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Distracted driving and other road safety issues


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#21 HB

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 07:28 AM

I agree with the post that Mike posted above ^^^^

 

I think I will be waiting for a long long time for someone, anyone, to post a confirmed story here showuing that someone talking on a cell phone caused death,serious injury or the like.

 

Not texting just talking.

 

The Government puts out propoganda all the time and the good sheep are expected to follow,

 

Well I am not a good sheep.

 

I would do a professional road course against a cop or fireman anytime and have no doubt that I have better skills than these people who are put through an (approx) 4-8 hour driving course and a closed circuit track doing carzy stuff (like on mythbusters) that would not happen on a road.

 

No one has to drive on a s turn filled course one car width wide like on teh myth buster show and no one hold a phone teh way they do and drives at speeds like that.

It is extreme and it is made for failure. Just like the drinking part where they make the subject fast for about 1 day before pounding back drinks


Edited by History Buff, 11 February 2014 - 07:30 AM.


#22 Mike K.

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 08:01 AM

Mythbusters would have never been allowed to air a show that showed a reasonably experienced driver can maintain awareness while on the phone and behind the wheel.

And I'm sure police realize this to be true, but laws are enacted with the lowest common denominator in mind. And from what I see on the roads of Victoria many people shouldn't be driving let alone talking on the phone behind the wheel.
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#23 Bingo

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 01:53 PM

And from what I see on the roads of Victoria many people shouldn't be driving let alone talking on the phone behind the wheel.

 

Heck, we have people on this forum that can probably make a posting while driving down the highway.



#24 HB

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 02:01 PM

This is not about making a post it's about simple talking on a phone while driving

#25 sebberry

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 02:14 PM

This is not about making a post it's about simple talking on a phone while driving

 

You still didn't answer my question about whether talking on the phone takes some attention away from the act of driving. ;)

 

I get that some people can manage using the phone while driving.  It comes down to what the nature and duration of the conversation is as well as current road and traffic conditions.  The few times I used my phone when driving was to ask the caller to hold on a sec while I pulled over.  I never used it in heavy traffic or in the city.  Highways I think are actually safer places to use your phone while driving because cars are usually more spread out and there are few entrances and exits. 

 

The problem is that you can't legislate "reasonable use" of a cell phone while driving.  Everyone will have a different idea of what reasonable use is, and many drivers will simply ignore any guidelines that could be established to define reasonable use.

 

I still haven't bought a Bluetooth hands free speaker simply because I don't like talking on the phone while driving.  I know I find it to be a distraction for myself, and my observations of drivers who are having a conversation via Bluetooth tell me that more errors in judgement happen.  Brains simply don't multitask effectively. 

 

Have a look at the "Sterile Cockpit Rule"


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#26 Bingo

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 05:10 PM

Cell phones have come a long way to the place where using it as a phone to talk to somebody is not always its primary function.

 

Many people are using their phone to text more than anything else, and they become addicted to responding right away. A person can be texting in the safe confines of the coffee shop, then walk out into the crosswalk while carrying on the conversation, before getting into their car. The person on the other end of the phone may not be aware of this behaviour, and might be annoyed if the conversation is broken off, thus encouraging further texting or talking.

 

I have seen more abuse around me while driving than in the past, and it's just a matter of time before the proof of the phone abuse will be there.. attached to the coroner's report.



#27 LJ

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 08:05 PM

This is a joke at first the suggestion is that talking on the phone while driving is akin to being legally impaired.

 

 

http://unews.utah.ed...p/062206-1.html

 

Read em and weep.


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#28 HB

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 09:32 PM

Read and weep at that??? Not a chance.

 

ya thats great an American Study in a controlled environment on a simulator and in UTAh where  it is not illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving.

 

I am still waiting for evidence that someone talking on a cell phone caused a horrifi accident.

 

This study claims that people talking on cell phones drive slower.

That actually sounds great.

 

 

The study also says that there are very few drunk drivers on the road compared to people who have phones on the road so the study is extremeley skewed.

 

In America 40 of the 50 states allow people to use cell phones for talking while driving yes you can hold them.

 

In all this wisdom how do you explain then, that if people talking on cell phones are the same as people being drunk why are they letting cops talk on phones while driving. Is it OK for cops to drunk drive as long as they are on the job?

 

This is all crap as far as I am concerned . White collars can study this till they are blue in face on their simulators and on theirclosed course obstacle circuits

 

Here is the kicker you are allowed to talk on a cell phone as long as it is hands free or if it is mounted somewhere within the car. you are allowed to touch it for one touch dialing. You are allowed to have a conversation while driving. this is all legal.

However if you touch your phone or use one hand to hold the phone to your ear you are now considered the same as drunk???

 

 

You are allowed to touch your rear view mirror and adjust it while driving.

You are alloed to touch and manipulate the climate control buttons and knobs.

you are allowed to tune your radio adjust the volume

You are allowed to drive whiel your radio is on at whatever volume you like.

You are allowed to drive with dogs and cats running around your car or on your lap.

You are allowed to smoke yor eat yoru drive thru food .

these are all legal things but as soon as yoru hand touches yoru phone and I mean touch your are deemed to be distratced?

 

Yes I say it again this law and the reasoning of it is a joke.No one here will ever convince me otherwise.

 

I still maintain though that texting or surfing the net while  driving is extremely dangerous because it takes your eyes away from your surroundings and focuses them on your

phone screen

 

 

 

Utah cell phone law

 

 
May 14, 2013

If you are a teenager and living in Utah and don‘t want a $25 ticket, don’t talk on your cell phone while driving. Beginning today, drivers under the age of 18 must not use their cell phones while driving unless they are reporting a medical emergency, a safety hazard, or talking with their parent or guardian.

 

Drivers over the age of 18 can still talk on their phones, but all drivers are prohibited from texting while driving.

 

This Britsih Columbia  law sucks they way it is written in my opinion and if I were allowed to use expletives here my post would have been full of them


Edited by History Buff, 11 February 2014 - 10:05 PM.


#29 Bingo

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 10:39 PM

On Sept. 20, Victoria police Sgt. Glenn Vermette wrote an email to duty officers warning of the “full failure” of the CREST system. “Failure occurred approximately 20 minutes ago and is affecting ALL emergency services on the CREST network.

On duty VicPD members are being recalled to HQ to re-deploy in two-person units with at least one cellphone or mike phone.”

 

Victoria police have long complained of spotty coverage, dead zones and poor reception in the downtown core and underground parking areas. As a result, officers have been forced to patrol in pairs because of concerns that they would not be able to call for backup if radios fail in an emergency.

 

On Nov. 12, an officer pushed her emergency button during a struggle with a suspect. Neither of the two officers involved was able to communicate with a dispatcher.

 

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.lZrps4Ja.dpuf

 

 



#30 lanforod

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 08:27 AM

^^ HB - while it is legal to do all of those things while driving, a police officer can still ticket you for distracted driving. There may be specific laws against using phones/texting etc. but basically, you can get ticketed for being distracted by pretty much anything in your control, be it eating, putting on makeup, fiddling with the radio etc. Police tend to target texting as the worst distracted driving offence as it likely is the worst in terms of number of violations and how badly it distracts drivers http://roadrules.ca/...-putting-makeup.

 

I may agree with you that talking on a cell phone is not distracting enough to warrant laws against it. Some quick googling backs that up - talking on a phone isn't as bad as first believed according to several studies I found. Most of those studies do say that dialing and even reaching for the phone is a bad distraction though, and texting or email is terrible. Personally, I do think that every person is different, and for some people, talking on a cell is more distracting than others (I think of people who tend to talk with their hands even when on the phone, for example).


Edited by lanforod, 12 February 2014 - 08:29 AM.

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#31 Bingo

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 03:01 PM

Cell phone in use...seatbelt not...those items were being checked in Oak Bay this morning. 

 

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#32 sebberry

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 03:10 PM

My blood pressure spikes by about 50pts every time I see one of those road safety squad cars. 


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#33 eseedhouse

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 05:35 PM


I am still waiting for evidence that someone talking on a cell phone caused a horrifi accident.

 

 

There are plenty of horrific accidents on record where the driver at fault was talking on a cell phone at the time of the crash.  But, you can always claim that the mere fact does not prove that it was talking on the cell phone that actually caused the accident.

 

Nobody can absolutely prove anything except in mathematics.  So your bar is impossible to jump.  All we mortals can do is look at the evidence and evidence is never absolute.

 

The evidence that cell phones are a causitive factor in automobile accidents is pretty strong, but then so is the evidence that smoking causes lung cancer and heart disease.  But there are still people who deny both.  Neither claim has been absolutely proven, they have just an overwhelming amount of evidence in their favour.

 

If you demand absolute proof then you are in fmy opinion being unreasonable.  Reason does not allow us absolute proof except in the limited realm of mathematics.  Yet you demand that it does before you will change your mind.  That makes you unreasonable in my opinion.



#34 LJ

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 07:58 PM

Read and weep at that??? Not a chance.

 

ya thats great an American Study in a controlled environment on a simulator and in UTAh where  it is not illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving.

 

I am still waiting for evidence that someone talking on a cell phone caused a horrifi accident.

 

This study claims that people talking on cell phones drive slower.

That actually sounds great.

 

 

The study also says that there are very few drunk drivers on the road compared to people who have phones on the road so the study is extremeley skewed.

 

In America 40 of the 50 states allow people to use cell phones for talking while driving yes you can hold them.

 

In all this wisdom how do you explain then, that if people talking on cell phones are the same as people being drunk why are they letting cops talk on phones while driving. Is it OK for cops to drunk drive as long as they are on the job?

 

This is all crap as far as I am concerned . White collars can study this till they are blue in face on their simulators and on theirclosed course obstacle circuits

 

Here is the kicker you are allowed to talk on a cell phone as long as it is hands free or if it is mounted somewhere within the car. you are allowed to touch it for one touch dialing. You are allowed to have a conversation while driving. this is all legal.

However if you touch your phone or use one hand to hold the phone to your ear you are now considered the same as drunk???

 

 

You are allowed to touch your rear view mirror and adjust it while driving.

You are alloed to touch and manipulate the climate control buttons and knobs.

you are allowed to tune your radio adjust the volume

You are allowed to drive whiel your radio is on at whatever volume you like.

You are allowed to drive with dogs and cats running around your car or on your lap.

You are allowed to smoke yor eat yoru drive thru food .

these are all legal things but as soon as yoru hand touches yoru phone and I mean touch your are deemed to be distratced?

 

Yes I say it again this law and the reasoning of it is a joke.No one here will ever convince me otherwise.

 

I still maintain though that texting or surfing the net while  driving is extremely dangerous because it takes your eyes away from your surroundings and focuses them on your

phone screen

 

 

 

Utah cell phone law

 

 
May 14, 2013

If you are a teenager and living in Utah and don‘t want a $25 ticket, don’t talk on your cell phone while driving. Beginning today, drivers under the age of 18 must not use their cell phones while driving unless they are reporting a medical emergency, a safety hazard, or talking with their parent or guardian.

 

Drivers over the age of 18 can still talk on their phones, but all drivers are prohibited from texting while driving.

 

This Britsih Columbia  law sucks they way it is written in my opinion and if I were allowed to use expletives here my post would have been full of them

You wont be hurt I hope that I choose to believe scientific professionals instead of your unsubstantiated beliefs.


Life's a journey......so roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.

#35 HB

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 10:09 PM

You mean unsubstantiated "scientific non existing "proof"



#36 sebberry

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 10:18 PM

Distracted driving discussion above split from the Traffic Incident thread


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#37 HB

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 10:39 PM

There are plenty of horrific accidents on record where the driver at fault was talking on a cell phone at the time of the crash. 

 

Thats awesome ...so post a copy of one here . Just one.



#38 stormy

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 10:39 PM

HB this may not be 'horrific' enough for you but......

 

A few years ago my client and his parents were in an accident where a woman on a cell phone went through the red at a major intersection and they had no way of avoiding her.  The father's back was injured so badly he had to go on disability then retire early and has been in pain every day since the accident.  The mother broke two ribs and her ankle.  My client, who uses a wheelchair, had a broken sternum and two broken ribs.  Seeing as he cannot bear weight you can only imagine the agony it was for him to be assisted in transfers.  The car was written off.

The woman and her kids were unhurt.

 

My client's mother reported that she had seen the woman talking on the cell phone just as they were approaching the intersection and then the woman did admit that she had been on the cell phone.

 

 My client's parents future was permanently changed that day, both medically and financially.  For them it was quite horrific.


Edited by stormy, 12 February 2014 - 10:51 PM.


#39 Bingo

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 10:46 PM

Morbid...or what?



#40 sebberry

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Posted 12 February 2014 - 10:57 PM

I don't know why HB wants horrific collisions.  Nobody wants to be in a crash, especially one that could have been prevented by not being distracted in the first place.


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