do you text or talk on phone while driving?

[Ren Ying Ying]

Studies have shown that using handfree and handheld cell phones doesn't significantly change the driving ability -i.e. it's the distraction that causes accidents, not so much holding the phone. The necessary precautions like using a head piece do not eliminate nor significantly reduce the cost to driver reactions.

but isn't that pretty much the same distraction as holding a conversation with a passenger or even listening to the radio?

i don't find talking on the phone as bad of an offense (though, using a headset, speaker, bluetooth, etc would be much better).

texting though should NOT occur. I might as well be playing video games while driving x_x.

[rosely]

I watch anime/kdrama/jdorama through the LCD and also listening and checking the turn from the GPS navigator

My GPS navigator can also alert me, like: "Achtung! car in front is just 1 meter away or in exactly 5 seconds if you don't do something you're going into a terrible accident"

It's a very un-distracting to the driving experience, its just added the richness...

ARTS

[yittz]

but isn't that pretty much the same distraction as holding a conversation with a passenger or even listening to the radio?

i don't find talking on the phone as bad of an offense (though, using a headset, speaker, bluetooth, etc would be much better).

texting though should NOT occur. I might as well be playing video games while driving x_x.

Exactly, and how are you going to regulate that? Don't think there are studies comparing convo with passenger vs. convo on the phone.

The headset makes it look better, but reaction time is still similar with the distraction. People can still drive reasonably well with head cocked at an angle/one hand.

[Ren Ying Ying]

People can still drive reasonably well with head cocked at an angle/one hand.

But they drive BETTER without having to strain their neck (or with both hands). Having to tilt one's head will skew angle of perception while driving. Or, if the shoulders are propped, it limits the range of motions.

[jiang bao]

Unless law enforcement starts to enforce some stiff fines on offenders, the careless people will still do what they please. That's who they are, careless people who don't care about other people's lives.

I have no problem with them driving off a cliff and getting crushed into meat lasagna then burnt to a crisp when they are alone in the car, but when they harm their passengers and other people on the road, that ain't right.

[yittz]

But they drive BETTER without having to strain their neck (or with both hands). Having to tilt one's head will skew angle of perception while driving. Or, if the shoulders are propped, it limits the range of motions.

That's what we would assume, but not what the study shows. Not statistically significant from the ones I've read in the past. Some how driver reaction and concentration is more important than checking blindspots, and manouvering the steering wheel, well at least when it comes to getting into an accident.

[blueberry]

I absolutely avoid texting when I drive. Unless it's a serious emergency, I would wait till I park somewhere before I text.

I also try to avoid talking on phone when I'm driving. My car has the bluetooth thingy, but I find it still distracts me from my driving (specially because I need to find & grab my phone first to know who's calling...the radio thingy only shows number which sometimes I don't memorize/recognize). I'm usually good at doing multiple things at once, but driving & talking on the phone is one thing I can't master I am one of the guilty people that still talk & drive at the same time although I know it's dangerous.

[Dennis Chen]

Both illegal to do while driving in my home state of California. Unless you have an ear piece, then you can talk but never text.

[thesoothsayer]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/te...racted.html?hp

What do you think of drivers who are texting on yapping on their cell while driving? And do you do it? If you do, I would like to smack you in the head. Please stick your head to the computer screen and let me hit you through cyberspace. Thank you.

I would love to see a law making such offenses punishable by prison time and a suspension of revoke of their driver’s licenses. It’s just as bad as DUI’ing.

Would love to see these laws enforced properly in Malaysia. They already exist, but there's virtually no enforcement. I've been on the receiving end of dangerous driving by drivers who are obviously either texting or talking on the phone. Fortunately, there haven't been any accidents.

I've also almost been knocked down by another cyclist who was texting while cycling downhill (!) over here in Korea.

Edit: And to answer the question posed in this thread, the answer is no. I haven't owned a mobile phone in 4 years, and when I did, I've never answered the phone without a hands-free kit while driving because I feel that it's dangerous (maybe I don't multitask well). Even then, it was rare, and I've never texted.