Apparently my multitasking abilities are far greater than some. Cell phones are one of the greatest technologies in the world today. Using them in a safe manner is always recommended. I feel totally safe taking a call on my cell phone (either with the phone or handsfree) and still being in total control of my vehicle. If you or others do not feel you can safely do that then it would be in your best interest not to do it.Quote:
Originally Posted by droidx2010
There is nothing to think about here. The world of technology is evolving around you and you/we have to make adjustments to the benefits. What is so important? I have a life that is full and communication is a must. 3 young kids in school, a full time job and donate 30+ hours a week of my time to my community coaching baseball and being on several boards within my city.Quote:
Originally Posted by droidx2010
It's OK to get "attached" to your cellular device but remember where you came from. Anyone that can competently operate a smartphone will not have the "what do i do since my cell phone isn't working". They will know what to do.
You cannot group everyone into one category just because of a experience that you have had with someone that did not have the ability to "safely" use their device.
The problem is that the overwhelming majority of people that think they can both talk on a phone and drive just as well, are sadly wrong. If their driving isn't worse with the phone, then most likely their driving skills are so poor to begin with that adding a phone to the mix doesn't drag down the score much.Quote:
Originally Posted by huskur
I said it before and I will say it again... Go ride and commute on a motorcycle for a few months and get back to me on how great the average driver is. The truth is that most of them are oblivious to their surroundings, and most other drivers don't notice most of the stuff that goes on because they too are insulated behind glass, steel and airbags, with wonderful distractions like food, soda, radios, DVD players, gadgets, phones, GPS, the kids in the back seat, etc...
In our effort to take cars from a simple means of transportation to this serene, safe mobile entertainment systems, we have in fact made the act of being on the road LESS safe over the years. As we add more technology like "self-parking" cars, and cars that scan the road and brake when there is an obstacle and all that, we remove the driver from the act of driving, and the consequences, even more.
And look at our driving tests. A monkey could pass them, they truly are pitiful. Our driver education and test procedures in no way certify you as qualified to drive a car.
So while most people THINK they are good drivers, very few of them are. Go ride a motorcycle and you will have none of those protections, none of those distractions. You will see that each day is a video game where you "win" if you can make it to your destination alive past all the absolute blathering morons on the road and all the asinine things they do, usually while on the damned phone, all the while patting themselves on the back for what a great driver they think they are.
It's an eye-opener, and I am willing to bet that anyone here who rides and is reading this post, will agree with me 100%.
The point is that the stats are in and growing. Cell phone use while driving does have an impact.Quote:
Originally Posted by huskur
Look how many people call on the banning of guns? Even though gun accidents account for barely 1,000 lives per year. In a country of 300+ million, that's an accidental death rate of what 0.0001% or so?
So when cell phone related deaths while driving is 3,000 per year and CLIMBING, why shouldn't people be concerned?
If you are the 1% that can drive and talk and have it not make you a worse driver, great. But the other 99% need to be put in their place and if they won't take it upon themselves to do the right thing then we leave the gubment no choice but to get involved and do it for them. What do they expect? Is yapping with their fat girlfriend about Idol really worth killing someone over? Seriously? Is that a Right?
This reminds me of a video I saw on YouTube where a motorcyclist was steering with his feet while he texted on a freeway.Quote:
Originally Posted by SquireSCA
Tappin' and talkin' with Tapatalk.
Nobody said that there are not retards that ride. LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by silverfang77
But the point still stands. Cars kill almost 50,000 people in this country per year, injure more than 250,000 more and cause billions in property damage, and that is just in the US.
Why is that? How many accidents do we see on the interstates alone, during the commutes? I mean how hard is it to drive in a straight line with everyone else and not smash into someone? But even that simple task is beyond a long of people's ability to handle. Throw in curves, lights and turns and the average person starts making mistakes left and right. Throw in a parking lot where the popular belief is that there are no real rules, and the entire act of driving seems to fall apart.
And when you throw in all sorts of distractions, especially one that takes away not only focus and attention, but removes one hand from the wheel, leaves you no hand to use a turn signal and limits the movement of your head and field of vision at the same time, it's no wonder that cell phone related deaths are in the thousands and climbing...
And so when some lawmaker starts making proposals for legislation, why is anyone surprised?
I ride a bicycle instead of a motorcycle and do it almost every day. Yes, I agree 100%. Many people in cars are on phones and are oblivious to the world around them. That includes people who are "just talking." The fact is that a person has only one visual cortex. If they are using it to try to visualize the person on the other end of the phone, they are _not_ using it to avoid crashing into people nearby on the road. The reason we have a so-called "nanny state" is that many people are idiots who never grow up. I'll take the "nanny state" over being run down by a self-described "good driver" any day of the week.Quote:
Originally Posted by SquireSCA
I agree with that, although being on a regular bicycle presents its own issues... Mixing self powered bikes and cars that go much faster and trying to occupy the same space is a bad idea IMHO. Bikes are allowed on most roads only because the laws were written back when bikes were a common means of transportation and cars and speed limits were lower. Today, I see bikes going half the speed limit, blocking a lane and causing people to swerve or jam up traffic, wearing their "share the road" shirts... No offense, but roads, in 2012, are made for motor vehicles, not bikes, skateboards, etc...Quote:
Originally Posted by jonathankrall
I think that we should share the road, so long as cyclists can do the posted speed limit, and so long as they also share the responsibility of being on the road. Meaning lights, turn signals, paying for insurance in the event that they cause an accident, having to get a cycle endoresement on their driver's license the same way I do for a motorcycle, etc...
Sharing the road should mean sharing the responsibility and costs, obeying the same laws or you get a ticket, etc... not just enjoying the benefits with none of the rest...
Texting bans aren't just for drivers anymore
Tappin' and talkin' with Tapatalk.
There you go. As silly as it sounds, most people cannot handle a phone and simple tasks... If in a small town 3 people have already died from WALKING and texting, what makes people think that they won't also be dangerous behind the wheel of a car?Quote:
Originally Posted by silverfang77
I hate the government being a nanny state, but if we as a society are too selfish and stupid to do the right thing, what choice do we leave them?