Texting + Driving = Bad News

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26727674/?gt1=43001' target='_blank'>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26727674/?gt1=43001</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"It's suspected, but not known for sure yet, that that the engineer of a Los Angeles Metrolink commuter train may have been text messaging when the train ran a stop signal, crashing into an oncoming freight engine. It will likely take the National Transportation Safety Board up to a year to investigate the tragedy, which resulted in 25 deaths, including that of the engineer himself, and 138 people injured."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/spt/auto/1221636707.usr1.jpg" border="1" /></p><p>Regardless of why this happened, the loss of human life is saddening - but if it was was due to negligence on the part of the engineer because he was texting, it's all the more tragic. In my history of texting, which is admittedly not as long as some people, I've sent exactly two texts while driving - or more accurately, composed most of them while at a stop light and finished them while driving. And that was completely and totally stupid of me to do - I couldn't imagine how badly I'd feel if I caused an accident because I thought my text messages were more important than the safety of the people around me. Reading texts and email messages is almost as bad - there's hardly any message that can't wait until you're at a red light to red, or pulled over to the side of the road. Time to confess: do you text while driving your car?</p>

[surfer]

I've been in an acident with somone texting. I were dring my mums car and stopped at a red light. The guy behind me were texting and didn't stop in itme and hit me right in the rear behind. It was an awful experience.

[stlbud]

Actually I'm surprised by this. There are signal systems used by railroads, both large and small, where the brakes are applied automatically if an engineer passes a red light.

Was this an exception where this kind of control is not implemented? If not, it would seem the economy was not justified.

Even still, it's a terrible loss for someone being careless.

[railrunnerT68]

When it came to the Metro link train, they do not have the safety feature of Automatic Train Protection that you are talking about. Where I work they do. And it will shut you down way before the signal. You will not be able to move the train unless you over ride the protection and then you are only going ten miles per hour. When it comes to texting and driving, I only will read a text. I've texted more driving the train then the car. But I know the limits. Where I can do this and where I don't. I know I'm not suppose to but....

[John London]

I do not text and I also refuse to handhold my cell phone while driving. It is tough enough to drive while others are using their cell phone. Now that bluetooth is in my car I feel better about using the cell phone. Still no texting period. I don't know how many times I had to avoid an accident because people are using their cell phone and not paying attention. How stupid can people be that they need to talk while driving and failing to pay attention to what is going on around them on the road!

[dma1965]

When I switched from the old RIM pagers to Windows Mobile devices for the regional managers of a company I previsously worked for, I was bombarded by complaints by the managers because the Windows Mobile device (back then an SX66) was too difficult to send messages with when driving. I basically looked at them like they were completely nuts, and told them not to send messages when driving.

This did not end the complaints, and the COO then came to me and presented the same complaint. I then showed him several articles about people who had died in car wrecks while texting, and also explained to him that texting while driving is illegal (as is anything that distracts you from paying attention to the road). They all shut up about it at that point.

About 6 months later the CFO of the company comes in and tells me he was driving to work and had to go around a car stopped in the middle of an intersection with several people honking their horns at the driver of the stopped car. As he passed the driver he noticed it was one of our regional managers sending a text message.

At this point I sent out a memo informing the company how dangerous this is and that conducting company business in an unsafe manner was against company policy. I left the company soon afterward.

[yawanag]

I do not text and I also refuse to handhold my cell phone while driving. It is tough enough to drive while others are using their cell phone. Now that bluetooth is in my car I feel better about using the cell phone. Still no texting period. I don't know how many times I had to avoid an accident because people are using their cell phone and not paying attention. How stupid can people be that they need to talk while driving and failing to pay attention to what is going on around them on the road!

I am so against driving and talking on the phone. I come from back in the day where if your phone rang and you didn't answer, you were either not home or didn't want to be bothered. When did it become so important that you had to be on 24 hour call? I think cell phones are wonderful for families with kids and emergencies.

There are enough folks out there who can't drive paying attention. I try to steer away from them as much as I can. Who has that much to say or that kind of time to be texting nonstop?

[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!

[Damion Chaplin]

I've never even answered the phone while driving. And now there's a law saying I can't without a headset! Gee, too bad I'll never have that experience. ;)

The closest I've got is glancing down at my caller ID to see who I have to call back when I get to my destination.

And, of course, who can forget my experience a year or so ago (http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/f303/ipod-cell-phone-bus-driver-very-scary-30900.html)<TARGET="BLANK" A> of taking a bus while the driver was texting and listening to his iPod in one ear...

[Jason Dunn]

...as he passed the driver he noticed it was one of our regional managers sending a text message.

Haha. Wow...that's just too much. It really is amazing how the belief that just because someone can reach us instantly, we somehow have to respond instantly. It's really quite bizarre. :confused:

[Jason Dunn]

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]

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. :o I've certainly seen some people that, as soon as they pick up their phone, they start weaving all over the road...:mad:

[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]

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]

... 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. :o

[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.

[Rocco Augusto]

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. :o

I always chastise the misses when she calls me from her car when driving. To bad that doesn't stop her from doing it though. :D

[feo]

I starting commuting to work on motorcycle this year. I now get a new perspective on things as I have to watch around more carefully, plus I get to see more of what people are doing. Maybe it is because of where I live (southern California) but on the freeway on my way to work it seems to me at least 2 out of every 10 people have a texting device on their laps. I see them alternating between looking down and up. Very scary as I want to make sure they see me. It seems to have gotten worse since the headset law started.

[Jason Dunn]

I've also often watched movies on my Archos

Watched movies while driving? Are you serious? :eek: What country do you live in? I don't want to visit. :D

[marz2k]

Watched movies while driving? Are you serious? :eek: What country do you live in? I don't want to visit. :D

From Canada.
I've only watched movie when it's late (23:00+) and there was no traffic....
Still, I know it's not an excuse :(

[Jason Dunn]

From Canada.

Uh-oh...I live in Canada! :D