It was announce this morning that research has proved that it is more dangerous to be talking on your mobile and driving than being drunk and driving, this includes hands free.

The Safe Driving commission has announced that their results can prove that breaking reaction time while on a mobile is at least 10 yards slower than that of a person who has been drinking.

There is now going to be a concerted effort to get the laws changed.

To some extent I agree as there have been many times when I've been driven at, undertaken, near missed and nearly hit by people using their mobiles and trying to drive with one hand or one finger in some cases.

P

 

law passed this week in Ireland, banning hand helds, ear pieces and even having the phone on your person while driving, permanent in car kits are allowed... about time too

Cheers

 

Any one interested i can supply and fit in car hard wire kits for most phones

 

Somewhat dubious research I think! I agree that using a mobile is dangerous, but hands free! more dangerous than drunk driving! are they serious!!! I think this is just scaremongering by the media for a good story, if they are serious about the validity of this research then the penalty for using a mobile must be tougher than it is for drink driving as by their own admission its more dangerous.

I think they are classifying it as more dangerous just because more people do it, rather than the actual seriousness of the act itself.

When are they going to ban smoking while driving? I used to smoke many years ago and I probably had more scares(dropping the *** etc.) than I've ever had when using a mobile hands free.

BlackCat - what is the source of this info btw?(i.e. website etc.) thanks

[Edited by Dracoro - 3/22/2002 9:50:36 AM]

 

The information was quite a lengthy news report on GMTV this morning, I am sure if you tap into their website all the details will be there.

The report was focused on the fact that people actually become absorbed in their telephone conversation and lose concentration, it was not a reflection of driving skills.

When you think about and think about your concentration levels when you are having a telephone conversation you can see the rationale.

Penni
PS I agree with the smoking bit too, I think any kind of activity while driving that could affect your concentration should be avoided. But at least with a ciggie you can put it in the ashtray or throw it out the window. Or as in my case throw it out the window and set fire to my coat on the back seat. Probably more danger setting fire to yourself and the car.

[Edited by Black Cat - 3/22/2002 9:56:36 AM]

 

Hands free is dangerous? What, more dangerous than having a conversation with your passenger?.........

 

still have to dial with a hands free- i must make 20 calls a day from my car via a hands free kit- thats a lot of dialing! need voice recong. on the kits!

 

& I bet you've seen people yacking to their passenger not concentrating - I know I have

Heard the same report on R4 this morning.

My wife & I hardly talk in the car as I don't talk back & she can't be bothered talking to herself. I find it actually quite hard to concentrate on driving & have a conversation - so I concentrate on driving.

I don't think that there is a logical or equable solution to this. Phones, talking, smoking, short skirts, music all distract people & until all distractions are removed from driving, people won't be concentrating fully & accidents will happen. People weren't designed for cars.

 

I do have voice recognition and if you are dialing and driving, you are dangerous.

I do agree that ther is no difference between hands free and talking to a passenger, once the connection is made. In fact, I would argue that talking to a passenger is more dangerous because of the temptation to turn and look at who you are talking to.

So ban passengers, ban talking in cars, ban listening to the radio, ban cars, ban, ban, ban, ban.........

[Edited by SimonEvoExtreme - 3/22/2002 10:14:07 AM]

 

The danger is not the one handedness.


The danger, verified by phd students in psychology whilst I was at university, is having a conversation whilst driving a car with someone who is incapable of reacting to the road conditions.

This is not the same as talking to someone who is sitting next to you.

Therefore, handsfree kits whether permanently installed or not, will not reduce the effects of the conversation on your driving.

 

I don't think any of us disagree that using a mobile phone whilst driving is more dangerous than not using a mobile phone (hand held or not). The real issue arising from this report is that they say it's more dangerous than drink driving, I have serious concerns about that statement.

 

Are they going to ban ICE, windows that move, having kids in the car, rear view mirrors, air con etc etc. None of these are an integral part of driving, but require your attention to be focused somewhere other than the road in front, so using the same logic are dangerous. I have a voice dialing hands free with a button on the wheel to activate the voice recognition. I don't have any problem talking and being focused on the road at the same time, although I would tend to keep calls for open road driving as opposed to urban driving. When they decide to ban them it will also be interesting to see if they ban emergency vehicles using radios?

 

fb

Using a radio microphone in a moving vehicle is prohibited.

However, most EVs have at least 2 people in them - 1 drives, the other yaps

 

what about when 1 is in the back saving your life and the other one needs to speak to the hospital. Surely they don't pull over?

 

But drink driving is a nightmare - your pint goes everywhere when you need to change gear answer your phone etc.

 

Don't you just love research????

This morning it was a report by the TRL, but by tonight it was RoSPA/Aston University - humm, how valid is this?

So, compare someone who has had 2.0000001 pints of beer (or whatever) against an individual who is forced to answer complex questions on a hand-held phone whilst being subject to un-realistic road situations. Obviously the latter is going to be worse off.

BUT!!!!

The phone user does have the option of "shutting up", where-as the drink-driver will still be influenced regardless of external conditions.

This farcical study reminds me of the "Tomorrows World" experiment a couple of days ago, when the test subject was pssied after only TEN minutes on the "simulator".

Maybe we should have a report into the influence of research grants into the creation of ridiculous academics studies to perpetuate their grants!!!

Oh, and don't forget - accidents are caused by (almost) 100% of people who have a brain, so we had better ban those n'all!!!

mb