Drive Now, Talk Later

Okay, saw this and decided I had to tell my story.

My sister, who is fifteen years old, came to visit me in California from Minnesota. I had just picked her up at the airport and we we’re headed back to my house to get ready to go out to dinner that night with some of my friends. I had just gotten on the one ramp. I was already going 10 mph over the speed limit, but this car full of teenagers, who had to be like barely seventeen, starts to ride my bumper. So then, I start to get angry, so I slow down to about 5 mph under the speed limit, and at this point the teens actually decide there going to drive on the shoulder to pass me. I let them do what they wanted to and I let them pass me. About 5 minutes later I get off the highway, and pull up to a stop light to find that same 1990 Chevy Caprice full of teens sitting in front of me waiting to turn. Now I know what I did next wasn’t the most mature thing ever, but I’m sure you guys know how it is when you see those teens that think they own the road, but I started to ride there bumper back. After doing this for about 5 minutes, they decided they were going to slam on the brakes, but I reacted quickly enough, and swerved onto the shoulder. At that point I remembered that my sister was in the car with me, and that I shouldn’t be doing this, so I decide I’m going to pass them and leave them behind me, but when I go to pass them they cut right in front of me and slammed on the brakes. They did this for the next couple miles, until I turned off on a side road just to get away from them. I tell ya, I may only be 23 years old, but when I was a teen I would’ve never thought of doing that. What is up with new drivers? Do they not realize that a car is not a toy?

Chanel

Here’s one for ya;
Haier is trying out a new gimmick where you can control your appliances from the internet or your cell phone. with their new setup, one can check the contents of your fridge on your way home to see if you need to stop by the store before you go home. How nuts is that?

Some people are unable to hold a conversation with a passenger and drive safely. I used to carpool with a co-worker who evidently had been taught to be polite and look right at someone when talking to them. When he’s the driver and doing 65, it gets a little interesting. More than once I had to point ahead and say, “Dave… the road…”.

If I had a nickel for every time some broad yakking on a cell almost ran into me, I’d be a rich man.

I multi-task in my car all the time and while I’ve got my “rules” for keeping it as safe as possible (eye-makeup ONLY at red lights), rules were made for breaking. (But not that one) I try to only dial my cell when I’m stopped, then talk while driving… personally i think it’s horrific that we do all the things we do while driving in cars - make-up, cells, reading the Wash Post behind the steering wheel during the morning rush; changing CD’s, TEXTING!!! 15 yrs ago we didn’t have all this technology in every home, car and teenagers’ hands - what does that say about the STRESS level in our society. Why the need to have a phone glued to our ear - almost literally w/ those BORG looking earsets? But I have a related pet peeve, not so much a safety thing, just highly irritating – Ever find yourself looking for a parking spot in a small, or not so small, parking lot and it’s COMPLETELY FULL. Try counting up how many people are hanging out, in a parking spot, shooting the bress via wireless!!! Go to Starbucks, go home, GET OUT of the parking spot b/c somebody else needs it. Yesterday I saw this at a gas station. The car was right at the pump, 3 cars behind it; she wasn’t pumping gas, just chatting up a buddy on the phone!!! thank you - i had to put that out there. seriously - i think businesses that depend on customers have a place to park need to be putting new signage in their parking lots “This lot has limited parking and is for customers only, not your personal phone booth. We appreciate your business, but kindly vacate your parking spot so as another customer is able to park.”

Some people simply can’t do 2 things at once, period. Then they get behind the wheel, yammering on their cell phones, and cause an accident. I haven’t personally been their victim (yet), but I do know a few people who have, and it’s just a very bad situation to be in. I have to say, I like the new hands-free system, Sync, that’s come out. If you absolutely MUST multitask and talk while driving, I’d say this is probably one of the safest bets out there right now.

If everyone would just HONK if they are talking.

This would honk them off and they would hang up and drive.

NO! 6% of accidents involve cell phones…But guess what? 6% of drivers are on cell phones! See for yourself at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809967.PDF
What’s even more interesting is that some non zero percentage of the accidents involve two cars either of which could be on cell phones and be rightly or wrongly to blame, so the real percentage of cell phone related accidents should be somewhere between 6-12%…CELL PHONE DRIVING IS SAFER!!!
Why? I find that I am less aggressive, speed less, don’t rush past red lights, etc…Who knows why, who cares?! These statistics don’t lie!

You are right, there are many people on cell phones while driving…6%, in fact. What percent of accidents involve cell phones? 6%!

If so many people are on cell phones, don’t they deserve their “fair share” of accidents before being accused of some inherent risk? Guess what? 6% of accidents involve cell phones, and 6% of drivers are on cell phones…It’s a wash!

NO! 6% of accidents involve cell phones…But guess what? 6% of drivers are on cell phones! See for yourself at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809967.PDF
What’s even more interesting is that some non zero percentage of the accidents involve two cars either of which could be on cell phones and be rightly or wrongly to blame, so the real percentage of cell phone related accidents should be somewhere between 6-12%…CELL PHONE DRIVING IS SAFER!!!
Why? I find that I am less aggressive, speed less, don’t rush past red lights, etc…Who knows why, the statistics don’t lie!

Will somebody please respond intelligently to this post…Tom? Ray? Do you dispute these statistics? do you dispute the idea of looking at statistics to find the Truth?

Tom and Ray must have conceded defeat on this issue judging by their silence…How about making a puzzler asking how much safer cell phone driving is considering the above statistics and the percentage of accidents that involve two, three and four cars!

Hate Cell Phones in while driving wish they were illegal- I use them, and it is now a normal part of work life. What happened in just 5 short years? People were fine with leaving message and knowing that you would call back(including my employer), and NOW everyone has to have instant access. Unless they become illegal it will remain an expectation from all including your employer that they will be used. HELP!!!

There are at least 2 pilots, and conversation doesn’t go on forever. It’s short and concise.

SLOW DOWN FOR YAKKERS!

Since our legislators are beholden to communications industry lobbyists, we are left to our own devices to combat the cell phone scourge on the road. How do we do this?

These yakkers are primarily concerned about their immediate gratification. Their blabbing is more important to them than your safety (or theirs), so when you see one in your rearview mirror, SLOW DOWN FOR YAKKERS!

Don’t slam on the brakes, just ease off the gas. On city streets, gradually decelerate to no less than 20. On the highway, no less than 40. If these self-indulgent menaces find their progress consistently impeded by their verbal addiction, they just may reconsider their priorities. In the meantime, you’ll be reducing the probability of being rear-ended by these distracted drivers, and/or motivating them to follow somebody else!

In what industry do you (morrow22) work? Most reputable companies in the Energy, Engineering, and Construction industries have strict policies prohibiting employees from using the phone while driving on business, and strongly discourage the practice when we’re away from work.

I saw this bumper sticker that I know you guys will like. It said “HEY IDIOT! you’re driving a car, not a phone booth!” Seen in Santee CA.

My greatest fear driving, is the standard suburban Mommy. She is driving her huge Suburban, with her 3.2 children screaming kids in the back, putting on her make up and talking on the Celly and she is coming straight at me??? HELP
Fergy54
Southern New Jersey

In New York State, driving while talking on a cell phone is illegal. But a ban on text messaging while driving got sidetracked. Onondaga County (Syracuse) recently enacted a ban on text messaging after a couple of fatal accidents. Nevertheless, I can’t get my sister to stop talking while driving, and yesterday my husband did it too. These are highly educated people…

There are many distractions to driving a car. Some avoidable, some not so avoidable. The cellphone thing seems avoidable to me. For those that won’t resist the temptations, there seems a technological solution that could save us from this mind altering nightmare.

This solution would probably be as popular as prohibitions on drinking and driving, but it seems to me to be doable. Various states have or are considering laws that prohibit cellphone usage while driving a car. They are hard to enforce until after the fact of an accident through cellphone records. There is a way to do it before the accident.

If cellphones were required to have full-time ON Locater Circuits, then the phone’s velocity could be tracked and monitored as its position changed relative to cellphone towers. Any phone tracked at more than 3 feet per second (walking speed) could be blocked from access to phone services until its velocity decreased below the speed setting.

The phone company’s computers could do the monitoring, circuit control, and switching operations automatically. Exceptions to phone system access could be programmed in to allow cellphone connection with emergency service providers or other vital service groups.

This method would simply prevent the distraction before it occurred. The bigger question would be, do we have the political guts to set up such a control system or will we deal with it like we do drinking and driving?