08-14-2019, 02:12 PM | #45 | |
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Changing the subject slightly, but take (as an example) many of the mum's on the school/shopping run. Their driving is often atrocious, car full of kids and they clearly are not giving one thought to the safety of the children. They speed, they tailgate, many are clearly running late and trying to get the car in front to speed up. Brake at the last second... remember they are loaded with their, (or friends) 'precious' kids. You can also imagine the mayhem inside the vehicle. Now add a mobile phone, even hands free. Recipe for a few near misses and possibly worse. How would you suggest they manage 'their' distractions? I suggest they kill the phone as a start to distraction management. |
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08-15-2019, 02:30 AM | #46 | |
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I see what you're saying, and yes calling the emergency services while driving is the one permitted use if it's not safe to stop. Don't know what the stats are for how many such calls save lives each year compared to mobile calls causing death or injury. I was thinking more of the 'illegal' calls and what do people consider an acceptable risk when basically 99.9% of the time such calls are just for the driver's convenience. I'd say most people would consider the risk acceptable because at the time of taking the risk they really don't think it's going to impact them directly. It's only when it does that people look back in regret and say "I wish I hadn't done that".
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08-15-2019, 07:14 AM | #47 | |
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I accept that once you're on a call then the act of talking is the same as on hands free, other than one hand is probably tied up. But, if you're dialling out, it's what you do before you make that call that's dangerous. Looking at your phone directory etc. Drive past plenty of people who are obviously looking down at their phones and they're always all over the place. Never noticed anyone swerving all over on hands free, just they occasionally slow down a little to the same speed as the lorries they're behind. Not dangerous in my opinion, people slow down for lots of reasons that we can't ban. I still remember a Top Gear episode where Clarkson said something like, "I don't know what all the fuss is about, driving isn't hard, I can do loads of other things while I'm driving and be just fine". Whilst I don't agree with that entirely, there are loads of things that are equally or more distracting than hands free, eating, drinking, smoking, looking at a touch screen system. All worse than hands free in my opinion, so I think this one should be left alone. |
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08-15-2019, 11:08 AM | #48 | |
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I remember back in the 90's some motoring program set up shop at a motorway service station and asked motorists a series of questions. The first question was "How do you rate yourself as a motorist?" to which some 80-85% of people answered "Above average". They then went on to ask a series of questions that clearly demonstrated that these people were in fact far from good motorists. The big issue with car drivers is that they will always rate their skills and abilities way above what they actually are.
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08-15-2019, 12:14 PM | #49 | |
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08-15-2019, 01:15 PM | #50 | ||
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https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2017/12/...-phone-jailed/ Quote:
Leaving all the above aside, though, the reality is the evidence shows hands-free mobile use to be a distraction whilst driving and little better than the hands-held use so many are keen to jump on. Moreover, work done by the Transport Research Laboratory some years ago concluded that driving while holding a phone conversation was actually worse than driving with the legal limit of alcohol in the blood stream (i.e. people who are borderline getting done for drink/driving are still more attentive than someone holding a phone conversation). So the fact other activities are also distracting - and arguably more so depending on your point of view - doesn't seem to me to be a terribly good defence for hands-free. To my mind the only thing that makes legislation undesirable is that it would be almost impossible to enforce... |
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08-15-2019, 01:40 PM | #51 | |
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Every single person, without fail, that I have seen swerving across lanes, when I get to pass them is looking away from the road at something inside the vehicle. Usually their lap where there is presumably a phone. I don't doubt the research, I just think it's flawed. Forget what they're doing during a conversation, just look at what they need to do to get to a phone call. Pick up the phone, unlock it, get to a call directory, find the number, then call it, all while driving one handed, or no hands when unlocking etc. Im pretty certain that is not the same as me clicking the voice buttion and saying "call Simon" and then having a conversation. Are you also calling for the drinking limits to be lowered? The post above would suggest that? That one I don't have a problem with. I can definitely tell the difference after one drink, especially if it's a quick pint in the afternoon for example. I never have more than one, so don't know how much worse being on the the limit is. |
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08-15-2019, 03:06 PM | #52 |
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How ironic - I've just received an invite to take part in a trial of Amazon's Echo Auto which amongst other things allows hands-free calling
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08-15-2019, 03:45 PM | #53 | |||
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08-18-2019, 07:53 AM | #54 | |
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I really think the politicians should concentrate more on how they are going to reverse the growing crime problem in the country at the moment instead. |
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08-18-2019, 08:32 AM | #55 | |||
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08-18-2019, 08:42 AM | #56 | |
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I once did a driver awareness course (not one of those -paid for by my employer as I did a lot of business driving. One of tasks was to hold a mobile, answer a call (we were on private land!) whilst negotiating a course laid out with cones and then reverse park. I was just as good with phone in my hand as not, because I focused on the driving first... Why they are messing around talking about an unenforceable law when there are idiots out there who don’t care about much more enforceable laws - like carrying knives - is beyond me. Prioritise! |
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08-18-2019, 03:39 PM | #57 | ||
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I guess it also depends on how you achieved your result; if you answered the call, said "hang on a minute", put the phone on the passenger seat, completed the course and once you'd reversed parked picked the phone up and said "right I'm with you now" then I can see why there'd be no difference. However, if it was a car with a manual gearbox I'd have thought it was quite tricky to negotiate the sort of obstacle course you describe just as effectively with one hand instead of two; not impossible of course but I'd certainly find it easier with two hands! I do agree with this and in reality I'm sure the subject will be quietly forgotten as far as legislation is concerned. |
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08-18-2019, 04:08 PM | #58 | |
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But the point is that they say people in the car know to keep quiet at times when you need to concentrate. I often ring my mum from car - as I am otherwise a bad son and don’t ring enough. But I always tell her when it’s a difficult area and I am concentrating on driving not her. Not hard really... |
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08-18-2019, 04:25 PM | #59 | |
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I'm sure more drivers would control phone use, if they thought about it a bit more. Choose times to call out (if essential) to times when driving demand is at its lowest. Biggest problem as I see it, is receiving calls when the caller has no idea what is going on for the driver. |
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08-19-2019, 07:59 AM | #60 | |
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08-19-2019, 10:56 AM | #61 |
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For reasons already explained, I'm convinced telephone convervations are more distracting than in-car interations with passengers. Hands-free or not.
Can it be legislated/enforced - well I'd imagine if it were illegal many people would obey not least the ramifications if investigations into an accident were to show either driver was using a mobile. |
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08-20-2019, 03:01 AM | #62 | |
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I'm not a fan of touchscreens in cars. Seems like manufacturers put it there because they could not because they should.
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08-20-2019, 07:20 AM | #63 | |
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Think how many small individual components are required to build a traditional control panel with buttons and knobs etc. Each and every part will need some sort of tooling to be made before they can produce the parts. It's not just the obvious parts either. Each switch or knob will have all the electrical contacts, springs and other parts it needs to function. You've then got to pay to have it all assembled. Move everything to a cheap touch screen display, and you can suddenly replace everything with software. I hired a Peugeot 208 about a year ago, and everything was on the single touch screen. Media, Climate controls, Nav, Phone and probably other stuff I don't care to remember. It was possibly the most dangerous thing iv'e ever driven. I'll take my chances with the hands free phone over a touch screen any day. |
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08-27-2019, 12:54 PM | #66 |
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Back in the day before cell phones and touchscreens I had passengers get antsy because I would stop talking to them when traffic got busy or I found myself on a twisty unfamiliar road. Now they load up cars with all manner of distractions. Touchscreens are the worst closely followed by cellphones.
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