Same Guys Remind Us That Yakking While Driving Is Really Bad
from the sorry,-you-were-saying dept
A new study claims that talking on your cell phone while driving is more dangerous than talking to passengers while driving. It comes from the same group of researchers at the University of Utah that's been pumping out similar studies for years, like the one that said a 20-year-old driver instantly assumes the reaction speed of a 70-year-old when they start talking on the phone, and that talking while driving impairs a driver more than drunk driving, or the one blaming slow traffic on people talking while driving. The thrust of the research -- or at least how it always gets spun -- is as ammo for more laws to ban talking on the phone while driving, which, as always, miss the point. Again, this latest study focuses on a single distraction, and leads people to believe that banning it will immediately make roads safer. But aren't there lots of things that are more "dangerous" or distracting to do while driving than talking to passengers, but aren't the continual focus for new legislation? Trying to ban stupidity or unsafe driving, distraction by distraction, will be pretty difficult, not to mention ineffective.
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Filed Under: driving while yakking
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Call for new legislation?
Simply because an organization is good at a certain type of research (an thus conducts multiple, similar studies) does not warrant writing it off and ignoring it.
It is possible there are other applications to the research other than legislation, like education or new technology to help the problem.
But I guess I can simply write off this story as more of the same from Techdirt.... bleh.
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Bans
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Re: Bans
It's ironic how everybody who's driven drunk and not had a brush with death thinks they're so totally awesome at driving drunk. Oh until that one time when they actually have to react to something and whoops, I just smeared a teenager about 100 feet across the pavement. Then they're a pathetic, sobbing mess of apologies that don't do anybody any good.
I don't care how much drunk driving experience you have (and the same goes for cell phones) -- automobiles are death machines and any give moment that you're on the highway with other automobiles you are seconds from dead. If you aren't putting 100% of your attention into not watching your surroundings, not being that douche who tailgates everyone, and generally being defensive, then you're just a killer waiting to happen.
End rant.
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But talking on cell phones is what they ACTUALLY do. And they do it a lot.
"Don't be stupid" is not something you can successfully legislate. Specific instances of it, however, can be legislated. They've selected the biggest target after driving while intoxicated -- driving while talking on a cell phone.
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Opinions Vary
None of those distractions compares. The only distraction that even comes close is; being knee slapping, song singing drunk.
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Common Sense
But I think there is a safe way to do that. Get in the right hand lane, maintain a steady speed, don't pass anyone or change lanes. Recognize that you are impairing yourself so drive extra cautiously until you can get yourself off the phone.
Laws shouldn't force you to not talk on the cell phone. Reckless driving is dangerous and illegeal. If you are driving dangerously then you should be pulled over and fined or arrested. I don't care if you are drunk, chatting on the phone, spanking your childred, getting road head, cussing out the guy who cut you off, or falling asleep. If you aren't driving safely you are breaking the law. End of story. We don't need extra laws to make that any clearer
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Re: Common Sense
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We are not created equal
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Are you kidding me?
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Re: Are you kidding me?
No one here thinks driving while talking on the cell phone is good thing, in terms of additional accidents caused, or general obnoxiousness.
The problem with a cell phone ban is that it is a slippery slope. This has been demonstrated on this very issue, with the immediate "texting ban" follow-on.
It is already a crime to drive recklessly, in every state of the U.S. and most other nations.
Does it matter WHY a person is driving recklessly?
Your feelings are legitimate, but you are being manipulated by political operators who do not care about logic, or what is right. They only care about getting shallow thinkers to write a check.
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Re: Re: Are you kidding me?
That's why the DUI laws should repealed.
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Sigh
I am strongly against any legislation which limits personal freedoms. Talking on your cell phone is no more dangerous then changing the radio or talking to your back seat passenger, which people do just as frequently, but doesnt get as much publicity because suggesting passing laws against these things would touch even the technophobes who think these laws are a good idea.
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Re: Sigh
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Re: Re: Sigh
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Re: Re: Re: Sigh
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Re: Re: Are you kidding me?
Does it matter WHY a person is driving recklessly?
Possibly. The problem is, people driving recklessly while talking on the phone don't think they're being reckless. They don't realize their speed is all over the place, or they're riding 10 feet off the next guy's bumper, or they just wandered out of their lane. Or if they do realize it, they brush it off because they didn't kill anybody, that time. Reckless driving is illegal, but everybody thinks "oh, I'm a safe driver, no problem. Of course I'm not going to weave all over the road and hit other drivers." Ban cell phones while driving and maybe, possibly, some people might reduce or shorten their calls and there will be fewer accidents.
I'm not saying the ban is good, I don't know. I'd have to see some kind of analysis of its effects. But saying that reckless driving is already illegal doesn't prove that the ban is a bad idea.
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Pass a law? BE the law!
I try to be civil and polite, but I let them know that they are not acting as responsible adults, but like irresponsible community members by actions like this.
I will continue to BE the law, whether or not a law is made a formality, and I urge everyone else to do so as well. We, the members of our own communities, need to begin being our own "neighborhood watch" regarding acts of others that are dangerous to ourselves. Just my 2.5 cents.
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Priveledge, not a right.
For those that complain about the cell phone users that drive recklessly or stupidly, are you absolutely positive that it's everyone? Or is it that you only notice those that behave in that manner?
Do we really need to punish everyone for the reckless stupidity of a minority? Turn them in. Take their "rights" away. Don't make more laws to correct the actions of a relatively few people who are going to ignore the law anyway because they actually believe that it is their "right" to do so.
As has been pointed out already. It is illegal to drive recklessly in every state in the union. No matter the excuse that is used. We have laws in place already to handle this. Use them. We don't need more.
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Of course
Without such a law in place, rest assured that an officer of the law could and probably would pull you over if you were seen driving erratically. If you passed the drunk test you would most likely still recieve a citation for careless driving. So - why do we need a law ? Well, so that more revenue can be gleaned from the population.
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Why the phones again?
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Re: Why the phones again?
That sounds pretty bogus to me. Unless you come up with an actual citation I'm calling "bullshit".
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I would suggest that it is the activists responsibility to demonstrate the the ban is a good idea.
Doing things because they aren't a bad idea is exactly how the U.S. (and California in particular) got into the current fiscal mess.
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