Don't Text While Driving

[hobie16]

So I was mowing the lawn with ear plugs in this morning when I heard a huge crash. "Self," I tell myself, "If you heard a crash that was louder than my crappy Craftsman lawnmower and came through my Ford drag race ear plugs it must be something huge."

I hopped on my 128 mpg Chinese scooter and circled the block where I came upon this.



Granted, I am making an assumption that the guy was texting. The only other explanation is he was drunk or is stupid.

[WEDFan]

Why couldn't it be all three?

There isn't a time when I hit the roads that I don't encounter someone on a phone. It is legal in Maine to use a phone, although you aren't supposed to text. However, the inevitable reason I know that another driver is on the phone, is because he or she is driving poorly -- too slow, lane drift, very round corner, etc.

[Lasolimu]

Why couldn't it be all three?

There isn't a time when I hit the roads that I don't encounter someone on a phone. It is legal in Maine to use a phone, although you aren't supposed to text. However, the inevitable reason I know that another driver is on the phone, is because he or she is driving poorly -- too slow, lane drift, very round corner, etc.

That kind of driving around here might indicate phone use, or it might just be the normal bad driving we have.

[Goofyernmost]

There really is a difference between texting and talking on the phone. Even if you are holding a phone in your hand you have no reason to take your eyes off the road and as far as a distraction factor, how is it different then talking to the person sitting next to you in your car. Texting requires that you constantly take your eyes off the road and then find the proper buttons to push to respond. Way, way different. I have no problem with people on the phone... texting, however, is deadly.

[hobie16]

I'm now leaning towards stupid. If you look closely at the truck you'll see a power drop draped over the surf/ladder rack. It was yanked loose from a water company valve site just out of the picture.

When the cops arrived they found the driver unloading the truck (see grey bin on ground next to left rear tire). The power drop could have energized the truck. If it was, the driver would have been fried when he completed the circuit between the truck and ground.

[WEDFan]

There really is a difference between texting and talking on the phone. Even if you are holding a phone in your hand you have no reason to take your eyes off the road and as far as a distraction factor, how is it different then talking to the person sitting next to you in your car. Texting requires that you constantly take your eyes off the road and then find the proper buttons to push to respond. Way, way different. I have no problem with people on the phone... texting, however, is deadly.

First, there's a difference between holding the phone and hands free. If you are using one hand to hold the phone that's one less hand for driving. Think about executing a nice square corner with one hand. While people have always taken a hand off the wheel for other things, the duration of a phone call can be much longer. Also, people tend to move their heads less with a phone being held to their ear.

With that being said, I've heard there are studies showing that it does seem to be worse talking on the phone as opposed to talking to someone in the car with you. University of Utah did one with 96 drivers in a simulator. One of the theories is that if the other person is in the car, they are also watching for possible issues on the road, and will stop talking or provide an alert when things get more dangerous or even more congested on the road. My own theory (at least I haven't heard it anywhere else) is that it also takes more attention due to the quality of the connection. With static, dropouts, and garbled syllables it takes more brain power to fill in the gaps and comprehend the conversation.