WHAT??! but that's my only 'alone' time...

Another cell phone ban article today?

Party Boy: how can you text and drive? Seriously.

It's situational to be certain. To get to my old office there was about a 2.5 mile dead end stretch with no cross streets, 25 mph limit, and barely any curves to speak of. With a QWERTY keypad it's possible to type without even looking at the phone, and reading a 5 word incoming message takes all of about 1 second. 36.6 feet isn't that far, it's fairly easy to do read a message, check everything's clear, and without taking my eyes off the road to hit reply/type a response/hit send get a response out.

On a winding mountain road, or in-city driving it's definitely a bad idea though.

Party Boy: Still how does one focus?

I don't typically have to focus on a text message, it's usually a simple yes/no (or at least 5 words or less) answer. If it's anything more I call instead, and if the call is too complicated (lots of math/numbers/remembering names et al) I'll stop or call back when I can focus on the call.

Party Boy: I have to see this some time. Im at a loss to even determine how this is possible. fark, my car doesnt even have cup holders.

It's really not too difficult, just hold the phone up in front of the wheel so you're not looking far off, and it's like checking a rear view mirror, speedometer or even looking at the clock if done responsibly. If the message is too long read it in parts or wait till you're stopped.

Like I said, some people push their luck and cruise at 70 mph on a freeway not looking up for 5 or 10 seconds, but it can be done fairly safely just like almost anything else while driving. (Safer than digging for a CD that fell behind the seat, for example.)

Partially you have to drive an automatic and know your phone so well you can get where you need without looking at it, and learn to type without looking at it. Mostly just keep driving as the highest priority over everything else.

I've avoided rabbits and squirrels darting in front of me at 25 mph while glancing at texts/emails, if I only look for half a second I've only gone about 18 feet, or between double and triple the length of most cars.

Lots of cross streets/driveways/bikes/pedestrians, I won't even think about it, but it's not always dangerous.

The fact that they have to pass a law like this essentially means we've outlived our usefulness as a species.

It'$ for your $afety, citizen.

But the biggest crock of all is that cops are exempt. Aren't officers supposed to set a good example anymore? I hate it when cops are held to a lower standard than the rest of us. It's not right.

Yes, you can text while driving. You can read while sitting at a stoplight. You can even Google while driving. It's never actually safe to do anything like that when you're behind the wheel and the car is moving.

For texting, mainly what you do is hold the phone up so you see the road at the same time, and for each character you glance at the phone keyboard and then up, and predictive mode helps with word completion. You should know without looking the keys to press for send and so on.

That's just how you do it. It's totally, completely unsafe. It's one of the unsafest things you can do while driving. Anyone who is reading this and thinking, "No, I'm good enough that it's safe for me to do it" is kidding himself.

I'm not condemning anyone who does it. I'm just stating a fact.

Party Boy: how can you text and drive? Seriously.

Red lights. I won't touch the BB while I'm moving, and I never type, but I will read. I never miss a green either, because I never look at the thing for more than 2 seconds straight, while I'm stopped.

It's hard to safely operate a phone and a car at the same time, but it can be done.

kettir: I'm just stating a fact.

No, you're stating an opinion. There's a difference.

So it's still ok to fap while driving right?

/sent via Blackberry mobile

Party Boy: Im inclined to go with a study on it.
Texting And Driving Worse Than Drinking and Driving

In many situations it is, but not all. I don't like a blanket laws about most activities that already fall under distracted/reckless driving.

I'd love to see someone show how dangerous changing tracks or stations on your CD player, Sattelite radio, or MP3 player is. If you're doing any of those while driving irresponsibly you'll wreck as well.

If my math isn't off, it takes 55.44 feet of road to hit the brake at that speed. A car at 70 mph will travel 102 2/3 feet in a second. So while texting you add approximately a bit more than half a second to your braking time.

So it's certainly not safe, but I don't like how their numbers make the problem look worse than it is.

(I hate myself for this)

The ban was introduced to keep Health Care costs down (it's Canada).

(still feel a little dirty)

For all you fools who think they can text or call while driving:

Crank up your favorite task intensive PC/xbox/whatever game. Driving sim, FPS, whatever.
Record your score, or until you get killed out.
Now do the same game, while on the phone or texting.

Graph your results over a week or two.

Prove to yourself, and us, how 'safe' you are.

I know someone who practices harmonica while driving.

It's not just the traffic wrecks. It's a cumulative tax on everybody elses' time. Every jackass reading an email who you have to honk at a light that has turned green, every jerk who slams on his breaks in rush hour because he sees a break light ahead and doesn't realize it's not in his lane because he isn't paying attention.

Of course, having both hands free doesn't guarantee freedom from jackassery. I also have a friend who got in a wreck because his girlfriend... yes, I know it was also in a movie, but really...

YouPeopleAreCrazy: For all you fools who think they can text or call while driving:

Crank up your favorite task intensive PC/xbox/whatever game. Driving sim, FPS, whatever.
Record your score, or until you get killed out.
Now do the same game, while on the phone or texting.

Graph your results over a week or two.

Prove to yourself, and us, how 'safe' you are.

That seems like a fairly bad comparison. I know for certain I don't drive better plastered, but almost all my best scores in Forza (for example) have come when I'd have blown a .20 or higher.

That and I can't think of a game I play that doesn't require two hands on a controller. An automatic car doesn't require two hands to steer, accelerate, and brake.

+1

Party Boy: how can you text and drive? Seriously.

QWERTY! That is all....and a small brain with lack of compassion for others safety!

Impossible to enforce. Handset moves down to lap, and so do eyes, making it even MORE dangerous for drivers.

In those places where it's already illegal, are the cops even enforcing this?

And yet if I have a beer after work and then drive, my name might as well be Satan Hitler.

mentallo69: QWERTY! That is all....and a small brain with lack of compassion for others safety!

That or find dead nearly empty roads that are severely under-posted due to city laws that require every road that's not a state/federal highway to be 25 mph, so a road designed to be 45 is traveled at a very slow speed.

If we're going to ban anything while driving how about eating? I can't count the number of times some dipshiat digging for french fries or napkins or whatever in the bottom of the bag have almost hit me pulling out of a drive-thru.

Here's how stupid this law is:

The legislation applies only to hand-held wireless communications and
hand-held electronic entertainment devices. This means drivers may use a
wireless communication or entertainment device that can be operated in a
"hands-free" manner, for example:

- a cell phone with an earpiece or headset using voice dialling, or
plugged into the vehicle's sound system
- a global positioning system (GPS) device that is properly secured to
the dashboard or another accessible place in the vehicle
- a portable media player that has been plugged into the vehicle's sound
system.

The law immediately contradicts itself. How can you operate a dash-mounted GPS in a "hands-free" manner? Likewise with a media player plugged into the stereo with a line-in.

It's nonsensical. The fact that no one seems to know the exact parameters of this law is infuriating to me.

I usually have my hs math students do this problem at some point during the year.

Your check a text message while driving 70 mph on the highway. How long does it take to look at the phone and process who messaged and what they said? Usually they say about 2-3 seconds.

About 5 minutes later after some unit conversions...that translates into 70x5280/3600 = about 100 ft/second. Which translates into nearly a football field (units they can comprehend) of travel with eyes off the road. They get that. Their eyes usually widen in disbelief.

Or you can do what I saw one woman doing: driving on the highway with her arms THROUGH the steering wheel...texting away while steering with her forearms. Wow.

Forget about texting. I keep getting (nearly) hit by people at the corner of my residential street and Dufferin St. (a busy 4 lane street). They see the light turn green, but don't see pedestrians as they are too busy talking on their cellphones. My wifie gives them the finger and yells, and I am really tempted to whomp them with my cane to see if THAT gets their attention.

Really, how can you miss a 5'10" person in bright clothing trying to cross the street, with the light, in daytime? Apparently Cell phones make people blind. I don't even want to think about people texting at that corner.

/Get off the phone!

davidphogan: but almost all my best scores in Forza (for example) have come when I'd have blown a .20 or higher.

Graph those results for a week or two (drunk/sober/drunk/sober) and see if that is really the case.

/on the street, you don't respawn

Evil Canadian: Really, how can you miss a 5'10" person in bright clothing trying to cross the street, with the light, in daytime?

Idiots behind the wheel.

I've had the same riding my bike.
Large adult male, bright red sweatshirt, riding 4' out from the curb (far enough that any motor vehicle had to actually 'go around' on a residential street.

He cuts me off as he turns into the parking lot. Almost to the point of dented door/broken face.
I chase him through the parking lot until he parks.
"Yo...you know you cut me off as you turned in here?"
'Oh...sorry, I didn't see you.'
"Ya dumb muthafarker...how could you NOT see me?!?"

Yeah, he was on the phone.

johnsoninca: Based on the headline, I guess you can text with both your hands and drive with your knees.

I know a guy uncannily "skilled" at this. Yes, he's an idiot as you've already guessed.

yeah it's distracting
people can't even walk properly and farking text

when i was driving for a living
i could barely read a novel and drive

let alone typing

goddammit!

LMFAO i can't believe some of you are actually defending your texting/messaging while driving abilities.

unless you're alone in your car, driving on a road where there are ZERO other people and no property that you can damage by crashing into it, then you're a selfish *sshat who thinks their text/message is so important that it validates putting other people in danger....srsly

wait till you're stopped at a stoplight. there is nothing SO friggin' important that you can't wait a few minutes to reply.

Party Boy: * Unimpaired: .54 seconds to brake
* Legally drunk: add 4 feet
* Reading e-mail: add 36 feet
* Sending a text: add 70 feet

How do you convert seconds to feet? I'm bad at this new math.

And remember citizen, do not scratch your head or adjust your headgear while driving.

TorontoTonto: (I hate myself for this)

The ban was introduced to keep Health Care costs down (it's Canada).

(still feel a little dirty)

...and reduce the inevitable traffic delays when the cops close down a road for their "investigations" rather than just having the ambulance and tow-truck clean it up...

Oh, and in Toronto, they always have a FIRE TRUCK attend highways crashes. Nothing makes traffic slow to a crawl than the gawkers looking at a goddamn fire truck in the other lanes.

Man, the drivers here are so STUPID.

....

YouPeopleAreCrazy: davidphogan: but almost all my best scores in Forza (for example) have come when I'd have blown a .20 or higher.

Graph those results for a week or two (drunk/sober/drunk/sober) and see if that is really the case.

/on the street, you don't respawn

Video games are nothing like driving IRL, it's a lot easier to play a racing game drunk than drive drunk in real life since there are things like traffic lights, etc to deal with. The more relaxed attitude (while unsafe) works well for a video game since you're racing against a clock, not trying to drive safely.

World of difference, just like the controls, so I'm not going to bother doing a science project to amuse you. If you want to come over with a bottle of rum I'd be happy to demonstrate while drinking your liquor though.

pandabear: You can console yourself with the fact that after the ortho guy at the hospital stops laughing, he's going to charge about a year's pay to put her shoulders, arms, and elbows back together. It's also going to be one of those procedures where the surgeon wears fly fishing waders to keep the blood off and uses instruments made by Makita.

I'm thinking more that when she slams into something because she was texting instead of driving, that'll actually be the end of her arms.

/but then how willshe text?