if hands-free cell = distracted driving, why isn't talking to passengers?

[Janx]

Unless the accident literally vaporizes your car, the fact that you had the capability would be obvious in the presence of the hardware. Then, innocent until proven guilty kicks in - lacking other evidence, they can assume that you were using your hands-free gear.

Additionally, one of the articles I read about the federal recommendation to ban cell usage, specifically excludes built-in car functionality. So a bluetooth'd car or OnStar would not violate the proposed law.

that almost sounds like it was pandered to by the Microsoft Sync/OnStar/car industry.

I imagine Sync and Siri are interested in this law. Technically, the point is, voice control while driving removes one major risk, which is looking away to push buttons. That's a worse risk point in my experience than the actual talking.

 

[Gronin]

There have been multiple studies that show talking with a passenger in a car is significantly less distracting that having a phone call:

CAR TALK

Talk to passengers, not cell phones - Utah study | Hands Free Info

There are multiple reasons for this, including how your brain process the information and the passenger responding to some of the same stimuli as the driver, but its been a pretty well established fact.

Pretty much what I was about to say, except Deset Gled had studies and I was just going to cite personal experience.

I live in Alberta, Canada and we have just recently had distracted driver laws put into place -- it does not include hands free devices though although I can personally attest to the difference between talking on the phone as opposed to talking to a passanger.

Sadly I have nearly been in three accidents in the last couple of days (that defeinsive drivign course I was forced to take oh so many years ago continues to pay dividends) because of other drivers lack of attention and not once did it appear to me that they had any reason to be distracted other than that being their natural state.

So while this law may improve things (only time will tell) it will not come close to eliminating the problem.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There are multiple reasons for this, including how your brain process the information and the passenger responding to some of the same stimuli as the driver, but its been a pretty well established fact.

Yeah, the big one is that your passengers, if they're over the age of 5, can see when you need to focus and shut up, while people on the other end of the phone cannot.

 

[Starman]

The funny thing is that although it is proven that cell phone usage is very distracting even with a hands-free device, there is no evidence that banning the use of cell phones while driving reduces accidents.

 

[Fast Learner]

One part of it is the idea that if the person you're talking to isn't there then part of your brain is tied up imagining them, effectively. Not imagining what they look like, per se, but rather holding a space for this disembodied person that you're speaking with. If the person is in the vehicle with you then you don't have to hold them in your brain the same way, making it less distracting.

And frankly, I feel that's actually quite valid. I know from experience that part of my brain is sort-of outside the vehicle when I'm on the phone in a way that's not true if I'm talking to myself, talking to someone else who's there, listening to a podcast or book or music, etc. Mind you, most of those other things do tie up some brain that might well be making me a worse driver, but talking on the phone is definitely different. At least for me.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

The funny thing is that although it is proven that cell phone usage is very distracting even with a hands-free device, there is no evidence that banning the use of cell phones while driving reduces accidents.

I'd like to see some area try a restricted usage law instead of a complete ban. Specifically, when driving on a multilane highway, require anyone using a cell phone in any way to stay in the "slow lane"--i.e. often the right lane in the US. Then study the results.

The most unsafe driving I have seen out of cell phone drivers is:

1. Weaving in and out of traffic without giving enough room and/or not noticing cars in the other lanes. Frequently done while driving too fast.

2. Not maintaining a consistent speed. I often see cell phone users drive 35-40 MPH in a left lane where the limit is 60. Then about the time everyone gets around them, they hang up and go to behavior #1, and pass everyone driving 75. But even if they are merely blissfully driving down the highway for 10 miles, 20 MPH under the speed limit, in the passing lane, they are still creating unsafe conditions. (Last month, I saw a guy do that for almost 20 miles. He bolloxed up traffic so bad with the trucks in the right lane, I was stuck behind him the whole way.)

Now maybe that state trooper that gave a lecture on recognizing "driving under the influence"--and the difference between too much alcohol versus typical druggie reactions, wasn't entirely accurate or is now out of date. It was many years ago. But I don't see a lot of difference between #1 behavior and drunk driving, and #2 behavior is remarkably consistent with someone blissed out on Mary Jane or similar. The drunks are a bit more erratic--and of course the upper end of drunk is completely out of control compared to the cell phone guy. But near as I can tell, compared to druggies and cell phone "clueless" driving, the druggies come off pretty well.

Plus, it would be an interesting social experiment restricting usage to the right lane. I wonder how many calls would be all that important if people had to wait an extra 2 minutes to get to their destination?

 

[gamerprinter]

Whether enforcible or not, I'm all for a ban on cell phone usage (hands on or not) while driving any vehicle. Of course, I don't have a cell phone, nor want one, so that probably colors my perspective quite a bit. I hate cell phones, don't want one and would prefer that nobody else had one while driving a vehicle. I see accidents all the time caused by non-attentive drivers on the phone...

Looking out the window of my shop - I see it happening all the time (lots of accidents in front of my shop for some reason.)

 

[Morrus]

Looking out the window of my shop - I see it happening all the time (lots of accidents in front of my shop for some reason.)

Have you ever considered that the common denominator might be your shop?

 

[gamerprinter]

If they were customers entering/exiting my shop, I might agree, (business is slow these days, so that's not happening...) however, my shop is located on US Route 6 - a major 2 lane highway that crosses the entire US (NY - San Francisco), and there is a rural road that ends on Rt 6, almost directly across the street from my shop - this is where all the accidents occur. Much of it, is drivers from the rural road looking to left at oncoming traffic, and not looking to their right - the direction that vehicles hit them causing those accidents. But its not too uncommon to see them on a cell phone (and not the hand's free kind) as it's happening. While many of those accidents happen before I notice the details. On many occassions I just look out the window moments before they occur, and such details are noticed.

I don't believe my shop location is cursed or anything like that, so no, I don't think these incidents are due to my shop, rather the idiotic drivers coming down the rural road.

 

[Janx]

Have you ever considered that the common denominator might be your shop?

I would assume he meant the naked lady painted on the side of your building is drawing undue attention...

I'm not for a total ban. I conduct a fair number of business calls while driving. I dial before I get in the car usually. I never dial while the vehicle is moving. When I go to work, I spend an hour in the car, so getting that hour back to talk to my team saves me from doing it while in the office (my entire team telecommutes).

I only talk on the phone with a headset. I always want 2 hands free to drive, and not have a hand holding phone to my ear which restricts the ability to look around for lane changes.