04-20-2006, 10:00 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 349
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CNN: Multitasking Triples Car Crash Risk, Study Finds
"Multitasking drivers are three times as likely to be involved in a crash as more attentive motorists who don't dab on makeup, eat breakfast, or chat on cell phones, a new study reveals. Almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes happen within three seconds of some form of driver distraction, according to the report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute."
I'm glad that the NHTSA and VTTI were able to perform and report this study, as it's obvious that more people (especially the younger generation) are equipped with mobile devices from iPods to Sidekicks to Pocket PCs to GPS Navigators, which makes it even more dangerous. Of course, the article has to sport a picture of a Samsung MITS Pocket PC phone.  ops: I've been guilty of it myself, especially when I had my HTC Universal, Wizard, and Apache devices, each of which required two hands to operate, leaving the steering wheel to the control of my knees. And don't even get me started about keyboardless-devices and using the stylus! At least my Treo 700w offers real one-handedness and Voice Command, but after reading this report, having a family with two precious kids and another on the way, I'm not even sure a Bluetooth headset is enough preventative medicine anymore. Perhaps we all need to pull over or have better self-control as to not multitask so much, especially in situations where our lives and others depend on it, or when it... just... can... wait. What do you think? Have you been in situations where you found yourself multitasking in the wrong place at the wrong time? Have you ever been a victim or nearly one because of someone else doing that?
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04-20-2006, 10:25 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,097
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Every freakin' day.
I don't drive; I walk or bike everywhere I go. Every day I am faced with people who run red lights, don't look at the crosswalk or even the lane next to them before they change lanes. I have to be constantly vigilant if I want to make it to work and back alive.
It's as though the drivers' attention has been taken from them and forced onto me. Instead of them paying attention to where they're going, I have to. In the SF Bay area (at least in the areas I travel) it seems like at least 50% of everyone is on the phone while driving. I hope hope hope they outlaw it soon before more pedestrians (who have the right-of-way, by the way) die. Statistically speaking it could very well be me next. :evil:
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04-20-2006, 10:51 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,183
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Every day. I drive,and ride a motorcycle. I've had more near-misses than I could ever count. It seems even worse here in Mississippi than in my native Britain (before phones were banned unless hands-free in the UK). The roads here are dead straight, so that encourages people to eat, drink, smoke and use their phones all while driving. They appear to think that a straight road requires no concentration.
With the number of head-on crashes I see (at least 3 a week) and cars leaving the road and travelling on the media on the verge, if only breifly, (at least 4 or 5 daily) and the number of near-misses, slow drivers in the 'fast' lane, fast drivers taking no cautious measures at all, all while holding the phone, a cigarette etc. I am shocked that I have never been in an accident yet.
But the police round here don't care. I regularly see them on the phone as they drive about, with an arm hanging out of the car window at the same time. The best yet is a cop driving, reading a map, smoking and pn the phone all at the same time!!!!
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04-20-2006, 10:52 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 578
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I think almost every driver will agree it's too dangerous to use a cell phone while driving. Of course each of those drivers is an exception to that rule.
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04-20-2006, 11:24 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 12
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Not so fast...
Everyone wants to make phone usage illegal.
On the one hand, I'm a little more concerned about distracted drivers. I just bought a new car about three days ago. I've almost been wrecked into by phone-using drivers half a dozen times, and many more times have had drivers wandering well into my lane. Three times I consider myself lucky to have avoided an accident. I may be more aware because I'm naturally more protective of a brand new car, but still it's been rediculous and dangerous.
But on the other hand, does it really make sense to make phone usage illegal. I know a lot of people that use common sense about phone calls. They don't do it if they can't control the car or see traffic signals. It's the idiots that do it even though they lose complete awareness of the cars around them, and start wandering out of their lane, or not moving appropriately with the traffic flow, sometimes completely ignorant of slowing traffic.
Yes, that's dangerous. But it's not really the phone that should be the legal issue. You should be ticketing people for dangerous driving, not phone use. How do you legislate every kind of distraction? Or do you just pick on phones and leave everyone else alone? I say that you should focus on the behavior and leave it up to the driver to figure out how to manage. Not a $200 fine and points that raise insurance, because then it becomes something police will probably avoid issuing except in the worst cases, and where police depts want revenue, they might take advantage. But some small warnings (it's a pain and embarrassment to be pulled over even if it's just a warning), or some kind of escalating scale for repeat offenses.
I don't know if there's a good solution (I hate the idea of more ticketing). But I really don't think it's the cell phone. It's the bad driving we need to focus on!
Just my 2 cents. I don't mind if others disagree. We all have our own perspectives, even about touchy subjects. 
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04-20-2006, 11:46 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,183
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Anything that takes the mind and one (or both!!) hands from the control of the car is potentially distracting and potentially will cause dangerous driving. In Britain, there is a charge "driving without due care and attention" or similar, which covers about anything you could think of. Doesn't seem like there is much to match that in the US.
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04-21-2006, 12:13 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 8
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by SteveHoward999
In Britain, there is a charge "driving without due care and attention" or similar, which covers about anything you could think of. Doesn't seem like there is much to match that in the US.
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Here in Canada and I'd assume the US has similar laws too. It's just that they're not enforced. Whether it's difficult to enforce, I'm not sure. But it drives me nuts too seeing people on the phone. BAN THEM ALREADY!
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04-21-2006, 02:15 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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I'm sorry, but this is their big finding - that doing something else while you drive makes you drive worse? And now, from the pages of "Duh" magazine...Also this month: The sky is blue.
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04-21-2006, 04:02 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 254
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Quote:
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But it drives me nuts too seeing people on the phone. BAN THEM ALREADY!
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I don't think that all cell phones are bad drivers when they're talking on the phone. OTOH (and IMHO), it isn't the people smoking, drinking, or eating who are the ones who fail to see the red lights, run stop signs, change lanes at a whim, or seem oblivious to the rest of the world - it's people using cell phones. I guess it's best if we all suffer for the stupidity of a few.
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04-21-2006, 05:34 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 16
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On the other hand...
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Originally Posted by bobbert
But on the other hand, does it really make sense to make phone usage illegal. I know a lot of people that use common sense about phone calls. They don't do it if they can't control the car or see traffic signals. It's the idiots that do it even though they lose complete awareness of the cars around them, and start wandering out of their lane, or not moving appropriately with the traffic flow, sometimes completely ignorant of slowing traffic.
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So, a law that only prohibits 'idiots' using cell phones while driving...?!? Interesting :wink: Should we just be letting it up to people themselves to judge whether or not they are able to 'use common sense'? I'm afraid that a lot of the 'idiots' would tend to think that they are excellent drivers, and that it is the others that are idiots...
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Originally Posted by bobbert
Yes, that's dangerous. But it's not really the phone that should be the legal issue. You should be ticketing people for dangerous driving, not phone use.
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So, are you also supporting the "It is not the guns that kill - it is the people using them" - i.e. don't limit the free access to firearms but just wait until someone gets killed and then we will take them to court?!?
Ticketing people for 'dangerous driving' is probably subject to many controversies, as it will be a somewhat subjective call by the individual police officer. Banning cell phones while driving would make it a lot easier and clear cut.
And by the way, cell phone use while driving = dangerous driving. A study (from the UK i think) showed that the reaction time while on the cell phone is worse than if the person is drunk. And everybody agrees that drunk driving is bad... I bet that you will be able to find drunk drivers that drive carefully and therefore are not dangerous, but that just doesn't make it OK...
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Originally Posted by bobbert
How do you legislate every kind of distraction? Or do you just pick on phones and leave everyone else alone?
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Obviously you can't legislate every kind of distraction. But when it's possible and easy to do (and the impact is known), by all means legislate!
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Originally Posted by bobbert
I say that you should focus on the behavior and leave it up to the driver to figure out how to manage.
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Leaving it up to people themselves obviously isn't working... The problem is, as also mentioned by others in this thread, that people tend to believe that other people are worse than themselves... It goes for driving, sense of humour etc... The problem of dangerous driving is potentially affecting not only the driver (and any of his/her passengers) but also the 'innocent public'. The main scope of legislation should here be seen as protecting the community and not as 'yet another restriction'.
And taking about restrictions - using a 'hands-free' solution isn't to my knowledge banned anywhere. It still is a distraction though, but at least your hands will be on the steering wheel... Some might even argue that even a hands-free solution should be banned, but that's another discussion.
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Originally Posted by bobbert
Just my 2 cents. I don't mind if others disagree. We all have our own perspectives, even about touchy subjects. |
I would say: particularly on touchy subjects! :wink: My post should not be taken as just picking on you, bobbert!!! We just happen to be of different opinions, so I thought I might as well use your arguments to illustrate my point of view.
- TheMouseMan
P.S. I currently live in a place where having our own driver/chauffeur is 150 USD/month - so I do actually talk on the phone while in the car on my way to work (as well as reading the newspaper and playing with my lovely Loox 720). :wink:
When I in a few months from now will return to my home country all this will sadly come to an end, though. So I guess I should be starting to look for that bluetooth headset... :roll:
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