Driving while talking on a mobile phone

[ThaFlash]

didn't they prove on one of those current affairs shows that men talking on the phone drove better, safer and were more responsive to anomolies on the road?

unfortunately the ladies driving was FUBAR while talking on the phone and driving at the same time.

funny thing is the other day on dandy rd this "International Student" was driving in the right lane on while talking on the mobile going 40 in the 80 zone and this guy in a vq stato lost it, he overtook him drove in front of him and all of a sudden braked in order to make the "International Student" hit him up the rear end.

anyway nothing happend that i could see in my review only that the vq stato made the "International Student" stop in the middle of the road.

dunno what's worse, talking on the phone while driving or vq statos with choped springs and venetian blinds....

[J.C.]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Next time you catch a plane, ring the pilot on his mobile just as he's landing if you don't think it's a hazard.

I'd give that a go ....... but "common sense" tells me he'd be to busy chatting on the comms to the traffic controller to possibly take the call....... not to mention trying his best to land the plane as it gracefully falls from the sky with two hundred odd people on board.

Come on now! There is a little bit of difference between flying a plane and steering car. I do see your point though ..... to a degree.

There is no doubt though that distractions can and do cause accidents. Maybe the local coppers around here should consider viewing these ads as I have seen them chatting on the mobiles while driving numerous times ........ I assume it is ok for them though huh?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Next time you catch a plane, ring the pilot on his mobile just as he's landing if you don't think it's a hazard.

Fair enough, hey why don't I just make a phone call while I am in the circuit or on finals, maybe call for a taxi or the person who is picking me up.

Oh sorry, done it lots of times.....next time you ask that question try asking someone who isn't a pilot.

[aussiblue]

Then there are those drivers that do head down texting while driving. One early morning several months ago I saw a girl in the lane alongside me doing this driving along Wellington St and sail through a red light (Cnr King St Perth) with her head still down at 60 km/hr (in a 50 zone) oblivious to the fact that she had barely missed a couple of pedestrian and a cyclist (who got such a fright he lost control and fell off his bike - at less that 2 km/hr so he was not hurt just visibly shaken).

Interesting stuff on texting while driving here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texting_while_driving

[fmc351]

One day youre complaining theres too much government interference, the next youre typing this.

Just how bored do you get flappist?

Originally Posted by block58

You could argue that driving a car would be harder than landing a plane. While pilots have many minutes to prepare for and then perform the landing, drivers usually only have seconds to make decisions which could be life altering.

Not to mention if the tower has done their job, it is your road. They bring them in with almost no visibility, try that in your car at 200 (or whatever it is).

[flappist]

Originally Posted by fmc351

One day youre complaining theres too much government interference, the next youre typing this.

Just how bored do you get flappist?


Not to mention if the tower has done their job, it is your road. They bring them in with almost no visibility, try that in your car at 200 (or whatever it is).

A comment was made about flying by someone who is not a pilot and a question was asked of someone who is.

I gave an answer based on my personal experience flying.

Then you come up with a comment about "the tower".

If you actually had any idea you would know that the majority of airports in Australia do not have towers nor controlled airspace.

You would also know that flying in IMC will only get you to circuit entry or the minima on a controlled approach. If are not visual by then you can't land whether or not you are on the phone.

In QLD there are towers at Cooly, Bris, Archerfield, Amberly, Maroochydore, Rocky, Mackay, Townsville & Cairns.

There are over 100 airports in QLD as well as many, many more ALAs.....

But this thread is about the advertising of the ability to make phone calls in new model cars when the general consensus is that talking on the phone while driving is dangerous.

The point is NOT whether or not talking on a phone is dangerous it is IF talking is dangerous then why are these products being advertised....

[kyro_02]

If it's soo dangerous, why am I still alive ???

[aussiblue]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texting_while_driving

The usual ironic injustice and because God knows Collingwood FC desperately need all the supporters thay can get.

[cs123]

I don't think it's the act of talking that is the problem. It's picking up your phone and dialling a number or answering the thing. You would take you eyes of the road for up to 5 seconds to do this.

Then there is holding the phone while driving. This is different to changing gears. Try driving a manual and holding a phone to your ear and turn a corner. Becomes impossible to do safely.

While emergency services have an exemption for this law it would be because there is an overriding need for the phone.

[aussiblue]

...or should that be: God knows even Hell can only tolerate so many Collingwood Football suporters. :-)

Sorry; but you did lead with your chin and I assume that all collingwood supports have (I must have ) a sense of humour.

[mik]

obviousely texting is a foolish distraction, but i don`t see talking on a phone as a problem......except to those that are pretty poor drivers to start with, even drivers with both hands on the wheel with seemingly no distractions at times are wobbling all over the road.

[aussiblue]

but i don`t see talking on a phone as a problem

All the objective scientific reserach says otherwise and handsfree might be even more dangerous.

From Is a hands-free phone safer than a handheld phone?
Yoko Ishigami, and Raymond M. Kleina [Author vitae]

Dalhousie University, Canada 2009.

Our review shows that talking on the phone, regardless of phone type, has negative impacts on performance especially in detecting and identifying events. Performance while using a hands-free phone was rarely found to be better than when using a handheld phone. Some studies found that drivers compensate for the deleterious effects of cell phone use when using a handheld phone but neglect to do so when using a hands-free phone.

[paule11]

Originally Posted by cs123

I don't think it's the act of talking that is the problem. It's picking up your phone and dialling a number or answering the thing. You would take you eyes of the road for up to 5 seconds to do this.

Then there is holding the phone while driving. This is different to changing gears. Try driving a manual and holding a phone to your ear and turn a corner. Becomes impossible to do safely.

While emergency services have an exemption for this law it would be because there is an overriding need for the phone.

Yep the dialing would be the distraction in most cases .
Although was once behind a hj ute 3 on the tree manual. I thought the person was drunk driving but she was talking on a phone and changing gears as well as smoking. Very scrawny unattractive as well couldnt beleive it when i got past she was changing gears with no hands on the steering wheel doing 50kph in an 80 zone. Everytime she changed gears car would move all over the road

[ThaFlash]

I am guilty of talking on a mobile while driving and a fellow collingwood supporter, but how the hell did the mighty magpies, best afl team ever, legendary, awsome, who have the best and classiest and most loved and respected fans, premiers from 2010-2015 get dragged into this.

however a braile mobile phone could help texting while driving but i think it sort of cancels itself out.

[aussiblue]

and from http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/48/2/381.abstract

A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver
David L. Strayer
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Frank A. Drews
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Dennis J. Crouch
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Uta

Results:When drivers were conversing on either a handheld or hands-free cell phone, their braking reactions were delayed and they were involved in more traffic accidents than when they were not conversing on a cell phone. By contrast, when drivers were intoxicated from ethanol they exhibited a more aggressive driving style, following closer to the vehicle immediately in front of them and applying more force while braking.

Conclusion: When driving conditions and time on task were controlled for, the impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk.

[rodderz]

Would eating a cool mint improve your driving during talking on mobile phone as per Jeff Kennett's drink driving so called loophole? lol

[aussiblue]

the hell did the mighty magpies, best afl team ever, legendary, awsome, who have the best and classiest and most loved and respected fans, premiers from 2010-2015 get dragged into this.

Someone was silly enough to use them in their avatar. But describing Collingwood as the "best afl team ever, legendary, awsome, who have the best and classiest and most loved and respected fans" is as plausible as saying it's not dangerous to use a mobile phone while driving. :-)

[WMD351]

Well this is a rarity, I've got something constructive to add!
In the mid to late nineties, I worked for Telstra (Telecom) for a number of years and I saw American research from the time that showed there is almost no difference in the degree of distraction between holding a phone to your head and talking on a hands free system. IMO hands free is a crock and should be outlawed. I've noticed at times whilst talking hands free that I can arrive at my destination and think to myself "wow I don't even remember the trip here"
The difference between hands free vs. talking to a passenger is that when talking to someone on the phone a part of your brain actually stops perceiving what's going on around you and devotes itself to creating a mental image of the person who is not there in order for you to be able to converse with them.
Mind you, I remember as a child a time when passengers weren't supposed to talk in the car at all as the driver was meant to be left free to concentrate on the task at hand.

[aussiblue]

premiers from 2010-2015

Has to be wishful thinking too.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

and from http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/48/2/381.abstract

A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk DriverDavid L. Strayer
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Frank A. Drews
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Dennis J. Crouch
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Uta

University of Utah....very open minded unbiased part of the world.

I always wondered why they turn up on pushbikes when they come to visit bringing their joyous news.

Have you got study from the the University of Tehran to back it up?

[ThaFlash]

in all seriousness, 47 motorcyclist have died this year in vic, that's one week man...mobile phone use while driving, is silly and i am guilty of it, can't be as bad as that yet.

[aussiblue]

Interestingly, there is also reaserch that suggests talking on the mobile while driving might also lead to divorce or similar family relationship failures.

The very substantial literature on cell phones and driving talks about the risk in the driving, and a subtext in that writing is "Don't drive while talking on a cell phone. It is too dangerous." But all that writing, all the publicity given that writing, and even the passage in a number of states of laws that make some or all cell phone usage while driving illegal has not stopped millions of drivers from talking on a cell phone while driving. Perhaps the line of thought developed in this paper, that the risks are not only ones of driving safety but also of relationship safety, might discourage more people from talking on cell phones while driving. Interacting via cell phone while driving may not only be hazardous to the safety of car, driver, and others; it may also be hazardous to relationships.

Hazards to Family Relationships from Cell Phone Usage While
Driving Paul C. Rosenblatt, Ph.D, and Xiaohui Li, M.Ed.
University of Minnesota

http://www.familyscienceassociation....20final%20.pdf

[ThaFlash]

i don't have an internet site to quote.....

I will just use some good old fashioned thinking, be it right or wrong.

talking on the mobile phone while driving is like watching your little kid play near the water at the beach while someone is talking to you.... no matter what, nothing can distract you from watching and protecting your child, there has to be some kind of subconscious safety mechanism in there that keeps you switched on in both cases.

you can feel both of those sensations and they feel the same everytime you do it, it is much deeper than published materials.

[aussiblue]

talking on the mobile phone while driving is like watching your little kid play near the water at the beach while someone is talking to you.... no matter what, nothing can distract you from watching and protecting your child, there has to be some kind of subconscious safety mechanism in there that keeps you switched on in both cases.

I wish it were true but the number of mobile phone caused accidents provide strong counter evidence. How do you explain the four people that ran into the back of me while talking on their mobiles including one who I saw in my rear view mirror approach at 60kph and didn't brake until he after he had hit me. In any event despite a lot of research there is none at all even vaguely supporting this false assumption.

As you can imagine some calls are more dangerous than other - complex and emotive discussions appear to be particularly distracting.

[dogfish]

I agree with Flappist's initial arguement here.
As I believe Eating Take away food from Drive through Family Swill Houses would surely have to be more dangerous than talking on your mobile whilst driving as your chomping down on your Burger one handed with sauce oozing and dribbling out over the paper down your hand and having a swig of Drink trying not to drop your fries or spill the drink on the interior using the completely impractical cups they give you.
And talking on a mobile creates more distraction than this I personally believe not so if you ban talking on the phone then they should ban Express drive through food service.

[aussiblue]

And the research also, counter intuitively perhaps, shows that you don't get better with practice of driving while using a mobile phone.

Do Driving Impairments from Concurrent Cell-Phone Use Diminish with Practice?
Authors: Cooper, Joel; Strayer, David

Our research examined the effects of practice on in-vehicle cell-phone use. Drivers that reported either high or low real world cell-phone usage were selected to participate in four, hour-and-a-half simulated driving sessions, on different days. The research consisted of two phases, a training phase and a novel transfer phase. Compared to single-task driving, dual-task performance deficits persisted through training and transfer driving conditions. Furthermore, groups of high and low real world experience were equally impaired. It is concluded that practice does not improve the ability to drive while conversing on a cell-phone

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Yes... Because landing a plane and driving a car are the same......

My point was it's distracting from the task at hand, whether it's driving,flying or making a sandwich.

[ThaFlash]

Accidents happen all the time, let's get to the stat that counts, how many people die from using a mobile phone while driving and specifically in Australia.

I would say more people probably have died from being shot by a gun or riding a motorcycle in victoria.

Unless you have that vital stat Flappist wins the argument hands down.

[ThaFlash]

google did not yeild any results.......

vital stat could not be found......

[aussiblue]

Actually I think the implementation of a technological solution is on the close horizon. The technology already exist to detect if a phone is being used from a moving object/vehicle and stop its use. This will mean that mobile phone usage accident victims in the US will start suing the phone companies with their bigger pockets rather than the other mobile phone user driver and the mobile phone companies will start implementing systems that other than for emergency call and emergency vehicles block their use in moving vehicles.