Text Messaging While Driving - Is It Dangerous?
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The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
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<div class="IPBDescription">government is trying to enact legislation to ban it</div>It seems recent studies have revealed that texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk drivers. As a result (or perhaps not) the federal government is trying to enact legislation that would ban it... states that refuse to comply would be denied federal funding.
I'm not sure if this problem is as bad "across the pond" but it sure is getting a lot of press over here.
Are measures as extreme as this necessary?
Your thoughts...... ..... .... ... .. .
I'm not sure if this problem is as bad "across the pond" but it sure is getting a lot of press over here.
Are measures as extreme as this necessary?
Your thoughts...... ..... .... ... .. .
Comments
"Across the pond" is a broad definition, including many different countries without unified laws, but I am fairly certain both Denmark and Germany have heavy restrictions on cellphone usage while driving. You're allowed to talk on the phone using a headset, a speaker & mic setup or whatever else keeps your hands free, but the moment you're holding a cellphone to your ear or, even worse, taking your eyes off the road to type a text message, you're violating traffic laws.
Stick shifts are also far more widespread than automatics here (I believe it's the reverse in the U.S.), so you do need two hands to fully operate your vehicle.
In the interest of public safety, drivers owe the road their full attention. Asking them to find somewhere to safely stop their vehicle before diverting their attention away from a situation that they can turn lethal in a split-second shouldn't even be necessary.
If you need to operate anything that isn't integrated onto your dashboard, pull over.
I don't understand why these measures can even be considered extreme. It's just basic safety legislation.
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/technology/21distracted.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/technolo...distracted.html</a>
Furthermore, several tests demonstrate that someone operating a mobile phone while driving is as impaired as someone just over the legal alcohol limit. This is based on Irish values, which allow for more blood alcohol than continental europe, but less than in the US. There is craploads of research on this. The debate is long over here in Europe on the matter. I'm actually surprised than anyone can even consider this an extreme measure. If you support using your mobile phone while driving, then you support increasing the blood alcohol limit by a factor of at least 2, based on experimental evidence.
literally smirked at this
texting while driving is stupid, inane, not only are you taking your eyes of the road cause you have to look at your text your also engaging your brain. Double distraction whammy
Not much of a discussion. Everyone so far has agreed that texting while driving should be illegal.
... no one that frequents these forums, I guess, lol.
However, swedish professor Ola Svenson did a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V5T-45XSMNG-33&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=4556b89791f4b9682108893f878c742c" target="_blank">study</a> in the 80s in which:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->[...]subjects were asked about their competence as drivers in relation to a group of drivers. The results showed that a majority of subjects regarded themselves as more skillful and less risky than the average driver in each group respectively.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In short, people might think that you shouldn't use cellphones in the car, but that it's "okay just this once" or similar justfications. What you agree on when you sit down quietly at home browsing the forums may be very different from your actions in the spur of the moment. After all, that call was very important and traffic wasn't very heavy and you were being extra attentive to compensate.
After all, when I say with full confidence that I will never be able to fly, in reality I may one day get the magical power and float away to the sugary rainbow world where everything will be right and merry. When that day comes, I will realise the error of my ways in condemning the concept of the power of flight and also in the ability to juggle driving and texting.
edit: grammars
... no one that frequents these forums, I guess, lol.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Do you actually have trouble understanding why anyone would do something that almost everyone agrees is stupid, dangerous, and/or illegal? Is driving drunk dumb? Is suicide bombing dumb? Is smocking crack cocaine dumb? Is shooting at a police officer dumb? Can you truly not conceive of a world in which people do things they ought not to do?
Possibly because you are bugging the wrong demographic about this?
hell, show of hands:
How many people use text messaging a lot (I mean that in the "if you didn't have an unlimited plan you just bought <telco> owners a few new yachts")
hell, show of hands:
How many people use text messaging a lot (I mean that in the "if you didn't have an unlimited plan you just bought <telco> owners a few new yachts")<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
*raises hand* but only due to fiancee
You're not old enough to drive, are you?
I find that a few simple rules can take the place of all these problems:
<u>Maintain control of your vehicle</u>
No tailgating, leave enough room between you and the vehicle ahead of you for your speed (3 seconds they say), use the proper speed for the road conditions, don't fly around blind turns like a man on fire
<u>Be aware of what's around you</u>
No running over road workers, check your blind spot, no texting, no drinking, etc
<u>Try to have a positive effect on traffic OR Be nice OR my version of defensive driving</u>
Try not to assist in running someone off the road who needs to merge because of a lane is ending or something, pass on the left, drive on the right (or the other way around if you're from one of those crazy places), tailgating also falls under here because of the road rage it induces
In fact, I think tailgating is the single most dangerous thing any driver can do. [/Rant]
That made me laugh, but overall I agree.
If you're going slower than the speed of traffic don't hang out in the left lane.
Don't pass on the right.
Don't tailgate.
If people actually followed these rules driving on the highways would be so much nicer.
I'm 20.
My grandson is 21. He is a text-ho.
Amazing! Does he text while driving? If he does, I'd stop him, because the worst case scenario is he hits a bus full of orphans on their way to volunteer at a shelter for kittens. Best case scenario, he exposes himself as the kind of person who cares more about text messaging than not accidentally slamming into a car driven by a pregnant woman.
If you need to operate anything that isn't integrated onto your dashboard, pull over.
I don't understand why these measures can even be considered extreme. It's just basic safety legislation.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I thought that was legislation in the UK, Ireland and a handful of countries in Europe already enforced this?