Originally posted by: Ronstang
Originally posted by: Insane3D
Yes. When you are driving, you should be DRIVING...not talking on the phone. If you need to talk to someone that bad...pull over for a second.
That is the way I feel. Something I have noticed is that young people think it is OK because largely they are not good drivers to begin with. They have grown up driving cars that basically drive themselves and they simply don't pay enough attention to begin with. They didn't learn to drive on stick shift cars with no AC no power steering and no power brakes. You used to have to pay a lot more attention to simply drive a car and as a result you ended up paying a lot more attention to how you drove.
I cannot talk on the phone and drive. I just can't do it. I am a driver who constantly scans my mirrors and makes sure I know where all the cars are around me and what they are doing at all times. I am watching 500 feet ahead of me to anticipate any problems. It is how I was taught to drive. I have always been this way behind the wheel and a cell phone messes up my natural driving instincts and makes me nervous. I guess you have to be a good driver to really understand how impairng a cell phone can be while driving.
I fail to see how using a cellphone is *that* distracting. Granted, I use handsfree mode 99% of the time, and if someone sends me a TXT message, I wait until a traffic light or other stop before I respond.
FWIW, the first vehicle I drove was a stickshift utility truck that has no power steering, AC, or power assisted brakes, and I still occasionally drive a truck like it. I can tell that I'm somewhat impaired when I'm talking on the phone itself - because it restricts movement, and I'm not scanning for everyone else's activities as much. When I'm on a handsfree solution, though, I don't really have that problem. I don't know why you think you're special in that you are always watching the vehicles around you and watching for problems in front of you; I certainly do the same, and I would imagine that most people do, but maybe I'm wrong.
Talking on a cell phone is not *NEARLY* as distracting to me as is talking to someone that's with me in the car -- at least most of the time. The reason it varies is due to the nature of the call, not the fact that I'm using a cell phone. There is definitely *no* solution to that problem. Period. Outlawing cell phone use altogether is not going to solve any problems -- I *know* that I would continue to use my handsfree kit, law or no law. And if I thought that it was too obvious that a cop might see it, I'd buy something similar to OnStar, where you aren't wearing it on your body, or I'd just use speakerphone.
Originally posted by: Ronstang
Originally posted by: Feldenak
You admit that it's mainly the conversation that is distracting but it isn't the same thing? You argue like a damn woman.
You are simply wrong so what does that make you argue like? There is a HUGE difference between talking to a passenger and talking on the phone while driving. When talking to a passenger your main focus is still on driving and if something happens that needs more attention you simply disconnect from your conversation and react naturally....this is easy because the passenger is also part of your driving experience and can react immediately with you by not talking because they know exactly what is going on. When you talk on the phone it becomes the focus of your attention and it is much harder to pay attention while driving because the person you are talking to is not part of your immediate surroundings. People tend to have a tunnel vision like focus on the phone conversation that doesn't exist when you are talking to someone in person. This is apparent even talking on a land line in your home.
I suppose that may be proven, but that's not my experience at all. When I'm driving, most of my passengers aren't paying attention to what's happening on the road, and aren't going to react appropriately. I've had interesting situations arise both when I'm on the phone and when I'm talking to someone in the car - they keep talking, and I ignore them until I feel I can continue with the conversation.
Originally posted by: engineereeyore
I would definitely support it. Of course, in Louisiana, the most interesting driving aid is the drive-thru alcohol stands. You just drive through and pick up any alcoholic beverage of your choice. Hmmm, can't think of any reason we have a high DUI count in Louisiana.
Are they not that common everywhere? They're all over the place here in Ohio.
After reading this thread... I wonder how many people actually do treat their cell phone conversations as priority #1 while they're on the road, rather than taking care of driving first. Anyone that's talked to me on the phone while I'm driving knows that I occasionally stop responding (to them), and that they have to give me a minute, and I'll eventually start responding to them again. If, however, I agreed that my phone conversations held higher priority than my driving abilities... I'd be all for a complete ban.