Texting while driving

[check]

Until I bought my current F150 with which I can answer calls or make calls without taking my hands off the steering wheel, I just wouldn't use my cell phone at all when driving. Whether it was receiving or making a call, I just got out of traffic and stopped to use the cell phone.

Yep. I have that feature on my 2016 F150 with "Sync 3", and it is a pleasure to use. I especially enjoy the big screen on the dash, which displays in big letters who is calling, with very large accept and reject buttons that I just have to touch in order to answer the call. It works even better than using the steering wheel controls, because these new F150,s I have so many buttons on the steering wheel that you can get very distracted just trying to figure out which button to push. Even the cruise control buttons can distract you a surprising amount. But, no accidents so far!

 

[k0ua]

During my days in law enforcement, we had no phones; had to stop at a fire station or police station if we needed to use a phone.:laughing: But I've run high speed pursuits in a car with a manual transmission and having to talk on the radio with a hand held mic at the same time.

Bird, as a 2 way radio user, with 10's of thousands of miles driven while yapping on a radio with a handheld microphone and never having an accident while doing so, I think there is a difference in operating a 2 way radio with its speaker and microphone vs. using a phone in a car. I have had several close calls while trying to talk on a phone. I don't know if it is the intensity of the conversation or what it is, but I don't like to use a phone in a car while driving at all, unless I use the handsfree interface, but I have no problem at all using the 2 way radio in a car. Am I crazy? (dont answer that :laughing

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Texting and Driving Statistics

Texting while driving is a growing trend, and a national epidemic, quickly becoming one of the country痴 top killers. Drivers assume they can handle texting while driving and remain safe, but the numbers don稚 lie.

Texting While Driving Causes:

1. 1,600,000 accidents per year National Safety Council
2. 330,000 injuries per year Harvard Center for Risk Analysis Study
3. 11 teen deaths EVERY DAY Ins. Institute for Hwy Safety Fatality Facts
4. Nearly 25% of ALL car accidents

Texting While Driving Is:

1. About 6 times more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated
2. The same as driving after 4 beers National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
3. The number one driving distraction reported by teen drivers

Texting While Driving:

1. Makes you 23X more likely to crash National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
2. Is the same as driving blind for 5 seconds at a time VA. Tech Transportation Institute
3. Takes place by 800,000 drivers at any given time across the country
4. Slows your brake reaction speed by 18% HumanFactors & Ergonomics Society
5. Leads to a 400% increase with eyes off the road
Research Articles

Alleged Federal Coverup Of Data: 4�4 Not Found
Death By Text:Death by txt Numbers show SMS and driving don稚 mix | GPS Systems

Texting and Driving Statistics

 

[Redneck in training]

If I am not mistaken hands free phone function in cars was legislated in some if not all European countries years ago. There was a phone cradle mounted on the dash that integrated the phone with a radio (years before Bluetooth).
I can talk on a phone but have hard time to dial. So I don't do it. I can't do even simple multitasking while driving. My wife can talk, put make up on and slow down for cops selling ticket to speeders. All in the same time. I don't speed because I would see the cops when is too late to slow down. Women are definitely better at multitasking. Or they just think they are.

 

[oldballs]

Shoot, coming out of church last Sunday, some teenager was talking on the phone while walking down a narrow sidewalk. I had a notion to throw a block into him as he proceeded with no attention to other people walking in the opposite direction. Gimme that "Old time religion".

 

[kevin37b]

I often wonder how we would survive 30 yrs ago , no cell . What do you need to talk about 24|7 anyway ?

 

[jerrybob]

Distractions while driving are very dangerous........phones and texting are problems but there are other distractions as well........

Deputies: Polk City driver receiving oral sex struck and killed a bicyclist - Orlando Sentinel

 

[Garycw]

I often wonder how we would survive 30 yrs ago , no cell . What do you need to talk about 24|7 anyway ?

I used to think it was pretty high tech to pull up and use pay phone without getting out of car.

 

[k0ua]

I used to think it was pretty high tech to pull up and use pay phone without getting out of car.

Payphone? What is a payphone? is that something new?

 

[Howling]

There are some generational issues going on with distracted driving.

The younger generation has grown up with cell phones, internet and continuous connectivity. Cell phones are just a constant part of life. They then learn and integrate other activities (driving, etc) around that core. This has lead to drivers that don't understand that driving should be the primary activity, not just one of many things.

Us older folk learned to drive without the distractions of cell phone or other electronics as the core skill then added on the other tasks, hopefully when safe to do so.

Few years ago saw a study on how people used cell phones in cars. The older generation would dial 3 digits, look up, dial 3 digits, look up, dial the last 4 digits. The younger generation would dial all 10 digits then look up, missing a much longer stretch of what is going on.

A few year ago I was driving thru center of town. Pedestrian stepped into crosswalk so I stopped. 2-3 seconds later I go hit from behind. Young guy busy lighting cigarette didn't notice car ahead of him had stopped. Many folk need to learn to not always multitask and pay attention to what they doing.