"Looking Down" whilst driving......
Discussion
Following a woman driver (this issue seems predominatly women, but sure some men do it too) this morning, on the M4 in and out of traffic jams, and she's constantly 'looking down' from the road. I can clearly see her eyes in the rear view mirror, and I'd suggest that whilst she was texting her observations to the road were probably less than 50% of the time, possible below 25%. Obviously she's having a text conversation with some friend about the weekends events..... I followed her or maybe 15 minutes in heavy traffic, and I'd suggest she had her 'eyes down' for almost half this time.....
I'm increasingly amazed at the number of younger drivers that are doing this, multi tasking between their phone and the road. I suspect that if they were allowed by law to hold the phone to their ears and talk to their friends instead, that they would at least have their eyes on the road more.... is the law actually making their behaviour worse in this sense I wonder?
Obviously the almost complete lack of marked police cars patrolling the motorway network these days isn't helping this situation.
I'm increasingly amazed at the number of younger drivers that are doing this, multi tasking between their phone and the road. I suspect that if they were allowed by law to hold the phone to their ears and talk to their friends instead, that they would at least have their eyes on the road more.... is the law actually making their behaviour worse in this sense I wonder?
Obviously the almost complete lack of marked police cars patrolling the motorway network these days isn't helping this situation.
I'd seen people texting whilst driving long before the hand-hand mobile ban came into force. I certainly haven't noticed it getting any more common.
I also don't think it's an absolute given that texting is more dangerous than talking on the phone. It doesn't require the same kind of continuous concentration because it's not real-time. I'd never do either, personally.
I also don't think it's an absolute given that texting is more dangerous than talking on the phone. It doesn't require the same kind of continuous concentration because it's not real-time. I'd never do either, personally.
Facebook on mobile phones seems to distract a lot of young women. Also touch-screen phones mean you can't "feel" your way around a keyboard to text whilst driving. Obviously any attempt to text whilst driving is insane, but touch-screen phones make the problem even worse than in the days of key-pad phones.
Drives me f
king bonkers, and it's a huge and widespread problem from my observations.
Drives me f
king bonkers, and it's a huge and widespread problem from my observations.kambites said:
I also don't think it's an absolute given that texting is more dangerous than talking on the phone. It doesn't require the same kind of continuous concentration because it's not real-time. I'd never do either, personally.
Let's see?Texting - look at phone (take eyes off road) find button then repeat for each letter while thinking about what to say etc.
Or,
Phone stuck to head and chat while watching the road. OK concentration not entirely on the job in hand but....
Which ones worse?
Marlin45 said:
Let's see?
Texting - look at phone (take eyes off road) find button then repeat for each letter while thinking about what to say etc.
Or,
Phone stuck to head and chat while watching the road. OK concentration not entirely on the job in hand but....
Which ones worse?
As I said, I don't know. I've never seen any research to indicate it one way or the other. It has been demonstrated numerous times that the problem with talking on the phone is nothing to do with having a hands off the wheel, but is almost entirely down to talking to someone who is unsympathetic to what's going on around the car and who can't read your body language to tell when you're needing to concentrate on something else. Texting does not have this problem, but does take your eyes off the road (and presumably one hand off the wheel). Texting - look at phone (take eyes off road) find button then repeat for each letter while thinking about what to say etc.
Or,
Phone stuck to head and chat while watching the road. OK concentration not entirely on the job in hand but....
Which ones worse?
I have no idea which is worse, I would never do either (including on a hands-free). I'd be interested to see any proper research results on it if there are any?
ArsE92 said:
Corsair7 said:
I followed her or maybe 15 minutes in heavy traffic, and I'd suggest she had her 'eyes down' for almost half this time.....
She was playing Bingo.HTH
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/semi-naked-cumbr...
I almost got take out by a tw@t in a fiat 500 last week. lorry on fire on the other side of the motor way, and this idiot decided to video it while driving ffs.. then swerves almost to a stop across the 2 lanes in front of me !!!
Fortunetly I was watching the traffic not the lorry fire, so could take avoiding action!!!
Fortunetly I was watching the traffic not the lorry fire, so could take avoiding action!!!
Van driver on the M61 yesterday, was in lane one, me going past in lane 2 and he moves into lane 2 without indicating, probably a third of his van over the line, I wasn't going quick so had time to react and blew my horn to alert him to the fact I was there and he scuttled back to lane 1, go past and he offers a placatory wave and the wife said he was holding his phone.
Mine usually goes in the boot in my rucksack, have only ever looked at it whilst stuck in traffic not moving, technically still illegal but I like to think I use common sense and never use it whilst moving, to be honest texting on it is so fiddly doing it with full concentration is sometimes frustrating.
Still amazes me the number of options for hands free voice calls and people in cars you just know have it all installed still yacking into a headset.
Mine usually goes in the boot in my rucksack, have only ever looked at it whilst stuck in traffic not moving, technically still illegal but I like to think I use common sense and never use it whilst moving, to be honest texting on it is so fiddly doing it with full concentration is sometimes frustrating.
Still amazes me the number of options for hands free voice calls and people in cars you just know have it all installed still yacking into a headset.
Yep seen this many times too and I'd say it's far more dangerous than talking on a phone. I have a hands free kit in my car which I do use on occasion and tbh I don't have a problem talking and driving at the same time as I am able to multitask and I ensure I concentrate more on driving then talking. If I have to stop talking sometimes to carry out a tricky maneouvre then so be it.
My wife however seems incapable of talking and driving, even using the hands free, as she gets entirely too wrapped up in the phone conversation and almost "forgets" she is driving (I thought women were better at multitasking) to a point where I have banned her from using it.
So on the whole should they ban phone useage of any kind in cars full stop? Probably.
My wife however seems incapable of talking and driving, even using the hands free, as she gets entirely too wrapped up in the phone conversation and almost "forgets" she is driving (I thought women were better at multitasking) to a point where I have banned her from using it.
So on the whole should they ban phone useage of any kind in cars full stop? Probably.
Captain Muppet said:
I was on the same bit of road today and I saw this chap who seemed to spend all his time watching the rear view mirror of the car in front...
Was the driver infront of him a well endowed lady with a bit too much showing?I've had a similar experience... But it wasnt her honkers which distracted me, but by me finding it funny that it was so obvious!
Back on topic, I've heard of a story where someone was pulled over for use of their phone, but when pulled over they disputed it and ended up having to go into the boot to produce said phone.
Marlin45 said:
kambites said:
I also don't think it's an absolute given that texting is more dangerous than talking on the phone. It doesn't require the same kind of continuous concentration because it's not real-time. I'd never do either, personally.
Let's see?Texting - look at phone (take eyes off road) find button then repeat for each letter while thinking about what to say etc.
Or,
Phone stuck to head and chat while watching the road. OK concentration not entirely on the job in hand but....
Which ones worse?
imo, neither are worse, it'll all about common sense and the current situation. Either could be lethal, either could be innocuous, depends. It always depends.
and:
Corsair7 said:
is the law actually making their behaviour worse in this sense I wonder?
Almost certainly.I was behind a young female doing exactly this last week. She was almost in the verge a couple of times, so I got p***** off and blasted the horn at her.
She threw her hands up in the hair and I clearly indicated that I did it because she was texting. It worked as she took off and didnt look down again while I was behind her.
She threw her hands up in the hair and I clearly indicated that I did it because she was texting. It worked as she took off and didnt look down again while I was behind her.
It's a shame they can't invent something that blocks the use of the phone while the engine is running unless it's hard-wired into the car.
I dare say that's impossible but maybe they could be fitted with explosive devices that are activated with the engine running.
OK, OK, just an idea....
I dare say that's impossible but maybe they could be fitted with explosive devices that are activated with the engine running.
OK, OK, just an idea....
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