Take the Pledge: Don't Drive and Talk/Text!

[piglet too]

While I agree that texting and reading/sending e-mails while driving is bad, I am not so sure that just talking is. Yes, there have been tragic accidents, but were those drivers good drivers while not on the phone? Like a PP asked, what about the other distractions? When I am coming home from work late at night, and I am tired, I find talking to my DH keeps me more focused then if all I did was listen to the music.

ETA ~ I can name two instances that I was not on the phone and I blew through stop signs. Once because I was exhausted. (coming home from the hospital where my DD had been transfered after spending the previous night at the ER) and the other was because I was talking to my DS sitting next to me.

 

[descovy]

While I agree that texting and reading/sending e-mails while driving is bad, I am not so sure that just talking is. Yes, there have been tragic accidents, but were those drivers good drivers while not on the phone? Like a PP asked, what about the other distractions? When I am coming home from work late at night, and I am tired, I find talking to my DH keeps me more focused then if all I did was listen to the music.

I think in my own experiences, you are talking with someone in the car, they are with you, and they see/sense the traffic getting bad, you need to merge, change lanes, oh no you just missed your turn, someone is braking fast ahead of you, construction zone!, suddenly you are in a downpour/fog can't see well.

They don't keep yammering on and on and on, like the person on the other end of the phone line might (not seeing what sticky situation you are in) Naturaly, someone in the car can pause, sense the need to wait a moment to continue the conversation.

 

[glitterkittyy]

I am in the car anywhere from 3-5 hours per day. I won't text while driving, but yes, I will talk while I drive. I've been doing it for over 10 years, and I haven't had an accident yet. And I commute on I-4 now!

I must be the exception rather than the rule.

 

[bettymae1121]

I didn't watch the show, but I am curious. Were there any studies that showed that people shouldn't talk to someone else in the car as well, like the person sitting next to you, or your kids in the backseat? Was it the conversation that caused the distraction, or pushing the one button on the bluetooth in your ear? Did they find that the more people that were in the car, the more distracted the driver was, and if so, were there any different recommendations? Thanks.

It wasn't mentioned on Oprah yesterday, but yes they've done studies and no, talking to someone in the car is NOT as distracting as speaking to someone on a phone (for some reason). Obviously if you are fighting or turning around to yell at your kids, that's different. But for a normal conversation, it's not as distracting as a cell phone.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I must be the exception rather than the rule.

No. Just lucky.

 

[glitterkittyy]

No. Just lucky.

In that case, maybe I should play the lottery!

 

[descovy]

I am in the car anywhere from 3-5 hours per day. I won't text while driving, but yes, I will talk while I drive. I've been doing it for over 10 years, and I haven't had an accident yet. And I commute on I-4 now!

I must be the exception rather than the rule.

Shoot, drunks coming home from the bar have had this same argument for years... doesn't make it any safer...

What kind of highly important conversations are you having? Isn't guiding a big hunk of metal down the road at 70mph, important enough to keep your attention?

 

[glitterkittyy]

Shoot, drunks coming home from the bar have had this same argument for years... doesn't make it any safer...

Dunno...I'm not the drinking and driving type unless you count Diet Pepsi.

What kind of highly important conversations are you having? Isn't guiding a big hunk of metal down the road at 70mph, important enough to keep your attention?

Work-related. I mean if it's my mom or my husband calling, I hit ignore and will call them back later. Talking about what I'm making for dinner tonight isn't important. But most of my calls are work-related and deadline driven.

 

[bettymae1121]

Can we add no putting on makeup, reading the newspaper or a book, fixing your hair, eating a giant subway sandwhich (and chips and drinking something), fidgeting with the radio/cd player/iPod, talking to the person next to you and not paying attention, shaving, taking your sweatshirt off, or checking out the hot girl/guy in the car next to you?

(I've seen all of those and they bug me so much!)

Driving while distracted (and I'll put using an IPod up there with texting, to be honest with you) is always a bad thing, but I think that because cell phones and blackberrys are SO common now that it's really becoming an epidemic. The vast majority of people don't shave or put on make up while driving, but many people use cells while driving, even if it's only once in a while.

Using a cell EVEN HANDS FREE makes you as dangerous as somone with a .08 blood alcohol reading. I don't blame people for not realizing the danger before knowing such stats (I myself didn't know how dangerous it was before yesterday, though I knew it was bad), but to my mind, continuing this behavior after knowing the facts is just as bad as having a few shots of alcohol and then getting into your car and driving home.

This isn't someone's opinion, they've done studies on this.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

Actually, it has been proven that talking on your cell phone while driving has the same effect on a person as does driving while intoxicated!!! You can watch the show, "Myth Busters" to see the episode where they tested this theory out. I do not talk, text, or anything while driving. DRIVING should be the ONLY thing you are doing!!

I've got a DS3 and a DS8months and no phone call is worth picking up! It can wait for the more appropriate time.

 

[bettymae1121]

Obviously, if you talk to the other people in the car you are also selfish and entitled and you value your conversation over other people's lives.

Perhaps you missed the posts stating that studies show that talking to somone in the car with you is not dangerous.

Driving while talking on the phone is just as dangerous as driving drunk. That isn't being dramatic, that is proven scientific fact. Why would you want to drive your daughter (I assume that's your daughter in your sig) while you're the equivilant of being drunk? Why would you want to be on the road with other drivers that are the equivlilent of being drunk?

Being unaware of this information is one thing, but why continue this behaviour when you've learned that studies (not just one, but several) show that it's dangerous?

 

[glitterkittyy]

Actually, it has been proven that talking on your cell phone while driving has the same effect on a person as does driving while intoxicated!!! You can watch the show, "Myth Busters" to see the episode where they tested this theory out. I do not talk, text, or anything while driving. DRIVING should be the ONLY thing you are doing!!

I've got a DS3 and a DS8months and no phone call is worth picking up! It can wait for the more appropriate time.

I may find that episode and watch it. Thanks for posting that.

 

[WriteDisney]

Driving while distracted (and I'll put using an IPod up there with texting, to be honest with you) is always a bad thing, but I think that because cell phones and blackberrys are SO common now that it's really becoming an epidemic. The vast majority of people don't shave or put on make up while driving, but many people use cells while driving, even if it's only once in a while.

Using a cell EVEN HANDS FREE makes you as dangerous as somone with a .08 blood alcohol reading. I don't blame people for not realizing the danger before knowing such stats (I myself didn't know how dangerous it was before yesterday, though I knew it was bad), but to my mind, continuing this behavior after knowing the facts is just as bad as having a few shots of alcohol and then getting into your car and driving home.

This isn't someone's opinion, they've done studies on this.

I think you misunderstood me.

I was simply adding other things that I'd like to see people stop doing. I was definitely not getting into whether or not the things I listed are worse then using the phone while driving, just things I'd like to see people stop doing.

This is just what I personally see every day. I didn't do a scientific survey, but I see people doing those things all the time and I see people texting/talking on the phone all the time too.

Perhaps in the future you could clarify a persons' post before giving them a lecture (which is what your post looked like to me).

No worries though.

 

[Darsa]

(using the generic "you" here, nobody specific)
Honestly, even if you're the selfless type who isn't concerned for your own safety, think about the other people on the road that you could very well run into while chatting. Those people have lives, families (possibly with them), and other loved ones who would be devastated if something happened to them because you felt you could chat and drive at the same time.

And I think that melodramatics are perfectly justified in situations such as this, which is so very easily avoided. If using superlatives is the only way to get the message across, then drama ahoy!!

 

[bettymae1121]

I think you misunderstood me.

I was simply adding other things that I'd like to see people stop doing. I was definitely not getting into whether or not the things I listed are worse then using the phone while driving, just things I'd like to see people stop doing.

This is just what I personally see every day. I didn't do a scientific survey, but I see people doing those things all the time and I see people texting/talking on the phone all the time too.

Perhaps in the future you could clarify a persons' post before giving them a lecture (which is what your post looked like to me).

No worries though.

I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to lecture you. The second paragraph of my post especially was just to try to convience others on this thread that may have misgivings, and wasn't directed towards you. I didn't clarify that and I apologize.

 

[KristiMc]

(using the generic "you" here, nobody specific)
Honestly, even if you're the selfless type who isn't concerned for your own safety, think about the other people on the road that you could very well run into while chatting. Those people have lives, families (possibly with them), and other loved ones who would be devastated if something happened to them because you felt you could chat and drive at the same time.

And I think that melodramatics are perfectly justified in situations such as this, which is so very easily avoided. If using superlatives is the only way to get the message across, then drama ahoy!!

 

[PaulaSB12]

Driving while distracted (and I'll put using an IPod up there with texting, to be honest with you) is always a bad thing, but I think that because cell phones and blackberrys are SO common now that it's really becoming an epidemic. The vast majority of people don't shave or put on make up while driving, but many people use cells while driving, even if it's only once in a while.

Using a cell EVEN HANDS FREE makes you as dangerous as somone with a .08 blood alcohol reading. I don't blame people for not realizing the danger before knowing such stats (I myself didn't know how dangerous it was before yesterday, though I knew it was bad), but to my mind, continuing this behavior after knowing the facts is just as bad as having a few shots of alcohol and then getting into your car and driving home.

This isn't someone's opinion, they've done studies on this.

How is using an ipod while driving as bad as texting? I stick my ipod on through my car cd player and let it go. I either listen to music or audio books its no worse than listening to the radio.

 

[LoraJ]

How is using an ipod while driving as bad as texting? I stick my ipod on through my car cd player and let it go. I either listen to music or audio books its no worse than listening to the radio.

I think they mean fiddling with it, selecting songs, etc.

 

[DWGal210]

OK, I am probably going to be flamed for this but here goes...

I watched Oprah as well. I was heartbroken over the loss of those people. What senseless, tragic accidents. My heart went out to their families.

I guess I just don't see the need to pass a law to make talking and texting illegal. Do they need to do this in order to levy large fines against people involved in these accidents, or to get jail time? I guess I am confused as to why a law needs to be passed for what I think is common sense.

Without getting into politics, I am of the feeling that perhaps it would be better to change the minds and hearts of people and alert them to the dangers of texting and talking while driving instead of making it illegal. I would think that in the end, you would have fewer people doing it simply because they felt it was wrong, not because they were told it was illegal. People break laws all the time and I would venture to guess it's because their morality (or lack of) tells them its OK to do so - making it legal or illegal doesn't stop those people.

Ok, flame away.

 

[Feralpeg]

While driving to Tallahassee recently, a woman decided she didn't want to follow a truck. She didn't even look when she decided to change lanes. She almost ran me off the road. Fortunately, there was no one in the inside lane and I was able to get out of her way. She was on her cell and didn't even realize what she had done.