Author Topic: How far is this phone / driving c**p going to go?? (Read 974 times)

Sparks · « **Reply #15 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:33:59 PM »

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So you drive with both hands on the wheel all the time? You consider not having both hands on the wheel a safety issue?

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh ????!!!

That was my point ........ I consider it just as big an issue as holding a mobile phone. I consider it safe to talk on a hands free phone however - note that word - I DO consider it an equal or greater risk to drive one handed with a cigarette than hold a mobile phone.

Again - HOWEVER - I wouldn't want legislation just personal responsibilty for the consequences under exisiting law

I give up.

Sparks

Dingbat · « **Reply #16 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:37:28 PM »

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Originally posted by Sparks
hmmm seems then the average American can't read

quote:
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I managed to get a look at the driver, sure enough on the Friggin cell phone, without hands-free
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It's obvious that you can't fathom the meaning of context either. I was telling a story with details. Hand's free or non-hands free was not the topic of my rage. The fact was that he was on his cell phone was my point. So please don't take things out of context and pervert them to suit your argument.

BTW, I'm not your Average American, I have a voice and I use it when and where I feel necessary.

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:40:31 PM »

Sparks
So you have both hands on the wheel at all times when you are driving? When you can, and you think it unsafe otherwise?

I find that amusing, I drive with one hand most of the time, and use both when they are needed, I watch the road and the people around me like a hawk, that is the only way to stay safe when driving.

I am not trying to pick on ya, but I just have this image of a flustered sweating pale man, both hands clamped to the wheel with white knuckles, at th edge of panic when he has to reach for the radio button swearing at all the people on cells!

Sparks · « **Reply #18 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:42:26 PM »

Lazs

I agree with you.

My point is there is enough law to do the job already. If you have an accident for ANY reason that they can prove was because you had your head up your bellybutton or unable to control the vehicle - phone, controlling kids, putting the fire in your lap out - whatever - then you should take the responsibilty for it and maybe just maybe if some people got charged with vehicular manslaughter more often then maybe just maybe people would think harder about what they do.

So what do our nanny government do - lets have more law because there obviously isn't enough because accidents are still happening.

And so the more detailed stupid arse laws are created the more people believe they can't be responsible for anything if they stay inside the law.

I still disagree with you about talking on the phone.

SParks

lazs2 · « **Reply #19 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:43:42 PM »

guess Americans are different... everytime I see someone weaving or screwing up traffic or doing something really stupid... I look and they have a cell phone stuck in their ear taking one more life or death call.

but I agree... personal responsibility... if he is pulled over for weaving and has a cell phone... tripple the fine. double the 'points' on his licence. He will get better at multitasking or he will only have to walk and talk on the cell phone....say... anyone notice... lot of these self important cell phone users can't even walk and talk on the cell phone without causing problems for everyone around them.
lazs

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #20 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:45:33 PM »

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Originally posted by GtoRA2
...I just have this image of a flustered sweating pale man, both hands clamped to the wheel with white knuckles, at th edge of panic when he has to reach for the radio button swearing at all the people on cells!

So thats what turns ya on?
-SW

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #21 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:48:59 PM »

AKS\/\/ulfe
LoL no.

I am not sure where that came from. Are you hitting on me? Are you the man I desribed? Maybe Dowding can help you.

FUNKED1 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:02:05 PM »

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Originally posted by lazs2
sooo.... it is not illeagal to eat and drink while driving in england?

sparks... there is a difference between talking on the phone and talking to someone in person. that's all there is to it.

I would not make it illegal to talk on the phone while driving but it should be an insurance risk and any tickets you got while being on the phone should have the fines doubled or trippled. If you kill someone or injure someone it should be admissable in court that you were impaired.

lazs

Why does it matter what the cause is? If you're at fault, you're at fault. This is almost as dumb as "hate crime" laws.

Sparks · « **Reply #23 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:08:15 PM »

Dingbat - context ?? - I had raised a disussion which specifically bypassed the argument about the safety of using a hand held phone and your short response specifically included it. maybe I put too much importance on that ?

Dago's response also cranked me up ................ Dago don't you guys ever get tired of raising everything as a Brit US thing ???

GtoRA2 - glad you find it amusing - yes I do most definitely find it a safety issue but no I'm not a flustered panicing dweeb as you like to imagine. You don't have to be gripping the wheel like a lunatic with white knuckles but if your hand is out the window when your tyre goes you are going to be well out of shape before you get it back on. Just when I'm doing 85 or 90 on the freeway I'd like to thing I can keep things a bit more under control if anything happens - heard of blowouts ?? I went on a short racing instruction course last year - first point they emphasised was your hands stay on the wheel. Instructor told a story of taping a young guys hands to the wheel and changing gear for him because he used to rest his hand on the gear shift. Maybe thats why you have 55 or 60 limits ??

And no I wouldn't want laws about keeping your hands on the wheel but if you lost control of your car and killed my kid and a witness testified that you had one hand out the window when it happened you'd better believe I'd want your bellybutton in jail.

Just my take.

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I am not trying to pick on ya, but ....

BTW I#m a firm believer in the phrase that a salesman taught me - "Everything before a but is bull****"

Sparks

vorticon · « **Reply #24 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:10:31 PM »

if your stupid enough to do something that takes your focus away from the road (putting in a new cd,changing radio station and talking to other people in the car really doesnt do that...the first 2 take all of 3 seconds and take away about as much attention as changing gears in a standard the 3rd is no more distracting than singing along to the song on the radio) you get what you deserve...though the guy you just smashed into probably didnt

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #25 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:22:08 PM »

Blowout?
Had one right front, handled it fine, the instant it took me to get both hands on the wheel was not enough to have things get out of hand. I was going 65 at on a freeway.

The speed limit varies in calli, but most major highways are 65 or 70.

driving with two hands on the wheel does not make you a better driver, knowing what goes on around you does. I think they should make the test much harder then it is now. I have seen people do amazingly dumb things behind the wheel of a car, and some even had two hands on the wheel.

Sparks · « **Reply #26 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:22:46 PM »

OK Vorticon - yep you do get what you deserve - my point of ALL this is we don't need MORE law. What we have already covers it they just won't use it.

But to maybe counter your examples:-

Change a CD - open the holder / case - browse titles - get it out of case - eject old one and put it somewhere - put new one in - put old one away. Not a 3 second job for most I've seen. Saw a case of guy on Rescue 911 (or Brit equivalent) who ran into back of a truck changing a tape - had to be cut out.

Changing Radio station - how many times do you get a station you like on first attempt?? - look down to see if you hit wrong button ??

Talking to other people - as distracting as anything else - ever looked in the rear view mirror to talk to some one in the back - I don't believe you if you say no

. Laughing at a joke ??

No-one wins if you screw up because you weren't paying attention but nanny pedantic laws are not the answer.

Sparks

Sparks · « **Reply #27 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:27:10 PM »

Gto - I'll go with the professional instructors view - both hands on the wheel AND knowing whats going on around is the best point to start from to give yourself the best chance when things go wrong.

Sparks

Going to fly for a bit now ......

vorticon · « **Reply #28 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:31:33 PM »

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Originally posted by Sparks
OK Vorticon - yep you do get what you deserve - my point of ALL this is we don't need MORE law. What we have already covers it they just won't use it.

But to maybe counter your examples:-

Change a CD - open the holder / case - browse titles - get it out of case - eject old one and put it somewhere - put new one in - put old one away. Not a 3 second job for most I've seen. Saw a case of guy on Rescue 911 (or Brit equivalent) who ran into back of a truck changing a tape - had to be cut out.

Changing Radio station - how many times do you get a station you like on first attempt?? - look down to see if you hit wrong button ??

Talking to other people - as distracting as anything else - ever looked in the rear view mirror to talk to some one in the back - I don't believe you if you say no . Laughing at a joke ??

No-one wins if you screw up because you weren't paying attention but nanny pedantic laws are not the answer.

Sparks

just because i havetime on my hands im going to counter your arguments (i agree with you completly...except on some minor details)
1. those people are doing it wrong...up here we just keep our cd cases open...all we do is pull it out press eject and pop the next one in...and were teenagers (the ones who are supposed to do stupid things)
2. twist the knob...or press one of your preprogrammed buttons that take it to one of the radio stations you like (we have em in a 1980 subaru...they should still have em now) it takes no time at all to punch the next button if you missed...
3. yep i have...while i was at it i noticed a guy tailgateing me, noticed a open spot and sped up so that i would have the accepted safe distance of 3 seconds between the cars

when was the last time any of you opened up your basic operators manual? how many of you would pass (get no more than 3 wrong) if you had to take your written exam tomorrow?

more laws arnt the answer...better driver training programs are

beet1e · « **Reply #29 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:31:41 PM »

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Originally posted by Dago
Hey, beetle has already taught us that the average Brit can't multi-task. He can't think and type at the same time.

LOL! You got me there. I can't type and do anything else at the same time. But as a multi-tasking expert, I bet you can. We already know you're a one-handed typist without your having to tell us!