Study finds texting laws don't reduce crashes

[AstroManLuca]

That is because they are not an enforced law. No way to judge it. Best bet to reduce crashed via phones is to implement something into every car that disables cell phones while the car is in anything other then park. Except for emergency calls from 911 etc. If you want to talk or text you pull over and put car in park and do so.

There's no way of selectively preventing the phone from working only if the driver is using it, but I guess that is a relatively small price to pay for increased safety.

 

[AstroManLuca]

More likely the increase in accidents has nothing to do with the ban and everything to do with the increase in people texting while driving. Every year a new crop of stupid teenagers gets there license, and who is the biggest age group for texting?

Most of the people I see texting while driving are middle aged.

But that's just anecdotal evidence vs. anecdotal evidence.

 

[Kev]

Most of the people I see texting while driving are middle aged.

But that's just anecdotal evidence vs. anecdotal evidence.

Anecdotal evidence? Do you really want to try to argue that teenagers don't text more than adults?

I mean come on, everyone knows this. No really, everyone knows this.

 

[AstroManLuca]

No, you're probably right. I'm guessing the reason I see so many more adults texting while driving is because I almost never see teenagers period. I commute on the highway, teenagers who drive are probably commuting within my city to get to their school. And they're in their cars earlier both in the morning and in the afternoon.

 

[Jeff7]

studies have long shown that the real danger is talking on the phone while driving. There is a functional difference between holding a conversation with someone in your car, vs someone on the phone while you are driving. It requires much more focus and is incredibly distracting. There is nothing about hands-free hardware that solves this problem. It changes nothing in terms of actual safety.
...

(emphasized portion underlined)
Really? Why would that be? Is there some psychological or physical reason for it?

 

[Ichinisan]

When are they going to come up with reliable voice to text messaging so if people wanted to text we could require them to use a cordless earpiece that converts the voice into a text message? Why isn't this technology available yet!!!

Or, you could wear a device that converts sound waves into electrical impulses, then digitize, packetize, transmit, and convert back into sound in both directions.

We could call it "Bluetooth headset + mobile phone" technology.

 

[Ichinisan]

Or just don't fuck with electronics while you're driving. I've spent most of my driving career with nothing available that was more complicated than a CB, or tape deck. You* just don't have to text while driving. Your inane drivel really isn't that important that it can't wait. If by some chance you really ARE that special, pull the fuck over so you can share your great pearls of wisdom safely :^S


*By you, I don't mean you Spidey, I mean you driving/texting/fucktard :^D

I think spider was joking...?

 

[lxskllr]

I think spider was joking.

Oh I know, I was just going off on a tangent. I think the point stands though. You don't have to be constantly connected, especially when it becomes a safety concern. When I was growing up, we had 2 rotary dial phones in the house. If you weren't in the house, you didn't get calls. You could always stop at one of the omnipresent pay phones, but do to the cost, you only did that out of real need. Cell phones are great, but you don't have to be constantly running your mouth/fingers on them. If you're driving, that super important conversation can wait 1/2 hour or so. Believe it or not, the world's gonna keep spinning, and the sun will still come up tomorrow, even if you don't converse right away.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Good grief... Laws don't stop crimes or save lives. They merely define what a crime is. To say that a law has had any effect, positive or negative, is laughable.

 

[coldmeat]

They should just make it so phones automatically disable texting when travelling at 10+ km/h

 

[zinfamous]

(emphasized portion underlined)
Really? Why would that be? Is there some psychological or physical reason for it?

There is an argument for the level of concentration one must engage in to hold a phone conversation vs with someone in physical presence. This is even outside of the typical issues of phone reception or whatever. Half of normal human conversation is actually visual (just ask an Italian! ), so when you talk on the phone, you miss half the cues that you normally get, so you literally have to concentrate more. There are piles and piles of studies that show how we know someone is smiling just by their eyes (very classic), how certain mannerisms influence our perception of the individual, and how this influences our interpretation of the conversation. Since dialogue/conversation is rarely, if ever, done with complete sentences, visual cues are used and interpreted, subconsciously or not, to fill in bits of information that we probably don't even realize is missing.

So, yeah, when you talk to someone on the phone, you are missing half of the information that you normally get, so the brain is forced to concentrate harder to interpret such conversational information.

When you throw in the fact that you are trying to drive on top of that, the distraction is compounded even more. I certainly find this to be true.

The funny thing, is that all of the studies that I have seen talking about cell phones while driving mention this--the problem is not that you're using one hand--I mean, seriously...think about how stupid this is--it's that you are having a conversation on the phone. No one recommends hands-free as a safer way to drive. The data says only that talking on the phone is dangerous--not holding a phone.

I mean..if that were true, then we should be fined for driving with one hand, right? it's obviously the problem?

I've always rolled my eyes at this notion that hand-free devices are somehow safer, b/c it doesn't take much thinking to realize how ridiculous of a notion that is.


but anyway, texting...way worse.


I'll mention something, though I don't think it's related to the same psychological/physical reasons. Another study suggested why we are so annoyed when in public, and we hear someone else on a cell phone. It's less because of them being loud and obnoxious (while true...), but an issue of how our brain demands symmetry. We know this to be true with visual patterns, music, all sorts of things. When you overhear someone talking on a phone in public, you only hear half the conversation. While you're likely annoyed that the person is talking very loudly, you're brain is a bit pissed that you're missing half of what's going on--you don't get the full story, so subconsciously, you are quite frustrated.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

They should just make it so phones automatically disable texting when travelling at 10+ km/h

i agree, but that would suck as a passenger.

 

[zinfamous]

What's the fine? $50? $100?
Legislators don't have the balls to make it a real fine. It's not worth the police's trouble to waste time writing up tickets for $50 or $100 fines. Start nailing people with a significant fine & habits will change. After you know 2 or 3 people who got $500 fines, you'll think twice about the unlikelihood of getting a ticket yourself (assuming you're one of the assholes who texts while driving.)

I use the term "asshole" because it's probably the most accurate term for someone so self-absorbed that they're willing to put everyone else on the road at an increased level of danger.

I remember when they instituted the no cell-phone law in Chicago, the fine was (remains?) $250. In the Bay Area ~2 years ago, it was $200?

I know a few people that got nailed, and it certainly made me more cautious. (I really don't answer my phone if it rings while I'm driving, anyway. I'll pick it up if I'm at a dead stop in traffic, and make it quick :\)

 

[dfuze]

It's probably increasing because more and more people are driving and texting and probably has nothing to do with the passage of the law.

 

[oogabooga]

The study found the number of crashes actually increased in three of those states after the bans were implemented.

Institute spokesman Russ Rader says the increase might be the result of drivers trying to keep phones out of view while texting.

Yea I'm an idiot- but I used to text with my phone somewhere in front of my face above the wheel. Post-Law I don't text as much. But the few times I have I'm hiding my phone near my knee.

 

[Ichinisan]

Yea I'm an idiot- but I used to text with my phone somewhere in front of my face above the wheel. Post-Law I don't text as much. But the few times I have I'm hiding my phone near my knee.

Please DIAF.

 

[zinfamous]

Please DIAF.

He just might, Ichinisan, he just might.

If he continues to text while driving.

 

[MotionMan]

It's probably increasing because more and more people are driving and texting and probably has nothing to do with the passage of the law.

The answer is simple: More texters (i.e. teenagers) are getting their licenses.

In addition, former-non-texters (older people) are tending to text more over time, so they are more likely to be texting in the car as well.

MotionMan

 

[Ronstang]

If there is a GPS in all new phones they must be able to sense motion. Simple solution is to have the phone, or at least certain features, automatically disable above certain speeds.

 

[MotF Bane]

If there is a GPS in all new phones they must be able to sense motion. Simple solution is to have the phone, or at least certain features, automatically disable above certain speeds.

What happens if you are in a plane? On a train? Passenger in a car? On a ship or boat? I like the concept, but there's a bunch of problems with it.

 

[MotionMan]

What happens if you are in a plane? On a train? Passenger in a car? On a ship or boat? I like the concept, but there's a bunch of problems with it.

I will not text on a plane.
I will not text on a train.
I will not text here or there.
I will not text anywhere.

MotionMan

 

[MotF Bane]

I will not text on a plane.
I will not text on a train.
I will not text here or there.
I will not text anywhere.

MotionMan

:thumbsup:

 

[3chordcharlie]

the real killer is road head. We need legislation to ban oral sex in vehicles!

ban!

 

[blurredvision]

I text sometimes when I drive. Sue me.

 

[zerocool84]

I will not text on a plane.
I will not text on a train.
I will not text here or there.
I will not text anywhere.

MotionMan