Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Automotive News & Views Should cell phone drivers be singled out?
3688 messages, Last post on Oct 27, 2009 at 11:39 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
|
Replying to: kirstie_h (Oct 17, 2006 7:10 am) Would agree that seat belt laws have helped. But, consider a whole range of things that have improved over last 5-10 years: vehicle structures to help protect occupants, emt response times, hospital procedures and doctors, vehicle dynamics (tires/susp/steering), numerous air bags (front, side, etc), highway design/lighting/signage/traffic controls/etc, attention focussed on drunk driving by MADD and others and so on. In one way, cell phone usage has probably also helped cut down on accident deaths because most motorists probably have cell phones and they can call 911 when they observe or encounter an accident. The emts can get to the accident quicker than they would have back in pre-cell phone days. This can save lives. Think about how it was 20+ years ago. If you saw an accident happen, had to find a nearby house, store, gas station, phone booth to call emt/911. |
|
|
Replying to: gagrice (Oct 16, 2006 7:16 am) I have heard about this and too wonder about this matter. Don't think there has been anything in the media about this for a couple of years. Cell phone is good when away from home or office for many situations. But, I try to get the vast majority of my calls made the old-fashioned way through hard-wire land lines connected to an end office. Land lines are most always available in a power outage as long as you use old fashioned subsets that don't require connection to AC. Cell phones are vulnerable to limited power reserve at cell tower sites. |
|
|
Replying to: kirstie_h (Oct 16, 2006 4:05 pm) Talking on a cell phone is bad enough. But what about those yahoos you pass who are apparently thumb-typing text messages on their Treos while driving?!? Madness! Eltonron Host- Automotive News & Views
|
|
|
Replying to: eltonron (Oct 17, 2006 8:08 am) Just think we could be driving around keeping up with the threads here at Edmunds.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: gagrice (Oct 17, 2006 8:15 am) Funny thing is I used to post here using a cell phone. Now thats geekdom. |
|
|
|
|
Mythbusters duo were to "speak" at OSU same day Science Olympiad had state contests last year. I was amazed how many adults wanted to skip the events to go to the lecture by those folks. How do they build up such a following? I am relieved they agreed that cellphoneusagewhiledriving is a problem because of the distraction needed. I have been able to enter text message on cell phone whiledriving so kid would know where I would pick him up. Four years ago I would have swore never on your life would I use a cellphone while driving> |
|
|
Replying to: tpe (Oct 17, 2006 4:51 am) Some of us can remember a pre-cell phone period of automotive history in which cars didn't come equipped with belts, airbags, crumple zones nor other safety devices intended to protect us. Highways have also been designed to be less retributive to errant motorists. In short, it's easier to make vehicles and highways safer than it is to educate drivers. On the other hand, drivers are ingenious in finding edgy new ways to test safety technology, including the absurdist notion that drivers can multitask because built in safety devices are so effective.
|
|
| Maybe the DMV needs a simulator for testing drivers. Have them answer questions on a cell phone call while driving the simulator. If they pass the multitasking test they get a sticker for their car similar to the HOV sticker. It would say it is legal for them to be talking on the phone while driving. talking with No sticker you get a big fat fine. | |
|
Replying to: saabgirl (Oct 17, 2006 2:04 pm) What's your point? The objection to cell phones and driving seems to be the additional danger they bring to the roadways. If this can be overcome with technology as opposed to anti-cell phone laws what does it matter? The fact is that these safety features you mention primarily make accidents more survivable but do little to prevent them. So why isn't the accident, not fatality, rate going up? Look at page 17 of this report and see if you can find a trend that supports cell phones adding danger? What's interesting is that of the 4 categories of vehicles (passenger, light truck, large truck, and motorcycles) the only category not showing a decline in accident rates is motorcycles. Probably the only group not using cell phones. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSFAnn/TSF2004.pdf
|
|
|
Replying to: tpe (Oct 18, 2006 4:13 am) If it can be proven the average person's reaction time is impaired when talking on a cell phone the punishment should be the same as for drunk driving.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views Should cell phone drivers be singled out?
