Seacost Century=FAIL

[thekarens]

I was listening to a podcast today and the guy from England was saying there that anything that distracts you from driving properly is illegal. To me that's a very sensible law. I don't think specifically targeting cell phones is helpful. A law like that where if whatever is causing you to drive erratically then you have no business doing whatever it is.

[Pax]

I read somewhere that there are four times as many cars on the road today as when I started driving in the 70's. We had a lot less distractions back then... maybe the answer is to get rid of all of them; no cell phones, stereos, video screens, nothing. Just drive the vehicle and pay attention, if you need directions, pull over and check a map or GPS, need entertainment, pull over and read or listen to music.

[ridebikeme]

I agree with both of you, somehow with the technology that we have it seems that the GPS either in your vehicle or phone should be able to shut itself off once inside the vehicle... perhaps with some sort of emergency button. BUT, although I certainly don't want to be pessimistic, I'm not sure that is going to happen.(although I certainly hope that I am wrong!)

I've been thinking about this whole situation for a very long time, and although someone else may have a better/more effective idea... I think cyclists somehow have to band with a larger group to have our concerns actually heard... that is the reason for my idea of banding with the motorcycle industry. I'd definitely be interested in other peoples ideas, as we all know something definitely needs to happen QUICKLY!

[GLC1968]

I don't think legislation is the answer. Here in Oregon, it is illegal to operate your car and your mobile device at the same time, and yet I see people doing it ALL THE TIME. Hell, I even had one women try to capture video of me on her phone while I was riding as she was driving (through the passenger window as she pulled up beside me!!). She was yelling something at me about there being no shoulder or something and my thought was that she was hoping to go to the police and have me arrested (ignorant of both the phone/car law and the cycling laws...obviously). In the 5 years we owned the farm, there were 4 major accidents (some with bad injuries) at our intersection due to texting or phone calls....and that was out in the country!

Anyway, the phone companies are not oblivious to this. Have you seen the documentary out about texting and driving? It's not cycling specific, but it's interesting because it was initiated/sponsored by AT&T:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/..._the_next.html

[OakLeaf]

Legislation alone isn't the answer, but making vehicular homicide a strict liability offense would go a long way toward removing prosecutorial discretion from the equation.

I still say it's cultural and the devices themselves aren't at fault. Look at how they build cars nowadays. It takes four steps to get frickin' outside air into my car, poking at indistinguishable buttons and touch screens that, unlike old-fashioned knobs, cannot be identified without looking at them. Mostly I ask my passenger to do it, or if I'm alone, I just settle for heat/AC, which at least is only two steps with those same buttons and screens, and suffer through the dead air. I've ranted before about how it's impossible to take a wide focus between the side-curtain airbags and the aerodynamic windshield, and I have to stick my head out the window if I want to see where I'm going on a left-hand curve.

I mean, if someone thinks they are supposed to be doing something vaguely important behind the wheel, they wouldn't be picking up the phone in the first place.

[Crankin]

Yeah, most people ignore the legislation. Especially teens.
I have Bluetooth and I do occasionally take calls related to work in the car. I never initiate a call, though. I don't like it. Last week, my son called me from California while I was driving to my office, 26 miles. I talked to him almost the whole way, praying I could multi-task.
However, I do use my GPS, when I am going to a new client's house. I mean, if the GPS turned off when the car was moving, how could I follow the directions? It's a lot better than trying to read the MapQuest print out.

[OakLeaf]

... you could program the GPS while the car is stopped? My in-car nav system turns off when the car is in motion, unless I've already programmed in the destination. Or if I'm using my phone for nav, I program it before I pull out of the parking spot, and stick it in the cupholder where I can hear it.

It drives me crazy when DH sticks his standalone GPS in the windshield he's supposed to be looking out of, and then proceeds to poke at it the whole trip while ranting about people talking on their phones ...

[kajero]

I keep my cell phone in the back seat when I drive. I can't reach it and have an excuse for not answering any calls.
I get frustrated as well when my SO pokes at the GPS all the time while driving. I tell him it is dangerous. He says it is the same as if he looked at the radio to change channels. Well, that is distracting, too! He says it is the same as looking at the speedometer or other buttons. NOT!!!!

I guess I feel so strongly about cell phone usage in the anything that moves because 15 or 16 years ago, I was talking on the cell phone and had an accident. Fortunately no one was hurt, but since then the cell phone is NOT used any time I am in the car. Even if I am a passenger, I tend to talk to the driver rather than talk on the cell phone. I think me talking on the cell phone can be just as distracting. It just takes one minute of inattentiveness and things can go bad. I know.

[Crankin]

No.... I thought you meant having the GPS on/programmed and following the directions while driving. I always pre-program it. I have a stand alone one, like your DH. You could program it while driving, unlike the built in one DH has, but I would never do that.
I didn't take phone calls when I didn't have Bluetooth and there were quite a few times I pulled over for work conversations. I do spend a good deal of my time driving from person to person, so when I started this job this happened more often. Now, people know when I'm usually available, at my desk, or working from home.
I'm not perfect.

[kajero]

I know it is just me . . . but I am also to afraid to use the Bluetooth stuff as well. I just am so afraid of a repeat scenario. People need to do what they feel comfortable with.

[shootingstar]

I keep my cell phone in the back seat when I drive. I can't reach it and have an excuse for not answering any calls.
I get frustrated as well when my SO pokes at the GPS all the time while driving. I tell him it is dangerous. He says it is the same as if he looked at the radio to change channels. Well, that is distracting, too! He says it is the same as looking at the speedometer or other buttons. NOT!!!!

I guess I feel so strongly about cell phone usage in the anything that moves because 15 or 16 years ago, I was talking on the cell phone and had an accident. Fortunately no one was hurt, but since then the cell phone is NOT used any time I am in the car. Even if I am a passenger, I tend to talk to the driver rather than talk on the cell phone. I think me talking on the cell phone can be just as distracting. It just takes one minute of inattentiveness and things can go bad. I know.

Kudos to you, kajero. I wish everyone was like you.
And such an easy solution: put your cellphone in the backseat so that one is not tempted to answer it while driving. If one is that curious, etc., then stop the car to answer.

The scary thought is:

ie. many seniors (and there will be some of us in decades to come in this forum) will believe they will still be competent car drivers in their 80's and 90's as they age. Plus use cellphone while driving. Just so scary to think of this. We will lack our alertness when we get older. It's reality we must face and change our habits...now.

There have been enough car accidents of elderly drivers jumping cars onto sidewalks, running down folks accidentally, and ramming into..buildings, etc. Several have happened in Canada within the last few months.

And this in addition to younger careless drivers.

[rebeccaC]

It's not that hard to turn my phone off when I get into my car. I don't need to ALWAYS be connected to technology or worried about missing a call/text that's usually not all that important 99.9% of the time or worth the distraction. I also always carry my phone when riding for safety reasons but with the ringer off.

hoping future rides are sooooooo much better crankin!!!!!

[eofelis]

A second arrest has been made. Drugs.

[kajero]

It's not that hard to turn my phone off when I get into my car. I don't need to ALWAYS be connected to technology or worried about missing a call/text that's usually not all that important 99.9% of the time or worth the distraction. I also always carry my phone when riding for safety reasons but with the ringer off.

hoping future rides are sooooooo much better crankin!!!!!

If I turn the ringer off, I always forget to turn it back on and then forget to see if there were any calls. I can't miss that one important call (even if I DO have to wait to answer it). I am expecting my first and what I think will be my only grandchild (boy) the end of this year.

[kajero]

A second arrest has been made. Drugs.

I am getting angrier and angrier that society allows people to destroy and ruin other peoples' lives so easily. I hope they get life sentences.