Driving and cell phones

[Tigger&Belle]

Thanks for the reminder! I normally do not talk on the phone while driving. When I do it's short calls, just to take care of business. If I need to talk longer I wait until I am stopped somewhere or I pull over. I almost learned my lesson the hard way. Several years ago I was driving on the Washington DC beltway and my phone rang. I reached down to pick it up where it had fallen to the floor. I stayed in my lane and didn't get into an accident, but I realized after doing that what a stupid decision it had been.

I "enjoy" driving and watching other drivers, especially during afternoon rush hour to see how many are talking on the phone. Most are.

I get very irritated when I see someone pulling out of a parking lot talking on their phone. Why not just talk while still sitting in the parking spot, before driving off? Then they are making difficult turns pulling out of the lot. Makes me wonder!

 

[LoveWDW]

My neighbor (has kids & teaches, so you think she would be more careful) routinely drives with her cell in one hand and her tiny dog in the other. Don't ask me what she is steering with.

That is funny, in a sad way.

It reminds me of a few years back I was stuck behind a guy who was driving erratically. When I finally was able to pass him, I glanced over quickly and was surprised to see him holding a phone to his ear with one hand and taking a bite out of a sub, holding the sub with this other hand. He had to have been steering with his knees, or the car was moving along at 59 mph without being steered by anyone.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I hate bad drivers period. I drive 7 hours a day and see many more horrible drivers NOT on a cell phone than bad ones ON a cell phone. I think bad drivers are simply THAT wether on a phone or not. In other words, a cell phone has LITTLE to do with it,
just a symptom.

There are many horrible drivers out there, cell phone or not. But a cell phone had everything to do with why I got into an accident last night. I'm not a bad driver - I've never caused an accident, I have no tickets on my record. For years I've used my phone while driving, with no problems. I was too wrapped up in my phone call, and I was on auto pilot, gabbing away. It can happen, and it did.

 

[Lil_Tink]

In NJ the law says you must use a hands-free cell, but no one is complying. I see more drivers ON the phone than not. I actually saw a school bus driver on his cell while driving a bus load of kids--he was making a turn in heavy traffic while chatting away.

.

Our bus driver is crazy I swear I think shes on crack.
She answers her phone
Does crazy turns
Swears and has all the kids flip people off through the back window
The works
But atleast its fun..Lol..Sometimes she scares me...

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I don't care if I get flamed.

In my opinion no one drives well while using a cell phone. I think people would be shocked if they could see themselves on camera.

No flames from me. My family will tell you I say this a lot: the person who is using a cell while driving and hits me is going to get a big ole foot up their rear- and for a paraplegic, that will be a sight!

 

[RobinMarie]

There are tons of things that can be distracting while driving; drinking coffee, talking to passengers, misbehaving children, changing the dial on the radio, looking at scenary. Most accidents are caused because someone didn't see the danger, usually due to distraction. I have gotton my hands free head set and I find it more annoying than anything else. When I use my cell phone, in my hand, I don't find that I am anymore distracted than with the hands free set. The only difference is, I find I end the call quicker when its in my hand. Cell phones were an easy target.

Yes it is true there are a ton of things which can be distracting but for the most part, those things take little time hence the chances of an accident less than a cell phone. When you are talking on the phone it tends to be longer than taking a sip of coffee, telling the kids to quiet down, or changing radio stations.

Many drivers who have swerved into my lane on the road has done so because they are on the phone. Typically they have the phone in the left hand and are leaning that way and leave their lane. Other times I see a driver going dangerously slow on the highway and when I pass them they appear to be engaged in a serious conversation and are clueless about their speed.

You never know how a conversation is going to go, and it could require more of your attention than you originally intended. It may be too late for you or other people by the time you figure that out. In my opinion, driving a car should be taken very seriously and we should take very precaution to ensure we are being responsible on the road. Regardless of laws, it just seems to make good sense not to talk on the phone while driving.

When developing our personnel handbook, our lawyer instructed us to add the "no talking on cell phones at all while the car is turned on." He explained a case to me where an employee (a lawyer) was involved in a car accident which was his fault, while he was on a company phone. The employee sued the company because his company provided the cell phone and never TOLD him not to drive while using it. Crazy? Of course.

To the OP: thanks for your story, I'm glad everyone is ok.

 

[LoraJ]

There are tons of things that can be distracting while driving; drinking coffee, talking to passengers, misbehaving children, changing the dial on the radio, looking at scenary. Most accidents are caused because someone didn't see the danger, usually due to distraction. I have gotton my hands free head set and I find it more annoying than anything else. When I use my cell phone, in my hand, I don't find that I am anymore distracted than with the hands free set. The only difference is, I find I end the call quicker when its in my hand. Cell phones were an easy target.

Just because there are other distractions, that doesn't make it okay to talk on cell phones while driving.

Cell phones may be an easier target because it is easier to spot why the person is driving erratic.

 

[DVC-Don]

NY's hand free law is a false sense of security. Studies show the same accident rate holding a phone vs. using a hands free hookup.

 

[swilphil]

Obviously there are many bad drivers out there. But a bad driver who is talking on a cell phone is a formula for an accident. I hope more states enact this law.

 

[yeartolate]

Cell phones were an easy target.

I feel like the target.

I have been hit several times by drivers distracted with cell phones. The accident reports have listed "distracted driving" but not specifically by what. So I am wondering if the stats really reflect what a problem they are. In each accident, there was nothing I could have done to get out of their way.




I am down on drivers in general anyway. I was hit in December by a speeding driver, who apparently had been weaving in an out of traffic before she decided to use the shoulder as a passing lane. As she tumbled across the freeway she nailed us. I have permenently lost alot of the strength in my dominent hand because someone took my life into their hands when they made bad choices behind the wheel.


It comes down to folks just don't care in general what happens to others mixed with the "it'll never happen to me" attitude.

 

[Honu]

When developing our personnel handbook, our lawyer instructed us to add the "no talking on cell phones at all while the car is turned on." He explained a case to me where an employee (a lawyer) was involved in a car accident which was his fault, while he was on a company phone. The employee sued the company because his company provided the cell phone and never TOLD him not to drive while using it. Crazy? Of course.

I think this story is from what happened here in Silicon Valley. The attorney/driver wasn't the one that filed the suit.

The person she hit prevailed in a suit against both her and her law firm because this attorney was conducting firm business on her phone when she had the accident.

I have a bluetooth speaker in my car, which lets me place and answer calls via voice activation. I know it still distracts me while driving though.

 

[Viking]

A German car magazin and ADAC (Our equivalent to AAA) made tests on a closed track and found out that people using cellphones while driving make more mistakes than moderately drunk drivers!!! Over here being caught using a cell withouit handsfree set means one demerit point on your license and a €40 fine - and this is too less IMHO, but our legislators are already considering to raise that.

 

[lisajl]

There are tons of things that can be distracting while driving; drinking coffee, talking to passengers, misbehaving children, changing the dial on the radio, looking at scenary. Most accidents are caused because someone didn't see the danger, usually due to distraction. I have gotton my hands free head set and I find it more annoying than anything else. When I use my cell phone, in my hand, I don't find that I am anymore distracted than with the hands free set. The only difference is, I find I end the call quicker when its in my hand. Cell phones were an easy target.

ITA. I see a lot of people not only talking on the phone, but also, eating, drinking soda, turning around to yell at their kids.
There are a lot of distractions. Hang up and drive...don't eat and drive, this list could go on forever.