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Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

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Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#221

Post by Alupis »

megy wrote: post #125
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.

> 40,000 people die every year on our roads.

We're largely talking about only the US market here -- in which only (and I say that word relatively) 37,000 people died in any sort of automobile related accident last year.

To put this in perspective, the common Flu (a totally vaccinatable, preventable, and treatable illness) killed about 52,000 people in the US last year alone.

According to the CDC, in 2016, 10,497 people (or 28%) of all automobile related deaths were alcohol-related deaths. Another 16% of automobile related deaths are attributed to drugs other than alcohol in the same year. That accounts for just about 44% of all vehicle related deaths, leaving the true automobile related deaths due to accident at a low number (relatively) of about 21,000 people per year.

According to the CDC, about 3,477 of all automobile related deaths were caused by distracted driving (of all kinds, not just cell phone usage), which amounts to around 9% of all automobile related deaths.

Sure, that number is a lot of people... but it's not some insane cell-phone induced epidemic folks are making it out to be.

Anecdote: As a vehicle driver, I've seen some insane cyclists violate all sorts of road laws, including peddling through red lights and cross multiple lanes of a road without warning... that's just to say, let's not pretend cyclists are totally innocent in all this.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in...

[3] https://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impa...

[4] https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/in...

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#222

Post by nojvek »

alexktz wrote: post #214
wcarron wrote: post #164

As others have said, as a motorcyclist, my number one concern on the road is a person using their mobile device while driving. I am less worried about road rage (which is still a top concern for me) than distracted drivers. I see it literally hundreds of times a day. People are driving their cars at over 70mph while texting. They use instagram and facebook at stoplights. They text or call while driving too fast down…

I emigrated from the UK to USA last September and the number of people I see on the freeway here with their phone in their hands is a constant source of amazement for me. As a keen road cyclist in the UK I actually have bought an off-road bike because I simply don't trust US drivers. In fact, the standard of driving here is frankly appalling. Tailgating and speeding is rampant. Lane surfing is rife. Couple that with…

I am guilty of this. What I wish to see is a better device that doesn’t distract the attention from the road.

A better voice input so I don’t have to type.

The biggest distraction is a notification comes and you want to see what it is.

But you are right. The best soln is not to use your phone.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#223

Post by Phillipharryt »

nojvek wrote: post #222
alexktz wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I emigrated from the UK to USA last September and the number of people I see on the freeway here with their phone in their hands is a constant source of amazement for me. As a keen road cyclist in the UK I actually have bought an off-road bike because I simply don't trust US drivers. In fact, the standard of driving here is frankly appalling. Tailgating and speeding is rampant. Lane surfing is rife. Couple that with…

I am guilty of this. What I wish to see is a better device that doesn’t distract the attention from the road. A better voice input so I don’t have to type. The biggest distraction is a notification comes and you want to see what it is. But you are right. The best soln is not to use your phone.

Honest question. Why do you feel you need any device when driving? Other than for navigation I suppose. As a confessed user do you actually feel it's important to have access to a device while you drive?

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#224

Post by nradov »

i_am_proteus wrote: post #192
wcarron wrote: post #164

As others have said, as a motorcyclist, my number one concern on the road is a person using their mobile device while driving. I am less worried about road rage (which is still a top concern for me) than distracted drivers. I see it literally hundreds of times a day. People are driving their cars at over 70mph while texting. They use instagram and facebook at stoplights. They text or call while driving too fast down…

Amen, brother. I used to be on a white R1200RS and I'd get mistaken for CHP in California. It was amusing to see them try to hide their phones when I'd honk at them. A lot less amusing when they'd wander into my lane, oblivious. Every single close call I've had in the last year of riding has been from a motorist operating a cell phone. I'm nearly of a mind to roll a helmet cam and start a Twitter account with footage…

Do it. If you mount an action camera on your bike it has a wide enough field of view that you can record the idiots while still steering a safe path.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#225

Post by c22 »

ummonk wrote: post #200
mig4ng wrote: post #63

This is extremely bad. In Portugal I don't cross the road if the person is using a phone, unless they fully stop of course. Yet this is a problem so big that even people walking cross roads with their faces glued to their phones. It happened to me more than once almost getting into an accident, both while walking or driving because the other party is distracted by a smartphone instead of paying attention to driving o…

What is the big deal with phone use at a red light? It will, at worst, hold up traffic slightly.

I literally see this happen almost every time I'm at a stop light. Someone in the queue is looking at their phone and by the time they react only a handful of cars have gotten through a light that's normally timed to move them all. Multiply this by hundreds of intersections and the effect leads to rising travel times and frustration across the board. I've also noticed a large uptick in people running stale yellow lights/newly red lights, I believe this behavior is precipitated by the red light texting crowd.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#226

Post by dmckeon »

1) front and rear-facing dash cams to defend against damage claims

2) configure cars to track phone usage, time-stamped, and downloadable thru the OBD port. If driver is sole occupant, some use of phone would be provable. No good for off-line activity, like games. Obvious privacy issues like other OBD data.

3) Pedestrians need an app for the “self-walking phone” with sub-1-meter location accuracy that flashes green man, or yellow or red hand when phone-obsessed user is about to step off curb into cross-walk or traffic.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#227

Post by coleifer »

wcarron wrote: post #164

As others have said, as a motorcyclist, my number one concern on the road is a person using their mobile device while driving. I am less worried about road rage (which is still a top concern for me) than distracted drivers. I see it literally hundreds of times a day. People are driving their cars at over 70mph while texting. They use instagram and facebook at stoplights. They text or call while driving too fast down…

Motorcyclist as well, and yes, I watch for the characteristic head-bob and try to take extra care around people on their phone. I've once or twice made a "hang-up" gesture but who am I kidding, it doesn't make a difference.

Now, the worst part: about a month ago I got pulled over for texting and driving. I wasn't even thinking about it. The cop said, "were you texting?" And I said, "I don't think so, let me check"... pulled up my phone.. yeah a half-written text to a friend. I got a ticket and have kept my phone in my pocket since then.

Something funny happens. I would think, "ah I'll just check that message, maybe it's important?" Or, "I've got to tell someone something" and out comes the phone. Mindless. Or maybe I think I can drive and text, it's those other clowns that are the dangerous ones. I'm glad I got the ticket. I deserved it. I think it helped me connect my actions to real life consequences. Glad it was just a ticket and not a wreck.

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#228

Post by kalleboo »

dredmorbius wrote: post #149
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Let's make that Apple's problem and not that of the people they kill. If the phone cannot distinguish driver from passenger, shut it off.

Should it also shut off for the millions of train passengers?

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#229

Post by [deleted] »

Phillipharryt wrote: post #223
nojvek wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am guilty of this. What I wish to see is a better device that doesn’t distract the attention from the road. A better voice input so I don’t have to type. The biggest distraction is a notification comes and you want to see what it is. But you are right. The best soln is not to use your phone.

Honest question. Why do you feel you need any device when driving? Other than for navigation I suppose. As a confessed user do you actually feel it's important to have access to a device while you drive?

[deleted]

Re: Phone Addicts Are the New Drunk Drivers

#230

Post by bradgessler »

nojvek wrote: post #222
alexktz wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I emigrated from the UK to USA last September and the number of people I see on the freeway here with their phone in their hands is a constant source of amazement for me. As a keen road cyclist in the UK I actually have bought an off-road bike because I simply don't trust US drivers. In fact, the standard of driving here is frankly appalling. Tailgating and speeding is rampant. Lane surfing is rife. Couple that with…

I am guilty of this. What I wish to see is a better device that doesn’t distract the attention from the road. A better voice input so I don’t have to type. The biggest distraction is a notification comes and you want to see what it is. But you are right. The best soln is not to use your phone.

Please turn this on if you have an iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208090
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