Cell phone use ages young drivers - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

raveneye · 02-02-2005, 03:28 AM

Well I guess it's no surprise that using the cell phone while driving impairs your driving ability, hence the laws prohibiting their use while driving in some states.

But this study found something beyond that: it's not the cell phone itself that impairs your driving, it's any conversation you're having while at the wheel!

I haven't read the details, but from this article it appears that it doesn't matter whether you're on the phone or not. All that matters is that you're having a conversation:

Quote:

And it doesn't matter whether the phone is hand-held or handsfree. Any activity requiring a driver to "actively be part of a conversation" likely will impair driving abilities, Strayer said.

In fact, motorists who talk on cell phones are more impaired than drunk drivers with blood-alcohol levels exceeding .08, Strayer and colleague Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology, found during research conducted in 2003.

Their new study appears in this winter's issue of Human Factors, the quarterly journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Strayer said they found that when 18-to-25-year-olds were placed in a driving simulator and talked on a cellular phone, they reacted to brake lights from a car in front of them as slowly as 65- to 74-year-olds who were not using a cell phone.

Elderly drivers became even slower to react to brake lights when they spoke on a cell phone.

In the simulator, each participant drove four 10-mile freeway trips lasting about 10 minutes each, talking on a cell phone with a research assistant during half the trip and driving without talking the other half. Only handsfree phones were used.

Sometimes when a person is in front of you and driving erratically, you think, Oh great, a drunk driver. Then you pass them and you see it's two people in the front having an animated conversation, or maybe an argument.

Or there are kids in the backseats, probably wreaking havoc.

So if having a conversation impairs your ability to the level of being legally intoxicated, should it be treated the same as drunk driving?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...king_motorists

Jimellow · 02-02-2005, 03:40 AM

I think is really depends on the driver..

There are always going to be opportunities to be distracted and not focus 100% on the road while driving, but it is unrealistic to make every one of those activities illegal.

If a cop were to see a person driving as if they were drunk, only to find that those in the car were involved in an activity that caused them to be unsafe and reckless, I would think he could cite them for reckless driving.. So in a way this is already covered, and the cops are able to issue a citation for driving dangerously.

As for the level of drunk driving? I'd say no. Drunks are physically not able to perceive what's going on them quickly enough or well enough to be able to handle a car at reasonably speeds. While I'll admit people can get pretty worked up while driving, I still think they are much more able to handle their vehicle and be aware compared to being drunk.

I would definitely oppose the penalties being as harsh as drunk driving, and I doubt they ever will be, primarily because the drunk driving penalties are so harsh and can literally change/ruin a driver's life.

Neat article though, thanks for sharing it.

raveneye · 02-02-2005, 04:00 AM

Yeah I think the important distinction here is that if you need to do something you can always suspend the conversation, but you can't suspend being drunk.

But then there are always those sudden unexpected things that happen before you could suspend the conversation . . . .

I personally prefer to concentrate while driving at least in the city, and don't like the distraction of a lot of conversation. Tooling along on an empty freeway though is different.

warrrreagl · 02-02-2005, 05:05 AM

There is a little item on police tickets and accident reports that says "Inattention," so they've always had the capacity to charge people with being shitty drivers, whatever the cause.

lurkette · 02-02-2005, 07:21 AM

I think cell phone conversations are more distracting than "in person" conversations because your attention is not on your physical environment - it's split. If you're having a conversation with a person in the passenger seat, you're both in the car, on the road, and your consciousness (while distracted by a conversation) is still present in your situation. A conversation over the phone kind of produces that same "absence" that you get when you space out for a while and notice that you're five miles down the road and haven't really been aware of your surroundings for a while.

I think eating or drinking is probably more dangerous just because of the mechanics involved, and I think I remember reading somewhere that that was true. I'll go hunting for references...

edit

Okay, here's what I found: http://www.hsrc.unc.edu/pubinfo/dist...ion_topten.htm

The Highway Safety Research Center at UNC studied accidents caused by distractions. It looks like distractions outside the car are responsible for around 29% of crashes caused by inattention, while cell phones were responsible for only about 1%. Adjusting your radio is about 8 times more likely to cause you to crash than using a cell phone.

ObieX · 02-02-2005, 07:38 AM

Crappy drivers are my pet peeve. There's always something more important than making sure you're not running over a pedestrian or slamming into a school bus. Eating, chatting on the phone, doing hair and makeup, getting a blowjob - its all good... untill you kill someone.

It reminds me of hte episode of the simpsons where Homer discovers all the stuff he can plug into his cigarette lighter. Watching a cooking show on TV and making jalapeno poppers or whatever, while not watching the road and driving off a pier.

kurty[B] · 02-02-2005, 07:54 AM

As a kid one of my friend's parents would drive us to various destinations. He liked to talk to you the whole time of course. I did not have a problem with this, both his hands were on the wheel. My problem was that he's the type of person who has to make eye contact with you when talking to you. He would OFTEN turn all the way around to look at us in the back and talk to us. Occassionally, I'd freak out and yell "STOP SIGN!" before we went through an intersection.

Being in the car with him was scary enough, knowing there is more drivers like that on the road is even scarier.

Vincentt · 02-02-2005, 08:50 AM

"motorists who talk on cell phones are more impaired than drunk drivers with blood-alcohol levels exceeding .08"

I kinda doubt that, but cell phones are bad for driving.

Pip · 02-02-2005, 10:23 AM

I know I tend to lose focus on my surroundings when I'm on the cel phone, even when I'm just walking I'm a danger to others! It's just too much to handle, to talk to a person that isn't there and do something else. Whenever it's possible, we usually let a passenger handle the phone calls and poke the radio.

kutulu · 02-02-2005, 10:32 AM

I call BS on the research.

warrrreagl · 02-02-2005, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lurkette

I think cell phone conversations are more distracting than "in person" conversations because your attention is not on your physical environment - it's split. If you're having a conversation with a person in the passenger seat, you're both in the car, on the road, and your consciousness (while distracted by a conversation) is still present in your situation. A conversation over the phone kind of produces that same "absence" that you get when you space out for a while and notice that you're five miles down the road and haven't really been aware of your surroundings for a while.

I agree completely with this. Whenever Mrs. warrrreagl is in the car with me, and I'm blabbing away at her, she will snap my attention back to the road instantly with that sharp intake of breath she's patented, which basically means "Look out, fool!" People on a cell phone don't have that luxury.

pocon1 · 02-02-2005, 11:01 AM

What I like is how they compare young drivers on cell phones to both legally intoxicated people and OLD PEOPLE. So old people are more dangerous on the road, maybe it is time for mandatory testing at a certain age.

lurkette · 02-02-2005, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kutulu

I call BS on the research.

Er....care to elaborate?

Grasshopper Green · 02-02-2005, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurty[B]

As a kid one of my friend's parents would drive us to various destinations. He liked to talk to you the whole time of course. I did not have a problem with this, both his hands were on the wheel. My problem was that he's the type of person who has to make eye contact with you when talking to you. He would OFTEN turn all the way around to look at us in the back and talk to us. Occassionally, I'd freak out and yell "STOP SIGN!" before we went through an intersection.

Being in the car with him was scary enough, knowing there is more drivers like that on the road is even scarier.

My mother in law is just like this. I detest riding in the car with her and only do it as a last resort. She rear ended someone recently actually, and I'm sure its because she was on the phone or looking through her purse or just not paying attention. She has almost caused an accident with me in the car several times.

I don't know if cell phone use makes a younger driver as slow as an older one, but I do know that I see jackass behavior on the road all the time while a driver is yakking away on a phone.

flstf · 02-02-2005, 04:19 PM

IMHO, people who won't admit that talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous are as bad as drunk drivers who won't admit they are dangerous. The funny thing is people use their cell phones while driving to report drunk drivers. I saw a report yesterday on the news where an Ohio judge was arrested for DUI after dozens of cell phone calls reported her. That must have been one dangerous stretch of road for a while there trying to avoid the drunk and cell phone tattlers.

skier · 02-02-2005, 05:03 PM

I would MUCH rather share the road with someone on a cell phone than a seriously intoxicated person. I think the use of a cell phone on the road to report a drunk driver is perfectly acceptable use. These people have full possesion of their faculties, despite the distraction- once they regain attention, they can make faster, better decisions to a crises than a drunk driver. Also, a drunk driver that is weaving etc. is definetly over 0.08% and most likely closer to 0.4+%.

There are many activities that distract the driver from the road. I think it's smart to avoid cellphone use in cars because of length of time spent distracted, but in terms of dangerousness second to second, it wouldn't be more than changing a CD in your car, or rubbernecking at something at the side of the road, changing radio stations, eating, etc.

flstf · 02-02-2005, 05:14 PM

Having ridden my Harley across the country 9 or 10 times I have found that there are many more cell phone using reckless drivers out there than drunks. Plus their numbers seem to be growing every day. Your chances of getting nailed by a drunk is minimal compared with distracted cell phone users. We would be safer if the drunks would report them instesd of the other way around. As long as they didn't use their cell phones to do it, LOL.

02-02-2005, 03:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jimellow Junkie	I think is really depends on the driver.. There are always going to be opportunities to be distracted and not focus 100% on the road while driving, but it is unrealistic to make every one of those activities illegal. If a cop were to see a person driving as if they were drunk, only to find that those in the car were involved in an activity that caused them to be unsafe and reckless, I would think he could cite them for reckless driving.. So in a way this is already covered, and the cops are able to issue a citation for driving dangerously. As for the level of drunk driving? I'd say no. Drunks are physically not able to perceive what's going on them quickly enough or well enough to be able to handle a car at reasonably speeds. While I'll admit people can get pretty worked up while driving, I still think they are much more able to handle their vehicle and be aware compared to being drunk. I would definitely oppose the penalties being as harsh as drunk driving, and I doubt they ever will be, primarily because the drunk driving penalties are so harsh and can literally change/ruin a driver's life. Neat article though, thanks for sharing it. __________________ Desperation is no excuse for lowering one's standards.

02-02-2005, 05:05 AM	#4 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	There is a little item on police tickets and accident reports that says "Inattention," so they've always had the capacity to charge people with being shitty drivers, whatever the cause. __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed.

02-02-2005, 07:21 AM	#5 (permalink)
lurkette My future is coming on Moderator Emeritus Location: east of the sun and west of the moon	I think cell phone conversations are more distracting than "in person" conversations because your attention is not on your physical environment - it's split. If you're having a conversation with a person in the passenger seat, you're both in the car, on the road, and your consciousness (while distracted by a conversation) is still present in your situation. A conversation over the phone kind of produces that same "absence" that you get when you space out for a while and notice that you're five miles down the road and haven't really been aware of your surroundings for a while. I think eating or drinking is probably more dangerous just because of the mechanics involved, and I think I remember reading somewhere that that was true. I'll go hunting for references... edit Okay, here's what I found: http://www.hsrc.unc.edu/pubinfo/dist...ion_topten.htm The Highway Safety Research Center at UNC studied accidents caused by distractions. It looks like distractions outside the car are responsible for around 29% of crashes caused by inattention, while cell phones were responsible for only about 1%. Adjusting your radio is about 8 times more likely to cause you to crash than using a cell phone. __________________ "If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France Last edited by lurkette; 02-02-2005 at 07:36 AM..

02-02-2005, 07:38 AM	#6 (permalink)
ObieX Pickles Location: Shirt and Pants (NJ)	Crappy drivers are my pet peeve. There's always something more important than making sure you're not running over a pedestrian or slamming into a school bus. Eating, chatting on the phone, doing hair and makeup, getting a blowjob - its all good... untill you kill someone. It reminds me of hte episode of the simpsons where Homer discovers all the stuff he can plug into his cigarette lighter. Watching a cooking show on TV and making jalapeno poppers or whatever, while not watching the road and driving off a pier. __________________ We Must Dissent.

02-02-2005, 08:50 AM	#8 (permalink)
Vincentt Addict Location: Tokyo, Japan	"motorists who talk on cell phones are more impaired than drunk drivers with blood-alcohol levels exceeding .08" I kinda doubt that, but cell phones are bad for driving. __________________ .

02-02-2005, 04:00 AM	#3 (permalink)
raveneye Born Against	Yeah I think the important distinction here is that if you need to do something you can always suspend the conversation, but you can't suspend being drunk. But then there are always those sudden unexpected things that happen before you could suspend the conversation . . . . I personally prefer to concentrate while driving at least in the city, and don't like the distraction of a lot of conversation. Tooling along on an empty freeway though is different.

02-02-2005, 07:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
kurty[B] Sauce Puppet	As a kid one of my friend's parents would drive us to various destinations. He liked to talk to you the whole time of course. I did not have a problem with this, both his hands were on the wheel. My problem was that he's the type of person who has to make eye contact with you when talking to you. He would OFTEN turn all the way around to look at us in the back and talk to us. Occassionally, I'd freak out and yell "STOP SIGN!" before we went through an intersection. Being in the car with him was scary enough, knowing there is more drivers like that on the road is even scarier.

02-02-2005, 10:23 AM	#9 (permalink)
Pip Likes Hats Location: Stockholm, Sweden	I know I tend to lose focus on my surroundings when I'm on the cel phone, even when I'm just walking I'm a danger to others! It's just too much to handle, to talk to a person that isn't there and do something else. Whenever it's possible, we usually let a passenger handle the phone calls and poke the radio.

02-02-2005, 10:32 AM	#10 (permalink)
kutulu Junkie	I call BS on the research.

02-02-2005, 11:01 AM	#12 (permalink)
pocon1 Banned	What I like is how they compare young drivers on cell phones to both legally intoxicated people and OLD PEOPLE. So old people are more dangerous on the road, maybe it is time for mandatory testing at a certain age.

02-02-2005, 04:19 PM	#15 (permalink)
flstf Easy Rider Location: Moscow on the Ohio	IMHO, people who won't admit that talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous are as bad as drunk drivers who won't admit they are dangerous. The funny thing is people use their cell phones while driving to report drunk drivers. I saw a report yesterday on the news where an Ohio judge was arrested for DUI after dozens of cell phone calls reported her. That must have been one dangerous stretch of road for a while there trying to avoid the drunk and cell phone tattlers.

02-02-2005, 05:03 PM	#16 (permalink)
skier Rawr! Location: Edmontania	I would MUCH rather share the road with someone on a cell phone than a seriously intoxicated person. I think the use of a cell phone on the road to report a drunk driver is perfectly acceptable use. These people have full possesion of their faculties, despite the distraction- once they regain attention, they can make faster, better decisions to a crises than a drunk driver. Also, a drunk driver that is weaving etc. is definetly over 0.08% and most likely closer to 0.4+%. There are many activities that distract the driver from the road. I think it's smart to avoid cellphone use in cars because of length of time spent distracted, but in terms of dangerousness second to second, it wouldn't be more than changing a CD in your car, or rubbernecking at something at the side of the road, changing radio stations, eating, etc. __________________ "Asking a bomb squad if an old bomb is still "real" is not the best thing to do if you want to save it." - denim

02-02-2005, 05:14 PM	#17 (permalink)
flstf Easy Rider Location: Moscow on the Ohio	Having ridden my Harley across the country 9 or 10 times I have found that there are many more cell phone using reckless drivers out there than drunks. Plus their numbers seem to be growing every day. Your chances of getting nailed by a drunk is minimal compared with distracted cell phone users. We would be safer if the drunks would report them instesd of the other way around. As long as they didn't use their cell phones to do it, LOL.