Talking on the phone more dangerous than drunk driving

[noonereal]

Finally a "study" verifies common sense.


Cell phone use is much more dangerous than drunk driving and hands free makes no difference.



"the most stubborn challenge remains drivers' inflated perception of their skills behind the wheel, and their personal threshold for risk."

no surprise here either

We need a national ban on all cell phone/texting and whatever else evolves.

It is long over do.

[Fast_Eddie]

These studies have been done before. We're quick to vilify the drunk but when *we're* the bad guy it's a little different. For the record, I don't talk on my cell phone while driving. Or pretty much ever.

[merrylander]

Can we also add "putting on eye makeup" or "shaving" or "reading" to the list, I don't know how many times I have nearly been wrecked by someone doing one of the above.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

These studies have been done before. We're quick to vilify the drunk but when *we're* the bad guy it's a little different. For the record, I don't talk on my cell phone while driving. Or pretty much ever.

I love how NYC (Rudy) placed a ban on hand held cell phones when giuliani's buddy was the top hands free device manufacturer in country.
Instantly create a market for a product that was not needed under the pretense of safety. It also gathered revenue from all the $75 tickets.

[Fast_Eddie]

Hands free devices don't make it any better. It's not holding the phone that's the problem. It's being engaged in something other than piloting a ton of steel and glass at high speed.

[spasmo55]

If you have the money, I'll give a study with the results you desire. It is all in how you manipulate the collected data.

I always watch out for "texters" when I am driving home from my local watering hole. Lucky for me it is all gravel road from there to the house.

OWI, first offense here gets you $1875 fine, $625 court costs, mandatory substance abuse course and loss of license for 1 year. You also have to test again to get your license back and obtain R22? insurance.

If as the study indicates, cellphone use is even more of a hazard, how shall we punish it?

I suggest a lobotomy, it corrects most undesirable behavior

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

Hands free devices don't make it any better. It's not holding the phone that's the problem. It's being engaged in something other than piloting a ton of steel and glass at high speed.

yep, and he new that. He then had "lunch" with his mistress in his wifes home issued a press release that said he had studied to be a priest, shipped all the homeless (against their will) out of NYC to "camps" upstate, took credit for the financial turnaround that NYC and most the country enjoyed in the late 90's and ran for President saying that he was anti terror (like everyone else was pro terror).

That's Rudy, slimy as they get.

[noonereal]

agree

As do I. I know of 5 people who are dead from texting and driving, I know know one who is from drunk driving. Drunk driving I know about for 50 years, cell phones 10 years. Tells me we got a problem.

What is OWI?

The exact same law punishments.

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by spasmo55

If you have the money, I'll give a study with the results you desire. It is all in how you manipulate the collected data.

This is undoubtedly true, but study after study has shown that cell phones and cars are a bad mix. I don't think it's a good idea to make radical changes based on one study, but thowing up our hands and pretending that we can't possibly know anything is worse. Besides, in this case, I don't need a study to know that a guy breaking up with his girlfriend on a cell phone isn't the best driver on the road. There's a time and a place and while you're driving isn't the time or place.

[spasmo55]

OWI is Operating While Intoxicated.

I have not really studied the legalize of the terminology, but it may be so the state can use the same law to cover boating as driving, or deal with a motor vehicle operator who is drunk but not actually moving (driving) the vehicle in the public right of way at the time they are discovered.