Mobile Phones Blind Drivers

from the yet-again dept

Mon, Jan 27th 2003 11:35am — Mike Masnick

Here is yet another study on the impact of mobile phones being used while driving. This one says (again) that people drive even worse when using a mobile phone. They also found that it doesn't matter if they're using a hands-free kit - and, in fact, people using hands free system may be "lulled into a sense of security" by it. In looking at why this occurs, they studied where people looked, and found that using a mobile phone gives people a sort of "tunnel vision". They stop paying attention to what's happening in their peripheral vision. Also bad news is that the drivers who were on mobile phones didn't believe that they were driving any worse than others. Of course, it appears the guy who ran the study was biased, as he is quoted saying, "Sometimes you have to actually do the silly study that shows the obvious." This suggests he set up the study not to see what really happens but to prove a point. At the same time, I will (once again) bring up the point about driver distractions: there are tons of driver distractions. Are we going to try to eliminate them all, one by one? Eventually you won't be allowed to drive with anyone else in the car at all. Having to look down at the dashboard to see how fast you're going takes your eyes off the road. That's a distraction. It's tough to determine where to draw that line.

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3 Comments

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Kyle, 27 Jan 2003 @ 3:28pm

Ban 'em
Ban the cell phones in cars completely. After that, ban car radios, speaking to passengers, having kids in the back seat, and of course, eating while driving.

Seriously, let them chase after the idiots putting on eye makeup, lipstick and shaving while driving for a while.
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dorpus, 27 Jan 2003 @ 11:55pm

Like Drunk Driving
People used to argue that they could drive after drinking with no problem; that it's a "free" country; they know a friend who drove home safely after downing a quart of whiskey.

And when the next asshole talking on the cell plows his SUV into an emptying school bus and kills 7 kids, people will view cell phones differently.
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Zhadow, 11 Dec 2003 @ 9:06am

WHAT ABOUT RAODSIDE ADVERTISEMENTS
we should also ban roadside advertisements...in fact, we should ban any sign that is not right in ther center of the road. This includes speed limit signs, stop signs, traffic lights, yield signs, and any other sign. Maybe we should also ban moving the eyes off the road...or encase all roads in giant cement tunnels, with mirrors for walls, or we could just use medical technology to force peoples eyes to stay pointing forward. Oh, and thinking, thats a big one. We gotta get rid of that.

-Zhadow
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