National Cell Phone Talking and Texting Ban Requested

[herm]

I think everyone would be much safer if the speed limits were set at 55mph

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Originally Posted by bestmapman

I don't support a law against it. It is unenforceable and the law will do nothing to stop it. It would just be one more law on the books that sounds good, but has no effect.

However, it would be possible I believe with the cell phone location technology to track the speed of the phone and render the phone useless if traveling above a certain speed. That would also render passenger's phone useless, but it would stop texting and talking while driving without useless legislation.

To be honest, it really doesn't need much in the way of a law. In Maine at least distracted driving is already illegal.

All you need to do is define cellphone use by a driver in a moving car as distracted driving.

[WriConsult]

I disagree that passengers -- even kids -- are more distracting than talking on a cellphone. Talking to someone in the car with you is fundamentally different than talking to someone on the phone, both in terms of the flow of conversation and the way your brain engages.

My kid can scream all he wants in the back seat, but I can still focus on driving as needed. He can wait a second or two while I deal with a situation in front of me, and he'll barely notice the difference. Passengers who are in the vehicle with you are like that. People on the other end of a phone call (including myself) are NOT so patient. I can't stand talking on the phone with someone who's in the car -- at least if they're a half decent driver -- because of how they tune out of the conversation without notice.

Driving requires you to be able to give short bursts of highly focused attention that may last for a second to maybe 10 seconds, all at the expense of EVERYTHING else. Talking on the phone to someone who isn't physically present and doesn't like being put in second priority even for a few seconds at a time, interferes with that. We are not good at doing this and performing the spatial, periodically intense task of driving at the same time.

If you don't believe me, try tape-recording a conversation between a driver and a passenger in a car being driven in traffic. It sounds weird, with lots of odd pauses that don't make sense. Sometimes the conversation pauses for quite a few seconds, then picks up again where it left off, frequently with the passenger providing cues to the driver as to where they left off. We naturally do it, and don't even realize we do it because we do it so naturally.

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by WriConsult

I disagree that passengers -- even kids -- are more distracting than talking on a cellphone. Talking to someone in the car with you is fundamentally different than talking to someone on the phone, both in terms of the flow of conversation and the way your brain engages.

My kid can scream all he wants in the back seat, but I can still focus on driving as needed. He can wait a second or two while I deal with a situation in front of me, and he'll barely notice the difference. Passengers who are in the vehicle with you are like that. People on the other end of a phone call (including myself) are NOT so patient. I can't stand talking on the phone with someone who's in the car -- at least if they're a half decent driver -- because of how they tune out of the conversation without notice.

Driving requires you to be able to give short bursts of highly focused attention that may last for a second to maybe 10 seconds, all at the expense of EVERYTHING else. Talking on the phone to someone who isn't physically present and doesn't like being put in second priority even for a few seconds at a time, interferes with that. We are not good at doing this and performing the spatial, periodically intense task of driving at the same time.

If you don't believe me, try tape-recording a conversation between a driver and a passenger in a car being driven in traffic. It sounds weird, with lots of odd pauses that don't make sense. Sometimes the conversation pauses for quite a few seconds, then picks up again where it left off, frequently with the passenger providing cues to the driver as to where they left off. We naturally do it, and don't even realize we do it because we do it so naturally.

Exactly. Those kind of people probably aren't so dangerous when they talk on the phone...are they? When I'm talking on a phone with someone, I really don't give a care if they get annoyed when I temporarily tune them out during a critical time when it is essential that I focus on a traffic situation;and especially so if they called me while I'm driving.. This is why I think it's problematic...at best...to lump all people who use a cell phone while driving into one big group.

[WriConsult]

I still disagree. I don't think ANYONE is good at it. Even the people I speak of who are halfway decent drivers and will tune partway out of a conversation aren't still fully involved as a driver, from what I've seen.

When I've been in the same car with these same folks, and they've been driving while talking to someone ELSE on the phone, they were still substantially impaired. In fact, I would go so far as to say I've never been in a vehicle with someone who was talking on the phone behind the wheel, and who WASN'T substantially impaired.

[lightfoot]

Originally Posted by WriConsult

I still disagree. I don't think ANYONE is good at it. Even the people I speak of who are halfway decent drivers and will tune partway out of a conversation aren't still fully involved as a driver, from what I've seen.

When I've been in the same car with these same folks, and they've been driving while talking to someone ELSE on the phone, they were still substantially impaired. In fact, I would go so far as to say I've never been in a vehicle with someone who was talking on the phone behind the wheel, and who WASN'T substantially impaired.

+1

I almost never talk on the phone in the car while driving because after a phone call, even a casual chat, I realize that I have absolutely zero recollection of what happened on the road around me during the conversation. That's scary to me. If I were talking to a passenger in the car, I would remember details of the trip.

On Thursday, I experimented with a handsfree conversation while driving on local streets slowly (rush hour). Again zero recollection, so from now on I either shut off the phone, pull over if there is a call, or let it go to voicemail and then call back after I have found a spot to pull over.

As a separate issue I think peering at nav system screens while driving is distracting too. Basically equivalent to looking at a map while driving. The voice system is OK, though don't get me started about friends of mine who have BOTH cell and GPS going while they are driving. It's so tempting to just hang up on them.

[worthywads]

When cops communication devices are disabled when their squad car is moving I'll concede my rights.

I doubt I'm the only one that feels I'm distracted by a gps device, even when it's on the dash in perfect line of sight. Is it more distracting than a printout from mapquest that I'm fumbling with in heavy unfamiliar traffic?

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by worthywads

When cops communication devices are disabled when their squad car is moving I'll concede my rights.

Them being cops makes them no different than any other human being. What's good for the goose...

[lightfoot]

Originally Posted by worthywads

When cops communication devices are disabled when their squad car is moving I'll concede my rights.

What rights? I don't think driving is a "right".

Originally Posted by worthywads

I doubt I'm the only one that feels I'm distracted by a gps device, even when it's on the dash in perfect line of sight. Is it more distracting than a printout from mapquest that I'm fumbling with in heavy unfamiliar traffic?

If you rely on the voice GPS (aka "the GPS bitch"), it's not unreasonably distracting. If you're using a map or the screen, you should probably look at either only when stopped.
It seems astonishing these days, but people DID find their way around before GPS existed.

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by lightfoot

What rights? I don't think driving is a "right".


If you rely on the voice GPS (aka "the GPS bitch"), it's not unreasonably distracting. If you're using a map or the screen, you should probably look at either only when stopped.
It seems astonishing these days, but people DID find their way around before GPS existed.

I think maybe the "right" he's talking about is that if, as has been mentioned before, the safety nazis get it so that phones are disabled when in motion, then ANYone who is a passenger on ANY type of transportation loses the use of that device? But hey, it's all in the name of safety so, too bad.

I still think if GPS devices voice is even a little distracting, then radio/MP3/etc should be banned as well? Somebody just might pay too much attention to the news announcer talking about the traffic conditions you should avoid, or the song playing, and get distracted.