PSA: The Last Text

[New Guy]

Been awhile since I've posted (or even lurked) around here, been busy with "life"...

Anyhoo, on the CBS Evening News (on a story by the NTSB about banning cell phone use in vehicles) there was a mention of this ten minute documentary so I (of course) checked it out. I, for one, don't use (or text) my cell phone while driving but thought I'd pass this on to those of you who have kids of driving age. Texting seems part of new "kids" (and even adults) lives, maybe this will spook them a bit much like the drinking and driving videos I had to watch in Drivers Education a long, long time ago.

New Guy

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2964

Note: Did a search but didn't find anything, my apologies if this is a duplicate.

[mattkime]

i find the whole "debate" to be fascinating. texting and driving is clearly stupid. there is plenty of evidence that talking (yes, even hands free!) causes a considerable amount of distraction. its just not like talking to someone in the car.

its very clear that distracted driving kills but we're hesitant to do anything about it. i think its because ultimately people want to do it. and we accept the consequences as a natural part of our lives.

[mrbigstuff]

we accept it because we think we are not them, and we're capable of it while they are not.

[testcase]

Darwin Award Winners


I had ATT BLOCK texts on my iPhone.


My concern is that one of these morons will come out of nowhere and crash into me.

[space-time]

mattkime wrote:
... there is plenty of evidence that talking (yes, even hands free!) causes a considerable amount of distraction. its just not like talking to someone in the car.
...

I not only agree, I even take one step further. I never have a serious conversation with my wife while I am driving, I want to focus at the road. I avoided many accidents. Today I was able to avoid two deers jumping out of the bushes. Last weekend I avoided a driver who stopped at the stop sign at a "T" intersection , and then decided to proceed, even though I was coming from from the main road, going straight and no STOP sign for me. I braked and stopped, the other car was also stopped now but only 1 feet clearance. If I were a split second late I would have hit her driver's door.

yeah, even listening to voice mail on the hand free cell phone can be distracting to some people.

[New Guy]

I suppose I should've added a poll on the NTSB recommendation...

New Guy

[Winston]

We've got a new driver, and one with a learner's permit in the house. They drive with the radio off and strict rule not to use their cellphone.

I am debating restricting my own cellphone use while driving - it's hard to enforce a rule on kids you don't follow yourself. But I will admit that it's enticing to be able to use time in the car to make an occasional call. I don't find the radio particularly distracting, because I am able to stop listening to it (almost said "tune it out" :-) ) effectively when I need to pay close attention to driving, even when I'm listening to news. But the interactivity of having a conversation requires a much higher level of concentration.

It's odd, but when I am talking to someone who is in the car, I am able to do the same filtering I do when "listening" to the radio. It's not uncommon for me to become unresponsive to who I'm talking with when I need to focus on what's happening on the road. I will then apologize and say that I needed to drive for that moment. Sometimes I can anticipate it, and cut of a conversation more politely. But it seems much harder to do this when on the phone. May be something psychological about interacting with someone who can't see what you are doing, and who therefore only has voice cues to go with. I have cut off conversations and said I needed to call back when driving conditions didn't allow me to talk safely. But these efforts don't allow for the odd unanticipated emergency.

I am, however, extremely annoyed by modern cars that have setting, like built-in navigation systems, that don't allow you to program them when the vehicle is in motion. I mainly use something like this on a road trip when there are others in the car. I want them to be able to use the system when I'm driving, or vice versa.

Ultimately I think the solution is in part much stricter driver's education programs in the U.S. But that would be inconvenient and expensive for a lot of people. I prefer to train people to use good judgment, then let them use that judgment, rather than fail to train people and then set up rules that try to "idiot proof' things. But that doesn't go over well with much of the body politic.


Good luck.

- Winston

[decay]

install a jammer in the car that is only on when it's in motion?

[kj4btkljv]

decay wrote:
install a jammer in the car that is only on when it's in motion?

Not fair to a passenger using the phone, or kids in the back that want to call up Grandma while on a long car trip.

Jeff

[OWC Jamie]

OMG, what did the poor kiddies in the back seat do 30 years ago ?

Shame there haven't been any other technological advantages in the entertainment department since then.





time to eat your :censor: peas