No, you CAN'T Drive Well on your Cell

[mboncher]

You are unable to. Talking on a cell, hands free or no is the same as driving drunk. You are 4 TIMES more likely to crash. I've known this since seeing the first people driving and yapping away on their cell.

I'm just shocked I have to cite the story in the NYT, but I'd been hearing about it from other sources.

Cell Phone Drivers As Bad As Drunk Drivers (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32018629/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/)

[snagswolf]

Cell Phone Drivers As Bad As Drunk Drivers
From the article:

“We’re looking at a problem that could be as bad as drunk driving, and the government has covered it up,” said Clarence Ditlow, director of the Center for Auto Safety.
So, conjecture has turned into a fact?

[AutoRacer55]

You are unable to. Talking on a cell, hands free or no is the same as driving drunk. You are 4 TIMES more likely to crash. I've known this since seeing the first people driving and yapping away on their cell.

I'm just shocked I have to cite the story in the NYT, but I'd been hearing about it from other sources.

Cell Phone Drivers As Bad As Drunk Drivers (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32018629/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/)

Except you can end a cell phone conversation easily. You can't end being drunk easily.

/thread

[Striker8440]

You are unable to. Talking on a cell, hands free or no is the same as driving drunk. You are 4 TIMES more likely to crash. I've known this since seeing the first people driving and yapping away on their cell.

I'm just shocked I have to cite the story in the NYT, but I'd been hearing about it from other sources.

Cell Phone Drivers As Bad As Drunk Drivers (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32018629/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/)

Then do not talk and drive at all, to no passengers, nobody. With handsfree I can concentrate on my driving while I am talking, no different than talking to my wife when she is in the car with me.

[barik]

Then do not talk and drive at all, to no passengers, nobody. With handsfree I can concentrate on my driving while I am talking, no different than talking to my wife when she is in the car with me.

And that's why it's different. Your wife is in the car with you and therefore equally aware of your situation as you drive. She sees the same road that you do.

[Striker8440]

And that's why it's different. Your wife is in the car with you and therefore equally aware of your situation as you drive. She sees the same road that you do.

sorry but I am MORE aware when nobody is in the car with me for that exact fact. I dont have to depend on anybody to look for me. My head is ALWAYS on a swivel when I drive, always checking my mirrors and my blind spots as I drive, on OR off the phone. Hell I dont even have to take my eyes off of the road to change radio stations, in wheel controls for the radio.

[stodr]

sorry but I am MORE aware when nobody is in the car with me for that exact fact. I dont have to depend on anybody to look for me. My head is ALWAYS on a swivel when I drive, always checking my mirrors and my blind spots as I drive, on OR off the phone. Hell I dont even have to take my eyes off of the road to change radio stations, in wheel controls for the radio.

That does not change the fact that more eyes means more opportunities to see something. You can not look everywhere at the same time.

[King Cantona]

Driving while talking on your phone is illegal over here but I still see many people flouting the law.......

[Glenn_G]

And that's why it's different. Your wife is in the car with you and therefore equally aware of your situation as you drive. She sees the same road that you do.

Not my wife, she seems to see the road much different than I do... she spends a lot of time stomping the invisable passenger side brake pedal, and slapping my arm when riding with me. ;)

IMO driving down the road isn't the place to be on the phone, period, and it should be cracked down on.

[sgdp]

What about texting? :eek:

[DRS]

Here you have to have a hands free device

As for driving with your wife in the car, lets just say there were times with my ex I was tempted to turn into in coming traffic :D

[Remus Lupin]

I love it when people bitch about cell phones being banned while driving.
They claim that they have the right to chat on a cell phone.
First of all, when you get your drivers licence, they tell you up front that DRIVING IS A PRIVAGE, NOT A RIGHT and you agreed to that. They can take your license for any little reason.
Don't like it, TAKE THE CITY BUS.

Also even in states that don't have cell-phone bans. If you get in wreck and you were on your cell phone at the time, the cops will 9 times out of ten PUT YOU AT FAULT.
Depending on your insurance company, they will NOT take too kindly of you being on a phone instead of watching what you are doing.

[Buffalo]

I see plenty of terrible drivers on cell phones. I see plenty of terrible drivers drift into my lane, run through red lights, tailgate or drive far too slow, all while I'm using my cell illegally and avoiding their ****ing moronic asses running into me. Here's a better idea, ticket any idiot driver. And just wondering, what training does a police officer have that enables him or her to drive effectively while on a cell phone. Cause outside of teenagers, they are the biggest violators.

[Buffalo]

I love it when people bitch about cell phones being banned while driving.
They claim that they have the right to chat on a cell phone.
First of all, when you get your drivers licence, they tell you up front that DRIVING IS A PRIVAGE, NOT A RIGHT and you agreed to that. They can take your license for any little reason.
Don't like it, TAKE THE CITY BUS.

Also even in states that don't have cell-phone bans. If you get in wreck and you were on your cell phone at the time, the cops will 9 times out of ten PUT YOU AT FAULT.
Depending on your insurance company, they will NOT take too kindly of you being on a phone instead of watching what you are doing.
Maybe it's just me, but I generally can see what I'm doing just fine while I talk. Texting, that's another story.

[Spiked101]

I work in auto claims and I can tell you that cell phones are not the biggest culprit of inattentive driving. Food and drink are. More people get into accidents due to eating (Tacos is always my favorite..people eating tacos as they drive..yes complete with head tilted to the side..). But no one will ever ban food in cars. It's just how it is.

[DRS]

This one can not be good

PORT HOPE, Ont. - Ontario provincial police say a driver who was pulled over for speeding on the weekend was watching an adult film at the time.


Police say they pulled over the car on Highway 401 near Port Hope, Ont., on Saturday morning and noticed the male driver was watching pornography on a portable DVD player sitting on the passenger seat.


Efe Osemwegie, 32, of Mississauga, Ont., is charged with speeding and operating a motor vehicle with a television visible to the driver
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090720/national/porno_drive

[Dual867PowerMac]

I almost got T-boned last summer. Some broad chatting away on her damn phone blew through a four-way stop doing at least 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. Same thing happened near there earlier this year; another broad in an SUV blew through a red light at 45 mph. That's the speed limit, but she didn't even stop. I had to hit the gas and swerve to the left. I'm sure I was on two wheels for a moment. Scary as hell. :eek:

[VCaddy05]

And that's why it's different. Your wife is in the car with you and therefore equally aware of your situation as you drive. She sees the same road that you do.

yea then shes squawlking about everylittle thing, and distracting us both!

[Dual867PowerMac]

I work in auto claims and I can tell you that cell phones are not the biggest culprit of inattentive driving. Food and drink are.
I've almost gotten hit at least fifteen times in the last ten years and all of them were because the other party was chatting away on their damn cell phones. I got hit once. 1998 or 1999. Some girl with her first car yapping away with her girlfriend on the cell phone just tapped me in a Meijer parking lot.

My car was thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iis close to going to the great junkyard in the sky and she had a little scratch on the bumper. I let her go with a stern warning to pay attention.

[Dual867PowerMac]

By the way, with one or two exceptions, all my close calls have involved women drivers.

[VCaddy05]

I almost got T-boned last summer. Some broad chatting away on her damn phone blew through a four-way stop doing at least 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. Same thing happened near there earlier this year; another broad in an SUV blew through a red light at 45 mph. That's the speed limit, but she didn't even stop. I had to hit the gas and swerve to the left. I'm sure I was on two wheels for a moment. Scary as hell. :eek:

some people just cant drive period! having a cell phone makes it worse, but i was tboned and i mean hard by a guy who was not on the phone at all. I was rearended by a truck by a guy not on a cell phone, I personally have hit three deer none on my cellphone.

[VCaddy05]

What about texting? :eek:

oh yea! thats always a great one to see someone bobbing their freakin head up and down with that cell phone light illuminating their face!:)) then they jerk the wheel as the start to go in the wrong lane. Of course i am guilty of it myself, just not the weaving in and out of lanes. At least that I know of!

[VCaddy05]

Not my wife, she seems to see the road much different than I do... she spends a lot of time stomping the invisable passenger side brake pedal, and slapping my arm when riding with me. ;)

IMO driving down the road isn't the place to be on the phone, period, and it should be cracked down on.

funny thats the way I am when riding with my gf!!! LOL i swear she scares the **** out of me on a daily basis, or at least the days i dont drive. Just my car doesnt get as good a gas mileage, so i let her drive on occasion, and regret it the whole way there!:sick:

[mboncher]

Then do not talk and drive at all, to no passengers, nobody. With handsfree I can concentrate on my driving while I am talking, no different than talking to my wife when she is in the car with me.
Redacto In Absurdum? You has a fail. The local talkshow host that clued me in to this is a lawyer who has defended hundreds of people in traffic court. He was shocked by it as well. He and his producer discussed the "well how about just talking with someone in the car". Supposedly the study looked into that and noted that for some reason, we are able to concentrate more on the road with a second person there. There wasn't a definite conclusion as to why, but one theory was that another set of eyes was watching. Also, from personal experience, I know people who can't talk and drive. They miss their exists, drift between lanes and all that nonsense.

But even with a hands free, the drivers still reacted as if they were at .08 blood alcohol.

Texting? My God! Texting I suspect is the equivalent of falling down drunk when driving.

And Spiked, I can agree with you. Food and drink are bad too. Driving the other day, I saw a woman driving, Spoon and yogurt cup in hand on a thin street and I'm in a bus full of kids. Yeah... She looked right at me with a "what??" expression on her face as I shot her a disapproving shake of the head.

Some people just don't get it. Some people think they're alright to drive drunk too, and you'll never convince them otherwise... even AFTER they kill someone.

Apples and apples.

[NascarGirl2448]

You are unable to. Talking on a cell, hands free or no is the same as driving drunk. You are 4 TIMES more likely to crash. I've known this since seeing the first people driving and yapping away on their cell.

I call ********. I have NEVER (knock on wood) had an accident while talking on my cell phone. I have never (knock on wood) had anyone hit me while they were on their cell phones either. The ONLY times I have ever had an accident, neither was my fault. The first time was when I had stopped at a red light and the idiot behind me was trying to beat the light and not paying attention to traffic. This was on a busy city street so there were plenty of people around to tell the cops what had happened, and it was pretty obvious the idiot who hit me was at fault.

The 2nd time was when a deer ran into the side of my car on a country road and there was nothing I could have done to avoid it. The deputy who responded to the scene, as well as other people who stopped to help, also told me there was nothing that I could have done to avoid it.

I'm just shocked I have to cite the story in the NYT, but I'd been hearing about it from other sources.
Cell Phone Drivers As Bad As Drunk Drivers (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32018629/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/)

Is that really an objective source, or just someone trying to manipulate whatever data they have to say what they want it to say???

[super cool ski instructor]

By the way, with one or two exceptions, all my close calls have involved women drivers.

Well...maybe us silly little women should just stay at home until a man can drive us places.

[mboncher]

I call ********. I have NEVER (knock on wood) had an accident while talking on my cell phone. I have never (knock on wood) had anyone hit me while they were on their cell phones either. The ONLY times I have ever had an accident, neither was my fault. The first time was when I had stopped at a red light and the idiot behind me was trying to beat the light and not paying attention to traffic. This was on a busy city street so there were plenty of people around to tell the cops what had happened, and it was pretty obvious the idiot who hit me was at fault.

The 2nd time was when a deer ran into the side of my car on a country road and there was nothing I could have done to avoid it. The deputy who responded to the scene, as well as other people who stopped to help, also told me there was nothing that I could have done to avoid it.



Is that really an objective source, or just someone trying to manipulate whatever data they have to say what they want it to say???
Call ******** all you want. Almost every single case of inattentive driving I see on the road has a damn cellphone in their ear, or food in their mouth or they're rummaging in their purse/bag/briefcase. The cellphone users outnumber the rest though by a count of at least 3 to 1.

BTW, I drive professionally in a large metropolitan area. I can see down into your car cabin, and so can the kids on my bus if they actually paid attention. There are many inattentive drivers out there who don't pay attention to their surroundings, and they are made all the worse by that little plastic distraction in their ear. For some reason they seem to believe that whatever the person has to say on the other end of that conductor of cognitive diarrhea (ooh I had a thought, it must come out my mouth!) is more important than where the 1-3 ton piece of machinery they have going at velocity is heading.

Wanna know what's funnier yet? I've posted this link and conversation in a few different places. Almost 100% of the responses have been "well not ME!" I find that hilarious. Sad but hilarious.

Oh yes, in full disclosure, in my personal car, I have talked on the cell and driven. I even texted once. That was the last time I ever texted as I ended up drifting into another lane without realizing it. NEVER on the bus. Ever Ever! So, yeah, I KNOW it makes you a more dangerous driver, because it did to me. Yet I have no problems carrying on conversations with others in the car, or even dealing with kids on the bus (most times). in comparison there's just something about cells. I can't explain it, but I see the evidence in front of me every day.

That being said... I'm diving for cover with Super cool's shot across the bow regarding women drivers...

>yoink!<

[Dual867PowerMac]

Well...maybe us silly little women should just stay at home until a man can drive us places.
I would settle for you paying attention on the road. That means:

NO chatting on phones
NO doing your hair
NO doing your nails
NO putting on makeup
NO practicing for your American Idol audition along with the CD player

I've personally witnessed all those things.

:evil:

Bottom line: if you're an irresponsible ignoramus and can't do that, then you do need someone to drive you places. I don't give a damn what their gender is. And if you don't like what I said, that's too damn bad. Write the FBI. The reason my back (which was already messed up because of an accident I had when I was a teenager) and neck give me problems on occasion is because some moron in a silver and purple Mazda Protege going well over the posted speed limit hit me and took off like a coward. I don't care if it was a man or a woman. All I know is that I'm surprised I'm not on disability by now.

[mboncher]

LOL.. you remind me of something. Rush lost an affiliate in Chicago once because of talking about women doing make-up in the car. He complained about it, using the correct verb for the 'application of makeup', which is called 'farding'. The station manager thought he was saying 'farting' and had a conniption fit. So did hundreds of listeners who couldn't believe that Rush was complaining about women passing gas in the car and could tell just by looking!

Needless to say, it took a few days to calm that mess down, and even longer to smooth over the ruffled feathers at the Chicago Affiliate.

I don't remember WHEN that happened, but Rush talked about it, on his show like 2 months ago and it just stuck with me.

[Dual867PowerMac]

:))

[NascarGirl2448]

Call ******** all you want. Almost every single case of inattentive driving I see on the road has a damn cellphone in their ear, or food in their mouth or they're rummaging in their purse/bag/briefcase. The cellphone users outnumber the rest though by a count of at least 3 to 1.

So in other words those of us who CAN walk and chew gum at the same time should be made to suffer because there are stupid people in the world?? I'm sick and tired of being forced to change the way I live because of idiots!!! Also, I see plenty of idiot drivers WITHOUT cell phones on the road. Some people are just plain idiots and don't belong behind the wheel period. There's no need to punish those of us who can handle the demands of a fast paced world simply because other people can't do one thing at a time without screwing it up.

[mdk190]

Driving has become the secondary actions when in the car. The phone seems to have taken over for the sole function now. I can understand if you make a quick call when your on an extended trip but people blabbing away the entire time with their head in the clouds is dangerous. What is so important that you must answer the phone while driving or on public transportation?

[NascarGirl2448]

Driving has become the secondary actions when in the car. The phone seems to have taken over for the sole function now. I can understand if you make a quick call when your on an extended trip but people blabbing away the entire time with their head in the clouds is dangerous. What is so important that you must answer the phone while driving or on public transportation?

Some people are traveling salesmen and when the boss calls, you better answer or you're in big trouble. I've been out to dinner with friends of ours and one of them travels a lot for work, and there were times when the boss called, and never mind that we were in a restaurant, he had to take the call right then. You can complain about people being on their cell phones all you want to, but like it or not, the reality of life is that some people have busy lives and cannot, as much as they would like to, be out of reach when certain people need to get hold of them.

[mdk190]

Some people are traveling salesmen and when the boss calls, you better answer or you're in big trouble. I've been out to dinner with friends of ours and one of them travels a lot for work, and there were times when the boss called, and never mind that we were in a restaurant, he had to take the call right then. You can complain about people being on their cell phones all you want to, but like it or not, the reality of life is that some people have busy lives and cannot, as much as they would like to, be out of reach when certain people need to get hold of them.

I can see your point but it is hard to imagine every one their phone is doing so b/c of work or emergency.

People that use their cell on public transportation are the worst. Frankly honey, none of us care about your daughter's diabetic foot or your fight over something tawdry,so shut it down and wait until your off the trolley.

[Gray]

Except you can end a cell phone conversation easily. You can't end being drunk easily.

/thread

Yeah by crashing

[Gray]

some people just cant drive period! having a cell phone makes it worse, but i was tboned and i mean hard by a guy who was not on the phone at all. I was rearended by a truck by a guy not on a cell phone, I personally have hit three deer none on my cellphone.

Where any of the deer on a cell phone?

[mdk190]

Where any of the deer on a cell phone?

:))

They can gallop and gab at the same time. They have the coordination.

[Gray]

LOL.. you remind me of something. Rush lost an affiliate in Chicago once because of talking about women doing make-up in the car. He complained about it, using the correct verb for the 'application of makeup', which is called 'farding'. The station manager thought he was saying 'farting' and had a conniption fit. So did hundreds of listeners who couldn't believe that Rush was complaining about women passing gas in the car and could tell just by looking!

Needless to say, it took a few days to calm that mess down, and even longer to smooth over the ruffled feathers at the Chicago Affiliate.

I don't remember WHEN that happened, but Rush talked about it, on his show like 2 months ago and it just stuck with me.

He knew what people would hear. The joke obviously backfired.

[gdoane]

I don't even look at my cell when I'm texting, it's got a full-on QWERTY keypad and with the limit being 160 characters for a text message and me typing 50 words per minute, those 32 words aren't much of nothing at a stop light.

It just matters where your foot is. If your foot is on the brakes and you're stopped, then that's different than your foot on the gas and booking it.

I don't see why my cell phone use should be restricted just because some jokers can't tell the difference between being on the gas and moving and being on the brakes and stopped.

If they're crashing because of distracted driving, then take away THEIR licenses. Don't mess with new rules and regs when the current ones already say you can be busted for distracted driving.

[super cool ski instructor]

Yeah...I text alot in my car....but I know where the letters are, so I don't even look at the phone when I am texting.

Sorry....but I am in a long distance relationship and am often driving 3 hours away......if my boyfriend texts me to find out how the drive is going, and where I am at...I am texting him back. If you don't like that...tough.

[stodr]

Yeah...I text alot in my car....but I know where the letters are, so I don't even look at the phone when I am texting.

Sorry....but I am in a long distance relationship and am often driving 3 hours away......if my boyfriend texts me to find out how the drive is going, and where I am at...I am texting him back. If you don't like that...tough.

So you take your eyes off the road to look down to see what our boyfriend wrote you. yea that is safe.

[mboncher]

So in other words those of us who CAN walk and chew gum at the same time should be made to suffer because there are stupid people in the world?? I'm sick and tired of being forced to change the way I live because of idiots!!! Also, I see plenty of idiot drivers WITHOUT cell phones on the road. Some people are just plain idiots and don't belong behind the wheel period. There's no need to punish those of us who can handle the demands of a fast paced world simply because other people can't do one thing at a time without screwing it up.
Listen, I understand your frustration. The problem is, that if you took a driving test like this where you saw how well you drove on your cell, I suspect you'd be surprised how bad you'd do.

That being said, there are a LOT of people who I consider barely capable of driving without even a radio in the car. I worked with one guy yeeeeears ago before I started driving for a living who had wracked up 8 accidents (all his fault) by the time he was 18. That's 4 a year! the major cause? His car radio. the kid viewed the whole thing as a stereo system that got him from place to place. He was a total idiot, but, he still had a license to drive, even though his insurance was almost $600 a MONTH!

Now. Find a way to filter out morons like this, and you will also start filtering out people just with bad luck as well. They're the careful driver but Suzy McBlahblah T-boned them because she was doing something else in the car. Just like I agree that drunk driving laws are a GOOD thing (one of the few areas for state and local government to get involved, but not sobriety check points) because drunk drivers endanger everyone around them. The same philosophy should be applied to cell phone use while driving.

The best way to deal with the issue, IMHO? Put an inhibitor in the car body. When the engine is on, your cell is jammed. Done. You want to chat? Pull over and turn the engine off.

You'll have to forgive me, but I deny the 'doing it for work' argument. Too many bosses use the cell phone as a leash on their employees. I know, I used to have one like that. I hated it. Phone rings, 24 hours a day and you're expected to jump up and deal with whatever happened, no matter how trivial. They'll have to learn to deal with the fact that, you can't talk when driving.

Driving is your PRIMARY responsibility when behind the wheel. The instant it becomes secondary or tertiary or even quadrinary responsibility, eventually, you're gonna crash and possibly kill someone. It's just that simple.

If no cell phones is good for a commercial driver, it's more than good enough for private drivers as well.

[gdoane]

So you take your eyes off the road to look down to see what our boyfriend wrote you. yea that is safe.

You're reading 30 words at 400 words per minute at a stop light, no big deal.

[super cool ski instructor]

So you take your eyes off the road to look down to see what our boyfriend wrote you. yea that is safe.

LOL...do you ever change the radio station? Do you ever look off at a nice house while driving by? Do you ever notice the scenery as you are driving through the country or by the ocean?

Don't act holier than thou...the people who act that way are usually very far from it.

[stodr]

LOL...do you ever change the radio station? Do you ever look off at a nice house while driving by? Do you ever notice the scenery as you are driving through the country or by the ocean?

I change my radio station on the steering wheel. Yes I look around it gathers all kinds of SA on other cars people road conditions. Looking down to read does none of that.

Don't act holier than thou...the people who act that way are usually very far from it.

I did not act holier than thou unlike you talking about how it doesn’t affect "ME" so stuff it. In fact I posted absolutely no opinion on whether people should do it or not only that it does effect people and people who say it don't are lying to themselves.

[stodr]

You're reading 30 words at 400 words per minute at a stop light, no big deal.

did I say anything about you doing this at a stop light?

[gwhughes]

I do it all the time. No tickets, no accidents, no close calls. I've had a cell phone for about 15 years now, license for 18:)

Texting is a different story for me. I used to be okay with a regular cell that you could feel the buttons, but the phone I gave now has a touchscreen qwerty keyboard and I think twice now before texting while driving. Still do it, but am more cautious about what's around me, traffic etc, before looking at the screen.

And why would you look down to text? Just bring the phone into your field of vision....

[supreme_war_Pig]

By the way, with one or two exceptions, all my close calls have involved women drivers.

Don't you mean with one or two exceptions, all of your close calls have involved 'broads'? ;)

[mboncher]

I do it all the time. No tickets, no accidents, no close calls. I've had a cell phone for about 15 years now, license for 18:)

Texting is a different story for me. I used to be okay with a regular cell that you could feel the buttons, but the phone I gave now has a touchscreen qwerty keyboard and I think twice now before texting while driving. Still do it, but am more cautious about what's around me, traffic etc, before looking at the screen.

And why would you look down to text? Just bring the phone into your field of vision....
Only takes once. Gambler's ruin is a statistical fact. If you set your odds higher by bad behavior driving (like me and eating in my personal car), you will, sooner or later get caught for it.

I've been lucky. All the accidents I've been in has been someone elses fault, and 15+ years ago.