Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers • Hacker News Board

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#111

Post by mjevans » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:43 PM UTC

ygra wrote: post #80

mjevans wrote: post #39

I think there's a legitimate difference between a quick glance at a mobile and actually trying to //compose// something on it. Even speech to text can be poor enough that if it isn't dead simple it should wait until stopped. Edit: If you disagree maybe you would like to reply with how and thus form an actual discussion? I'm suggesting the split second shift of focus equivalent to changing a radio-station or disc trac…

No, there isn't. Have your phone read messages aloud when in the car, but just reading something is not really that much better than trying to answer. Any time your eyes leave the road/mirrors you have a chance to miss something crucial. And yes, interacting with the entertainment system is just as bad, that's why there are steering wheels with controls to change the track, to enable the driver to do so without takin…

If the police are able to catch someone, then by definition they were distracted. If a driver can see law enforcement (which should be clearly marked as such, not some stealth car) then the distraction is only in the minds of others, as enough attention is being put on the road to avoid accidents and other issues.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#112

Post by bluedino » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:44 PM UTC

DUI and driving while using your phone should have equal punishment.

I’m not advocating drinking and driving, but phone use is “no harm, no foul” right now. On the other hand you can drive without crashing into anyone but if you’ve had two glasses of wine with dinner, you can get charged with a crime.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#113

Post by nothrabannosir » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:44 PM UTC

vonmoltke wrote: post #94

nothrabannosir wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this is a problem so big that even people walking cross roads with their faces glued to their phones. I see this comparison a lot, and I just want to clarify: when you are distracted as a pedestrian, you're risking your life. When you are distracted as a driver, you're risking other people's lives. Getting behind a wheel drunk is considerably more dangerous to society than going home on foot. Phone use equivalently…

> I see this comparison a lot, and I just want to clarify: when you are distracted as a pedestrian, you're risking your life. When you are distracted as a driver, you're risking other people's lives. You are letting distracted pedestrians off too lightly. They are not just risking their own lives; they are risking the lives of motorists, cyclists, and other pedestrians by potentially forcing motorists and cyclists in…

True. It's not good. But I'd argue we should also not include them in the same category, because they dilute the severity of the matter.

Sorry to be cruel, but I'm passionate about drunk and distracted driving. Less so about drunk pedestrians. I'd really like to focus our efforts and not get distracted.

Let's start a separate conversation about texting pedestrians. I'll join. But please let's keep this one about just this one thing: people putting others' lives at a significant risk on a daily basis. It's a different ballgame.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#114

Post by Dumblydorr » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:44 PM UTC

everly wrote: post #102

sxates wrote: post #75

Here's my test for phone addiction (for men): If you are pissing into a urinal and need to look at your phone during those 15 seconds, you have a problem. And I see this a lot . A scary game: when in stop and go traffic, have a look at the person behind you. Are their eyes on the road, or their lap? In my experience, 7 out of 10 are looking at their lap, with a quick glance up every 5 seconds or so. I spend plenty of…

I don't think your test is all that good. If I'm out with friends, I try to consciously avoid using my phone when we're together so that I'm present and so that they know I value their presence. Those 15 seconds at the urinal are often the best time to check notifications before getting back to phone-free socializing. Agree with your other points though.

Why do notifications need to be checked?

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#115

Post by aaronmcs » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:45 PM UTC

ClassyJacket wrote: post #76

0x0000000 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Small nit you may not be aware of: use 'fewer' for nouns which can be counted (collisions, fatalities), and 'less' for nouns which can't (damage).

Stop nitpicking this. There's nothing unclear or ambiguous about 'less'. It refers to a smaller quantity of something. There's no reason not to use it. This is just pointless grammar Nazism.

Not interested in weighing in on less/fewer, but not sure architects of genocide is the comparison we want for grammar sticklers, even if it's become a common turn of phrase. Cheapens the real thing, doesn't it?

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#116

Post by bluedino » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:45 PM UTC

zamalek wrote: post #56

FlyingSideKick wrote: post #7

I worked at T-Mobile and did some work on this very subject our studies showed that people are so addicted that unless there is a threat of jail time or drivers license suspension people will not put down their phones.

It's weird how humans don't care about the threat of death. I'm not being sarcastic, we clearly don't.

How does the joke go? You almost get hit by another car and you freak out and are amped up the rest of the trip. But doze off and drive on the shoulder, you just go back to sleep after a few minutes.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#117

Post by maccio92 » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:46 PM UTC

bluedino wrote: post #112

DUI and driving while using your phone should have equal punishment. I’m not advocating drinking and driving, but phone use is “no harm, no foul” right now. On the other hand you can drive without crashing into anyone but if you’ve had two glasses of wine with dinner, you can get charged with a crime.

Cellphone use while driving is a primary offense in Ohio, meaning you can get pulled over solely got that and receive a citation

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#118

Post by everly » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:49 PM UTC

Dumblydorr wrote: post #114

everly wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think your test is all that good. If I'm out with friends, I try to consciously avoid using my phone when we're together so that I'm present and so that they know I value their presence. Those 15 seconds at the urinal are often the best time to check notifications before getting back to phone-free socializing. Agree with your other points though.

Why do notifications need to be checked?

To see if any are important enough to require action?

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#119

Post by toast0 » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:52 PM UTC

yardie wrote: post #12

In this day and age of really great machine learning I find that most people refuse to use voice services unless they are forced to do so (usually because of injury). Trying to tap out a message at 80km/h on a 5" screen is pretty fucking futile. But most distracted drivers will attempt to do it anyway. Here's a neat trick, just say, "Hey Siri* Send a message to $firstname $lastname's $phone. Tell them I'm [on my way,…

Trying to use voice input is more distracting to me than typing. And it's easier to take a break in the middle of typing. Not to mention that voice input almost never works, and i end up typing anyway, which means I'm distracted and angry. Native californian, I mumble, but otherwise no speech pathology; but maybe i try to enunciate too hard because the computer doesn't understand me.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#120

Post by S_A_P » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:52 PM UTC

bluedino wrote: post #112

DUI and driving while using your phone should have equal punishment. I’m not advocating drinking and driving, but phone use is “no harm, no foul” right now. On the other hand you can drive without crashing into anyone but if you’ve had two glasses of wine with dinner, you can get charged with a crime.

100% agreed. It’s a perfect analogy, they even drive in a similar manner. Slightly off from the flow of traffic, staying too close to the edge of a lane. Heck I even saw a Houston Police officer in his cruiser texting and driving today. As I get older and grouchier I get more and more infuriated by distracted driving. Most people would be infuriated if a passenger put their hand up in front of their face while driving, yet we have people do it to themselves every day. I’m opposed to a nanny state, but this is one area that I wouldn’t argue that loudly about regulation around phone use while driving.