Texting while driving

[turnkey4099]

It's all in degrees, not black and white. Maybe we say texting reduces your driving ability by say 40%, talking on phone by 15%, shaving 30%, ect. Speeding by even 10 mpx has a large increase in accidents, too close follow distance, lots of things... texting is just another one of many contributing factors.

Too some people, texting is a stupid increase in danger, but they don't really think of their own behavior.

I saw something one time, comparing German drivers to US drivers. The point was that most US drivers, driving is one of many activities they are doing, we view it like walking or breathing, and we drive, eat, talk, text, fix a sandwitch, and hand a sappy cup to kid in back seat; where as Germans viewed driving as an Active thing, where you are pretty much just driving.

And European driver training is REAL training and costs a bunch. Out training to get a license is a laugh compared to most other "modern" countries.

 

[turnkey4099]

What I said earlier was "This takes distracted driving because of using your phone, out of the picture."
By this I meant that when using a BT headset, both hands are always free to operate the vehicle and ones eyes never have to leave the road.
I think this makes a cellphone quite a bit safer than operating the the HVAC controls, wipers, radio and anything else I have missed, on any vehicle I operating own.
This thread is about the dangers of taking your eyes off of the road while driving when using a cellphone. In most cases, a BT headset can be the answer to that problem. Distracted driving can never be totally eliminated as long as humans are in control of the vehicle. If we want to nitpick about this, even thinking about anything other than driving is a distraction and this can happen whether conversing with someone on the phone, someone in the seat beside you, or alone in the car.

"his makes a cellphone quite a bit safer than operating the the HVAC controls, wipers, radio and anything else I have missed, on any vehicle I operating own. "

Same old, same old. Every one of those things you mention is:

1. Things you will be doing IN ADDITIOn to the phone.
2. Take seconds, not minutes as do conversations or texting.

It is the actual talking (or texting) that takes your attention off the the road, not holding the phone. I saw a test on a simulator clip. Red light in center of view field, subject to converse with someonek on phone and touch brake when light came on. He missed half of the red lights.

 

[5 string]

"his makes a cellphone quite a bit safer than operating the the HVAC controls, wipers, radio and anything else I have missed, on any vehicle I operating own. "

Same old, same old. Every one of those things you mention is:

1. Things you will be doing IN ADDITIOn to the phone.
2. Take seconds, not minutes as do conversations or texting.

It is the actual talking (or texting) that takes your attention off the the road, not holding the phone. I saw a test on a simulator clip. Red light in center of view field, subject to converse with someonek on phone and touch brake when light came on. He missed half of the red lights.

I know what you are saying but why blame it on the phone? The real problem is the conversation so I guess we need to ban passenger seats in all new cars to prevent the driver from having a conversation while driving. By your logic, taking your eyes off the road really doesn't matter.
BTW, I see you looked right over my last post in this thread. I think I made some valid points but I doubt you will agree.

 

[oosik]

L O N G before cell phones & texting - I had a friend who installed a speaker behind the grill in his Land Cruiser. He was hyper about the way folks would drive and would turn on the CB - switch it over to PA and yell at the folks who weren't driving the way he liked.

It finally happened - one day he was venting at a person at a stop and, lo & behold, there was an undercover cop car just a car or so ahead.

The fine was $100 and also 50 hours of community service. He was very embarrassed - but not so much that he kept mum about this occurrence.

 

[5 string]

The DOT seems to think keeping your eyes on the road is a good idea.
I have some friends who are truckers. When this law came in effect, they were all mad about it. Now, they all use Bluetooth ear pieces, love them, and say they wish they had used them all along. My BIL puts his on as soon as he gets out of bed in the morning, even on days off from his truck driving job.

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/Mobile_Phone_Rule_Fact_Sheet.pdf

 

[paulsharvey]

The DOT seems to think keeping your eyes on the road is a good idea.

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/Mobile_Phone_Rule_Fact_Sheet.pdf

In Florida, you can get a ticket for texting only if they pull you over for an actual charge. Think it's called a secondary violation

 

[Garycw]

In Florida, you can get a ticket for texting only if they pull you over for an actual charge. Think it's called a secondary violation

You can also get a ticket driving in the left high speed lane, if you're blocking someone from passing. This doesn't matter what Yuit speed is, even if it's over the limit. Technically both cars would get a ticket if speed limit is 70mph. Car in high speed lane going 80mph and a car going 85mph wants to pass.

 

[jlgurr]

You can also get a ticket driving in the left high speed lane, if you're blocking someone from passing. This doesn't matter what Yuit speed is, even if it's over the limit. Technically both cars would get a ticket if speed limit is 70mph. Car in high speed lane going 80mph and a car going 85mph wants to pass.

People clogging the passing lane really irritate me. More than even the folks who don't use an on ramp to reach cruising speed of the interstate before merging into traffic.

Sent from my iPhone 2.0 using TractorByNet

 

[turnkey4099]

People clogging the passing lane really irritate me. More than even the folks who don't use an on ramp to reach cruising speed of the interstate before merging into traffic.

Sent from my iPhone 2.0 using TractorByNet

Or drivers on 2-lane busy highways that don't use cruise control. Constantly varying speed.

 

[bcp]

Two lane freeways, right lane going 55, left lane going 85.

I don't fit in either one.

Bruce