What is more dangerous when driving: talking on a cell phone or texting?

texting. It requires your eyes to be on a screen rather than on the road.

pete nailed it.

At least with talking on a phone you can use ‘Hands Free’ or Bluetooth.

Texting by far.

definitely texting.

Yes, but with talking on the cell phone, you are totally involved with another thing. With texting, you are just typing letters. When you’re talking on your cell phone, you’re involved in a whole conversation, and you must respond when they’re done talking. At least when texting, you can send them whenever you want.

Texting definitely adds an additional element of danger. I think “this study” sums it up very well:

“Text messaging and using iPods caused drivers to leave their lanes 10 percent more often in a simulated driving study conducted by researchers in the Clemson University psychology department.

The study tested drivers’ ability to stay in their lanes on a curvy road while they completed such tasks as talking on cell phones, text messaging and operating MP3 players. Although their reaction time may have been reduced, there was no reduction in lane-keeping for drivers who talked on cell phones. But for those who looked away from the road to use electronics, the difference was significant, according to Johnell Brooks, assistant professor of psychology.”

texting, good one pete

Texting for sure, but some people can’t talk on the cell phone and drive at the same time.

Here in California the new hands free law took effect July 1, 2008.

100% texting. I’ll admit it- I’ve texted while driving and almost drove into a fence. No more texting while driving for me. While on the phone at least your looking at the road. Both are bad though.

Seems like we’re all in agreement – so why didn’t California ban texting while driving like they did talking without a hand-free headset? I’m stumped.

I’m not in agreement.

Texting

@beast A fact is not something you can agree or disagree with. You could perhaps say you don’t care, you don’t want driving while texting to be against the law anyway, but the sun is going to come up tomorrow and texting while driving will still be more dangerous than talking on a cell phone whether you believe it or not.

This is a no- brainer, and so is texting while driving. What a moronic thing to do.

@Marina

What are you basing that on? Not a solid fact. I offered my counterpoint, and still stand by it.

I am basing it on controlled scientific studies showing that people texting went out of their lane far more often than people not texting.

Yes, texting, without a doubt!! :)

texting takes most people two hands, while talking only takes one. with texting, you have to look somewhere that isn’t the road. with talking, you don’t need to look at anything BUT the road.

texting wins in a landslide

Texting of course, as it requires that the driver look at the screen and in most cases require that the driver have at least one hand on the keypad.

Making a voice call (using a handsfree) doesnt have to be any more physically distracting than having a conversation with the passenger next to you.

That said, there are times when either the conversation or the task of driving becomes to involved to continue both at the same time, so i hang up.

When driving properly the driver is having a silent conversation regarding the driving environment and navigation with himself. an intense or complicated cellphone conversation can disrupt this important internal conversation even with use of a handsfree.

However i am against even more goverment intrusion into our lives.

I might support laws that bring an additional charge if texting is found to have contributed to or caused an accident.

@PupnTaco:

My guess would be because texting while driving is actually hard to identify and prove:

Officer: Do you know why i pulled you over?

Motorist: Uh, no sir?

O: I pulled you over for texting while driving.

M: Um, officer, i wasnt doing that.

O: You were sir, i saw you, license and registration please.

M: I swear i wasnt, here, let me show you.

O: Put down the phone and step out of the car sir.

M I was using a GPS map program, look!

O: Drop the phone, turn around and put your hands on the car sir.

M: No really, its nothing short of a miracle, it shows my location at all times. I never get lost. It gives me step by step directions to anywhere i need to go!

O: You were texting sir, drop the phone and turn around.

M: Officer, i swear i…..

O: Club club club.

M: Ow ow ow.

Texting.

How do you keep your eyes on the road and the screen at the same time? Impossible.