It's About Time

I suspect you're correct that it will go nowhere, but I'm in full support of banning cell phone use while operating vehicles....any vehicle.

Been banned in Australia for a while, with heavy fines if caught touching your cell hone while driving. However hands fee is still allowed

It's just a fact, that driving or riding a bike, even, is a full-brain job.

Even before the cell phone era, it was known that the driver should not be talking,

should not be distracted by conversation while driving. We don't reliably multitask

when performing such a vital job as piloting a vehicle capable of doing harm if we err.

I think of the times I've been wiped, and so do you, by part-time drivers or riders

thinking, not much, of your mortality in their keep.

I almost always bike, wearing a fluorescent yellow shirt.

Cars give me lots more passing room, I note, when I wear that shirt,

than when I wear a black or red shirt; sometimes I try the black T in daylight,

and the passing space given to me decreases, and I get to nearly feel the side mirrors

whizzing by. The yellow shirt seems to alarm drivers, afraid not so much of hitting me,

but of myself damaging their precious car side view mirror. The shirt seems to talk to cell phone drivers,

"keep clear, I'm no fun to bump off, not with body shop costs being what they are today."

They don't really so much care about =you=, they care about not scratching their car.
A loud cycling shirt reminds them to swing wide of you. It wakes them up.

This is called "empathy". Or rather, empathy for themselves,
which is good enough, for our practical purposes daily riding.

Daily Reminders, Bikes Beat Cars, they all see me with the yellow shirt,
all of 12 per-hour, I get there faster than the cars, you too?

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Scotttri [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Been banned in Australia for a while, with heavy fines if caught touching your cell hone while driving. However hands fee is still allowed

I do a 1 hour commute from Geelong to Melbourne CBD, I generally spend between 10 and 30 minutes on hand free each way. I'd agree the distraction effect is much greater than talking to a passenger in the car. Is a normal healthy person using hands free more of a risk than the millions who drive bomby un-roadworthy cars or the old and heavily medicated drivers?

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by steve [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I do a 1 hour commute from Geelong to Melbourne CBD, I generally spend between 10 and 30 minutes on hand free each way. I'd agree the distraction effect is much greater than talking to a passenger in the car. Is a normal healthy person using hands free more of a risk than the millions who drive bomby un-roadworthy cars or the old and heavily medicated drivers?

According to some studies, hands-free cell phone use carries the same risk as holding a cell phone with your hand while driving, which carries the same risk of crashing as the average drunk driver. I'd say that's bad and that no comparison minimizes that, even if the comparison is to un-roadworthy cars or old, heavily medicated drivers.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by alienator [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

According to some studies, hands-free cell phone use carries the same risk as holding a cell phone with your hand while driving, which carries the same risk of crashing as the average drunk driver. I'd say that's bad and that no comparison minimizes that, even if the comparison is to un-roadworthy cars or old, heavily medicated drivers.

I'd say those studies are a pile of [censored]. Speaking from personal experience, I (once for sure, maybe twice) made a cell phone call (handheld) while driving on the highway. It was incredibly distracting which I why I stopped doing it completely, The worst part was dialling the number,

I don't see handsfree anywhere near as distracting. In fact, I see no real difference between speaking to a passenger in your car or speaking to a handsfree cell phone in a mount.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Yojimbo_ [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I'd say those studies are a pile of [censored]. Speaking from personal experience, I (once for sure, maybe twice) made a cell phone call (handheld) while driving on the highway. It was incredibly distracting which I why I stopped doing it completely, The worst part was dialling the number,

I don't see handsfree anywhere near as distracting. In fact, I see no real difference between speaking to a passenger in your car or speaking to a handsfree cell phone in a mount.

Obviously your experience must trump all studies. After all, that's how such information and conclusions are drawn: find a person who swears their experience is different than the results of studies. Obviously.

It's so easy to make a cell phone not work while driving. All cell phones have a built in GPS tracking system, so why not just disengage the phone once the speed of the vehicle exceeds 10mph? Chicago and New York has had cell phone ban for at least a year now, and you go to those places and everyone is using their phones anyways, even sitting next to a cop!!

What I can't figure out is if you're using a bluetooth and talking while driving why is that anymore distracting then talking to someone in the car? Or truck drivers with bluetooth vs using the CB that they've used for eons before cell phones came along. I would think both would be equally distracting, but I've got no scientific proof to prove my thinking process.

Hi, Froze!

I don't know how it compares to truck drivers using their CB radios years ago, but cell-phone use in the car has infuriated me from Day 1, and even more so when I was rear-ended and hospitalzed a few years back (while stopped at a red light!) by a sweet young thing chatting to her BF.

But in regard to your last question about it being more distracting than just talking to someone in the car... It is. I saw a very informative documentary on it months ago where they tested drivers who were either alone in the car and sober, drunk, talking to a passenger in the front seat, talking on a hand-held cell phone, or talking on a non-hand-held unit. In each case, they asked the driver to take a specific road to a specific turn-off and go to the end house. I don't remember the specific statistics, but I do remember that the people talking on the cell phone, either hand-held or not, MISSED the turn-off just as much as the people who were drunk. The drivers talking to the passenger in the front seat missed the turn-off more than the non-distracted drivers, but NOT as much as those talking on the cell phone. The scientists decided that this must mean that talking on the phone, hand-held or not, takes more of your brain's attention than talking to someone in the car -- probably because you have to listen more carefully, since we get 20% of what a person says by lip-reading and the other 80% by hearing.

I wish I could remember the name of it, because it was fascinating to watch. Even the pro-phone-while-driving people who were convinced in advance that they wouldn't miss the turn-off had to admit they were wrong.

All I know is, more than 200,000 people last year were in car crashes directly attributable to drivers talking on the phone.

My vote?? DON'T DO IT!!! [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/mad.gif[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Yojimbo_ [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I'd say those studies are a pile of [censored]. Speaking from personal experience, I (once for sure, maybe twice) made a cell phone call (handheld) while driving on the highway. It was incredibly distracting which I why I stopped doing it completely, The worst part was dialling the number,

I don't see handsfree anywhere near as distracting. In fact, I see no real difference between speaking to a passenger in your car or speaking to a handsfree cell phone in a mount.

Did you ever stopped to think that a conversation may be distracting. Commuting to work with a co-worker along side of you and the conversation is most likely a little chit chat.
Driving alone and the cell rings you pick up using your bluetooth and its your ex wife telling you to go pound tar that you are not getting the kids anymore and she is suing you for increased support because the guy watching television on your sofa has been laid off for the past month. Drive carefully.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by SierraSlim [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I don't know how it compares to truck drivers using their CB radios years ago, but cell-phone use in the car has infuriated me from Day 1, and even more so when I was rear-ended and hospitalzed a few years back (while stopped at a red light!) by a sweet young thing chatting to her BF.

But in regard to your last question about it being more distracting than just talking to someone in the car... It is. I saw a very informative documentary on it months ago where they tested drivers who were either alone in the car and sober, drunk, talking to a passenger in the front seat, talking on a hand-held cell phone, or talking on a non-hand-held unit. In each case, they asked the driver to take a specific road to a specific turn-off and go to the end house. I don't remember the specific statistics, but I do remember that the people talking on the cell phone, either hand-held or not, MISSED the turn-off just as much as the people who were drunk. The drivers talking to the passenger in the front seat missed the turn-off more than the non-distracted drivers, but NOT as much as those talking on the cell phone. The scientists decided that this must mean that talking on the phone, hand-held or not, takes more of your brain's attention than talking to someone in the car -- probably because you have to listen more carefully, since we get 20% of what a person says by lip-reading and the other 80% by hearing.

I wish I could remember the name of it, because it was fascinating to watch. Even the pro-phone-while-driving people who were convinced in advance that they wouldn't miss the turn-off had to admit they were wrong.

All I know is, more than 200,000 people last year were in car crashes directly attributable to drivers talking on the phone.

My vote?? DON'T DO IT!!! [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/mad.gif[/IMG]

While I try not to use the phone when driving, I still can't figure out using the phone vs a CB. I heard from a friend of mine who drives truck for a living that some sort of new law went into an effect that will fine drivers $2,500 for using a cell phone while driving a commercial vehicle. I asked him what's the difference between using a cell phone or a CB while driving, you know what he said? NONE!! So the truckers of America can still use a CB as they have for eons but not the phone...that just seems really nuts to me. Having never used a CB but understanding whats involved, it only makes sense the government should ban those too since their banning phone usage. I wonder if some trucking union or association will file a law suit to get the law reversed for commercial drivers? You know, our law suit happy country.

This oddity about reading lips 20% of time makes me wonder how much of the time we do that while driving? Is it really 20% of the time? I find that statistically off with regards to driving, maybe while not driving that would be true but not while driving. If this were true while driving then this means that 20% of the time spent on the road is the drivers eyes and mind off the road!!! How is that safer then using a phone? 20% of the time spent driving with your mind and eyes off the road means on a hundred mile drive, assuming you're driving for about 2 hours, your spending about 40 minutes unaware of what's going on around you. Does that sound safer then the phone? At least with the phone your eyes are still on the road...maybe dazed but still on the road!!!

Honestly I don't know, and I don't get it, I wonder how skewed the tests are, or how incomplete the test are. They show proof that X number of accidents are caused by phone but really it's inattention that causing the accidents, and inattention causes accidents period be it the phone, CB, a passenger, eating/drinking, sleepy, or thoughts of the day. I think if you could take a study showing how many accidents were caused by CBs, talking to a passenger(s), eating/drinking, tiredness, or daydreaming you would find the numbers to be closely related to phone usage because studies do prove that most accidents are cause by not paying attention, and this was a well known fact before cell phones came into our world.

Like I said though, I don't use the phone in the car unless absolutely necessary and then I use a bluetooth so both hands are still functioning.

It's an offensive to use a mobile phone when driving here in Ireland.

Hands free mobile phone usage is allowed however.

I think all usage whether it is hands free or not should be made illegal

I love cycling the bike paths. One reason is on the bike paths there isn't any cars. But the nearest path is 8.5 miles from my house, so I ride a lot of urban miles anyway. I've often said that: “before I changed my lifestyle, lung cancer and heart attack was my big risk factors. Now my biggest risk is texting teens”.

I see so many motorist driving and talking, or texting, it's scary. But to be honest, its the texting that scares me the most. They aren't just distracted... they are looking away from the road. I'd be content with hands-free talking (or even the hands-free testing).

Oh my God how true is this? You said as lazy folks continue to complain about not being able to use their cellphone. This is so funny and that is how it works. Lazy people complain about the dumbest things. Lol They should ban cellphones while you are driving but then the cops couldn't do it and I've seen more of them on their cellphone than anyone. They do when they drive. God forbid anyone should miss a call.

More people should know these statistics. The truth of the matter is as you said about the laziness. The other thing about that is that these particular people are completely brainwashed and like in some sort of oblivion.

Any use of cell phones while driving needs to be banned. Some people are not able to multitask and this would certainly help their cause. When you consider you might get carried off in conversation on your cell and forget to apply the brakes then you know how serious it can get. The ban will help drivers and others on the road.