad:
You could end up with a kid:D

[Roxysnow]

I have a in-dash dvd player that we use on long trips. I usually find myself listen to the damn thing. My wife is the one watching. I actually find cell phones to be the most distracting still. ever catch yourself reaching for the phone and swerving or tilting your head and your car starts drifting to the right, or talking to someone takes your concentration off the road! Ban those cell phones first!

[CJ]

The thing that usualy distracts me is the hot chicks forget all the electronics!

[Jordy]

The absolute worst is when I'm trying to drive, watch a move, talk on the phone, take notes of the phone conversation as they're usually business related, and check out the chick in the next car... multi-tasking I call it. :D

[Jrocket]

Keep yo eyes on the road and yo hands upon the wheeeeeeel!...sing it with me now..:D