Texting and driving

[Voltaire]

Out of curiosity, how many in this thread eat food whilst driving?

If they banned that would the Police park outside Drive Thrus like they used to do at pubs?

[nzspokes]

Even if all this were true (I'll concede that it is to some degree) as long as driving is the first priority there is no danger. I've left more than one person hanging because of this.

And here we have why people die on the roads.

Those that think they have higher ability's than others. I have been ht by a driver on a phone. Had no idea I was there until I was sitting on her bonnet.

And they wonder why people are trying to get driverless cars sorted.....

[Maha]

I always thought that was the reason we had picnics... and for us oldies Thermettes...

... latest picnics we have had were beside the old moat near the Menenpoorte in Iepers and at the Lochnagar Crater near La Boisselle in the Somme.

That must have been 'Somme' time ago?

[Scuba_Steve]

No driver should ever need more than a quick glance in the mirror.

Never reversed a truck then ay

[Moi]

That must have been 'Somme' time ago?

Nope... just the other week... in Berlin at present...

[Moi]

No driver should ever need more than a quick glance in the mirror.

Perhaps that's half the problem with many drivers... they "glance" rather than "look for and see"...

[Grubber]

Agreed. What I'm saying is that a conversation does not have to be a distraction at all.


I take it you don't use your sub-conscious mind to drive? I always give complete priority to driving over anything else. That doesn't mean that my whole mind is required to drive.


Can't say that I've ever had that problem. My memory is quicker than that (I either remember it or I don't).


No driver should ever need more than a quick glance in the mirror.


As long as you keep your priorities straight it doesn't need to be distracting. Just ask a sniper.


Maybe for some but certainly not for all.


Until some new study says otherwise. Science is not that precise on most things.

Some would say that they would rather be on the road with an 8 year old than you!
You appear to be one of those that seems to think he can overcome all that the testing that proves you can't give full attention to driving if distracted by a phone.
Glance in the mirror is not going to be full proof ever. If i did only that each day in one of my trucks there would be many dead people around by now.
You need to get in the "here and now" and stop trying to be the only person that is remotely capable of driving whilst distracted, cause you can't!

[Tazz]

Agreed. What I'm saying is that a conversation does not have to be a distraction at all.

But unless someone is having the conversation for you or you have a separate 'conversation only brain' in your foot, it can't not be a distraction on some level because you're using your brain for a multiple tasks. It very may well be that the level of distraction is not a problem for you (or just not a problem until something happens and you react too slow because of it), I said earlier everyone is different, but it is still a distraction, on some level...
If you think that nothing like that can distract you ever, you're possibly setting yourself up for the universe to prove you very wrong

And yes, science can be dis-proven and adjusted as time/advances occur, but unless you have an actual counter or reasons (hopefully with actual evidence) to disprove or at least put something in serious doubt it's a bit of a cop out to use that old chestnut, especially against multiple studies on a topic. Science is not always perfect as politics still fark things up, but we've come a long way from alchemy days.
If there was only one paper on the adverse effects of piloting a ship while talking to another ship on an acoustic megaphone from 1843 you'd have a strong case for sure.

As for the mirror, 3-4 seconds was generous, but your eyes still have to focus and I'd hope you're doing more than just a .3 second glance before pulling out to overtake and the like unless you don't believe in blind spots either.

[Shaun Harris]

This thread has been good for me, as I decided months ago after a mistake, that texting and driving was going to be the thing that killed me. i am now a 100% non texter whilst driving! I think very fast so act very fast, so out comes the text machine normally, until now! Game over on that one, thanks for drumming it in all involved.

[swbarnett]

Never reversed a truck then ay

You know I meant while driving forward.

[swbarnett]

And here we have why people die on the roads.

Those that think they have higher ability's than others.

I think you would probably agree that the statement above needs to be qualified by saying that it only applies to those that are wrong.

I have been ht by a driver on a phone. Had no idea I was there until I was sitting on her bonnet.

And they wonder why people are trying to get driverless cars sorted.....

I have no doubt that some drivers allow themselves to be distracted by their phone. That was their choice - whether they knew they made it or not. Someone that allows a phone to distract them will find something else to take it's place if the phone is removed.

[swbarnett]

Perhaps that's half the problem with many drivers... they "glance" rather than "look for and see"...

Indeed. Glancing is no good if you don't take in the scene at the same time. I will sometimes glance several times in quick succession if the first glance left me unsure of what I saw. I've recently started doing two head-checks when changing lanes etc. just to be doubly sure.

[swbarnett]

You appear to be one of those that seems to think he can overcome all that the testing that proves you can't give full attention to driving if distracted by a phone.

Who said anything about full "attention". Certainly not I. The word I used was "priority". You don't need your full attention to be aware of what's going on around you, your sub-conscious mind takes care of that.

Glance in the mirror is not going to be full proof ever.

That's why, as I said above, I will often back it up with a second glance (or more) and/or a head check. I definitely don't fully trust mirrors. They are just one tool.

You need to get in the "here and now" and stop trying to be the only person that is remotely capable of driving whilst distracted, cause you can't!

I can't drive while fully distracted. No-one can. The trick is to not let anything distract you for more than a millisecond. It's all about attitude and keeping your priorities straight.

[swbarnett]

But unless someone is having the conversation for you or you have a separate 'conversation only brain' in your foot, it can't not be a distraction on some level because you're using your brain for a multiple tasks. It very may well be that the level of distraction is not a problem for you (or just not a problem until something happens and you react too slow because of it), I said earlier everyone is different, but it is still a distraction, on some level...

I don't use my full mind to drive (unless I'm out for a blast). I don't need it. That which is left is quite capable of doing other things at the same time.

If you think that nothing like that can distract you ever, you're possibly setting yourself up for the universe to prove you very wrong

I have had situations where my full attention was elsewhere (the one time I can remember when I was really too tired to drive). My sub-conscious dragged my attention back in time to avoid even a near miss.

As for the mirror, 3-4 seconds was generous, but your eyes still have to focus and I'd hope you're doing more than just a .3 second glance before pulling out to overtake and the like unless you don't believe in blind spots either.

Agreed. I should have said no more than a glance each time you look in the mirror. This should be done more than once before pulling out and preferably backed up by a head check (something I do in a car as well on the bike).

[Voltaire]

I drive, I don't answer the phone or feel the need to text, not interrupting the guitar solo in Freebird for anyone