People Need To Hang Up The Phone And Drive - Everything Else

1,424 posts

Earlier this week I decided to get some culture before returning to school for the fall and so I went to the Cincy Museum of Art. It is a beautiful and wonderful museum. It has original Picasso, Monet, Pissaro, and many other world famous artists paintings on display, and best of all the admission is free.

However on the way there and back I was so frustrated by the drivers. I don't multi-task while driving unless I'm on the freeway with virtually no other cars and I'm in a rural area. Then I only make a short call to a family member letting them know I'm 30 minutes from home and I use my voice dialing to do it so I don't have to look at the phone. In this situation it isn't dangerous to multi-task, but in situations like city driving, driving on a crowded freeway, or merging onto a freeway, all of my attention is needed to drive safely and so I won't multi-task. I wish others would follow the same principle.

I almost got hit entering the freeway because some moron in a BMW 530i was talking on his phone. He was infront of me and by the time we got to the bottom of the on-ramp he was only going 45 mph. The speed limit was 65 mph and the traffic was heavy. As I tried to merge into the other lane he decides he has to merge too. He almost hits me when I'm accelerating because he still isn't paying attention. I look over while he's about to change lanes into me and see a free spot, so I take it and then look over at him. I'm thinking to myself, You are driving the ultimate driving machine and you aren't out manuevering and accelerating an 4 cylinder Toyota. Suprise, suprise, he's on the phone. I quickly pass him and leave him behind. I then encounter a driver that everyone is having to dart around because she is yaking on the phone going 50 mph when everyone is going 80 mph. So unsafe, and then I encounter three or four more driver's driving poorly because they're on their phone during the rest of my trip.

If you aren't capable of multi-tasking and driving on the road in a safe manner, pick one or the other. Either drive well or talk. I really wish that people who can barely drive safely on their best day giving it 100% of their attention wouldn't talk on the phone.

Bikeman982

Cell phone use while driving is dangerous.

I estimate 50-60% of drivers around here are doing it.

How many people have to get killed before there is a "WAKE UP" call?

Can someone mass produce a sign that says - "Hang up and drive" for people to flash bad drivers with?

I think there should be something in insurance policies stating "no coverage" if you cause an accident while on your cell phone. That may stop a few for a while.

Max

Bikeman - there are lots of "Hang Up and Drive" bumper stickers around. The Car Talk guys (Click and Clack) have their own version too, "Drive Now Talk Later." Not that any of them help. I've seen people backing out of their drives first thing in the morning with a cell phone up their ears. Can't even commute in this small city from work to home without yakking and endangering themselves and everybody else.

Bikeman982

Bikeman - there are lots of "Hang Up and Drive" bumper stickers around. The Car Talk guys (Click and Clack) have their own version too, "Drive Now Talk Later." Not that any of them help. I've seen people backing out of their drives first thing in the morning with a cell phone up their ears. Can't even commute in this small city from work to home without yakking and endangering themselves and everybody else.

I am working the grave shift and I see people talking on their cell phones 24 hours of the day. Who are they talking to and why are they not sleeping??

Bikeman - there are lots of "Hang Up and Drive" bumper stickers around. The Car Talk guys (Click and Clack) have their own version too, "Drive Now Talk Later." Not that any of them help. I've seen people backing out of their drives first thing in the morning with a cell phone up their ears. Can't even commute in this small city from work to home without yakking and endangering themselves and everybody else.
I am working the grave shift and I see people talking on their cell phines 24 hours of the day. Who are they talking to and why are they not sleeping??

I find this topic quite funny. First, people do stupid things everyday, all day. These stupid things are just more visible (and more deadly) when they are behind the wheel of a 3000-5000 pound vehicle, swerving all over the road. The question is, why does talking on a phone distract some people so much? Last I checked, you use your voice and ear to interact with others on the phone, and you use your eyes (mainly) to drive.

I just bought my 04 corolla LE manual and do not talk on my phone at all while driving anymore because I am still learning to drive stick. My friend used to drive stick while eating a massive sandwich/burger, smoking a cigg and talking on his cell phone. HAHA.

We should all implement a policy that when someone gets into an accident or have a near accident while using a cell phone, they should be issued a cell phone warning. Next time they are involved in a motor vehicle incident while on that cell phone, they should be incarcerated because we are talking life and death here and stupid people do not have a right to put everyone else in jeopardy.

Note - I'm sure the same ppl you are talking about on their phones at odd hours are wondering why you are not sleeping yourself. haha

Bikeman982

Bikeman - there are lots of "Hang Up and Drive" bumper stickers around. The Car Talk guys (Click and Clack) have their own version too, "Drive Now Talk Later." Not that any of them help. I've seen people backing out of their drives first thing in the morning with a cell phone up their ears. Can't even commute in this small city from work to home without yakking and endangering themselves and everybody else.
I am working the grave shift and I see people talking on their cell phines 24 hours of the day. Who are they talking to and why are they not sleeping??

I find this topic quite funny. First, people do stupid things everyday, all day. These stupid things are just more visible (and more deadly) when they are behind the wheel of a 3000-5000 pound vehicle, swerving all over the road. The question is, why does talking on a phone distract some people so much? Last I checked, you use your voice and ear to interact with others on the phone, and you use your eyes (mainly) to drive.
I just bought my 04 corolla LE manual and do not talk on my phone at all while driving anymore because I am still learning to drive stick. My friend used to drive stick while eating a massive sandwich/burger, smoking a cigg and talking on his cell phone. HAHA.
We should all implement a policy that when someone gets into an accident or have a near accident while using a cell phone, they should be issued a cell phone warning. Next time they are involved in a motor vehicle incident while on that cell phone, they should be incarcerated because we are talking life and death here and stupid people do not have a right to put everyone else in jeopardy.
Note - I'm sure the same ppl you are talking about on their phones at odd hours are wondering why you are not sleeping yourself. haha

Some jobs are 24 hours a day - while the people I see are not working, or going to or coming from their work. They should be home sleeping and give us commuters more room on the roads.

1,424 posts

I find this topic quite funny. First, people do stupid things everyday, all day. These stupid things are just more visible (and more deadly) when they are behind the wheel of a 3000-5000 pound vehicle, swerving all over the road. The question is, why does talking on a phone distract some people so much? Last I checked, you use your voice and ear to interact with others on the phone, and you use your eyes (mainly) to drive.
I just bought my 04 corolla LE manual and do not talk on my phone at all while driving anymore because I am still learning to drive stick. My friend used to drive stick while eating a massive sandwich/burger, smoking a cigg and talking on his cell phone. HAHA.
We should all implement a policy that when someone gets into an accident or have a near accident while using a cell phone, they should be issued a cell phone warning. Next time they are involved in a motor vehicle incident while on that cell phone, they should be incarcerated because we are talking life and death here and stupid people do not have a right to put everyone else in jeopardy.
Note - I'm sure the same ppl you are talking about on their phones at odd hours are wondering why you are not sleeping yourself. haha

I said I don't multi-task when I drive, but I told a little white lie to make a point. Truth is that sometimes I have multi-tasked and driven. However, traffic here in Ohio is so much tamer than in Michigan where I learned to drive that I'm fine to talk and drive at the same time in most situations. However, I try not to do so whenever I can. I have found myself driving semi-auto (read stick without clutch), and talking on the phone simeltaneously and it was easy. I just held the phone in-between my ear and shoulder, and steered with my right hand. When I needed to shift I let go of the wheel for a split second and shifted. No big deal, never even come close to an accident while multi-tasking, but I've been driving for 7 years, learned to drive in some of the country's most agressive traffic and am an excellent driver. The majority of those I see having trouble multi-tasking are teens who don't really know how to drive and change the radio station at the same time. They are the dangerous ones.

Bikeman982

I find this topic quite funny. First, people do stupid things everyday, all day. These stupid things are just more visible (and more deadly) when they are behind the wheel of a 3000-5000 pound vehicle, swerving all over the road. The question is, why does talking on a phone distract some people so much? Last I checked, you use your voice and ear to interact with others on the phone, and you use your eyes (mainly) to drive.
I just bought my 04 corolla LE manual and do not talk on my phone at all while driving anymore because I am still learning to drive stick. My friend used to drive stick while eating a massive sandwich/burger, smoking a cigg and talking on his cell phone. HAHA.
We should all implement a policy that when someone gets into an accident or have a near accident while using a cell phone, they should be issued a cell phone warning. Next time they are involved in a motor vehicle incident while on that cell phone, they should be incarcerated because we are talking life and death here and stupid people do not have a right to put everyone else in jeopardy.
Note - I'm sure the same ppl you are talking about on their phones at odd hours are wondering why you are not sleeping yourself. haha
I said I don't multi-task when I drive, but I told a little white lie to make a point. Truth is that sometimes I have multi-tasked and driven. However, traffic here in Ohio is so much tamer than in Michigan where I learned to drive that I'm fine to talk and drive at the same time in most situations. However, I try not to do so whenever I can. I have found myself driving semi-auto (read stick without clutch), and talking on the phone simeltaneously and it was easy. I just held the phone in-between my ear and shoulder, and steered with my right hand. When I needed to shift I let go of the wheel for a split second and shifted. No big deal, never even come close to an accident while multi-tasking, but I've been driving for 7 years, learned to drive in some of the country's most agressive traffic and am an excellent driver. The majority of those I see having trouble multi-tasking are teens who don't really know how to drive and change the radio station at the same time. They are the dangerous ones.

I think we have all done things while driving (eating, drinking, some smoking, playing the tapes, CD's, etc).

The problem with cell phone use while driving is that it uses too much of our attention when dialing (pushing the buttons) and that is distracting. If the car isn't steered correctly it can go in the wrong direction and hit something - hence there is a danger.

Max

"Last I checked, you use your voice and ear to interact with others on the phone, and you use your eyes (mainly) to drive."

Rob- It's not so much the talking on the phone, it's the looking down to dial it, then using a hand to hold it to your head. You do need your hands to drive, not just your eyes. Hands-free/Bluetooth may alleviate some of that problem, but most people aren't using those options.

talking on the phone takes the mind away from driving to the conversation. i think getting deeply engaged in conversation with passengers also has the same effect. i try to the little of both.

Bikeman982

It is a distraction to your attention. If you are thinking about what you are saying on the cell phone - you are thinking less about the road you are driving on.