Texting while driving?

[Jerome Stanek]

When I am on the phone even hands free I tend to be more distracted than when I am talking to some ome in the truck. I try not to use my phone while driving

[Mark Patoka]

I believe some states want to allow the troopers to check your phone when they pull you over so they can see if you were texting at that moment. Otherwise enforcement can be a real challenge, though if I'm a passenger, I look over and see quite a few drivers doing the eyes up/down thing and you know they are reading texts or email. I only use my map app for traffic while driving and I hate it because I don't like to glance down, scroll the map, etc while driving.

[Erik Loza]

We both use our phones for Google Maps while driving but have a bracket in the Mini Cooper that puts the phone at eye levels, akin to a garmin or whatever. If a call comes though, it goes over bluetooth and we can speak to the caller that way but I ignore texts until stopped driving. As others have said, there is (to me, anyhow) a whole different level of distraction between watching a nav map or talking hands-free and texting.

Erik

[Phil Thien]

We both use our phones for Google Maps while driving but have a bracket in the Mini Cooper that puts the phone at eye levels, akin to a garmin or whatever. If a call comes though, it goes over bluetooth and we can speak to the caller that way but I ignore texts until stopped driving. As others have said, there is (to me, anyhow) a whole different level of distraction between watching a nav map or talking hands-free and texting.

Erik

Yes I agree 100%. There was recently a case in Wisconsin I think where they gave a guy a ticket for having the nav in the window. I just question whether the guy writing the ticket has ever used nav systems. In the window is a great place. I set mine down lower and use the audio (I'm doing it with an iPhone).

But I'm turning into an absolutist on this, I want something done about texters before they harass any one else.

[Mike Ontko]

I have a Bluetooth earpiece that I use if I'm expecting to be receiving or making calls while driving--or even when working in my shop (I hate to drop what I'm doing just to yammer on the phone). Texting in the car while moving is out of the question, and if I feel I need to send or check messages while sitting at a light, then I make sure that I'm aware of the traffic situation and dump my phone if the light changes while I'm in mid-message...or if I happen to spot a black-and-white within eye's range

I'd wager that distracted driving has been an issue since the automobile was introduced. We're not singularly focused creatures by nature. And I doubt that it'll be easy to break people of their need/want to use electronic devices (GPS or even the radio included) when behind the wheel. Technology may catch up though, and offer helpful solutions like better speech recognition software (like Dragon) or autonomous driving (like the cars in the Will Smith movie I Robot). Who knows, with enough time the U.S. may actually be able to improve its railways and public/mass transit infrastructure to the point that personal vehicles won't be as necessary or prevalent as they are currently.

[Brian Elfert]

I believe some states want to allow the troopers to check your phone when they pull you over so they can see if you were texting at that moment. Otherwise enforcement can be a real challenge, though if I'm a passenger, I

There are a lot of people who say they will refuse to unlock their phone for law enforcement. They are afraid the officer will look at a lot more than just if they sent a text or not. Really, officers don't exactly have the time to dig through phones if they don't already suspect you of a crime in addition to texting while driving.

[Larry Edgerton]

I had a couple of conversations on Saturday about the modern conveniences that make for hazardous driving. The neighborhood where I live has an annual community garage sale and Saturday was the day. Things I've not seen offered at a garage sale before were present this year. A truck, two motorcycles, a motor home, and (hopefully) a vintage Vette that the owner wasn't aware he wanted to sell until I asked. Both couples who were trying to sell a motorcycle, really nice bikes, stated they just don't feel safe riding any longer. They had been riding for years but noticed over the past couple of years a lot more "near misses" and lack of driver awareness and sharing the road.

I sold my collection of street bikes because I no longer felt my safety was in my hands. Too many close calls with cell phone idiots. Rode for over 40 years, and the probability of getting it was going way up with the cell phone explosion.

Interestingly research has shown that hands free phones do not help your concentration on the road, your mind is still on the phone, not the road

[Erik Loza]

Just happened this morning: A fellow instructor I teach with at our local gym arrived late for event that has happening today. "Sorry, was just in a car accident. Got rear ended by a woman who was texting".

Erik

[Phil Thien]

Just happened this morning: A fellow instructor I teach with at our local gym arrived late for event that has happening today. "Sorry, was just in a car accident. Got rear ended by a woman who was texting".

Erik

Someone above said "epidemic levels" and I don't think they're far off.

[Tom Stenzel]

I too have a cycle endorsement on my driver's license but haven't ridden a motorcycle in a few decades now. The way people drive nowa...

I'll have to finish later. The light turned green.

-Tom

[Phil Thien]

I too have a cycle endorsement on my driver's license but haven't ridden a motorcycle in a few decades now. The way people drive nowa...

I'll have to finish later. The light turned green.

-Tom

LOL, you got me.

[James Tibbetts]

I vote this approach should be applied.......................to their thumbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the penalties for texting should be exactly the same as those for drunk driving - - those two groups of idiots have the same skill set behind the wheel, so they get the same hammer.

[Tom Stenzel]

LOL, you got me.

We haven't had a good coffee meets monitor moment in awhile.

I remember over 10 years ago on a beautiful Sunday morning like today I rode my bicycle through a neighborhood to a nearby park. On the side streets three cars passed by. All three drivers had cell phones stuck to their ears. When I got home I told my wife I was going for a drive so I could call someone!

As bad as texting is, at least you don't have to do it while driving. When it's the CAR that's distracting you, what can you do?My 18 year old Saturn is now gone. My wife got a new car, I got the hand me down Chevy minivan. The radio on it has a myriad of buttons, features and other dopey stuff. I find it takes a lot of eye time off the road just to change a station. I can't imagine what mayhem is going on in cars with those digital displays that do everything.

Back in the '80s a friend of mine worked for BOC (Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac) Engineering. One of their workers had a test car with a digital control screen in it, he ran into a bridge abutment and almost died. When they asked him what happened, turns out he was trying to set the HVAC and had his eyes off the road. GM did a study on how much time was spent looking at those screens to operate the car. When the results came in they abandoned digital screen controls. Screens only showed up at GM after the people that remembered that had left or retired.

Now in dash screens are regarded as a GREAT THING, What are people smoking? Between cell phone calls, texting, obtuse car controls I'm taking the bus. When a car hits it at least it's big.

-Tom

[Scott Shepherd]

Now in dash screens are regarded as a GREAT THING, What are people smoking? Between cell phone calls, texting, obtuse car controls I'm taking the bus. When a car hits it at least it's big.

-Tom

Errr.....maybe they are designing them in Colorado now

We rented a car not too long ago and got upgraded to their premium vehicle that had all that stuff on it. I was driving the entire trip, and after about 10 minutes, I stopped and delegated all controls to the passenger. It was too much information, too many buttons, too much navigation through the system to keep focused on the road. I was a bit shocked that anyone thought they had implemented a nice integrated system. I imagine if I owned that vehicle, I'd probably have wrecked it by now just trying to change the radio station.

[Len Mullin]

It's not a real hard thing to do, just turn your phone off before get into your car. Turn it back on when you get out, any calls you've missed will be listed for you to check back on.
Len