Do you use your phone while you drive?

Honestly, yes I have and will. I will answer the cell phone if I judge the driving situation to be not too demanding (interstate cruising, for example) or if my wife is in the car I’ll hand the ringing phone to her. If it’s in town traffic, then I’ll let it go to voice mail or answer and pull over. It’s a situational decision. I will not originate calls while driving, and I certainly would not text (not that I use texting anyway).

If it’s a call that demands a lot of my attention I will pull over and stop, and I have said, “hold on” and thrown the phone down to handle some driving task that cropped up.

I’ll answer a call while I’ve driving, but I immediately look for a safe place to pull over to continue the call. If I’m on a divided highway or in traffic I’ll just say “I can’t talk at the moment, I’ll call you back when I get safe”.

Under advice from my attorney, I respectfully refuse to answer that question on the grounds it may tend to incriminate me.

Recently the powers to be have determined that laws prohibiting hand held cell phone use did not reduce accidents.

Faster than you can read this message the news media had change it to something like cell phones have been proven safe to use in a car. Totally ignoring the fact that the law likely did not save lives because it did not reduce cell phone use in cars.

NO. It’s too dangerous. I’ve been driving 2 hours a day for the past 20 years. It’s pretty scary the things I see nowadays. I wish I had a camcorder to prove to those who say, “Oh! but I can do both and drive fine!” that they really can’t. On the highway, I’ve seen people driving on the shoulder, NOT driving between the lines, holding up traffic in the left line by driving slowly (causing everyone to pass on the right), to say the least. And, the driving between the lines thing? These people could be driving a Geo Metro and not drive between the lines. Worst case scenario: I once saw a young girl doing 80mph and texting. I can’t believe she didn’t hit anyone, as she took up 2 lanes of the road.

I am baffled at the number of people (this includes a large number of elderly people, BTW) who drive chatting on their cell phones during a snowfall (read: not a blizzard). These people are doing 5 miles per hour on local roads when a higher speed could suffice for the conditions. I just don’t believe people taking driving as a serious responsibility, that they could kill someone with their 2+ ton vehicle. I am not a perfect driver–in fact, I was in court for a ticket and met a man who proclaimed, “I got a cell phone ticket, but I need to use the phone for my job.” What did these people do before the 1990s?

I agree, the only thing that may change this is better driver education. Or, maybe, a law that could be termed, “one strike and you’re out.” People are too self-absorbed to worry about other people while driving. I’m sorry, folks, but IMHO a phone call is not necessary to take while driving.

I still say in 20~30 years, the cars will be driving themselves, no human involvement except to tell it where they want to go.

Now there’s a scary thought. There’s a reason airplanes don’t land themselves.

I have to admit, however, that with GPS systems becoming pinpoint accurate and automated systems such as the distance-measuring/automatic-braking system that Mercedes has, along with all the other new technology including “smart” navigation systems in the world of weaponry, what you’re suggesting is becoming less within the realm of science fiction and more within the realm of possible.

I think Caddy, or maybe Buick has the smart cruise feature, Acura might also. Is it just Volvo that has the collision detection braking feature?

Can you speak a little louder, I have the window down and have a hard time hearing you!!

Yes, but my calls last less then a min and I’ve let it ring if I felt it wasn’t safe to talk, I have also hung up my phone when I encounter traffic, but then again I live in ND and I don’t pass or see much traffic.

My opinion is subject to change with new facts.

Actually, airplanes do land themselves. Google for “auto landing.” It’s a pretty standard feature on airliners these days.

All research suggests that driving while using a cell phone, hands on or hand free, is an added risk to personal and public safety. As a fossil without a cell phone I can tell you that EVERY day I run into some self-absorbed jerk(s) driving while on their phones. The amount of problems this causes and the anger and anxiety created has made my daily commute a nightmare. I just can’t understand what is so important that people are willing to risk their lives and everyone else’s for a meaningless conversation! It is time for people to remember that the laws of physics indeed do apply to them, that driving is a privilege with enormous civic responsibilities that can be taken away, and finally, THEY are not the center of the universe. I have attached three links to consider about this topic and pray people will stop denying they are part of the problem and please, please stop using your phone while piloting a 3 to 5 thousand pound bullet!

http://www.unews.utah.edu/p/?r=062206-1

http://www.aaafoundation.org/resources/index.cfm?button=cellphone

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/transportation/july-dec09/driving_07-28.html

No, I don’t use my cell phone while I drive. If I must, then I will find a place to pull over first and stop. I think talking on the phone while driving is endangering my life as well as other drivers and pedestrians.

yeah, but only on an empty highway when my passenger can take care of answering the phone. i use earphones and inform the other person that i am driving and might tune them out to pay attention.

i also talk on my cell phone when cycling. i pull over to answer, put my earphones in, then bike around slowly. i figure it’s ok since i am only going to kill myself if it distracts me.

i NEVER talk on the phone in the city. i’ll pull over and talk if i think i need to take the call.

No. I don’t even like to have a conversation with someone in the car while I’m driving.

Not quite ten years ago, I had a cell phone for a year. When I tried to talk and drive simultaneously, I found that I couldn’t do either task well as usual. Today, I often receive calls from people who are on their cell phones while driving. They don’t function very well either.

Occasionally I will answer a call, and I know that I am distracted when doing so, I prefer to pull over and talk or dismiss the call. Anyone remember when you got a call you did not have to ask where are you calling from? It used to be a person called you you knew they were at home. I have been behind enough bad drivers that I say gosh on a cellphone, what a coincidence, and they are not kids but urban housewives, the same ones that think yellow is green. Sorry friend in hospital due to red light runner. IMHO No Cell phones, and there are distracted drivers I end up following and all I can wonder is how much can there be to talk about?

Depends on who is calling and even then only with headset. Am buying radio bluetooth kit before moving.

It’s not the mechanics of using a phone that causes the distraction, It’s the conversation.
No. I don’t phone and drive.

I do but not long drawn out conversations. Ive even forgotten I was on the phone while I had to swerve out of the way of someone who cut me off and ended up picking the phone back up like 5 minutes later at the next light.