[Letsgo2020]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

Anything that takes your eyes off the road is dangerous. I include texting, dialing, reading a map, adjusting the climate controls, tuning the radio. I make exceptions for brief glances at the instrument panel and mirrors. I really don't see any difference between talking to a passenger and hands-free talking on a cell phone or listening to the radio.

Please don't drive a school bus because you drive, watch and talk kids the same time etc.

[Cold Warrior]

Originally Posted by Letsgo2020

Please don't drive a school bus because you drive, watch and talk kids the same time etc.

OK. I won't.

[Cold Warrior]

Originally Posted by aardogfsu

I was given a ticket a year ago for putting an address into my GPS app...cops can quadruple multitask with the computer, cell phone, steering wheel and radio dispatch, but a pedestrian doing half of the above was either:

A) Not born with the skills equivalent of an officer to successfully do 2 out of 4 simultaneously...

B) Victim of a money grab...

That seems rather harsh.

[aardogfsu]

lol, pedestrian...meant citizen. =)

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by BWNLV

Good job Metro!

I travel MLK about 12 miles each way, each day. It's frightening the number of people who are texting. I have had people texting so intently behind me, that they scare me and I get to a different lane so they won't be behind me.

Car manufacturers should make a device that blocks smart phones from sending or receiving texts while the car is in motion.

My Android phone knows when I am driving and will announce when I have a call or text coming in. It asks if I would like to answer the call or hear the text read to me. With a text, it then gives me the option to reply verbally if I want to, and reads it back to confirm before sending. No Bluetooth needed. Easy

[BBMW]

The percentage of drivers that had that generation of phones was TINY. So small that if they all get into accidents, it wouldn't move the needle.

The real issue started when cellular phone become hand held sized, and got enough market penetration that a large percentage of drivers had access to them.

Originally Posted by clutchcargo777

Weird that the car phone aspect of it has been around for decades. Hasn't been a problem until text came along

[ScoopLV]

I remember when "car phones" came out. They were prohibitively expensive. And the cost of the phone was nothing compared to the per-minute charges. Only alpha salespeople, hedge fund managers and similar could afford them. And they're generally the sort who can successfully multitask.

The average pinhead? Not so much.

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I remember when "car phones" came out. They were prohibitively expensive. And the cost of the phone was nothing compared to the per-minute charges. Only alpha salespeople, hedge fund managers and similar could afford them. And they're generally the sort who can successfully multitask.

The average pinhead? Not so much.

You're making me flash back to my Motorola in my Saab. Yep, I was "that guy" LOL But I was on the road selling, and it made life so much easier than driving from payphone to payphone to set up the next appointment. Ended up upgrading to the big gray Nextel "brick". Indestructible.

[NLVgal]

This is where I am self-censoring. This would otherwise be a diatribe, laced with profanities, that would get me in trouble. Have a nice day.

[clutchcargo777]

Originally Posted by BBMW

The percentage of drivers that had that generation of phones was TINY. So small that if they all get into accidents, it wouldn't move the needle.

The real issue started when cellular phone become hand held sized, and got enough market penetration that a large percentage of drivers had access to them.

The point is they weren't dangerous back then and aren't now if only used for voice communication. No more then visiting with your passenger or listening to the radio. Same amount of brain cpu cycles are used.

And don't get me started on hands free vs one handed driving. That's not the issue. I recall my drivers ed instructor making a joke about what we should practice for our driving test. Keep both hands on the wheel. Not because it was required for safe driving but because it was required to pass the test, and so counter-intuitive when everyone knows the right hand is needed for either putting on makeup or using your electric razor or the left was necessary to keep a beer below window level. He actually said that.

Now texting is a different animal. That requires about 5 seconds of not only brain cpu cycles, but eyes off the road for the whole time. That is crazy dangerous.