What can happen if your talking on your Cell Phone

[SVX92-97]

This is an important message for those of you who continue to use their cell phones while driving. As bad as this looks, the guy actually lived to tell about it. Most people arent so lucky. This Guy T-boned a tree at 75MPH. His car sits in a local subaru mechanics lot. Please if you dont have a hands free device, pull over to order that pizza please. Photo is attached.

[Zandar]

It can also happen if you're talking to a friend in the car, changing a CD, eating, listening to music, etc. etc. etc.

I have yet to see any statistics that prove cell phone use is more dangerous than any of these other activities; simply anecdotal evidence. Any distraction in a vehicle is a bad thing. Cell phones are just easier to see driving by ([rant]hence why politicians latch on to them as a great do-nothing issue to act passionate about and appear to be serving the public good when they're really just cementing their fat a$$es into their legislative seats.[/rant])

[WRX_SVXGirl]

on that same note this was caused because someone wasnt paying attention to a light, small distractions cause the largest accidents. please be careful!

http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...e/wrx%20wreck/

this is what happened to my husband's WRX

[PaulDexler]

Just remember, the studies by the University of Utah, the most in-depth of any on the cel phone problem, say that it is not whether it is a hand-held or hands-free device, it is the conversation itself that is the distraction.

Why is it more of a distraction than having a conversation with the person next to you in the car? Because the person in the car with you is aware of what's happening in traffic around you, and adjusts the conversation accordingly (most of the time). But the person on the other end of a phone call may not even know that you are IN a car, much less driving it. So the conversation becomes the major event, instead of the much more critical, driving the car.

The Utah studies said that having a cel phone conversation while driving has the same effect as being over the alcohol limit while driving. If I am expecting an urgent call, I leave my phone on, and pull over to the side of the road when the call comes in, so I can concentrate on it. Otherwise, since driving requires much attention, I leave the phone OFF when I am at the wheel.

Driving should not be part of a set of multi-tasking events. I'm sure you've all noticed that when there seems to be some sort of rolling roadblock ahead of you on the highway, when you finally get around it, it's because the person is on the phone, and unaware of traffic. The Utah studies also showed that people on the phone tended to drive slower than traffic, which is good, but they were also less aware of what was happening around them, which is bad.

Pardon my rant, but as one who depends on swiftly moving freeway traffic to get around the distances in Southern California, I resent phone yakkers who are part of the anti-destination league.

Paul

[dennyo]

Because I work for myself,I often get calls on the road.Sometimes(most) they want to know alot of the details to the work and this requires a great deal of concentration to repy.If I can't concentrate on the conversation this can end up costing me money,sometimes ALOT.It's best for me to stop driving and listen up or call them back after I get where I'm going.I do believe nobody can legislate human behavior.Sometimes the herd gets thinned.

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by PaulDexler

Just remember, the studies by the University of Utah, the most in-depth of any on the cel phone problem, say that it is not whether it is a hand-held or hands-free device, it is the conversation itself that is the distraction.

Pardon my rant, but as one who depends on swiftly moving freeway traffic to get around the distances in Southern California, I resent phone yakkers who are part of the anti-destination league.

Paul

There is some common sense in the outcome of that study Paul, but I would have to say talking with one hand holding a phone to your ear simply MUST be more dangerous than holding the same conversation with a hands-free and both hands free to operate controls.

My own rant is that round here people with the most expensive cars, large Mercs and Beemers, they can afford to pay 100,000 Euro for a car, but seem unwilling to pay 100 to 200 Euro to fit a hands-free.

I totally agree with your anecdotal observation; people deep in a conversation tend to drive slowly and are oblivious to surrounding traffic.

I'll add another to this, and probably get screamed at for being sexist. You will get exactly the same slow, deliberate, don't care when we get there, don't move for green lights style of driving if you happen to get caught behind two ladies deep in conversation. It appears to be much worse for older ladies and possibly with mother and daughter combinations. They seem to concentrate on the conversation, and the driving becomes the secondary consideration.

This does not make me to be the perfect driver, I know I have my faults, but this is not one of them. When driving gets difficult or traffic heavy, I have been known to tell passengers to shut up while I concentrate.

Joe

[Trevor]

Here here Joe, been there and agree 100%.

[kwren]

Don't think that hands free is as much as a smidgen different than holding the phone as far as being safe. It is the trancing while on the phone that you can let happen.

I work a lot... I drive a lot... In Washington state, the worst drivers in America drive in the Seattle-Tacoma area. When I get a call on my cell when I am on the road, city or freeway, many times I don't look... I don't answer but find a safe spot to park and take care of the phone. We all have message systems and caller ID. If I do answer, I immediately tell the person I am driving and if I don't make any sense, it is because my driving is priority #1 and usually just let them know I will get right back to them asap.

I think that most of the people that drive the SVX (the smart people) are going to be good drivers but we have to continue to be careful. It is not what we are capable of, but it is what we actually do.

Be safe out there...
Keith

[YourConfused]

Hello.
My name is Shaun and I talk on the phone while driving. (think AA meeting)

I have had 2 close calls while talking on the phone and driving. Both times I didn't slow down enough for the corner. Both times i slid sideways and scared the crap out of myself. It's kind of like speeding tickets go. I learned my lesson for a few years and then it happened again. I was fortunate enough to be the only car around both times and no damage was done, but things could have been different. yeah, I am one of those people. After the last time though I think I learned my lesson for good as I slid at about 65 into the oncoming lane and almost off the road.
I guess I will receive some flack for being honest about this, but whatever.

[Hondasucks]

Mythbusters did a thing on this, and they showed it was actually more dangerous than driving drunk (They drank until they were like, at .075 and then drove an obstacle course at some racing school in California. You can find the episode in the Mythbusters section of the TV section at www.mininova.org)

[kwren]

Originally Posted by YourConfused

Hello.
My name is Shaun and I talk on the phone while driving. (think AA meeting)

I guess I will receive some flack for being honest about this, but whatever.

Nothing bad about being honest. Is called show and tell (without the show)

We all learn from life's lessons...
Thanks for sharing, Shaun!
Keith

[Nomake Wan]

People who talked on their cell phones used to scare and anger me. That was back in 2005.

Now I'm way more scared by the people I see on the freeway who are texting while driving. That just scares the living bejeezes out of me.

[It's Just Eric]

whats bad is some comanies with mobile services will actually send work orders, directions, ect. by telephone, rather than using paper. Problem is, paper, you look down, see instructions, and go for it. On a phone, your sifting through countless menues on a tiny screen trying to find what you need....not only is it reverse-progression, its stupid to try doing theese things while driving (Especially becaue fleet vehicles are often cheap, tinny econoboxes with little or no saftey features for when the over distracted driver DOES plow into a minivan)

[WRX_SVXGirl]

Originally Posted by It's Just Eric

whats bad is some comanies with mobile services will actually send work orders, directions, ect. by telephone, rather than using paper. Problem is, paper, you look down, see instructions, and go for it. On a phone, your sifting through countless menues on a tiny screen trying to find what you need....not only is it reverse-progression, its stupid to try doing theese things while driving (Especially becaue fleet vehicles are often cheap, tinny econoboxes with little or no saftey features for when the over distracted driver DOES plow into a minivan)

thats why i had a GPS. and all you do is turn up the volume and it tells you where and when to turn! you dont even have to look at it!

[RojoRocket]

I too am aghast when witnessing yo-yo's texting while driving/weaving down the road. That's an eventual Darwin list winner. Picture the headline!!

I would also point out that a daily issue that irks me is the lack of turn signal use by folks that can't spare the hand it would require to activate them. How many times have you been waiting to pull out, only to have the driver turn right at the intersection you are sitting at, and notice the phone to the ear?? This is a genuine issue for the hands free vs hand held debate. Yes, I know, some won't use them regardless.

Fact is there are MORONS out there, and those of us that drive with 100% of our attention focused on driving stand the best chance of arriving safely.

Glenn