An opinion about cell phones/texting while driving

[McHeath]

This is a Canadian tech writer's perspective on texting and cell phone use while driving:


http://lowendmac.com/misc/09mr/texting-kills.html


Here in Kawleefornya both activities are now illegal as of this year.  (though we see people doing both all the time)  I confess that my one and only my fault accident in 3 decades of driving was due to talking on a cell phone.  (rear ended the car stopped ahead of me in the rain) 

[Dan]

I talk on the cell during driving. I ONLY text if I pull over and stop the car.

[bingster]

I don't own a cell, so other motorists have nothing to fear from me.  Well... not on the cell phone front, anyway.

[jsowers]

I don't own a cell phone either. I do have one in my work van, but it's turned off unless I need it to make a call. Occasionally I do use it while driving, maybe once a month, but I'm very careful and I refuse to ever text anyone while driving or standing still. It's ridiculous and unnecessary. I prefer to type in complete sentences and with all my fingers.

The school system I work for bans students using cell phones in the building. Much like the article suggests, we confiscate them on sight and then their parents have to come and get them.

As I mentioned on the IP phone thread, we had a student phone in several bomb threats from his cell phone in the boys' bathroom. And he got caught in the act and suspended for the rest of the school year.

[McHeath]

Yeah I always thought that I'd never be one of those statistics on people who crash while on their cell phone, probably driven nearly a million accident free miles, no tickets either, then bam, crashed on the phone while talking to my wife one day after work.  It was not any sort of major conversation either, but yakking about the day at work on my way home.  I did the repairs on my truck, cost me about 700 bucks to buy a new front end from a wreaking yard, geesh did I ever feel like a dolt.  The guy I hit had his back bumper rammed downward, it was a full size pickup, and it was new to boot. 

At our schools any kid using a phone during academic time is subject to it being taken and only returned to a parent.  The kids are clever, especially the teens, and it becomes a cat and mouse game. 

[Greg G.]

I have a cell, it's part of my "phone testing" equipment (use it to call my land line to see if a phone rings, and vice-versa, to see if it dials out) but I use a bluetooth if I'm talking to someone on the cell in my vehicle.  In fact, I leave the bluetooth in the car.   Personally, I think there's a big difference in talking on the cell using just the cell, and using a bluetooth while driving.  The former leaves you with one hand on the wheel and your concentration is partially diverted to the phone.  With the bluetooth, it's no different than talking to someone in the vehicle with you.  Even then, it's still a distraction, and I really don't converse much on the phone.  At home, I much prefer using my vintage phones.

Texting?  Bah, humbug!  I think it's dumb, period.  I don't understand why you don't just CALL the person.  If it's because they aren't supposed to be receiving calls on their cell phone at work, then they shouldn't be texting either.    

Take a look at the guy in this video.  I call this event "Stupid is as stupid does", scares me every time I look at it:  http://tinyurl.com/lb3for

[foots]

Brinybay, you and I think alike. If after all this time and money they have finally devoloped a telephone thats small enough to be carried around in your pocket, and is fairly reliable and has more features then anybody could have ever have imagined 25 years ago, why in the world would you use it to type messages on, especially with these little bitty keys?            I just don't get it.

[McHeath]

I don't blame you for not getting involved in a fight on the bus.  In my area the bus riders are so much trouble that the California legislature passed a special law to allow our region to have different standards for kicking people off the bus and banning them. 

We've been considering scaling back on our cell phone plans in order to save loot, and getting one of those super cheap long distance companies for the landline. 

[rp2813]

Just last night on I believe CNN they ran a segment on a study that was done I think at Virginia Tech on the compromised braking capabilities when people are driving and talking or texting.  Three situations were used.  The first was inserting a CD into the player.  The second was dialing a cell phone.  The third was texting.  In each case, the stopping distance was increased significantly.  This was done at 25 mph.  When adjusted for highway speeds, the stopping distance when texting was the length of an entire football field, including both end zones. 

There's a rule about the final six seconds before a crash being crucial to avoid an impact.  The texting situation exceeded that six second period.  Ka-BOOM.

I'm seriously opposed to any type of cell use while driving.  I only have my cell turned on when I'm away from the house, but I never answer it or make calls from it unless I've pulled over and stopped the car completely.  The Virginia Tech study recommends a full-on nationwide ban against any cell communication while behind the wheel and I support them 100%.  Even with a hands-free device people are distracted.  I see it all the time.  And the California law is a joke.  The fine is miniscule and people are simply not obeying the law because they know how difficult it is to enforce it.  Well, that and their complete lack of self discipline.

Just my $.02.

Ralph

[Dennis Markham]

Ralph, those are interesting numbers.  I don't think there is any doubt that even using a cell phone while driving is a distraction to the driver, as is talking to a human seated next to the driver.  I have used a cell phone while driving and know that it has been a distraction for me.  One of those scenarios where I looked in the mirror to verify what color the traffic light was that I just went through.  Relieved to find it was in fact green.

With regard to the California law that prohibits texting while driving but allowing the use of a cell phone for the spoken word, I saw where it is virtually unenforceable in that the police can't tell if one is texting or punching in a phone number to talk.  I suppose it will be more enforceable after the fact.  Once a crash has occurred that may be severe.  If the exact time of the collision can be determined then cell phone records will support a criminal case for texting during that same time.  Similar to the train crash where the conductor/engineer was texting at the time of the crash.

I don't know how many times in my area that I've seen a driver texting while at the traffic light.  The light changes to green and the car sits there because the driver has their head down until finally someone hits the horn.  It is not unlike drivers that read the newspaper, put on make-up, etc.  How many times have we been behind someone (usually a woman) that has the mirror pointed down so that she can see herself put on make-up and cannot see what is behind her.  

In my former line of work I won't say that I've seen it all, but I saw a lot.  I used to sit and watch the morning commute.  In the bedroom community where I worked I used to think of the commute as the tide going out in the morning and coming back in in the evening.  You see drivers with a cigarette in one hand, the cell phone in the other and maybe even a cup of coffee and a newspaper somewhere in between.  It's only a matter of time......

One last thought.  It was when I was more active in flying small airplanes that I realized just how much lack of concentration there is when operating an automobile.  I guess for obvious reasons.  "Cockpit Distractions" are a leading cause of aviation accidents---especially in general aviation.  I don't know if it is THE leading cause but one of them.  If the masses flew their cars like pilots fly their aircraft it would be a much safer driving environment.   I remember getting out the airplane and into my car to drive home and think to myself that the drive home was the dangerous part of the flight.  

The more experience a driver has the more he/she can get away with behind the wheel.  That's why many States are now limiting who can ride with driver's under the age of eighteen.  Give a sixteen year old a car, throw in a few friends, add a cell phone and turn up the iTunes and you have a disaster waiting to happen.

[rp2813]

Dennis, I can only imagine what you saw on the job.  We have a traffic columnist in the paper here and he ran a front page article on excuses given by people when stopped by a policeman. or dumb things people did to get pulled over.  Cops from all over the area submitted their experiences and there were some good ones.

I've been driving defensively for many years.  I'll admit to some offensive time behind the wheel when I was late for work and the freeway was empty, but with all the people who have their minds on everything but the business of manuevering their vehicle in a safe manner, defensive driving is our only recourse until there is some legislation passed.  It's a shame that people can't behave and end up forcing legal restrictions upon themselves for their own good.

There was a public service ad campaign about driving back in the 60's.  The catch phrase was "Watch Out for the Other Guy."  That advice applies more than ever almost 50 years later.

Ralph

[Dan/Panther]

Dennis;
It is illegal to use a cell phone at all while driving in California.
I pulled into the parking lot at school last year just as my cell phone rang, so I flipped it open and pulled into a parking space. The Deputy that was assigned to the school that week, came over and reminded me not to use the phone while driving.
D/P

[foots]

You Californy people are lucky. I wish that law was enforced over here.

[Dennis Markham]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Dan.  I must have misunderstood when I saw the discussion on TV or didn't pay close enough attention.  I thought they were saying texting was illegal but cell phone use was not.

[HobieSport]

Yes cell phone use of any kind is illegal in here in Calif. Studies have shown that even using hands-free devices impair driving, just because the mind is distracted by the conversation.

But people still use them. I told my son to NOT call me from his car. Just call me from home or when the car is parked. Last week there was a lady stopped in her car in the middle of the parking lot, gabbing away, totally oblivious to the stream of cars backed up behind her, trying to get by. Pitiful.

Not to mention the use of texting while operating a TRAIN. It's happened twice already, with the result of 25 deaths from the first accident. Argh!

I simply don't understand the attraction of texting from a moving vehicle. It seems so obviously stupid and dangerous.

End of Rant.

http://tinyurl.com/4d2elr

http://www.atlantainjurylawyerblog.com/2009/06/was_dc_train_crash_the_result.html