distracted driving stats

[OverVolt]

I really wish they would do crackdowns on people using their phones while driving. They do this with seatbelts, why not cell phones?

And ironically people like you are most likely to be ticketed doing the exact behavior you disapprove of.

Boggles the mind.

 

[OverVolt]

As I've known even before mobile phones were a thing, 61% of the population have no business behind the wheel of a car. I'm not even trolling. 61% of you should NOT be allowed to drive. You should be pulled over immediately, the keys forcibly removed from your ignition and thrown in a lake. Since that isn't realistic, once driverless cars are mainstream, everyone should lose their current license and the test to reacquire one should be extremely grueling. Then we can raise the speed limit to something more reasonable rather than catering to the lowest common denominator.

Anything above 60 is inefficient because of the wind & rolling resistance, so thats dumb.

I'm not a fan of driverless cars. Its technology for the sake of technology. I personally enjoy driving.

 

[Obsy]

I'm not a fan of driverless cars. Its technology for the sake of technology. I personally enjoy driving.

I'll enjoy driving when going down PCH with a date. On my daily rush hour commutes in SoCal? Heeeell no.

 

[Jeff7]

So you didn't quit because it's unsafe, only because it's now illegal?

Our species sucks at basic risk analysis.

Anything above 60 is inefficient because of the wind & rolling resistance, so thats dumb.

I'm not a fan of driverless cars. Its technology for the sake of technology. I personally enjoy driving.

We've all got our opinions.

Technology for the sake of technology?
"Hey, we've figured out how to give you your own personal chauffeur, who won't complain or judge if you want to go get Taco Bell at 3am on a Saturday night."

"....nah, that would suck. No thanks."

Sleep on your way to work. Or text. Or anything else.


Driving: Not everyone likes it. I personally find it to be a brainlessly tedious timesink that pisses away more than an hour of my life every weekday , while navigating around a bunch of other drivers who are evidently dangerously and stupidly distracted.

 

[Puppies04]

Just a bad apple or 2.

What are you talking about, I worked out the figures in the OP and it turns out that 240% of drivers are risking having an accident.

 

[balloonshark]

Did you even think about that for more than two seconds? What happens when people die because a passenger can't call 911? Why can't a driver get GPS or change music tracks, two things that dedicated devices are allowed to do in a car? Why must everyone else be unable to text or email or browse the web?

Because this is a serious safety issue and people are getting hurt, killed and causing millions (perhaps billions?) of dollars in property damage which causes higher insurance rates.

The idea can be tweaked but phone use, internet use, game and app use should be disabled while the phone is in motion. If you have a better idea to flat out stop idiots from being idiots we're all ears.

I suppose we should ban car stereos and passengers, might as well get rid of all distractions while we're at it!

I'm all for removing distractions while driving. HUD's should be standard equipment as far as I'm concerned. Overly complicated stereos shouldn't exist and front dvd/blu-ray players should disable when the vehicle is moving.

If you glance down at the phone or radio for a second at 35mph you travel 51ft. At 55mph you travel 80ft in 1second. That's 3000lbs of vehicle that just went 51ft or 80ft. without you paying attention. That is inexcusable and unforgivable if you hurt someone. If I hurt someone while looking down at the radio I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

 

[ViRGE]

Sorry if this comes off too strong, but that behavior is asinine. You're willing to risk your life and the lives of others just so you can text something? Sometimes I really wish cellphones were never invented.

It boggles my mind as well. I'd like to think not using your phone while driving would be common sense, but that went out the window over a decade ago when I had a passenger ask why I wasn't answering my cell phone...

Is high school physics education not up to par or something? Do people not understand the numbers behind operating a one-ton+ hunk of metal at high speeds? :|

 

[Jeff7]

It boggles my mind as well. I'd like to think not using your phone while driving would be common sense, but that went out the window over a decade ago when I had a passenger ask why I wasn't answering my cell phone...

Is high school physics education not up to par or something? Do people not understand the numbers behind operating a one-ton+ hunk of metal at high speeds? :|

Ego triumphs over physics.

"But I'm a good driver and multitasker. I can text, talk on the phone, and drive at the same time.
...hang on, there's a cop behind me."

 

[Phoenix86]

It boggles my mind as well. I'd like to think not using your phone while driving would be common sense, but that went out the window over a decade ago when I had a passenger ask why I wasn't answering my cell phone...

Is high school physics education not up to par or something? Do people not understand the numbers behind operating a one-ton+ hunk of metal at high speeds? :|

High school physics was damn near an AP class when I went (39 now). It was an elective, but required for some tougher classes, which were also electives.

So yeah, like less than 10% of my school went to high school physics.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Well when some fool slams into the back of your car at a stoplight and your vehicle hits the vehicle in front of you that that vehicle slams into the vehicle in front of them, you will understand what it is like to be hit by an idiot driver who was texting while driving. I don't think an inattentive driving citation is good enough. They should make the person pay 10 times the damages to all parties involved.

I've been rear ended 4 times in my life. EVERY time at a stop sign or light. In 2 cases the person was doing over 40mph. NOT ONE CASE was a cell phone involved (this was before cell phones were everywhere).

This is why the overstated BS is funny. People will be distracted, I find the soccer mom lynch mob mentality funny. I don't disagree with the idea people shouldn't do it, but I find the attitude of the crusade mind boggling. It would just be replaced by something else. Car crashes happened before cell phones and they will happen long after. It has zero to do with cell phone use and physics. It boils down to 'one more thing' for people to get their panties in a bunch over. Why is it such a heated topic? Because of kids.

OMG SOMEONE MIGHT DIE...news flash, that's been the case almost since the invention of cars. If there's one thing that is constant it is that humans will always find a new way to kill themselves and others.

 

[OverVolt]

Our species sucks at basic risk analysis.

Except for you and everyone else who knows that flying is safer than driving etc? :awe:

You must be a different species! Homo educatedsapiens

 

[OverVolt]

I've been rear ended 4 times in my life. EVERY time at a stop sign or light. In 2 cases the person was doing over 40mph. NOT ONE CASE was a cell phone involved (this was before cell phones were everywhere).

This is why the overstated BS is funny. People will be distracted, I find the soccer mom lynch mob mentality funny. I don't disagree with the idea people shouldn't do it, but I find the attitude of the crusade mind boggling. It would just be replaced by something else. Car crashes happened before cell phones and they will happen long after. It has zero to do with cell phone use and physics. It boils down to 'one more thing' for people to get their panties in a bunch over. Why is it such a heated topic? Because of kids.

OMG SOMEONE MIGHT DIE...news flash, that's been the case almost since the invention of cars. If there's one thing that is constant it is that humans will always find a new way to kill themselves and others.

Yay a normal person. Agreed.

 

[RossMAN]

periscope + driving = mother of all distractions.

So freaking true, I just watched a guy drive by The Colosseum in Rome, Italy live via periscope which was released for Android today.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/05/26/periscope-android/

 

[dank69]

Anything above 60 is inefficient because of the wind & rolling resistance, so thats dumb.

I'm not a fan of driverless cars. Its technology for the sake of technology. I personally enjoy driving.

If I had to drive less than 60 at all times I would blow my fucking brains out. What kind of box truck are you driving, anyway?

 

[OverVolt]

If I had to drive less than 60 at all times I would blow my fucking brains out. What kind of box truck are you driving, anyway?

Ah yes the same people who say the internet knows everything can't actually find good data on the internet.

Also

For steady state driving, nothing will ever get much better than max efficiency over 70mph since drag force acts as the square to speed. At 80mph, you car acts as if it’s driving through a thicker medium than air, at 100mph that thickness practically doubles!

 

[Phoenix86]

Ah yes the same people who say the internet knows everything can't actually find good data on the internet.

Also

I want you to slowly read his statement again.

Then read yours.

 

[dank69]

Ah yes the same people who say the internet knows everything can't actually find good data on the internet.

Also

60, 70 who's counting, right?

 

[Engineer]

http://jalopnik.com/ridiculous-distracted-driving-stats-make-the-case-for-a-1705630119



/facepalm

Facepalm indeed. *sigh*

 

[Phoenix86]

60, 70 who's counting, right?

Economy, enjoyment, typically also the same thing, right?

 

[Darwin333]

That fact is disgusting when you consider you're in control of a motorized vehicle that weighs a ton or more.

Why can't phone makers disable all features of the phone except the ringer when it senses movement between the tower/s or gps? Once you stop you will regain access to the screen and the ability to answer the phone.

I wonder why the penalty for texting and driving isn't at least as severe as drunk driving seeing as it apparently causes a full 25% of wrecks?

 

[highland145]

I wonder why the penalty for texting and driving isn't at least as severe as drunk driving seeing as it apparently causes a full 25% of wrecks?

As you know, $$. A few legislator's kids/wives get killed and things might change.....might.

 

[shortylickens]

it depends on the vehicles aerodynamics. My S10 was lifted and not particularly sleek. It got max efficiency around 45mph.

 

[OverVolt]

60, 70 who's counting, right?

Then we can raise the speed limit to something more reasonable rather than catering to the lowest common denominator.

Speed limit is 65 last I checked. 70 is a bit unusual to be honest. There is likely not a single SUV efficient past 55-60 for example. They all follow the same general trend. All the cars in that chart are above average in aerodynamics except the outback. The Fuel economy .gov chart averaged out says anything past 60mph is generally where increased speed starts to cost you efficiency.

Hey man, you're the mastermind who knows whats best for everyone anyway. You should have already known this and should be telling me. Not the other way around. Knowing you, you probably thought we'd all be driving 100mph on the highway with the tech and how great it would be. Phew good thing you didn't explicitly say it!

 

[OverVolt]

I want you to slowly read his statement again.

Then read yours.

Then we can raise the speed limit to something more reasonable rather than catering to the lowest common denominator.

Done!

He wants something like an 80-100mph speed limit. Because its already 65. The general rule is you get reduced mileage past 60 taking into account minivans, SUV's, roof racks, stuff like that. Subaru's for example aren't that aerodynamic and in that chart it peaks at 50mph but is acceptable up to 60mph. Ditto with the prius, slumps after 60mph. The Civic and BMW are both unusually aerodynamic. And to be honest the Civic may be efficient at 70mph but it has some goofy gearing going on at 65mph, cause you know nobody ever drives 65mph on the highway. I suppose we shall all be required to drive BMW's by law too right? You guys are a joke. In absolute terms the BMW is barely above 30mpg at 70 anyway and even though the pruis at highway speed peaks at 55-58 its still doing 50mpg at 70mph.

If you mandate whats best for everyone though, you have to know what you're doing. People will complain if the system forces them to increase their fuel costs to keep pace with traffic. Ermagerd you'd still be catering to the lowest common denominator. 'Cause public highway.

 

[natto fire]

It has become apparent that morons are going to be themselves, no matter what I do. I saw the second biggest distracted driver ever, who was trying to eat noodles with a fork, charge and talk on her cell phone. The worst was a woman who was driving Mt. Rose and clipping her nose hair/bangs, and jammed me up the whole route, in a Ford Fiesta, of course.