Should all cities ban cell phones while driving?

Soundguy · May 11, 2006

( It may be the fact that a headset and the ensuing conversations are secondary for you as part of your job )

Possibly a 'learned conditioning' sort of thing then... I'd buy that.. sounds plausible enough.

( I spent 8 years as a Customer Service Supervisor. I would have to carry on a conversation while pulling files, collecting data on a computer etc. Over the years you develop the technique to put the convo into a secondary position.
)

Yep.. keeping focus while procesing data. I know people that who have to stop moving to hold a intense conversation.. I.E. they stop walking or even lean on something... Hmm.. must be taking all their brain power to get the idea out! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.. nothing left over for motor control!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif This is all beginning to make sense now.... Some people are just not wired for continous stream data processing from multiple sources ( audio-talking and visual - driving ) and motor control ....and others are.. or have learned to adapt.. etc...

Soundguy

Soundguy · May 11, 2006

( Each of the selected crew members had to drive a Police training course while sober. Then run the course while trying to answer math questions over the cell phone )

I havn't had to answer math questions over the phone while driving.. but have done product technical support and troubleshooting over the phone. Of course.. my brain treats Tech supt and trouble shooting like a flow chart... math questions require a bit of cognitive focus.. at least for me anyway..... whereas the 'flowchart' data seems to be pretty easy to call up and serve out based on cause/effect relationships.. etc..

Soundguy

turnkey4099 · May 12, 2006

An interesting experiment for those that think holding a conversation does not degrade driving ability. Find a 'reaction timer' on the internet and try it both with and without talking on the phone. I had a good one saved but it doesn't run anymore then I didn't save another very good one that was posted in a forum recently.

Harry K

Soundguy · May 12, 2006

( An interesting experiment for those that think holding a conversation does not degrade driving ability )

I don't think that anyone here is saying that talking.. or doing -any- other task does not degrade your driving ability some percentage, but rather we are discussing how much percentage is 'acceptable'.. which of course then has to relate to the operators original ability. A race car driver .. arguably.. can have a bit more going on and still drive better than the average 16 year old in a car his daddy just bought him, with his license still warm from the DMV.. etc. It's all subjective... etc. Every secondary task you undertake concurently with a continous primary task is going to be 'overhead'.. there will be a point when there is enough overhead where performance o fthe primary task is impacted enough to cause concern. Kinda like having a window on your computer doing some video editing.. then opening other windows int he background doing other tasks... at some point.. depending on all the tasks, and the computers ability ( resoruces ).. that you will get to a point that processing will slow to an unacceptable level.. again.. very subjective. 2 machines with drastically different resources will respond differently with the amount of secondary tasks that can be performed without significantly impacting primary task performance.

I know of people that can't walk and chew gum at the time without making some kind of a mistake.

Soundguy

flwiii · May 12, 2006

Knew a guy similar to that. He would have to swallow his gum if he was going to talk to someone while walking. He could walk and chew gum, but couldn't do all three.

PineRidge · May 13, 2006

Just heard on the news that Ohio has a bill before senate that says if a driver is involved in an automobile accident while on a cell phone and there are injuries to other parties whether passenger or from the vehicle(s) hit they will be held accountable.

I'm not sure what that means or how they would enforce this if made law. Sounds to me like one of those things that's going to be hard to prove one way or the other.

All I know is if this bill passes you better not be talking to yourself (moving your own lips) while driving least you hit a car or pedestrian and they think you were on your cell. It just might cost you $$$$$, or worse.

Thinking about this a bit more all the police would need to do is check with your cell phone carrier and they would know for sure that you were indeed in conversation at the time of the accident. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

turnkey4099 · May 13, 2006

( Just heard on the news that Ohio has a bill before senate that says if a driver is involved in an automobile accident while on a cell phone and there are injuries to other parties whether passenger or from the vehicle(s) hit they will be held accountable.

I'm not sure what that means or how they would enforce this if made law. Sounds to me like one of those things that's going to be hard to prove one way or the other.

All I know is if this bill passes you better not be talking to yourself (moving your own lips) while driving least you hit a car or pedestrian and they think you were on your cell. It just might cost you $$$$$, or worse.

Thinking about this a bit more all the police would need to do is check with your cell phone carrier and they would know for sure that you were indeed in conversation at the time of the accident. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

In some places, they are already including a cell phone record check in accident investigation and adding charges of some kind if the at fault driver was on the CP at the time. I have seen reports in the news on it but can't recall just where those places are. I suspect it will become more common as time wears on and new laws are passed to cover CPs.

Harry K

Soundguy · May 14, 2006

( Thinking about this a bit more all the police would need to do is check with your cell phone carrier and they would know for sure that you were indeed in conversation at the time of the accident. )

I forsee this being difficult to enforce, if you have a passanger.. as the pasanger 'could' have been using the drivers phone for a conversation.. etc.

Also.. there may be issues about pinning down the exact time of the crash. After all.. if you are on the phone.. hang up.. then 1 minute later are in an accident.. then.. tha is going to come down to the brass tacks... 1 minute is hard to frame up .. everybodies watch may be a minute off.. lag between people calling 911.. or witness's / first responders pulling over. At best.. you might get the exact time of crash down to a 2-5 window, unless you have some real decisive evidence.. liek you crashed into a clock tower that stoppe drunning druing the crash.. etc...

If i were a defense lawyer.. I'd deffinately be looking at that angle...

Soundguy

PineRidge · May 14, 2006

SoundGuy if you're involved in an accident and the officer asks you if you were wearing your seatbelt and talking on the cell phone you're not going to bend the truth are you? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif