[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by mwfielder

Busted. I have done this, but after reading this---new ammo for me to quit. My name is mwfielder, and I am admitting I have a problem! No more texting/emailing/checking scores in the car!

Thanks for having the courage to admit you have a problem. We're all here to support you quitting.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by mwfielder

Busted. I have done this, but after reading this---new ammo for me to quit. My name is mwfielder, and I am admitting I have a problem! No more texting/emailing/checking scores in the car!

Thanks for having the courage to admit you have a problem. We're all here to support you quitting.

[Reid Kistler]

Do not text, nor read incoming text messages while driving.
95% of the time do not use phone while driving without headset (bluetooth now, wired originally) - and never initiate a call without headset in MY car (Manual Trans), although must admit have done so a couple of times while driving wife's car (Auto Trans)...

OTOH, No. 1 Son often reads & replies to text messages while driving, as do a number of his friends - so suspect that (relatively) Youthful Age might have some bearing on the proclivity: having Multiple Inputs simply seems natural!
Can remember doing homework while watching TV And/Or listening to music: not as dangerous, but example of similar "multi-tasking."

[ucfgrad93]

I don't text while driving. It is way too dangerous.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by rkistler

OTOH, No. 1 Son often reads & replies to text messages while driving, as do a number of his friends - so suspect that (relatively) Youthful Age might have some bearing on the proclivity: having Multiple Inputs simply seems natural!

I think there's a certain amount of truth to this, in that I can multi-task much better than my parents for instance, but when it comes to driving, every study has shown that regardless of age, driving performance is impacted to some degree by multi-tasking. I'm personally comfortable talking on the phone for short periods while I'm driving because:

a) I keep my calls very short
b) I make driving my priority, not talking to the person, and if need be I'll stop talking for a few seconds while I'm changing lanes or doing something else

I find it almost impossible to believe that someone's brain could be so efficient as to allow texting with no impact on driver awareness. But maybe others feel that about me saying I can use the phone while driving at all. I've certainly seen some people that, as soon as they pick up their phone, they start weaving all over the road...

[djdj]

People had better not be texting while driving, especially if your phone doesn't have a keypad (touch screen only). It's just way too dangerous to even be considered as an option.

[BevHoward]

It's informative to take a survey of people you can see using cellphones in cars. I did so several years ago when I was still commuting and the conclusions are inescapable... driving requires almost 100% of your attention to be reasonably safe and cellular use of any kind drastically reduces that percentage.

The vast majority of those using phones have their attention "Down and to the Right" assuming they are holding the phone to their right ear. They have limited consciousness of things which are ahead and slightly to the right, but i never see any type of reactivity to what's happening to their left.

Their attention to driving varies with the intensity of the call... some can't hold a conversation without using hand gestures, so they continue for long periods with no hands on the wheel, frequently moving to and across the limits of their lane.

After riding on and commuting via motorcycle for years, I have become acutely conscious of whether or not drivers are aware of my presence, and the percentage of those on cellphones score almost zero without the intervention of a liberal amount of horn.

When I got my first cellphone in the 90's, over nine thousand hours of flying time gave me the confidence that, because of decades of experience using radio communication in the air, it would be safe for me to use a cellphone while driving... the decision took about a month to sink in. was hard to accept but has become personal law... don't use a phone at the wheel, and, it would logically follow, texting while driving is insane.

There's a lot of conversation and stories around this issue... a major underscore to not using a phone while driving came from a sister... she was having a conversation with a friend when the phone went dead. She found out later her friend was dead as well.

If you drive, _please_ make it a full time job.

[Damion Chaplin]

Originally Posted by BevHoward

a major underscore to not using a phone while driving came from a sister... she was having a conversation with a friend when the phone went dead. She found out later her friend was dead as well.

Gad, I think that's the most horrific thing I've heard all year.

I don't think I could have made up a better argument against yakking (or texting!) while driving...

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by BevHoward

... a major underscore to not using a phone while driving came from a sister... she was having a conversation with a friend when the phone went dead. She found out later her friend was dead as well. If you drive, _please_ make it a full time job.

Wow...that's sobering. When my wife calls me while she's driving I sometimes have this fear that the call will cut off and it will be from an accident...I sometimes chastise her for calling me from the car when it's not something important.

[marz2k]

Yeah, I know it's a bad habit, but I've often sent text msg while driving. I've also often watched movies on my Archos

[Rocco Augusto]

I've actually been hit by a person that was texting and didn't make sure the crosswalk was clear before trying to make a right turn. Luckily I was fine and was able to jump up in the hood of the car so I just got a few scratches.

And there isn't a day that does by where I don't see someone driving recklessly because they're paying more attention to their cellphones than the road. If you really can't wait until you get to where you're going to check your phone, is it really that much of a hassle to pull over? Id rather be a few minutes late to where ever I'm going then know that my neglect lead to someone being seriously hurt.