Here in L.A. it seems that about 1 out of every 2 drivers is yacking on the phone.
It might be a good idea to make new drivers take their behind the wheel test with one hand duct taped to their ear.
Now there's a study out that shows that driving while yacking on a cell phone is not much different than driving while drunk AND that it doesn't help to use a headset.
In the study (From Reuters viaYahoo News):
"They studied 40 volunteers who used a driving simulator four times -- while undistracted, using a handheld cell phone, using a hands-free cell phone and while intoxicated to a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level -- the average legal level of impairment in the United States -- after drinking vodka and orange juice.
Three study participants rear-ended the simulated car in front of them. All were talking on cellphones and none was drunk, the researchers said.
Motorists who talked on either handheld or hands-free cell phones drove slightly more slowly, were 9 percent slower to hit the brakes, and varied their speed more than undistracted drivers.
Drivers with an 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level drove a bit more slowly than both undistracted drivers and telephone users, yet more aggressively.
"Driving while talking on a cell phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk," said Drews, who said alcohol was involved in 40 percent of the 42,000 annual U.S. traffic fatalities.
Just like many people who have been drinking, the cellphone users did not believe themselves to be affected, the researchers found."
* * * * *
So what about the ones that are drunk AND on the freakin' cell phone!
recommend
Facebook
Twitter
bookmark 
print
Comments: 36
Only when required, I may borrow my daughters.
Blackberry's too.
The worst here in Sothern Cali is seeing a driver drive all over the place only to find them on their phone. Some can do it, most can't. I think i'm more in danger of being distracted by my ipod than by talking on my phone.
Cell phones are a great safety tool, but people are just so rude. Do I want to hear them talk to their friends in the supermarket, and restaurants, and on sidewalks?? NO! and the car thing is just another layer on an obnoxious behavior. I love it when I see someone try to make a left-hand turn with only their left hand on the wheel. The right hand is busy dialing the phone. Bleechh.
My boss has a rule that if someone is in his office for a meeting and they answer a cell phone call, the meeting is over. And I say, good for him!
(Gee, I didn't know this aggravated me so much.)
I have to admit, I am a cell phone driver. I tried not to be, I did, but turned out just like the rest of them.
However, I only advocate safe driving while cell-phoning, and I'm actually quite a good driver (although my mom doesn't agree—but she's very rarely in the car with me, and I think she speaks more from some vague fear that has nothing to do with my actual driving).
Recently, in a construction area where traffic movement was stop and go, I saw a young lady inching along, reading a magazine, eating a hamburger and talking on her cellular simultaneously. I can not speak to her sobriety.
No, I do not own, and never have owned, a cell phone.
my daughter's driving class had a parent's night. they gave the parents a test to see how we do as drivers,needless to say we all failed.they mentioned that girls between the age of 16 and 20 drive faster than boys and that cell phone accidents have occured less since they have a law that you can only use headsets while driving in Ct. The kids have been told no cell phones unless pulled off the road. No sandals,no flip flops,no low back shoes,no high heels and no open back shoes while driving.Within the past week there had been at least 16 teenage deaths in the area. We made a contract and each signed it. I am a little nervous about teaching her how to drive,but she has to log in 100 hours before she can take her test.
Sandy, after spending a couple of months paying insane amounts of money for a cell phone I almost never use, I'm going your route -- I got my son a cheap service (I am comforted by his having a phone, and he always checks in with me -- good boy!), and I'm getting a prepaid for emergencies. I'm sorry, but no one -- NO ONE -- is so important that they need to be on the phone that much.
My husband is lucky enough to have a company car which I am also allowed to drive. There's a caveat to that privilege though - no cellphone use PERIOD while driving. If you're so much as observed on the phone and in motion the car is gonzo, outta there, history.
I don't mind that one bit - in fact I wish every company providing vehicles or even reimbursing for mileage, fuel etc... would impose the same restrictions.
I say, pull over drivers yacking on cell phones and if they can't describe, in full detail, the last mile they drove, give them a ticket. Either that or develop a device that looks like the radar guns cops use to catch speeders. If a cop sees a cell phone yacking driver, they could point this device at the offending cell phone and suck all the cell minutes out of it. Of course this would only work if the driver realized that their cell phone had gone dead.
I've also seen the suburban soccer bimbos in the SUV's and minivans. The minivan drivers are the worst. They're yakking on the phone to who knows, talking to the kids and oblivious to the rest of us. I think I heard about a study that showed that your IQ automatically drops 30 points when you get behind the wheel of a minivan; or it just seems that way. I have seen minivan drivers (both on and off the cell phone) do some stupid things. I was an EMT for 12 years (4 years active with a volunteer squad, and I kept my certification for a total of 12 yrs.) and I saw all kinds of dumb ass moves on the road. And this was the era before cell phones.
What I would like to know is what is so goddamned important that you have to talk on the phone while driving? Please, someone tell me. I'd really like to know. I worked with someone who got a new car that got totaled by someone taliking on a cell phone. She hadn't even made the first payment on the car and it was destroyed. Fortunately she was unhurt and was able to get another car quickly.
I know that on accident reports they have a place to note whether someone was wearing a seatbelt but I don't know if they have one to note if someone was on the phone. If they don't they should. It'd go a long way to let people know that if they have an accident (a misnomer if there ever was one) while on the phone, they'll have to answer for their stupidity. On the plus side, I think New Jersey has made talking on a hand held phone a primary traffic offense (meaning a cop doesn't have to pull you over for something else to write you up for talking on the phone).
And if you want to talk about safe driving, then you should also drag in those people who drink and eat in the car (which I do not). When they are holding the food and drink in their hands, they are also driving with only one hand. I have even heard of people applying make-ups and shaving in the car behind the wheels. How is that better than using the cell phone?
Don't get me wrong. I am definitely against non-safe-driving, but I think the point is, that includes DUI, eating, drinking, chatting with eyes not on the road, using make-up, and many other things, and not just using the cell phones. And I am not against talking on the cell phone with the headset because I don't see how it is not safe.