Do you feel its ok to drive while on the cell phone or eating?

i only eat on my bike, sometimes i call on my bike when it’s realy important, and when i drive….i don’t even have a licence

I think there’s no true justification for it.

Driving with passengers is taking, effectively, their safety and ultimately lives as your responsibility – and this applies to pedestrians and other road users too. That responsibility not only requires, but deserves, the full attention of the driver.

I smoke while driving (it’s really in everyone’s best interest that I do), but never eat, drink or use the phone.

It pisses me off. And I ride my bike everywhere. I won’t even change the volume on my iPod while I ride.

I’m guilty of it. I really shouldn’t drive while on the phone though because I never hear what the person talking is saying to me anyways because I’m watching the road and my mirrors.

If it can be done safely, I’m all for it. It’s really the responsibility of each driver to honestly assess their abilities and drive accordingly.

California’s new law effective July 1 requires a handsfree device for all in-car cell phone use.

I do it sometimes, but I typically only answer calls… never make them, and I keep the conversations short. However, I think the road would be better off if they banned phones while driving… even with headsets

Funnily enough, using a mobile phone while driving is illegal over here in the UK.

There’s something very desperate about eating while driving, I think. Just pull the car over, relax and listen to some music for ten minutes.

@benseven: Agreed.

Last time we drove through downtown LA on 5, almost everyone was on their phone. This was during rush hour. Will be interesting next time to see how many are hands free and how many tickets are being given out.

What gripes me even more is when I see BOTH hands off the wheel. I’ve seen this on cloverleafs. If I see someone on a bike when this happens (both hands off the wheel), i start praying to the high heavens that they make it through okay.

I don’t think it is OK to drive or eat while on a cell phone. That was the question, right?

Is it legal to style your hair while driving? (the hardcore type of hairstyling, with hair gel and a brush)

The only thing I do while drivfing is smoke. But I only light a cig while stopped at a light. I have used my cell while on very lonmg trips, but only on hands free, and I never dial out. I only answered calls. What really pisses me off iswpeople texting while driving!!!

I agree with the group.

Cell phones limit your vision, checking to turn, operateing your vehicle, distract you from driving and from others on the road.

@Wizard, you’re joking right?

It seems interesting because I see girls drive out of the college next to my neighborhood with a bottle of hairspray and a brush, of course they don’t do it full on like at their house, but they drive down the rode with the two items in their hands.

I’ve seen people do this too, and it annoys the hell out of me!

I eat drink and smoke while driving, and i drive a manual vehicle lol. Smoking i dont think requires any attention what so ever except when lighting a cigarette but i usually do that at a light or stop sign. Depending on the food im eating that can require a little more “hands on” but still not a big deal. And as for the phone i try to stay off it, only calling when really necessary and i go hands free for that and make the convo short. I do believe that experience is whats necessary for doing these activities though. I have no problem with people on their cell phones, its just when they start driving like an ass because they are too retarded to know how to either A)multi task or B) hang up is when i get pissed. And not to be sexist but 9 out of 10 times its the women guilty of this.

It’s actually illegal in Australia (again with the Australia) so there must be some justification for banning it. I don’t think it should be allowed because didn’t the mythbusters show that it was just as bad to be talking on a cell (mobile) phone as it was to be drunk?

Oh, forgot to add, its illegal here in NJ to use any kind of mobile communication device while driving. So no talking or texting, and about a month ago they made it so you can be pulled over for the offense (before it was just added on to other violations) i believe its a 100 dollar fine.

@bluemukaki no way its the same as being drunk. Then again i guess it depends who your talking about on the phone. “LIKE OMAGOD BRAD TOTALLY LIKES ME!!!” vs “hey just calling to say ill be home in like 10 min”

To equalize the criticism here of women using driving time as salon time, I have seen more than one guy shaving while driving in busy traffic. The one I don’t understand is eyelash curling, whether the driver or not.

NO WAY JOSE!!

i mean some people cant even drive period… imagine..

im just starting out on my driving and any little thing gets me distracted

Come on! Is no one else going to ‘fess up? (uberbatman doesn’t count because he’s from New Jersey.)

Of COURSE I use my cell phone while I drive. And I put on makeup (I have an eyeliner light, a mascara light, and so on). I definitely eat while driving, sometimes even with a fork. (The trick is balancing the container in your lap or on the center console in just the right way.) I learned this skill when I was working 80 hour weeks during which my only breaks were driving from one job to the next.

If I can get a long, straight highway without a lot of traffic (or if I’m in stop and go traffic) and I have some good music, I’ll even steer with my knees and air guitar/air drum/air piano.

BUT. I avoid passing on the right. I am the last person in California to treat the left lane as a passing lane. I will never hang out in your blind spot. If you need to pass me, I’ll get out of your way. And most importantly, I always use my turn signal!

I eat finger foods when I drive like fresh fries & chicken nuggets. And sip on my cold beverage. Or in the morning I’ll snack on grapes or a poptart. I use my earbuds when talking on my iPhone in the car because most of the time I listen to music all day so I just leave the earbuds plugged into my phone, put the phone in my back pocket when I get in the car. Usually I take my earbuds out of my ears to listen to the radio and tuck them into the neckline of my shirt. When I get a call my butt vibrates, I put my earned in my ear, click the mic, and I’m ready to talk. Its not rocket science…

In California, you can’t have both ears covered (or buded) while driving or biking. Don’t know how other states cover that one, but it can cover up sirens, etc.

I don’t cover up both, just one. Unless I really can’t hear without it.

ohmygosh, I’ve had my iPhone since just after they came out, and I didn’t know you could click the mic to receive a call. Thanks! That and the tip about touching the top of the screen to get back to the top, worth fluthering just for that.

@ nikipedia – that is to bad. my guess is your just not aware of the near misses you’ve caused. Long stretches of highway with a few cars are way different. but stop and go traffic and lights are, in my opinion, not.

…and even on a long stretch of highway, something can pop out at you unexpectedly. A chunk of stray truck tire, pothole you can’t see, an animal. I’ve seen several wipeouts on I-5 like that. Was nearly killed by someone who spun out into the center area who was multi-tasking in front of us. We had to swerve to miss her and when we stopped, she was on her cell, laughing. What she didn’t realize was that, had my husband not been a very skilled and defensive driver, we would have hit her, and she would have been the loser. She was in the smaller, older car.

I had a very similar experience. what was interesting was that there were 3 other girls in the car no more than 16 to 18 years old and the one on the phone was the driver.

I can tell you this. If I ever get a call that my wife and kids are dead because of a car crash that involved the other driver using a cell phone or the like there will be no excuse good enough to explain its use.

@nikipedia: Man, would I not get in a car with you!

This car was full as well, everyone laughing, not realizing that they’d nearly been killed. There was no way to avoid them but to go into the dirt with them, so as not to avoid anyone else. We were also traveling a safe distance, which mattered in the safe as well. In several parts of CA, fog can come up out of the blue as well, and multi-car pile-ups are the result, as I’m sure you know. A lot of times, the first car drives off, not realizing what they have caused behind them.

Mayhaps it was the same group of girls.

shudder

I hate how some people are almost too careful. Its almost like driving has become some tedious task to some people. I enjoy driving and I wish that everyone else could do the same. I have a friend who is scared to make u-turns and go across highways. She will drive through town to get to the mall instead of taking the bypass because she doesn’t feel comfortable driving at high speeds, even if it takes twice as long. And she avoids driving at night because “there could be drunk drivers out” and makes really stupid excuses like that to stay home. Our freshman year of college we went to two different colleges about 20 minutes away from each other seperated by a long highway. One night, before i could drive, she asked me to come to her school for a concert because she didn’t want to go alone. I agreed, assuming that she would take me back to my dorm on my campus. It was 11pm after the concert ended and she REFUSED to take me back because our chances of getting hit by a drunk driver were too high. WTF?!?! Some people piss me off when they’re too afraid to live their lives.

Where I live a 4 time convicted drunk driver (a doctor who lost his liscense for writing himself prescriptions) was allowed to leave the court room on his own recogniscense (or however you spell that) He then, within 5 min, proceeded to dope up and kill a teacher, her 10 year old, her unborn 7 month child and injure one other child in the car. There is a lot to be afraid of. But it sounds like your friend is on the over caucious side.

PS your picture is darn funny!

my picture?

Your little icon picture face your making with the smile. it makes me smile every time I see it. No offense.

Oh, ha ha thanks. I’m pulling my hair out… and screaming. But I’m glad that makes you laugh. =)

@nayeight: “It was 11pm after the concert ended and she REFUSED to take me back because our chances of getting hit by a drunk driver were too high.” Yeah, some people are too careful. Driving with your knees and air-drumming is one thing, but you can’t constantly be afraid of those around you. You’ll drive yourself and your friends mental.

It kinda makes me think of after 9/11 when everyone was scared to fly for a long time. Some people still are to this day. I’m going to Hawaii on the 9th and was talking to someone at work about it and she said that she would love to go to Hawaii but she’s scared to fly because of terrorism. Once again, WTF? Its almost sad when people are scared to go out and do things that make them happy because of fear. Thats one thing I never want to happen to me, I never want to be scared to do what makes me happy.

My mother in law actually wont drive if it is snowing at all. she actually has the guys she works with bring her home. How she found that job I dont know. AND she wont go in either.

You do have to live, but that is all the more reason to make sure we do what we can to make things safe.

I’m guilty of eating & chatting on the phone while driving. With that said, I do think its dangerous. I do limit myself to finger foods. I’m loving my voice activated MS synch in my car. I tell my car who to call & the car calls for me. The blue tooth is thru the car stereo so I don’t even need a headset. But I still think talking on the phone is a dangerous distraction.

Some of the things I have read in this thread have given me goose bumps. I can’t believe people think it’s ok to travel at high speeds in tons of metal and not pay full attention to what they are doing. When did we become so important that we have to be accessible at all times? If we need a touch up on our hair or makeup, we should wait until we get where we are going and do it in the parking lot while the car is in park. or better yet, get up a little earlier. How selfish are we that we can think our little forms of entertainment are more important than another person’s life? I bet you would think twice about doing these things if we ran head on into a Greyhound bus. Believe me, it’s no fun!

For those of you who do all sorts of things while driving, will you change your driving habits if tomorrow you hear the news your best friend had died in a traffic accident? and the person who caused it was someone who was putting on make up, eating a burger, answering a cell call or looking for new directions on her/his new toy navigator. Just b/c you have developed a good skill at doing this, it doesn’t mean you have control of the road and the people around you 100% of the time. It just take a fraction of a second for an accidental death to occur. Are you that fast at avoiding it while sipping on your morning coffee?

demartin raises another good point. Whether or not you can drive with adequate control of the vehicle, and I don’t believe for a second that is true, you most certainly cannot respond properly to things around you.

@edmartin actually, yes.I dont care what it is, if something happens i drop whatever is in my hand and take care of the situation. It actually happened to me yesterday while i was on the phone. Someone pulled out in front of me making an illegal turn and at the rate i was going i would have plowed into them. I dropped my phone threw my truck into neutral braked and went around him, shifted into third drove away then picked up the phone again. I really dont see the point.I realize its unfortunate that my friend died, but my driving habits had absolutely nothing to do with it. Yes i think the person who killed him/her is a horrible driver and deserves to be punished but it still doesn’t make it my fault. Thats just like saying if my friend dies from an alcohol overdose i should never drink again.

@uberbatman: well, just imagine that your friend on the other end of your phone call had you laughing hysterically or near tears over something and that caused a momentary delay in your reaction…there is a heck of a chance we would not be seeing you on fluther today. I’m glad that is not the case and you are OK. Perhaps drivers and conditions are different where you are, but here in L.A., cell phone using drivers seem oblivious to their surroundings and I look forward to our new law going into effect July 1st.

Someone in my passenger seat is just as capable of causing mass laughter. Should i not talk to them either? Its the same exact thing. If your law going into effect is anything like it was here, you will see absolutely no change what so ever after August 1st. The first month is ticket crazy then cops stop caring and people go back to their old ways.

It is not the exact same thing first of all because the ease with which you can hear someone and respond is greater thus requiring less attention (study proven and I am trying to find that link again). You said your cell phone was in your hand. If you had to drop it to get your hands on the wheel your already costing time that you don’t have with some accidents. Don’t try and convince me that your reflexes are that good. They may have worked in that instance but it is pure and total arrogance to think that represents the total of incidents. No one’s are and your telling me with your phone up you could see other possible responses to that side? By your own words there are people who can’t do what your claiming you can.

When I say “the ease with which you can hear someone and respond is greater” I meant to a person in the car. In the end people who do all this in their car care more for their phone, food and what ever else they do the odds they may hurt someone. Thats it. It is all about odds. Anything you do but drive increases the odds of trouble. End of story.

My phone is on speaker phone. I can hear the phone just as i can hear a person sitting next to me.I dont understand what you mean phone up? Like to my ear? But like i said speaker phone, i actually hold it in my right hand near the wheel.Also I drive a manual vehicle. Both hands are never on my wheel. And yes i am claiming exactly that i can do something that some people cant. Are you telling me you dont think your driving skills are better than any one elses? Seriously?

Whatever! People will never stop driving while talking on their cell phones! They wont stop multi-tasking because that’s what our society does. We’re consumed with instant gratification. That’s why we have fast food and one-hour photo processing. It will never change, in fact it will probably get worse with technological advances. And car accidents won’t stop happening either so chill out, don’t drink & drive, wear your seatbelt and enjoy driving.

I’m morbidly impressed at how callus some people can be about their own, their passengers and other drivers’ lives.
There is a very simple way to increase the safety of your driving by ensuring optimal reaction time: Don’t dial, respond, talk on the phone, leave your food till you get to your destination and do not get behind the wheel if you’ve taken in any alcohol. Is that SO hard to do??

*edit: callus=callous
whew, got there before gail…..with a little help from a friend :)

@uberbatman I hope you are not the next obituary and say to yourself once it happens….dam it, I should have listened to those flutheries…...by then it would be too late….in the mean time keep doing what you are doing…..chances are you’ll get there faster than us

Interesting details you left off your statement before. So with your phone in your hand at the wheel you dropped it and it went where? Right in your lap? not to the floor of the truck? And you where safely able to pick it up? Suddenly the way you drive can be absolved. Speaker phone, check, hands on the wheel, check. Phone drops right in lap for pick up, check. And you must have one hell of a phone if it gives you that kind of reception and power. I, however, doubt that a speaker phone duplicates the power of a person in the seat next to you. You will not convince me that what your doing is safer than not doing it nor that it isn’t putting you, your passengers or other drivers at risk.

And yes, I am a better driver than others out on the road, you for one.

@ nayeight – you do have it right about not drinking and driving but I am afraid of the people who will die with rest of your care free approach. It is kinda scary.

And Bri_L, I’m certain that it is inconceivable that the phone or can of soda or whatever he tossed from his hands with the agility and lightening quick speed of say…Batman, could possibly roll on the floor and interfere with his accelerator or brake pedal. I’m certain that should such a situation arise it will be well under his control and that his amazing agility and quick reaction time will allow him to push aside the obstruction while doing everything else required to avoid killing someone. And don’t give the burning cigarette, joint or pipeload that fell into his lap a second thought…if a collision is imminent, I’m certain he will ignore his burning flesh and pull out yet another amazing save.

Fuck it. Nothing i can say can convince you otherwise, i get it. But just to make a few things clear.edmartin101 if i die due to my “horrible” driving i wont be saying damn i should have listened on fluther because well ill be dead and in the ground. Bri L my lap is directly under my steering wheel, so yes when i drop my phone it does fall on my lap. I never make phone calls with a passenger in the car, i always ask them to do it for me.(If you dont believe me PM trance24 as she regularly drives with me.) My hands are actually closer to being on the wheel when im on the phone than when im driving without it since i have a manual vehicle. And whatthefluter i have actually dropped a cig on me before and left it there until i was ok to pick it up again. Burnt a hole straight through my pants and burnt my leg, but no accident so i can care less about the burn. You make it seem like a cigarette burn really hurts all that bad.

This is my last comment here, say what you will, as i can really care less at this point. I know my driving abilities are good enough to do what i do and before you say it, no im not just being arrogant.

I don’t need to say anything else. Nothing you have added changes anything. It’s silly to think so. Your choosing specifics to prove broad points. Life doesn’t work that way. And arrogant isn’t what I was going to say. Denial, yes, endangering others, yes. I don’t know you well enough to say if your arrogant. Putting others lives at risk isn’t a great start.

I will give you props for letting others in the car do it for you. There are people who don’t do that.

I have a question. You dropped your phone, steered around a potential accident and it didn’t fall off your lap and you picked it up. You dropped a cigaret on your lap, left it there and rather than pull over or letting go as you do so often to hold your cell phone on the steering wheel of the car or shift, you let it burn through your pants and you?mmmmm

I want to add this isn’t personal. Its just that your arguing that it is ok for a person to deminish their capacity to drive and it just plain isn’t. End of story.

You, sir, are a true Übermensch. I commend you on your extraordinary skills, abilities and pain threshold. But please, do not suggest that behavior or laws be tailored to account for your unique greatness. Certainly your local law enforcement and district attorney office know you or of you and your legend and standing and, treat you accordingly without regard to mundane law. As well, I suspect medical researchers are beating your door down to gain knowledge of effective pain management.

…... ummmm i know i said i was done, but seriously whatthefluther ? its a god damn cigarette not a torch lighter or anything. Or do you just have incredibly low pain tolerance? I never once suggested that laws should be changed to tailor to my “greatness” i just said i am capable of doing what i do. And yes, i know if i get pulled over im getting a ticket, big deal.

I would like to commend uberbatman for his candor. He is holding his less than popular position in an even tempered and explanitory way. I for one appreciate it. The site needs more uber and less personal attacks.

As I told him, I don’t agree with his message, I appreciate his manner and candor.

I consider this a friendly impass.

In no way is it okay…pay attention to what your doing.

“In fact, that “virtual” conversation is considerably more distracting than talking with a passenger, their study shows.
“Cell-phone conversations consume significantly more attention than passenger conversations, resulting in more incidents and crashes during simulated driving,  Rose and Hunton concluded. “More working memory is consumed by cell-phone conversations relative to passenger conversations, and fewer resources are available for the driving task.”
The two professors specialize in studying the effects of technology on learning and awareness. Their article summarizing their research findings, “Cellular Telephones and Driving Performance: The Effects of Attentional Demands on Motor Vehicle Crash Risk,” appeared in the October 2005 issue of the journal Risk Analysis. No outside funding was received for the study, they note.”

Here is the word from the people doing the studies people.

http://www.fluther.com/disc/16690/is-talking-on-the-cell-phone-while-driving-more-dangerous-than/#quip165993

In my very first driving lesson (not the ones where I snuck the car out at night) the instructor had me pull into a 7–11, grab a Big Gulp and snickers. (I asked why)

“You’re going to eat and drive, so you may as well learn how.”

I’ve been doing it ever since. And, since I’ve started using mobile phones, I’ve given up manual transmission vehicles in favor of automatics.

Now, I have kids feet to play with (on the back of the passengers chair), DVDs to press “Play all” to, and lots of other distractions.. phew, no wonder I prefer the motorcycle – none of that nonsense.

I’m surprised at how anti-cellphone-while-driving the people in this thread are. Sure, some people don’t know how to cope with using technology. But some of us do (including knowing when to hang up). If we let the government make laws about every little thing like this, soon we won’t even be allowed to listen to music in the car.

I think it’s worth mentioning that there are times when talking on the cellphone makes driving safer. There are times when a long car ride can lead to a risk of dozing off—even when the driver is NOT tired—simply because of sheer boredom. Talking with someone can help them stay awake. Going back to my previous example, if you were to take music out of the mix as well, then I guarantee you that we would have an increase in vehicular accidents that happen because of drivers dozing off or zoning out during long drives.

@ – aidje the idea that you think “Sure, some people don’t know how to cope with using technology. But some of us do (including knowing when to hang up).” does not make it so. Your belief in your own abilities is fine, but it does not make them any better under the scrutiny of science than anyone elses. We are talking about reaction times, reflexes and variables that you can’t account for no matter what super human “coping” mechanisms you have that others don’t. To think otherwise just makes you that much more dangerous to the rest of us.

As far as your belief that there are times when talking on the cellphone makes driving safer, to be honest, that argument makes so little sense it makes the first point that much easier to discount. If you are driving and you can’t pay attention to the road for any reason, tired or not, get off the road. That is what a responsible adult does. That is what someone who values his own life and the lives of others around him or her does.

@Bri_L
Your arguments (and those of other people in this thread) are so full of scare tactics and wild assumptions that I can’t argue against you. I’ve stated my case, and that’s about all I can do.

And for the record, I’ve seen the data. It seemed pretty obvious to me that the studies on the subject have been somewhat biased (e.g., starting with the intention of showing that cell phone use is as bad as drunk driving). Do you use your cupholders? Because from what I’ve read, that’s a lot more dangerous than talking on a cell phone. Something like 7 times as dangerous (though admittedly for a shorter period of time).

@ aidje – It would seem that we have linked to actual studies including people who are preforming them and you are linking to “things I i’ve read”. And while you have based your judgement on your opinion of your abilities, the studies listed here and in other links are scientifically done. Please find some that prove others that are not based on your opinion. Also, I would love to read an article that shows reaching for a cup while keeping your eyes on the road is 7 times more dangerous than talking on the cell phone. we may have to agree to disagree.

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/

“The new study found that the most common distraction is the use of cellphones, followed by drowsiness. However, cellphone use is far less likely to be the cause of a crash or near-miss than other distractions, according to the study. For example, while reaching for a moving object such as a falling cup increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by nine times, talking or listening on a hand-held cellphone only increased the risk by 1.3 times.”

This study suggests that talking on a cell phone is no worse than talking with a passenger. Obviously, a law should be enacted which states that no more than one person may ride in a car, unless the driver is sequestered away in a fully isolated cab. /s

with regard to the “For example, while reaching for a moving object such as a falling cup increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by nine times” I would suspect as much as I am sure anyone else would.

As for the second study sited it was from 2006. Follow this link to a current study and direct contact with the person doing it. :

Here is the word from the people doing the studies people.
http://www.fluther.com/disc/16690/is-talking-on-the-cell-phone-while-driving-more-dangerous-than/#quip165993

the fact is the person next to you is as aware of the driving conditions your driving under as you are and can actually assist you in keeping and eye out for problems. Your sarcasm is wasted on this serious topic by the way.

Sarcasm is a rhetorical device. I’m deadly serious when I say that I don’t think the government has any business telling us we can’t talk on the phone in the car. Responsibility cannot be legislated, though it’s often tried.

Please, I am sincerely curious as to your thoughts on the rest of what I wrote and the other thoughts brought up on that link. If you have time.

I agree with your statement. If responsibility could be legislated we wouldn’t have so many repeat drunk drivers or drivers with out licenses.

No. Period. Period. Stats have shown us that the rate of accidents goes up by 400% for someone who talks on the cellphone while driving.

No. It is a very selfish thing to do, in my opinion, to endanger the lives of others on the road while you are distracted with a cell phone or with food. If you’re going to drive, that’s all you should be doing——with full concentration on the road and nothing else. Leave the chit-chat and gluttoning for later, or on the side of the road.

@MRSHINYSHOES
I agree.
Only talk in an emergency situation.

I smoke while driving, but I can do that and really not use my hands at all, so that’s not an issue at all…. Eating and talking on the phone however is just reckless… I’m sorry but my life and the lives of others is WAY more important that getting my belly full at that paticular moment or talking to anyone at that time. Great example for you: Yesterday while on the highway home, this guy in a huge van on the phone ( which is Illegal in the great state of NY btw) started coming over in our lane, only into us, not in front or behind, we honked he swerved back, done right? Wrong! Did it 2 more times to us, almost causing us to wreck, then did it to 2 other people later in front of us! Luckily, he was taking the same exit as us and we were able to pull up next to him, roll down our windows and yell at him ( because that’s what you do in NY) I almost ( but not quite) felt soory for the lashing my husband gave him when I saw he was like a 80 year old guy, but then again what the hell is he still doing driving anyway?! ( No offense to any 80 yr old drivers out there intended)

No way. Your putting your life and the lives of others in danger because your not completely focused.

No absolutely not. You can use a Bluetooth to talk briefly. Eating is a bad idea.