Honest Yes or No. Did you EVER Text while driving?

[TBi]

I could txt on my old Nokia without even looking at the screen. I am getting up to speed with my new Sony Ericsson but i'm still not that good yet.

I do text on my phone while driving but only when i can see the road is clear ahead of me and there is no place for a car to come out in front of you.

 

[sananda]

2. I don't think it's really possible to cause "terrible" damage to someone who uses the phrase "normal cars", damage certainly......whether it's terrible or not would be a matter of opinion.
!

the unfortunate thing about 4x4s is that because of their height, when they crash into a saloon car they bulk of the front of the car is aimed at the occupants rather than at the side impact beams. this causes considerably more damage in an accident.

so i suppose, as far as your point is concerned, it depends on whether you think a bonnet and engine coming towards your head is likely to cause terrible damage.

 

[Bernie-Mac]

It's not just texting... ANYTHING that causes you to take your eyes off the road, is selfish and irresponsible

Well then i better find out how to not blink and/or sneeze while driving then

 

[ntrigue]

eleven morons so far.

Texting is only the beginning. I manage all my banking on MobileSafari.

 

[sananda]

Texting is only the beginning. I manage all my banking on MobileSafari.

any chance you could post your regular routes? you know, just in case i need to make some changes to my movements

 

[cwolves]

I voted yes, but I've never done it in a situation that I would consider dangerous. Have sent a text message:

Stopped in traffic
Stopped at a light
Driving through Arizona with not a car to be seen for 10+ miles, not a pole in sight and nothing but packed sand should I drive off the road.

 

[phungy]

A study by Beede and Kass (2006) on cell phone use and driving.

Results:

Clearly, driving while talking on a cell phone isn't safe, and using a hands-free version doesn't make it any safer.

 

[princealfie]

i don't believe people should be distracted while driving... 2 many crazy shebang out there.

 

[Antaios]

i text while on the freeway... with the iphone's predictive text I've gotten to the point where I dont even really have to look at the keys while i type....AND i drive stick! But then again...I'm a New Yorker...we're kings of multi-tasking...

 

[princealfie]

i text while on the freeway... with the iphone's predictive text I've gotten to the point where I dont even really have to look at the keys while i type....AND i drive stick! But then again...I'm a New Yorker...we're kings of multi-tasking...

Huh? I'm from NYC and certainly I find it puzzling that such personages believe that they can do it all while running over pedestrians like in crazy taxi

 

[Cloudane]

Like what ? Whistling ? Humming ? Laughing ? Talking ? Operating your sunroof ?

None of those involve taking your eyes off the road, ergo they are not distractions (so long as you prioritise your brain).

Well then i better find out how to not blink and/or sneeze while driving then

Yep. Blinking and sneezing are not good. However you miss one important point: you can't avoid blinking and sneezing, they're facts of life.

However you CAN avoid completely ignoring the road because you're busy staring at a little screen typing "c u in 5 mins" (to someone you'd see in 5 minutes anyway.)

Maybe you don't have a conscience so it could be a moot point, but when some 3 year old runs in front of your car and is killed, which would make you feel worse:

a) You sneezed at the wrong time and failed to see her. Splat.
b) You were fiddling with your phone typing "c u in 5 mins" and taking no notice of the road ahead. Splat.

Avoidability is a pretty basic principle! Tell you what, next time you go for a flight, let a random untrained drunk person pilot the plane. After all, accidents happen, maybe a trained pilot would sneeze and crash the plane, so what does it matter?

Somehow it doesn't surprise me that those strongly advocating (or rather, desperately trying to excuse) such selfishness and disregard for other road users are also 4x4 drivers

 

[wickedsteve]

I think it is an offencse worthy of execution. If you text while driving then you deserve the electric chair. Your gonna burn in hell so the sooner you get there the better.

 

[Lixivial]

Yes, on both the iPhone and my old Nokia phone. The Nokia phone was more intuitive in this regard and this regard alone. I always felt that the iPhone should refine/utilise Mac OS X's innate abilities of speech-to-text abilities.

And I'm one to write out my words quite verbosely and not use the new-fangled 'omg' gibberish. "An eight-o-clock rendevous sounds like a charming evening plan. See you then!" Instead of "k. c u. lol" This has the added benefit of cutting down on the amount of text messages I receive because people don't seem to appreciate receiving and parsing multiple messages. And it tends to weed out those who harness the powers of ADHD to their benefit.

I think it is an offencse worthy of execution. If you text while driving then you deserve the electric chair. Your gonna burn in hell so the sooner you get there the better.

Oh, yeah, this is a forum about the iPhone: two words which had shuttered my soul into never opening the page again. How could I have forgotten? /soliloquy

 

[Bernie-Mac]

However you CAN avoid completely ignoring the road because you're busy staring at a little screen typing "c u in 5 mins" (to someone you'd see in 5 minutes anyway.)

Not if they were asking me if i wanted to go somewhere and arent sure if im going or not. And im not completely ignoring the road, im texting "c" then looking at the road, "u" then looking at the road, "there" then looking at the road.

Maybe you don't have a conscience so it could be a moot point, but when some 3 year old runs in front of your car and is killed, which would make you feel worse:

a) You sneezed at the wrong time and failed to see her. Splat.
b) You were fiddling with your phone typing "c u in 5 mins" and taking no notice of the road ahead. Splat.

Wtf would a 3-year old be doing on the freeway??

Avoidability is a pretty basic principle! Tell you what, next time you go for a flight, let a random untrained drunk person pilot the plane. After all, accidents happen, maybe a trained pilot would sneeze and crash the plane, so what does it matter?

Hold on....so texting a simple 3 word sentence while driving a car is equivalent to letting a random intoxicated person with no flight experience fly a PLANE? Are you serious?? Im sorry but those are 2 completely different things, but you were successful on making yourself look like an idiot congrats
There are millions of accidents everyday for numerous reasons, and if god says its your time to go, then its your time to go...whether your driving, walking down the street, or watching tv

Somehow it doesn't surprise me that those strongly advocating (or rather, desperately trying to excuse) such selfishness and disregard for other road users are also 4x4 drivers

What do you drive? A Civic? You see, us 4x4 drivers have that privilege because, in our selfishness, if we do get into an accident we will be the ones walking away unharmed so i guess we dont have to worry about it too much do we? Text away my fellow SUV brethren!!

Oh an you can avoid sneezing, just put your finger under your nose

It all boils down to your driving habits, like i said before in this forum, texting is a skill and its a skill i think i am very good at, ive avoided 2 accidents and a dog while texting and driving so you can safely text and drive...just because you suck at it doesnt mean everyone does

 

[ingenious]

Calling is one thing. Texting is something completely different.

I hate it when people complain about their rights being taken away from them when it comes to mobile phones in cars. What about the rights of the kid you run over ten seconds later?

It's a simple rule: Don't use your mobile while behind the driving wheel. We didn't 15 years ago. So you don't need to today.

While I agree with not texting while driving... your logic is flawed...

There are a lot of things we use today that have become necessities now that weren't 15 years ago...

for instance, that MacBook Pro in your signature...

 

[Cloudane]

Not if they were asking me if i wanted to go somewhere and arent sure if im going or not. And im not completely ignoring the road, im texting "c" then looking at the road, "u" then looking at the road, "there" then looking at the road.

Let's suppose each letter takes half a second to type and check, and you're driving at some high speed. You can actually cover quite a distance in that half a second. I hope at the very least you increase your distance from the car in front and aren't tailgating it. (Though if you're one of those who's convinced he's a better driver than everyone else... a very dangerous assumption... you might well be)

Wtf would a 3-year old be doing on the freeway??

I must've missed the part of the poll that said "this only applies to the freeway".

Perhaps I should clarify. Our roads here are not all big wide multi-lanes where you drive in a straight line at a constant speed for hours on end. I'll admit, it's a lot safer to do so there (although if we're sharing roads, I'd still much rather you had full control over your vehicle!)

The people I'm calling irresponsible idiots are those who are driving around in built-up areas texting away when anything can happen in a fraction of a second... kids jumping out in front of you, motorbikes appearing out of "nowhere", other drivers emerging from junctions etc. In that kind of situation, every millisecond counts and the more control you have over the vehicle, the less chance there is of causing a serious accident and/or killing someone.

Hold on....so texting a simple 3 word sentence while driving a car is equivalent to letting a random intoxicated person with no flight experience fly a PLANE? Are you serious??

Well no obviously, I was trying to make a point (that just because something bad *can* happen doesn't mean you should take unnecessary risks) but you've deliberately taken it waaaay out of context in an attempt to score points.

Well you see, us 4x4 drivers have that privaledge because, in our selfishness, if we do get into an accident we will be the ones walking away unharmed

While the other car gets crushed to a pulp and all its occupants killed, but I'm alright Jack. Yup, sounds about right

 

[sananda]

You see, us 4x4 drivers have that privilege because, in our selfishness, if we do get into an accident we will be the ones walking away unharmed so i guess we dont have to worry about it too much do we?

unless your high centre of gravity means that you tip over.

 

[Bernie-Mac]

Let's suppose each letter takes half a second to type and check, and you're driving at some high speed. You can actually cover quite a distance in that half a second. I hope at the very least you increase your distance from the car in front and aren't tailgating it.



I must've missed the part of the poll that said "this only applies to the freeway".

Perhaps I should clarify. Our roads here are not all big wide multi-lanes where you drive in a straight line at a constant speed for hours on end. I'll admit, it's a lot safer to do so there (although if we're sharing roads, I'd still much rather you had full control over your vehicle!)

The people I'm calling irresponsible idiots are those who are driving around in built-up areas texting away when anything can happen in a fraction of a second... kids jumping out in front of you, motorbikes appearing out of "nowhere", other drivers emerging from junctions etc. In that kind of situation, every millisecond counts and the more control you have over the vehicle, the less chance there is of causing a serious accident and/or killing someone.



Well no obviously, I was trying to make a point (that just because something bad *can* happen doesn't mean you should take unnecessary risks) but you've deliberately taken it waaaay out of context in an attempt to score points.



While the other car gets crushed to a pulp and all its occupants killed, but I'm alright Jack. Yup, sounds about right

Well it seems that we have a misunderstanding, in my other posts i have stated i am very careful when i text, i do it at stoplights, and freeways with minimal traffic, i dont drive around city streets with a 45mph speed limit staring at my cell phone. Im smart about it, and im sure others are too although i have seen people drive a good half a block just staring at their cell, texting is ok as long as your smart about it, just like everything else

 

[Bernie-Mac]

unless your high centre of gravity means that you tip over.

Not every SUV has a high center of gravity, it would take a LOT to knock my 95 range rover over, maybe if i got t-boned by a hummer doing 70 then maybe id get tipped over, maybe, but still id rather get tipped over then smashed in a civic

 

[Bernie-Mac]

Well no obviously, I was trying to make a point (that just because something bad *can* happen doesn't mean you should take unnecessary risks) but you've deliberately taken it waaaay out of context in an attempt to score points.

Hey its not my fault that was a horrible example, flying a plane requires so much more skill then driving and giving the plane to an intoxicated untrained person it not equal to texting while driving, in any way

 

[sananda]

Not every SUV has a high center of gravity, it would take a LOT to knock my 95 range rover over, maybe if i got t-boned by a hummer doing 70 then maybe id get tipped over, maybe, but still id rather get tipped over then smashed in a civic

actually there are a lot of reports of range rovers turning over because of the high centre of gravity. virgin atlantic used to exclusively use range rovers to chauffeur upper class passengers to and from the airport, but got rid of the because of their inherent instability.

 

[Cloudane]

Well it seems that we have a misunderstanding, in my other posts i have stated i am very careful when i text, i do it at stoplights, and freeways with minimal traffic, i dont drive around city streets with a 45mph speed limit staring at my cell phone. Im smart about it, and im sure others are too although i have seen people drive a good half a block just staring at their cell, texting is ok as long as your smart about it, just like everything else

Fair enough. I still think it's a little bit irresponsible, but not much worse than say changing tracks on an iPod Shuffle (which is something I do, I'm not claiming to be a saint). (Actually a CD player would be a better example as you look at the screen on those). My beef isn't with you, it's with those who do drive around the city streets staring at their phones... and believe me, there are plenty who do, I've seen them swerving around almost bumping into things

The poll is pretty flawed really. It needs an idiot option, an "only at red lights etc" option and the safety conscious option.

 

[Bernie-Mac]

Fair enough. I still think it's a little bit irresponsible, but not much worse than say changing tracks on an iPod Shuffle (which is something I do, I'm not claiming to be a saint). My beef isn't with you, it's with those who do drive around the city streets staring at their phones... and believe me, there are plenty who do, I've seen them swerving around almost bumping into things

The poll is pretty flawed really. It needs an idiot option, an "only at red lights etc" option and the safety conscious option.

Agreed. I also think that the people staring at their phones while driving a block are irresponsible and most of them shouldnt even be driving to begin with, wiht everything you do you have to be smart and safe about it

 

[Bernie-Mac]

actually there are a lot of reports of range rovers turning over because of the high centre of gravity. virgin atlantic used to exclusively use range rovers to chauffeur upper class passengers to and from the airport, but got rid of the because of their inherent instability.

A lot of people dont know how to drive, there is no daily driving that would cause an SUV to tip over, unless your driving it like a racecar which taxis have been known to do

 

[alljunks]

i am sure most of us did......