Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers • Hacker News Board

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#121

Post by dustindiamond » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:54 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…

I agree with this sentiment.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#122

Post by btrettel » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:54 PM UTC

silveira wrote: post #100

tl;dr: I was hit by a driver using his phone, I was found guilty. Last week I was changing lane in a very slow traffic traffic jam, I turn the left sign, the driver completely stops. I assume this as he giving me space to enter, I slowly enter. He then starts driving forward slowly, he starts approaching, I'm puzzled. I realize he is driving with his phone on his face. Completely unaware that I'm in his lane. He hits…

Sorry to hear about this. I ride a bike with a helmet cam and I started narrating observations unlikely to be caught by camera. I'll often say something like "distracted driver" when a distracted driver is nearby. It's not perfect, but it might help in situations like this.

I have found from experience that reading off people's license plate numbers tends to make them nervous, but that hasn't stopped me from doing it.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#123

Post by notacoward » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:54 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.

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

Totally agree. Tickets, insurance penalties, loss of license, jail if necessary. Every phone-addicted driver is just a murder waiting to happen.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#124

Post by rhino369 » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:54 PM UTC

max76 wrote: post #58

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.

I don't understand why people see the possibility of a drivers license suspension as being worse than the increased risk of vehicular manslaughter. One is a few months of decreased mobility. The other is an entire life.

People assume they can handle driving while texting.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#125

Post by megy » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:55 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.

There should be an instant ban from driving, you are not allowed to continue your journey, and for at least a week after. Plus fine.

It is ridiculous how lenient the laws are. 40,000 people die every year on our roads.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#126

Post by yardie » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:55 PM UTC

Someone1234 wrote: post #98

yardie wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I backed out a parking spot and into some guy speeding through the lot. Me, a bit of rubber on the bumper that I wiped off with a magic eraser. Him, front quarter panel and both passenger doors had to be replaced. I was pissed off about the unfairness of it all. That him driving reckless and me being in the wrong place made me at fault for thousands of dollars in damage. I'm not surprised to see a car accident with w…

Aren't you at fault though even per your own version? You pulled into a driving lane that the other vehicle was already in. Your justification for why you shouldn't be at fault is that he was "speeding" but there's no set speed limit in a parking lot, and you're meant to verify it is clear before locomotion. Plus if you witnessed them "speeding" you would have known you were pulling out in front of them, which makes…

Yes, I’m at fault simply for backing out into the lane as far as the insurer is concerned. I’m also at fault for not having eyes in superposition. I can’t simultaneously see out of my rear left and rear right.

All to say, you weren’t there and don’t know what happened. And I’ll leave it at that.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#127

Post by macintux » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:55 PM UTC

thatoneuser wrote: post #25

SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #5

This is "old man yells at cloud" area, but seriously - why can we not just leave our phones in our pocket until we get to our destination? What's that important?

Why not check your phone while at a stop sign? Why not check your phone while on a straightaway with no cars in sight? Why not check your phone to make sure you're on the right route? I get what you're saying but these are the thousands of little thoughts in the back of your mind that encourage you to use your phone in the car. "Just leave the phone in your pocket" has to defend itself against every one of these litt…

> Why not check your phone while at a stop sign?

I attempted to answer that question recently.

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/ruminations-on-stoplights-and...

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#128

Post by megy » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:57 PM UTC

btrettel wrote: post #34

I'm a cyclist. Over the past 5 years or so I've learned to check inside of people's cars to see if they have a phone in their hands. If they do, I try to keep as much distance between myself and them as possible. Until we change the incentives, distracted driving is very likely to remain a problem. Right now there's a lot of talk but very little action. I live in Austin, and I've spoken with the police about distract…

As a cyclist, I try to keep as much space from a car as I can. A particularly worrying time for me is when I am traveling around the same speed as a car. So many times I have almost been hit, and a few time shit by someone just turning. This is not a problem when you are passing cars or they pass you, because they see you.

But yes, fuck people using their phones while driving. It happens every single day, every third car sometimes.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#129

Post by TazeTSchnitzel » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:57 PM UTC

BowBun wrote: post #64

btrettel wrote: post #34

I'm a cyclist. Over the past 5 years or so I've learned to check inside of people's cars to see if they have a phone in their hands. If they do, I try to keep as much distance between myself and them as possible. Until we change the incentives, distracted driving is very likely to remain a problem. Right now there's a lot of talk but very little action. I live in Austin, and I've spoken with the police about distract…

I see the new Subaru's have this feature where they seem to track your eyes and alert you if you're looking down at your lap. I think that could be a possible solution, it needs to be in the vehicle since the vehicle is the thing causing the damage, not the mobile device. I don't like Apple's method: When it senses you moving (which gets triggered for false positives as mentioned), it locks your phone unless you pres…

The problem for Apple is they don't know you're not a passenger.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#130

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Apr 09, 2019, 10:57 PM UTC

ryandrake wrote: post #66

thatoneuser wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not check your phone while at a stop sign? Why not check your phone while on a straightaway with no cars in sight? Why not check your phone to make sure you're on the right route? I get what you're saying but these are the thousands of little thoughts in the back of your mind that encourage you to use your phone in the car. "Just leave the phone in your pocket" has to defend itself against every one of these litt…

What I don’t get is what is so important that requires “checking” every 5 minutes? Are we all business executives now, executing million dollar deals? Or day trading stocks? What’s so urgent? I run my phone in Do Not Disturb mode 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No notifications. No texts. No calls. No E-mails. I’ll check these things at night sometime when I’m not doing other things like driving a 2000 pound steel dea…

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