My phone is usually off while I drive. At first I would always pull over to answer the phone, but as I got more comfortable I took conditions into account. I almost never initiate a call while driving unless it’s a very quick one to say I’m running late. I favor laws requiring hands-free.
p>Do you still feel that way in light of the research mentioned in both articles that show that it is the conversation, rather than the hand use, that is the issue?
<
p>
The researchers also shelved a draft letter they had prepared for Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta to send, warning states that hands-free laws might not solve the problem.
That letter said that hands-free headsets did not eliminate the serious accident risk. The reason: a cellphone conversation itself, not just holding the phone, takes drivers’ focus off the road, studies showed.
lightirissays
Do you still feel that way in light of the research mentioned in both articles that show that it is the conversation, rather than the hand use, that is the issue?
<
p>Well, are we going to mandate, then, that people either a) drive alone or b) remain silent in their cars? People talk while driving to other people in their cars all the time, sometimes at great length.
<
p>Hands-free is likely the best that we’ll be able to mandate as it puts both hands on the wheel, theoretically. Conversation, whether with a person on a headset or with a person in the passenger or back seat, is still conversation. As long as people are driving, talking is going to occur. That’s life.
dcsurfersays
a passenger sees what’s going on, and understands why the driver pauses midsentence when making a left turn, for example. A person on a cell phone doesn’t see the traffic and continues talking, and if the driver is talking, it is awkward to pause like they would with a passenger, so they usually attempt to keep talking right through the maneuver.
dcsurfersays
midgesays
To reiterate what DC said, the person in the car is engaged in the ride- so is paying attention to oncoming traffic, pedestrians, lights, etc. This helps the driver stay a little more focused because it is part of the experience and part of the conversation.
<
p>A person on the other end of the phone call has no idea what is happening on the other end- it doesn’t matter if someone is using a hands-free device or holding a cell phone. They can’t interject “watch out for this guy on your right,” “The place we are headed is on the right.”
christophersays
As the commenter below indicated, a conversation could be had with someone in the car. For me personally, it is very much the holding of the phone that makes me uncomfortable because it means only one hand for the wheel.
jasiusays
Did you read the articles?
<
p>
Research also shows that drivers conversing with fellow passengers do not present the same danger, because adult riders help keep drivers alert and point out dangerous conditions and tend to talk less in heavy traffic or hazardous weather.
<
p>A passenger is getting the same visual data as the driver and understands when a situation occurs where the conversation has to take a lower priority to the driver’s attention to the road, unlike the party at the other end of a phone call.
In research last year, Utah researcher David Strayer and his colleagues found that driving while talking on a cellphone clogs traffic with slower drivers who were less likely to change lanes. “If you get two or three people gumming up the system, it starts to cascade and slows everybody’s commute,” Stayer has said. On top of that, Strayer and researchers also found that cellphone conversations are very different from having a conversation in the car with a fellow passenger. Driving while talking on a cellphone was more dangerous.
One possible reason is that “passengers take an active role in supporting the driver as indicated by passengers more frequently talking about the surrounding traffic. It seems likely that a passenger supports the driver by directing attention to the surrounding traffic when perceived necessary.”
Meanwhile, cellphone users figuratively disappear into the cellphone instead of keeping their eyes on the road. “The conversation partner on the cellphone cannot be aware of changes in the driving environment,” that study said.
<
p>While it is important to look at the physical aspects of how cell phone use impairs driving, this research is looking at how it impairs our mental ability, even if we have both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road, as the old saying goes.
christophersays
I still think that hands-free is the appropriate balance between safety and convenience. These are my experiences and I stand by them. If anything I would be more tempted to look at a fellow conversant within the car, thus taking my eyes off the road, while I could face straight ahead when talking to a set. Stats and research are certainly valuable, but they only tell part of the story. They are hard science, but human behavior is very much a soft science. I’m certainly capable of pausing a conversation with a hands-free set just as on the occasion I talk with a hand-held while driving I might tell the other person I have to put the phone down for a minute.
lightirissays
And let’s not forget the sort of driver who does feel compelled to look at the person they’re talking to. Indeed, I’ve been in the back seat of a fully loaded car of adults enough times to know that there are a lot of drivers out there who actually turn their heads to look at the people in the back seat they are talking to. Count in, as well, the numbers of parents who use their rear-view mirrors constantly to talk to their children in the backseat, and you’ve all but negated the argument presented in the report. A ten-year-old goofing around with his sister in the back seat is not going to help the driver keep his/her eye on the road, and that scenario is not at all uncommon.
jasiusays
You’ve obviously given this some thought, which is all I’m really asking. I find that, like the subjects in the research, a phone conversation tends to be more encompassing for me. Perhaps it is because I don’t have the visual cues that I’d have in a face-to-face (or next to me in the car) conversation. Maybe it’s my brain overcompensating for that.
<
p>For example, suppose I’m conversing with a co-worker who is normally quite chatty and friendly but I’m getting curt answers to my questions. If I’m on the phone in the car, my brain would be concentrating on the driving, the conversation, plus “Did I say something inappropriate? Is she pissed at me?” If we were in an office together or in the car, I’d probably know by her facial expression that, yes, she is pissed or, no, she’s just trying to wolf down her lunch in between questions (violating the no-food rule in my car! đŸ™‚ ).
<
p>I guess what I don’t understand (and this question is directed at lightiris also) is the logic that says that people do other stupid things when driving, so we don’t have to worry about this particular thing. If I were an alcoholic, should I not try to get help if I also smoke?
lightirissays
people’s stupidity behind the wheel. What I am suggesting, however, is that there are reasonable ways to approach this issue and unreasonable ways that merely create an illusion of safety where none exists.
<
p>I think it is perfectly reasonable to try to ensure people have both hands on the wheel, so a ban on hand-held devices is a good idea. Conversations (or texting) with a hand-held device account for the bulk of accidents we are talking about. I think that singling out conversation on a hands-free device, though, is not productive.
jasiusays
The thing that worries me is that the research indicates that a phone conversation is inherently different than the other things that have been brought up. Driving, and especially responding to emergency situations, takes a certain amount of brain activity and it appears that a phone conversation may be enough of a drain to be a problem. It may be the case that telling someone to “be careful” using their cell phone in the car (hands free or otherwise) might be as helpful as telling someone who has had one too many to “be careful” before getting behind the wheel.
<
p>I support further research on the subject, and in the meantime, as I’ve done here, I ask people to give their own situation a some thought.
masslibsays
LOL. It’s hard for people to give up bad habits, but we really need to stop using cell phones (hand held or otherwise) while in the car. I remember when people were up in arms about seat belt laws, but low and behold, somehow we all got used to it.
christophersays
Like I said, I hardly ever use my handheld while driving so its hardly a habit for me. My phone’s even turned off about 95% of the time when I’m behind the wheel. I’m fortunate not to need to drive and talk at the same time for my job, but not everyone can say it. This isn’t so much about some objective facts as my personal experience. Both are valid in their way.
sue-kennedysays
been my strong point, and talking on the cell phone isn’t likely to increase safety.
<
p>It isn’t likely that if the cell phone was turned off and in my hand that would have the same affect as talking.
<
p>Although some conversations can be distracting, cell phone conversations seem worse. The explanation Jasiu offers sounds plausible.
The problem with the NYT article and study is that it doesn’t offer any comparative data about other things people frequently do while driving. Should we also ban eating and listening to the radio, or at least adjusting the radio, in the car? It seems logical, if safety is the real issue.
They may not think it’s safe, but most drivers responding to a new poll admit to keeping one eye and one hand on a meal while driving. Eating a meal turned out to be the most-common distracting activity drivers undertake. In fact, 65 percent of drivers stated they eat while driving, according to a PEMCO Insurance poll on driver distraction.
While eating took the top spot on the survey, 58 percent of drivers acknowledged they talk on a cell phone while driving. Drivers also thought both eating and cell phone use while driving were unsafe, along with several other common driving distractions. The poll of 600 Washington residents also asked drivers to rate the danger of several common distracted driving activities. Each activity was rated on a scale from one to five, with one being “completely safe” and five being “very dangerous.”
While 65 percent of respondents admitted to eating a meal while driving, that activity received a “danger rating” of 3.8 on the five-point scale. Talking on a cell phone was regarded as a 4.0 in danger, while reading a newspaper or book, something only six percent of drivers admit to, got the top danger rating of 4.9. Writing a text message (4.8), applying makeup or shaving (4.6) and the ever-popular steering with legs and no hands on wheel (4.7) also recorded serious danger rankings from the respondents. Some 25 percent of all drivers say they have steered with no hands at some time in their driving lives, while 14 percent say they have applied makeup or shaved.
“We found that when drivers eat food or call a friend, they do so despite thinking it’s dangerous,” said Jon Osterberg, PEMCO Insurance spokesperson. “Our goal is to help drivers understand that when they do that, they’re going against their better judgment.”
The poll showed a significant trend: the more drivers admitted to performing a distracting activity, the less dangerous they saw that activity.
christophersays
I don’t eat and drive, though I will drink while driving (not in THAT sense, wise guys!)
jasiusays
When I was in the process of purchasing our latest car, it took me over an hour to clean out the back seat of the old car because of the volume of food crumbs stuck in the seat. So I instituted a no-eating policy in the new car and, to avoid being a hypocritical parent (at least in this case), I also follow the rule. So we have that covered, but for a different reason.
<
p>I’m not aware of any recent increase in food consumption in cars but it is clear that phone use is on the rise, especially as younger drivers, whose personal communication devices are more interwoven into their lives, take to the road and…
<
p>
Instead, [Americans] increasingly use phones, navigation devices and even laptops to turn their cars into mobile offices, chat rooms and entertainment centers, making roads more dangerous.
<
p>The one piece of comparative data that really caught my attention was this:
<
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Studies say that drivers using phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as other drivers, and the likelihood that they will crash is equal to that of someone with a .08 percent blood alcohol level, the point at which drivers are generally considered intoxicated.
christophersays
Eating, talking on a handheld, texting, shaving, applying makeup, for examples, all involve taking at least one hand off the steering wheel for several seconds at a time. Drinking, dialing a hands-free, and tuning a radio dial are examples of things that use a hand for just a few seconds and can be deliberately held off until you’re stopped at a light or at least on a straight stretch of pavement with minimal road distractions. The former we would do best to avoid as much as possible; the latter we should be able to handle.
dcsurfersays
It’s about the mental distraction, even for you.
<
p>I don’t get the “it’s not dangerous, and I don’t do it” reaction of you and lightiris. Why is it so important for you to claim you’re impeccable and praiseworthy? The point of the thread is very general, why resist it? Why not just accept the studies that prove it is dangerous, especially since you claim to not even do it much anyway? I talk on the phone quite often, holding the phone to my ear, and recognize that it is dangerous and try to get off the phone asap. But I still take calls and make calls and rarely pull over to do so. What this study says to me is, that is more dangerous than I thought, so I shouldn’t do it so carelessly. If I do talk, I should be super brief, and stay focused on the road and not get into a conversation with someone who isn’t present in the car.
christophersays
…when I came out in support of hands-free and Jasiu basically took a that’s-not-good-enough position. I realize I should have included eyes with the hands, but I interpreted the underlying assumption as being nobody could handle a little mental distraction, which I disagree with. I didn’t mean to come across as defensive or bragging, just to suggest there can be a balance.
sue-kennedysays
Every time I turn off the radio, the car develops all kinds of noises and problems.
trickle-upsays
The rest of you: it would kill you to turn off your phone when you are behind the wheel?
<
p>Honestly, the ability of people to tell themselves stories about their cars, their driving, and their petty conveniences just boggles the mind.
jasiusays
Several letters on the driving/cell phone articles appear in today’s NY Times. Among them is another research result from scientists at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
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…in our lab we have conducted functional magnetic resonance and magnetoencephalography studies during hands-free phone conversation using a film simulating driving. (Magnetoencephalography is a functional brain imaging technique with millisecond time resolution and millimeter spatial resolution.)
We showed that during hands-free phone conversation there was decreased activity in the right parietal area (an area involved with multitasking) and increased reaction time. The observed changes in brain function are independent of the design features of the phone.
<
p>Another writer talks about an interesting exercise from his driver’s ed class.
<
p>
Nearly 40 years ago (long before cellphones), my high school driver’s ed instructor, Mr. Tansee, made me, and the rest of the class, write a fictional letter to the parent of a child explaining how and why we had struck that child while driving.
…
I don’t believe that Mr. Tansee would have accepted “Sorry, I was on the phone” as a reasonable explanation.
<
p>Overall, from the discussion here and elsewhere, I’m surprised at the dismissal of the science that indicates that our brains just aren’t equipped with enough horsepower to handle both driving and a phone conversation. We give a lot of grief to right-wingers who poo-poo science in relation to things like evolution and climate change. Apparently, the acceptance of the results of a piece of research has more to do with whether or not you like the end result than with political orientation.
kirthsays
of a gasoline engine with nitrous-oxide injection. Is there research on whether it increases the horsepower of human brains?
jasiusays
When I was in my late teens, my dentist used N2O for routine cavity fills. It was probably counter-productive to my dental health as I considered giving up all flossing and brushing.
<
p>I’ll gladly be a participant in the research so long as I’m only behind the wheel of a simulator!
christophersays
I’m not a neurologist and will happily take your word for it regarding research. Maybe I made the mistake of assuming since this blog often deals with public policy, that the next step was to advocate a complete ban on all phone usage, including handfree, while driving. If the point of this diary was simply to bring up interesting research and get people thinking, then I’ll back off, but if my other assumption is correct then I stand by my contention that banning hand-held, while permitting hands-free is the best way to go policy-wise.
jasiusays
My purpose was to consider possible action in the absence of any public policy changes, which seem to be stuck in the mud. Or to employ an overused term these days, trying to come up with a grassroots solution. Going back to my main post:
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While we can all wait for the various levels of government to address this problem, I think we need to take this upon ourselves if we’re going to reverse the current cultural bias that says multitasking while driving is not only OK but necessary.
<
p>But considering policy for just a moment, I’ll note again that the researchers are not with you on the hand-held vs. hands-free issue. Quoting from the first Times article:
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In fact, some scientists argue that hands-free laws make driving riskier by effectively condoning the practice. As early as July 2003, researchers at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reached that conclusion based on what they referred to, in a proposed draft of a cellphone policy for the agency, as “a significant body of research worldwide.”
The draft policy said: “We are convinced that legislation forbidding the use of handheld cellphones while driving will not be effective since it will not address the problem. In fact, such legislation may erroneously imply that hands-free phones are safe to use while driving.”
<
p>But getting back to the grassroots thing, what might be next steps to take? I think it’s all about raising awareness of the risks and also reducing the chances of something bad happening to yourself and the people you know and talk to.
<
p>
Talk this up. Point people to the articles and research.
Make a point of letting people know that, “I can’t talk right now, I’m driving” and “I couldn’t answer your call because I was driving at the time.”
When you get a call from someone’s mobile phone or you call their number, ask if they are driving. If so, ask if they can call you back when it’s safer to talk. I’d be devastated if someone had a crash while I was on the phone with them.
When you are a passenger, treat a driver on the phone as one who has had one drink too many. Ask if they can talk later, pull over, let you drive, etc. Leave the car if not.
<
p>Reading this list over, I’m thinking to myself that this is pretty extreme. It’s only talking on the phone, right? The fact that I feel that way just shows that this is a serious uphill battle at best.
christophersays
Here’s my take on your bullet points.
<
p>Talk this up – not a bad idea, I can’t promise I’ll do it.
<
p>Letting people know… – check, at least some of the time, depends on other factors
<
p>Ask if they are driving – check, at least if I remember or have reason to believe they are.
<
p>Treat as if one drink too many – I won’t go that far, unless the driver is starting to demonstrate they can’t multitask.
<
p>I’ve said all along that my comments on this thread are at least as much about experience as research. I believe I’ve been very open about that.
dcsurfersays
“In fact, such legislation may erroneously imply that hands-free phones are safe to use while driving.”
<
p>That makes sense.
<
p>This diary itself is an example of what needs to be done, which is educate the public that thinks the issue is holding the phone to the ear, not the conversation.
<
p>Everyone: do not carry on conversations with people who are not in the car while driving, even hands-free! The brain can’t multitask like that.
<
p>And, do not text while the car is in Drive, at all, even at lights! There should be a law against that, because the absence of that law erroneously implies that texting is safe.
lightirissays
We give a lot of grief to right-wingers who poo-poo science in relation to things like evolution and climate change. Apparently, the acceptance of the results of a piece of research has more to do with whether or not you like the end result than with political orientation.
<
p>What a gratuitously nasty and wholly unnecessary mischaracterization of the people commenting on this thread. And while I appreciate your well-intentioned fervor on this topic, your tone leaves a lot to be desired. None of us are idiots, cloaked right-wingers, or, I suspect, heavily invested in one side of this issue or the other. Personally, I rarely talk on the phone (hands free) and drive; I spend very little time in my car. As a rational and reasonable individual, I can appreciate the science on this issue and adjust my thinking. I’m sure others can, too.
My phone is usually off while I drive. At first I would always pull over to answer the phone, but as I got more comfortable I took conditions into account. I almost never initiate a call while driving unless it’s a very quick one to say I’m running late. I favor laws requiring hands-free.
<
p>Do you still feel that way in light of the research mentioned in both articles that show that it is the conversation, rather than the hand use, that is the issue?
<
p>
<
p>Well, are we going to mandate, then, that people either a) drive alone or b) remain silent in their cars? People talk while driving to other people in their cars all the time, sometimes at great length.
<
p>Hands-free is likely the best that we’ll be able to mandate as it puts both hands on the wheel, theoretically. Conversation, whether with a person on a headset or with a person in the passenger or back seat, is still conversation. As long as people are driving, talking is going to occur. That’s life.
a passenger sees what’s going on, and understands why the driver pauses midsentence when making a left turn, for example. A person on a cell phone doesn’t see the traffic and continues talking, and if the driver is talking, it is awkward to pause like they would with a passenger, so they usually attempt to keep talking right through the maneuver.
To reiterate what DC said, the person in the car is engaged in the ride- so is paying attention to oncoming traffic, pedestrians, lights, etc. This helps the driver stay a little more focused because it is part of the experience and part of the conversation.
<
p>A person on the other end of the phone call has no idea what is happening on the other end- it doesn’t matter if someone is using a hands-free device or holding a cell phone. They can’t interject “watch out for this guy on your right,” “The place we are headed is on the right.”
As the commenter below indicated, a conversation could be had with someone in the car. For me personally, it is very much the holding of the phone that makes me uncomfortable because it means only one hand for the wheel.
Did you read the articles?
<
p>
<
p>A passenger is getting the same visual data as the driver and understands when a situation occurs where the conversation has to take a lower priority to the driver’s attention to the road, unlike the party at the other end of a phone call.
<
p>Also, from Derrick Jackson’s column today:
<
p>
<
p>While it is important to look at the physical aspects of how cell phone use impairs driving, this research is looking at how it impairs our mental ability, even if we have both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road, as the old saying goes.
I still think that hands-free is the appropriate balance between safety and convenience. These are my experiences and I stand by them. If anything I would be more tempted to look at a fellow conversant within the car, thus taking my eyes off the road, while I could face straight ahead when talking to a set. Stats and research are certainly valuable, but they only tell part of the story. They are hard science, but human behavior is very much a soft science. I’m certainly capable of pausing a conversation with a hands-free set just as on the occasion I talk with a hand-held while driving I might tell the other person I have to put the phone down for a minute.
And let’s not forget the sort of driver who does feel compelled to look at the person they’re talking to. Indeed, I’ve been in the back seat of a fully loaded car of adults enough times to know that there are a lot of drivers out there who actually turn their heads to look at the people in the back seat they are talking to. Count in, as well, the numbers of parents who use their rear-view mirrors constantly to talk to their children in the backseat, and you’ve all but negated the argument presented in the report. A ten-year-old goofing around with his sister in the back seat is not going to help the driver keep his/her eye on the road, and that scenario is not at all uncommon.
You’ve obviously given this some thought, which is all I’m really asking. I find that, like the subjects in the research, a phone conversation tends to be more encompassing for me. Perhaps it is because I don’t have the visual cues that I’d have in a face-to-face (or next to me in the car) conversation. Maybe it’s my brain overcompensating for that.
<
p>For example, suppose I’m conversing with a co-worker who is normally quite chatty and friendly but I’m getting curt answers to my questions. If I’m on the phone in the car, my brain would be concentrating on the driving, the conversation, plus “Did I say something inappropriate? Is she pissed at me?” If we were in an office together or in the car, I’d probably know by her facial expression that, yes, she is pissed or, no, she’s just trying to wolf down her lunch in between questions (violating the no-food rule in my car! đŸ™‚ ).
<
p>I guess what I don’t understand (and this question is directed at lightiris also) is the logic that says that people do other stupid things when driving, so we don’t have to worry about this particular thing. If I were an alcoholic, should I not try to get help if I also smoke?
people’s stupidity behind the wheel. What I am suggesting, however, is that there are reasonable ways to approach this issue and unreasonable ways that merely create an illusion of safety where none exists.
<
p>I think it is perfectly reasonable to try to ensure people have both hands on the wheel, so a ban on hand-held devices is a good idea. Conversations (or texting) with a hand-held device account for the bulk of accidents we are talking about. I think that singling out conversation on a hands-free device, though, is not productive.
The thing that worries me is that the research indicates that a phone conversation is inherently different than the other things that have been brought up. Driving, and especially responding to emergency situations, takes a certain amount of brain activity and it appears that a phone conversation may be enough of a drain to be a problem. It may be the case that telling someone to “be careful” using their cell phone in the car (hands free or otherwise) might be as helpful as telling someone who has had one too many to “be careful” before getting behind the wheel.
<
p>I support further research on the subject, and in the meantime, as I’ve done here, I ask people to give their own situation a some thought.
LOL. It’s hard for people to give up bad habits, but we really need to stop using cell phones (hand held or otherwise) while in the car. I remember when people were up in arms about seat belt laws, but low and behold, somehow we all got used to it.
Like I said, I hardly ever use my handheld while driving so its hardly a habit for me. My phone’s even turned off about 95% of the time when I’m behind the wheel. I’m fortunate not to need to drive and talk at the same time for my job, but not everyone can say it. This isn’t so much about some objective facts as my personal experience. Both are valid in their way.
been my strong point, and talking on the cell phone isn’t likely to increase safety.
<
p>It isn’t likely that if the cell phone was turned off and in my hand that would have the same affect as talking.
<
p>Although some conversations can be distracting, cell phone conversations seem worse. The explanation Jasiu offers sounds plausible.
The problem with the NYT article and study is that it doesn’t offer any comparative data about other things people frequently do while driving. Should we also ban eating and listening to the radio, or at least adjusting the radio, in the car? It seems logical, if safety is the real issue.
<
p>2004 survey:
<
p>
I don’t eat and drive, though I will drink while driving (not in THAT sense, wise guys!)
When I was in the process of purchasing our latest car, it took me over an hour to clean out the back seat of the old car because of the volume of food crumbs stuck in the seat. So I instituted a no-eating policy in the new car and, to avoid being a hypocritical parent (at least in this case), I also follow the rule. So we have that covered, but for a different reason.
<
p>I’m not aware of any recent increase in food consumption in cars but it is clear that phone use is on the rise, especially as younger drivers, whose personal communication devices are more interwoven into their lives, take to the road and…
<
p>
<
p>The one piece of comparative data that really caught my attention was this:
<
p>
Eating, talking on a handheld, texting, shaving, applying makeup, for examples, all involve taking at least one hand off the steering wheel for several seconds at a time. Drinking, dialing a hands-free, and tuning a radio dial are examples of things that use a hand for just a few seconds and can be deliberately held off until you’re stopped at a light or at least on a straight stretch of pavement with minimal road distractions. The former we would do best to avoid as much as possible; the latter we should be able to handle.
It’s about the mental distraction, even for you.
<
p>I don’t get the “it’s not dangerous, and I don’t do it” reaction of you and lightiris. Why is it so important for you to claim you’re impeccable and praiseworthy? The point of the thread is very general, why resist it? Why not just accept the studies that prove it is dangerous, especially since you claim to not even do it much anyway? I talk on the phone quite often, holding the phone to my ear, and recognize that it is dangerous and try to get off the phone asap. But I still take calls and make calls and rarely pull over to do so. What this study says to me is, that is more dangerous than I thought, so I shouldn’t do it so carelessly. If I do talk, I should be super brief, and stay focused on the road and not get into a conversation with someone who isn’t present in the car.
…when I came out in support of hands-free and Jasiu basically took a that’s-not-good-enough position. I realize I should have included eyes with the hands, but I interpreted the underlying assumption as being nobody could handle a little mental distraction, which I disagree with. I didn’t mean to come across as defensive or bragging, just to suggest there can be a balance.
Every time I turn off the radio, the car develops all kinds of noises and problems.
The rest of you: it would kill you to turn off your phone when you are behind the wheel?
<
p>Honestly, the ability of people to tell themselves stories about their cars, their driving, and their petty conveniences just boggles the mind.
Several letters on the driving/cell phone articles appear in today’s NY Times. Among them is another research result from scientists at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
<
p>
<
p>Another writer talks about an interesting exercise from his driver’s ed class.
<
p>
<
p>Overall, from the discussion here and elsewhere, I’m surprised at the dismissal of the science that indicates that our brains just aren’t equipped with enough horsepower to handle both driving and a phone conversation. We give a lot of grief to right-wingers who poo-poo science in relation to things like evolution and climate change. Apparently, the acceptance of the results of a piece of research has more to do with whether or not you like the end result than with political orientation.
of a gasoline engine with nitrous-oxide injection. Is there research on whether it increases the horsepower of human brains?
When I was in my late teens, my dentist used N2O for routine cavity fills. It was probably counter-productive to my dental health as I considered giving up all flossing and brushing.
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p>I’ll gladly be a participant in the research so long as I’m only behind the wheel of a simulator!
I’m not a neurologist and will happily take your word for it regarding research. Maybe I made the mistake of assuming since this blog often deals with public policy, that the next step was to advocate a complete ban on all phone usage, including handfree, while driving. If the point of this diary was simply to bring up interesting research and get people thinking, then I’ll back off, but if my other assumption is correct then I stand by my contention that banning hand-held, while permitting hands-free is the best way to go policy-wise.
My purpose was to consider possible action in the absence of any public policy changes, which seem to be stuck in the mud. Or to employ an overused term these days, trying to come up with a grassroots solution. Going back to my main post:
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p>But considering policy for just a moment, I’ll note again that the researchers are not with you on the hand-held vs. hands-free issue. Quoting from the first Times article:
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p>But getting back to the grassroots thing, what might be next steps to take? I think it’s all about raising awareness of the risks and also reducing the chances of something bad happening to yourself and the people you know and talk to.
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p>Reading this list over, I’m thinking to myself that this is pretty extreme. It’s only talking on the phone, right? The fact that I feel that way just shows that this is a serious uphill battle at best.
Here’s my take on your bullet points.
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p>Talk this up – not a bad idea, I can’t promise I’ll do it.
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p>Letting people know… – check, at least some of the time, depends on other factors
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p>Ask if they are driving – check, at least if I remember or have reason to believe they are.
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p>Treat as if one drink too many – I won’t go that far, unless the driver is starting to demonstrate they can’t multitask.
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p>I’ve said all along that my comments on this thread are at least as much about experience as research. I believe I’ve been very open about that.
“In fact, such legislation may erroneously imply that hands-free phones are safe to use while driving.”
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p>That makes sense.
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p>This diary itself is an example of what needs to be done, which is educate the public that thinks the issue is holding the phone to the ear, not the conversation.
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p>Everyone: do not carry on conversations with people who are not in the car while driving, even hands-free! The brain can’t multitask like that.
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p>And, do not text while the car is in Drive, at all, even at lights! There should be a law against that, because the absence of that law erroneously implies that texting is safe.
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p>What a gratuitously nasty and wholly unnecessary mischaracterization of the people commenting on this thread. And while I appreciate your well-intentioned fervor on this topic, your tone leaves a lot to be desired. None of us are idiots, cloaked right-wingers, or, I suspect, heavily invested in one side of this issue or the other. Personally, I rarely talk on the phone (hands free) and drive; I spend very little time in my car. As a rational and reasonable individual, I can appreciate the science on this issue and adjust my thinking. I’m sure others can, too.
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p>So as someone who’s not the least bit likely to “poo-poo” science or to reject research because it doesn’t conform to my own world view, I think I’ll shop around for a less hostile source of information.