Sure looks like you don't see it as a problem here. Of course, I could be wrong...

I don't know, maybe I write Chinese... How could I be defensive when I pointed that there are too many perfectly legal activities that lead to distraction, and even though we cannot penalize all of them, drivers should avoid these activities. For example, police cannot enforce sterile cockpit, as there is no VCR in car, but drivers should be smart enough to avoid that distraction activity as it will lead to accident sooner or later. 

 

12 years ago I was on the receiving end in RTA sitting there ,at the end of a Que of traffic waiting to pull off a motor way,one minit on my way to work all fit and well ,then one big  bang and then a life of pain ,restricted movements ,and no work ,a woman in the fast lane pulled across the motorway to join the  Que ,according to a lorry driver the woman  started looking around as if looking for a phone or something  and braked to late ,punched two cars into me and I was wedged in the back of a lorry with a cars where  my boot was ,I don't think this lady was using a phone more like she took her eye of the ball for a moment or two, no action was taken against her ,I do not like people who I see using  phones in cars it is bloody dangerous ,a car is a lethal weapon in every bodies hands it only takes seconds to be dead or to have killed or badly  injured some one ,Yes I know it wont happen to me /you ,but sadly it does

Couple weeks ago, I was driving in the center lane of an interstate highway at a portion of the highway where the highway curved to the left. I looked briefly in my left mirror and out of the corner of my eye, saw this girl in a Jeep Wrangler who nearly smashed into the side of my MDX at the start of the curve. I blasted my horn and started hitting the brakes, and a quick look inside, I could see the cell phone in her hands as she was typing away. Seriously?

 

If I get a text while I'm driving, it's waiting until I stop, unless I know that text is important, in which case I call the person via Bluetooth. The way my phone is set up, I set ring tones for certain individual people, so if they call me or text me, I know who it's coming from without even looking at the phone.

 

Sadly, some newer cars are coming out now with Text Assist. Not sure how that works, though. One of the car companies for said vehicle has a disclaimer that reads "Use the text messaging feature after stopping your vehicle in a safe location. If you have to use the feature while driving, exercise extreme caution at all times so full attention may be given to vehicle operation." Wonderful....

Funny how you guys all have your stories...  Ride a bike where you are forced to have an attention level incomparable to that when driving a car and you will have 4 or 5 stories every ride!!  

 

Eventually you just assume that whatever the dumbest, most unexpected, asinine thing that someone could possibly do is what you should expect and also have options for multiple ways out...  I find myself watching peoples front tires and there hands on the wheel if I can see them.  Amazing how many times they are LOOKING right but there front tires are pointing left and sure enough they just go left without so much as a glance.  You have to expect the unexpected, expect stupidity and never be reacting or it is already too late.  Amazing how much more attentive I am as a driver in my truck when I get off the bike.  It is a different level of awareness and you always have to be 3 steps ahead minimum.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="psolk" data-cid="2665380" data-time="1368133039">Funny how you guys all have your stories...  Ride a bike where you are forced to have an attention level incomparable to that when driving a car and you will have 4 or 5 stories every ride!!  

 

so true! i was a motorcycle courier uk wide back in the day including two years in central london.. my driving awareness in all vehicles has certainly improved from this experience and yes multiple amusing and scary stories too...

.. one lady shot out of her driveway into road in front of me only way to avoid was hop the 750 withfull fairing up on thd the sidewalk.. managed this then 50 yards later hopped it back on the road to avoid pedestrians.... only to be rear ended by the same lady who was now gassing it and had no idea of what had transpired before... fortunately this was only about 30mph and i didnt fall off or crash... but i stopped to listen to her scream at me for being a lunatic biker cutfing her up!!! nicely for me i had the pedestrian witnesses..

.. i now ride or drive assuming im in a video game where every person and obstacle on and off the road has the single intention of ending my life.. and i only have one life in the game... so im always scanning, collating, assesing and reacting (pre-acting?)

.. playing multiple fast paced video games on hardcore difficulty is a great way of honing those reactions.. staying calm and aware even in a fast developing crisis..

 

 

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If you cant understand talking to passengers while driving is distraction, then you shouldn't be allowed to drive a car at all.

 

I don't recall ever stating that. I completely agree that talking to passengers whilst driving is a distraction. What I don't agree with is that this is the same level of distraction as texting someone whilst driving.

 

 

"In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 3,267 in 2010. An additional, 387,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver in 2011, compared to 416,000 people injured in 2010"

That is from a government agency. The short of it is, greater than 90% more people were injured by distracted drivers in 2011 than in 2010. I can't wait to hear your defense of that one

 

I agree with your basic premise that texting-while-driving is a completely irresponsible and stupid thing to do, but your math is off.  Deaths went up by 1.6%, while injuries went down by 7%.

 

Maybe legislation to outlaw texting while driving or safety campaigns to at least make people more aware of the dangers are helping.  I know our state government hemmed and hawed for years before actually doing anything about this problem.  Best legislature money can buy, I always say.

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Presumably not while driving, eh? :LMAO:

 

 

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Presumably not while driving, eh? :LMAO:

nope silly! during a CAT III autoland

 

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Getting at some of the questions raised in this thread - here's a white paper by the U.S. National Safety Council on the dangers of driving while talking on a hands-free cell phone.  It's worth noting the sidebar on Page 8, which explains why talking on a cell phone - even a hands-free one - might be more dangerous than talking to a passenger.

 

This article cites Swedish research and includes links to other studies.

 

Food for thought...