Don't Text and Drive

This is a pretty horrible story.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=33...C-RSSFeeds0312

It still amazes me that we haven't updated driving laws nationwide to handle technology.

* Hands free devices should be required while driving. Operation a cell phone (talking or texting) should be forbidden by any means other than hands free.

* Television screens should be completely forbidden in the front seat. (I can't believe people actually watch tv and drive at the same time).

Some people argue "but eating, smoking, or changing the radio area dangerous too!" I agree, they are dangerous. But they are nowhere near as dangerous as the above things, and they generally only affect someone for a very brief amount of time. Chatting on a cell phone (or boggle, texting) can take up hours of a driver's time.

Quote:

---

* Hands free devices should be required while driving. Operation a cell phone (talking or texting) should be forbidden by any means other than hands free.

---

THANKFULLY we have these over here in Britain but unfortunately most people ignore the law and it's only a £30/$57 fine.

Quote:

---

* Television screens should be completely forbidden in the front seat. (I can't believe people actually watch tv and drive at the same time).

---

I literally cannot even comprehend this. I've never seen it before and hopefully I never will. Genuinely aghast.

Quote:

---

Some people argue "but eating, smoking, or changing the radio area dangerous too!" I agree, they are dangerous. But they are nowhere near as dangerous as the above things, and they generally only affect someone for a very brief amount of time. Chatting on a cell phone (or boggle, texting) can take up hours of a driver's time.

---

Seconded hard.

Seriously though, tv while driving? Sweet mercy.

How are hands free devices any safe with cell phones? I tried talking on a cell phone in my car once, and found it way too distracting and decided to pull over from now on. Does not having to hold it in your hand really make that big a difference?

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Aristotle

It still amazes me that we haven't updated driving laws nationwide to handle technology.

* Hands free devices should be required while driving. Operation a cell phone (talking or texting) should be forbidden by any means other than hands free.

---

They are cracking down on this in Australia fairly hard, and been to more than one accident caused by exactly this.

There is even a push to ban talking on the phone, handsfree or otherwise, while in charge of a vehicle - with studies showing that you are substantially distracted just by the conversation.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by kravenar
There is even a push to ban talking on the phone, handsfree or otherwise, while in charge of a vehicle - with studies showing that you are substantially distracted just by the conversation.

---

I agree with this personally, even if it is not a proven fact. When I call someone on their cell, the first question I ask is: are you driving? If the answer is yes, I ask them to call me back when they are out of the car.

Wont talk to them till they get out of the car. I have no desire to listen to someone die in a car wreck while talking to me on the phone.

We don't need to have laws to make change, we can start making change ourselves.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Aristotle
* Hands free devices should be required while driving. Operation a cell phone (talking or texting) should be forbidden by any means other than hands free.

---

Good luck texting hands-free :) Talking on the phone is a LOT better with a decent bluetooth headset though. It's still far from ideal, but people whose lives depend on both communication and travel (obvious example: courier drivers) can at least get one step better.

With the courier we use at work (Fastway), the driver has to respond to the call and take note of caller-id, but the content of the message is usually just "Got parcels for you", same as it has been for nine out of ten of the past days. It's not hard to field the call whenever it comes in, then remember who it was needed a pickup and record it at the next lights. There's nothing wrong with talking on the phone here, but pulling one out and answering it IS a problem. Hands-free is ideal.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Fynn
I tried talking on a cell phone in my car once, and found it way too distracting and decided to pull over from now on.

---

I've done it before as well and I find it very hard to do both at the same time. I don't know what the status of this problem in the U.S. is (moving towards making it illegal yet or what?).

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Fynn
How are hands free devices any safe with cell phones? I tried talking on a cell phone in my car once, and found it way too distracting and decided to pull over from now on. Does not having to hold it in your hand really make that big a difference?

---

I think it makes a tremendous difference - particularly depending on the hands free device.

Our car has bluetooth built in, which means you don't even wear anything. When a call comes in, you press a large button right near the gear shift and the call picks up. It is then played over the car's speaker system and you just speak normally (and anyone in the car, front or back can be heard very well). So in effect, it is no different than talking to someone who is in the car with you.

I imagine there are some hands free devices that are cumbersome enough that they are not really much safer, and dialing can obviously be a danger as well.

But it is pretty hard to police whether or not someone is talking on a hands free device, whereas a police officer can easily see someone holding/cradling a cell phone. Furthermore, almost any hands free setup is significantly safer.

Some of these arguments are a bit picky. Conversation is too distracting? What's next? Requiring that no one ride with a driver so that conversation can't take place? The idea behind hands-free devices is so that you can keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. I have a Bluetooth device that hangs lightly on the ear and you answer the phone by pushing the earpiece. Nothing cumbersome about that. Of course, I forget it most of the time, so I simply don't use the phone. If I must use the phone, I either pull over or set it to speakerphone in extremely important cases. Other than that, they can wait.

But I seriously do not see the argument against hands-free. That's like saying ALL conversation is distracting. I agree that some can be, like a heated argument. With a hands-free, you can simply hang up. What if the person's in the car with you?

Oh, and Ari, I had a friend who had the same setup. It was pretty fuckin sweet.

The biggest difference between cell phones and another person in the car, as far as conversation goes, is that a large part of our ability to understand comes from body language. The use of hands to emote how that HUGE thing was huge or how that one thing moved is of far greater impact than most people understand.

When all you have is a voice you have to devote a lot more of your attention to actually hear and comprehend what is being said, rather than being able to use all of your senses.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Gromgor
The biggest difference between cell phones and another person in the car, as far as conversation goes, is that a large part of our ability to understand comes from body language.

---

Well when I am driving I am not looking at the person talking so it really is pretty much the same.

I am not saying talking to someone is not a distraction. It is.

So is listening to the radio.

So is thinking.

My point is, listening to a phone conversation via a totally hands fee setup (especially if your car has bluetooth and it is completely automatic) is light years safer than holding or cradling a phone.

Well I don't have bluetooth cuz it's too expensive but I do have an ear piece. Though it can be dangerous. It plugs into the phone and I've had a situation where the cord would get in the way. It's usually my mom calling me to meet her somewhere to pick up my son or something along those lines. I will talk to her as I'm leaving work but by the time I get to the highway to get on I'm telling her I'm getting off the phone because I'm getting on the highway. There is just way too much going on on the highway at rush hour to be having a conversation on a phone. Handsfree or not for me anyhow.

I think the difference of being on a phone and having a conversation in the car is that the person in the car can see that there is alot going on with traffic and usually will remain quiet until things have settled down or at least until they feel it's safe to talk. To me that's a huge difference. A person on a phone can't see that someone is about to pull in front of you or change a lane or slam on their brakes or that traffic is very heavy and you need your concentration on the road.

Texting while driving? Crazy. Maybe one day they'll have a voice recognition program for that.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Isaviel
Well I don't have bluetooth cuz it's too expensive but I do have an ear piece.

---

Yes, technology costs money. But if it mattered to you, which it would if (a) your business depended on it and (b) legislation forbade the use of phones while driving without handsfree, then expense wouldn't be the issue.

Of course, like all computing/electronics/communication gadgetry, the price falls rapidly. Bluetooth headsets are now easily obtained, and far cheaper than they used to be. And they tie in well with car kits - since you no longer need the phone beside your ear, you can have it on a cradle so it (a) charges the battery, and (b) can connect with an aerial in the car for better reception. Not to mention that you don't have the radiation right beside your head (you have the much lower-power bluetooth radio instead), and although that's not _known_ to be a problem, it can't hurt to separate it from yourself.

What I'd like to see, though, is 802.11n coverage of a whole city. And then we'll abolish mobile phones to a large degree, put a wireless card in the vehicle, and use some kind of VOIP setup. It'd be incredibly expensive to roll out initially, but so wonderfully useful.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Rosuav
What I'd like to see, though, is 802.11n coverage of a whole city. And then we'll abolish mobile phones to a large degree, put a wireless card in the vehicle, and use some kind of VOIP setup. It'd be incredibly expensive to roll out initially, but so wonderfully useful.

---

Great Idea... so what are you doing about it .. GET TO WORK!

P.S. Wouldn't really abolish Mobile phones. Not everyone is in a car all the time - and mobiles are still a damn site lighter and more portable than a laptop.

Here in the UK pretty much every mobile phone sold comes with a "hands-free kit". It's basically a cord, maybe two feet in length, with an earpiece at the end and a little mic a little way down the cord. Now, as far as I can see this is is no less dangerous Some people wait untill the phone rings before even putting the damn thing on! Other will wear it the whole journey, but you still have to divert your attention to answer it. While it's not as much of a danger as having to actually hold the phone to your ear, you still have to think about where the phone is, and unless the earpiece is bluetooth (which many in the UK still aren't) then you have to worry about where the cord is as well.

Unless you have the sort of technology that Aristotle mentioned, it's really not that much safer at all. Just another gadget that means you technically adhere to the letter of the law, while not making you any safer.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by kravenar
P.S. Wouldn't really abolish Mobile phones. Not everyone is in a car all the time - and mobiles are still a damn site lighter and more portable than a laptop.

---

That's why I caveated it to "a large degree". But part of the idea was that you didn't have to have a laptop per se, your car's own computer would have the wireless connection. Basically, you'd have a Skype-enabled car.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Rosuav
That's why I caveated it to "a large degree". But part of the idea was that you didn't have to have a laptop per se, your car's own computer would have the wireless connection. Basically, you'd have a Skype-enabled car.

---

As a matter of fact, most second and a half generation to third and a half generation cell phones are basically modems in themselves. Therefore, I don't see any reason why you can't have a car with Skype (or any other similar program for that instance) built-in and all you need to do is plug in your cell phone and there you are online without the need for advanced technology on behalf of the public authorities.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Aristotle

Some people argue "but eating, smoking, or changing the radio area dangerous too!" I agree, they are dangerous. But they are nowhere near as dangerous as the above things, and they generally only affect someone for a very brief amount of time. Chatting on a cell phone (or boggle, texting) can take up hours of a driver's time.

---

In my opinion it is safer to talk on the phone and drive then it is to eat or smoke.
(At least I cannot drive and eat very well at least not without getting food everywhere.)

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Loigan
In my opinion it is safer to talk on the phone and drive then it is to eat or smoke.
(At least I cannot drive and eat very well at least not without getting food everywhere.)

---

I think you are right because talking through a GOOD hands free device at least means you can drive with both hands. Further, eating and smoking both involve interacting with your mouth which means you will be frequently obscuring your vision. And what happens when food, ash, or the cig drops?

A woman returning home from a Memorial Day party had a terrible accident on the main road in our neighborhood in DC. She was smoking, dropped the cig, reached down to pick it up, somehow managed to knock the door ajar, fell out of the car, and ran over her own legs. She had 2 kids in the car! Fortunately, she was going up a slight hill so the car soon slowed, then rolled backwards up over the curb and hit a barrier. The kids were unharmed.

They had to send in a MedVac helicopter. The helicopter had to land in an intersection of streets in the neighborhood, and to give it room to land a fireman had to chop down a couple of street signs. It was a crazy situation.

I definitely think smoking is the most dangerous thing to do while driving. It involves a hand (not the whole hand, but in order to reach to your mouth, that hand cannot help in the driving process) and your mouth, which severely reduces your concentration and sight. And last, but not least, as Ari wrote, it's goddamn fire! If it falls it's quite horrible. I've heard of more than one accident that occured when someone dropped a cig on his crotch and then freaked out and hit something.

Cell phones are bad, no doubt, but cigs are much worse in my opinion.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Jidoe
As a matter of fact, most second and a half generation to third and a half generation cell phones are basically modems in themselves. Therefore, I don't see any reason why you can't have a car with Skype (or any other similar program for that instance) built-in and all you need to do is plug in your cell phone and there you are online without the need for advanced technology on behalf of the public authorities.

---

I have a 3G mobile wireless service. It gives a theoretical 3.6Mbit/s and a practical connection good enough for mudding but not for Youtube etc. I'd never put voip on it. 802.11n gives a theoretical 240-270Mb (though as it's not yet finalized that may change), which is better than double your regular wire-based ethernet at 100Mb. That's what I'd voip with.