LoudRam said:I know I pounced quick on that reply but I have heard so much BS from liberals trying to blame and ban guns instead of dealing with the scum using it. A little background on me. I'm ex military police so this is an issue near and dear to my heart.
Sent from my HTC Rezound using Droid Forums
No - using the cell phone, period, is the culprit with the exception of a handsfree device.
"point #1": This is the same type of distraction as using a cell phone and worse. Someday, you'll get in an accident and blame it on the other driver instead of your kids that actually caused the distraction.
"Point #2": You were lucky to not have a safety issue taking a phone call in your vehicle. You should; however, pull over if texting (so we're on the same page). Cell phones are the true culprit in this convo, not just texting.
A little extreme?
Try getting hit by someone using the cell phone when they're driving 45 mph when you're waiting for a green light. I can use a handsfree device - what's the point? How is it so important that you need to talk on the cell at all when you're driving? Before cell phones were popular or used by the consumer, what did you do? Go to the nearest phone booth at every other block to make a call to see how someone's doing? You shouldn't depend on cell phones like their part of you body. People are getting more & more attached they won't know what to do if a catrostrophy happened. "oh my, what do I do, I don't have anymore signal - well i may as well kill myself since my cell phone doesn't work anymore". Think about it.
Apparently my multitasking abilities are far greater than some. Cell phones are one of the greatest technologies in the world today. Using them in a safe manner is always recommended. I feel totally safe taking a call on my cell phone (either with the phone or handsfree) and still being in total control of my vehicle. If you or others do not feel you can safely do that then it would be in your best interest not to do it.
There is nothing to think about here. The world of technology is evolving around you and you/we have to make adjustments to the benefits. What is so important? I have a life that is full and communication is a must. 3 young kids in school, a full time job and donate 30+ hours a week of my time to my community coaching baseball and being on several boards within my city.
It's OK to get "attached" to your cellular device but remember where you came from. Anyone that can competently operate a smartphone will not have the "what do i do since my cell phone isn't working". They will know what to do.
You cannot group everyone into one category just because of a experience that you have had with someone that did not have the ability to "safely" use their device.
The problem is that the overwhelming majority of people that think they can both talk on a phone and drive just as well, are sadly wrong. If their driving isn't worse with the phone, then most likely their driving skills are so poor to begin with that adding a phone to the mix doesn't drag down the score much.
I said it before and I will say it again... Go ride and commute on a motorcycle for a few months and get back to me on how great the average driver is. The truth is that most of them are oblivious to their surroundings, and most other drivers don't notice most of the stuff that goes on because they too are insulated behind glass, steel and airbags, with wonderful distractions like food, soda, radios, DVD players, gadgets, phones, GPS, the kids in the back seat, etc...
In our effort to take cars from a simple means of transportation to this serene, safe mobile entertainment systems, we have in fact made the act of being on the road LESS safe over the years. As we add more technology like "self-parking" cars, and cars that scan the road and brake when there is an obstacle and all that, we remove the driver from the act of driving, and the consequences, even more.
And look at our driving tests. A monkey could pass them, they truly are pitiful. Our driver education and test procedures in no way certify you as qualified to drive a car.
So while most people THINK they are good drivers, very few of them are. Go ride a motorcycle and you will have none of those protections, none of those distractions. You will see that each day is a video game where you "win" if you can make it to your destination alive past all the absolute blathering morons on the road and all the asinine things they do, usually while on the damned phone, all the while patting themselves on the back for what a great driver they think they are.
It's an eye-opener, and I am willing to bet that anyone here who rides and is reading this post, will agree with me 100%.
This reminds me of a video I saw on YouTube where a motorcyclist was steering with his feet while he texted on a freeway.
Tappin' and talkin' with Tapatalk.
I said it before and I will say it again... Go ride and commute on a motorcycle for a few months and get back to me on how great the average driver is. The truth is that most of them are oblivious to their surroundings, and most other drivers don't notice most of the stuff that goes on because they too are insulated behind glass, steel and airbags, with wonderful distractions like food, soda, radios, DVD players, gadgets, phones, GPS, the kids in the back seat, etc...
It's an eye-opener, and I am willing to bet that anyone here who rides and is reading this post, will agree with me 100%.
I ride a bicycle instead of a motorcycle and do it almost every day. Yes, I agree 100%. Many people in cars are on phones and are oblivious to the world around them. That includes people who are "just talking." The fact is that a person has only one visual cortex. If they are using it to try to visualize the person on the other end of the phone, they are _not_ using it to avoid crashing into people nearby on the road. The reason we have a so-called "nanny state" is that many people are idiots who never grow up. I'll take the "nanny state" over being run down by a self-described "good driver" any day of the week.