dmiessler.com | grep understanding - Latest Comments in Thoughts On Mobile Phone Driving Laws

Re: Thoughts On Mobile Phone Driving Laws

CarlM — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:12:51 -0000

I'm not sure if this translates exactly, but I was just in the grocery store and there was a woman with a cell phone headset who was "driving" her cart like a complete idiot ... entirely clueless of her surroundings. So I take back my comment that headsets may be an improvement.

Re: Thoughts On Mobile Phone Driving Laws

brad — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:08:12 -0000

Are you talking about the accident that we were in? If it makes you feel better, I didn't even realize that we were about to hit a car and all I was doing was conversing. :)

Re: Thoughts On Mobile Phone Driving Laws

danielrm26 — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:09:07 -0000

I agree with the commenters that there are major differences, but I think there are similarities too. I, for example, am downright dangerous when having ANY conversation while doing any driving that requires thought. I get so excited when talking that I pretty much move all other activities to a low priority.

In fact, now that I think about it, the only real accident I've ever been in was caused by me being involved in a conversation with a passenger, and ignoring the road.

Re: Thoughts On Mobile Phone Driving Laws

CarlM — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:42:38 -0000

I think too that we are not yet used to the idea of hands free calling. Our brains understand conversing with someone sitting next to us even without looking at them as we talk. I had doubted this evidence (I'd heard it for a long time) until I got my first hands free set-up this past summer. It is NOT the same as conversing with a person sitting next to you. I don't know why exactly, but it is definitely not the same. I suspect that using a headset would be better ... I was using the bluetooth connection in my car when I realized that my attention was not as focused as it should have been on the road (no accidents or issues, but I could tell I wasn't focused in the same way as when conversing with others). Part of it too is that we're not used to stopping talking when on the phone. We do it all the time when conversing with someone in real-life. They see what is taking our attention for the moment .. the moment passes and the conversation continues naturally .. later we don't even realize that there was a pause. Being on the phone is different.

Re: Thoughts On Mobile Phone Driving Laws

MD — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:41:05 -0000

The problem is supposedly the quality of sound. The driver needs to concentrate more on the conversation as the quality of mobile signals isn't constant, but tends to fluctuate as the car moves.

Re: Thoughts On Mobile Phone Driving Laws

Chris — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 14:43:35 -0000

Maybe the answer is universal health care and cheap small automobiles?

Then you remove the incentive of for profit auto insurance caring, as they wouldn't have to pay for medical claims or expensive car replacements, at which point the issue probably just goes away.

Re: Thoughts On Mobile Phone Driving Laws

Jason Ormes — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 14:23:01 -0000

just gotta figure out to get that old brain to truly multi task..