Alberta govt to ban the use of cell phones and other driver distractions

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

All I said in that sentence is that many other distractions actually take your eyes away from the road. Holding a cell phone up to your ear does not.

I don't see how you can disagree with that.

Because that is not what you said. You said that talking on a cell phone does not necessarily distract you from the road. Even changing your statement does not invalidate the argument that has been supported by numerous studies: people talking on cell phones are not paying attention to the road.

You are attempting to compare a momentary distraction with an ongoing one and trying to hold the former up as being more dangerous than the latter. I'm sure you can understand why that is backwards.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

You are attempting to compare a momentary distraction with an ongoing one and trying to hold the former up as being more dangerous than the latter. I'm sure you can understand why that is backwards.

And that's just it. I will admit that as recently as last night I talked on the phone while driving. Looking at the call timer; the call was 23 seconds. That was long enough to be invited out for wings, say I was busy, and would call him back later as I was driving.

What has happened is there are people who talk on the phone during their entire drive. I have a feeling this has come about as a subculture of kids learning how to drive with cell phones being normal technology. They don't know any different- they don't recall a time before cell phones. Now is the time to put a law into place so that the next generation of drivers doesn't start bad habits.

It's a lot like the seatbelt law; which came into place just before I started driving. Because it has always been law as long as I've been driving; I think nothing of it. In fact I will often put on my belt to move the car from the driveway into the garage; out of habit. Likewise, let's make people not have the habit of talking on the phone while driving.

Will I still have my quick calls? Sure. Will I still use the phone while driving between between Brooks and Medicine Hat and I'm bored? Yes. But I also am willing to say that this law is needed to stop the people who spend all their driving time on the phone.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by ikaris

Why not though? I think there should be more rigorous standards based on what we see on the roads daily.

Have you gone through the GDL program?

Its stupid.

Driving through residential areas and making a million left turns isn't exactly teaching anyone how to drive safety.

I took my test in Lethbridge, and I drove down Mayor Magrath Drive, ONCE.

And that was after I had finished and we were going back to Western License and Registry.

ONCE. The busiest street in Lethbridge, and I drove there ONCE, without taking any turns except back into the parking lot to drop the guy off.

In fact, he made a bigger deal of not parking perfectly in my parking spot than he did for checking my blind spots correctly.

[Wookie]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Stopped reading right there.

There is study after study after study proving that talking on a cell phone DOES distract you while driving.

Your entire post is based on flawed thinking.

You'll have to forgive him, he was probably on the phone while typing and not thinking clearly.

I think Ken mentioned in an above post something about people who drive long distances or are on the phone their entire drive, I'm wondering what effect this will have on phone companies. I know people who make the rounds calling people back because they're bored while driving. You can clearly tell when someones doing that. They call, are driving and have not much to say. They just one something to pass the time. My GF often does it on her was home from work. I call back my parents when I'm driving somewhere. It makes the conversation short and easy to end haha.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Because that is not what you said. You said that talking on a cell phone does not necessarily distract you from the road. Even changing your statement does not invalidate the argument that has been supported by numerous studies: people talking on cell phones are not paying attention to the road.

You are attempting to compare a momentary distraction with an ongoing one and trying to hold the former up as being more dangerous than the latter. I'm sure you can understand why that is backwards.

I was trying to say that talking on the phone does not take your eyes off of the road, as a comparison to some of the other distraction people talk about, which actually take your eyes off of the road for more extended periods of time (like texting, reading texts/emails, etc)

On an open stretch of highway that's not busy, for example, I think it is usually an allowable distraction, as it isn't really much of a distraction at all. In traffic, trying to make lane changes, etc, is totally different, you don't want any other distractions, no matter how small they are.

Driving down a non-busy highway for hours is not very brain intensive, if anything, talking on a cell phone could keep you MORE alert, as it gives your brain something to do.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Dion

Educating the masses isn't working as people still do things that distract them while driving. Like children we have to set laws to protect them from thier stupidity.

No we don't.

The only law a democratic society has the right to pass is a law that prevents people from harming someone else.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

I was trying to say that talking on the phone does not take your eyes off of the road, as a comparison to some of the other distraction people talk about, which actually take your eyes off of the road for more extended periods of time (like texting, reading texts/emails, etc)

You would be incredibly surprised, I think. Just because your eyes are pointing in a certain direction does not mean your brain is processing what they are seeing. That is pretty much why driving while talking on a cell phone is so dangerous.

It's also why the "no worse than a passenger in the seat" argument is false. A passenger is also seeing the road ahead, and can both help identify dangers, and adapt to them (i.e.: by shutting up and letting the driver focus on the road) as needed.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Azure

No we don't.

The only law a democratic society has the right to pass is a law that prevents people from harming someone else.

So you are in favour of this law then, yes?

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Azure

No we don't.

The only law a democratic society has the right to pass is a law that prevents people from harming someone else.

Correct me if i'm wrong...but doesn't driving have a great deal of potential to harm people other than yourself?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Azure

No we don't.

The only law a democratic society has the right to pass is a law that prevents people from harming someone else.

Yes we do.

This law is going to prevent drivers from hurting others.

[Pastiche]

Originally Posted by Azure

No we don't.

The only law a democratic society has the right to pass is a law that prevents people from harming someone else.

Are you for real?

Time to step out of the gym and work out the one muscle you've obviously been neglecting.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'd like to declare myself as a freeman on the land or whatever the hell it is so that when I get pulled for driving while operating a cellphone, laptop, typewriter, mini pizza oven, x-box 360 I can say "No Mr Police Officer, I refuse to recognize your authority over me as a freeman, and you can never take away my freedom"

And even if I get a fine I can pay it with an equivalent value of rocks, old popcorn and pocket lint.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

You would be incredibly surprised, I think. Just because your eyes are pointing in a certain direction does not mean your brain is processing what they are seeing. That is pretty much why driving while talking on a cell phone is so dangerous.

It's also why the "no worse than a passenger in the seat" argument is false. A passenger is also seeing the road ahead, and can both help identify dangers, and adapt to them (i.e.: by shutting up and letting the driver focus on the road) as needed.

I am surprised, actually, that studies show that talking on a cellphone while driving, is ALWAYS dangerous and distracting, since I have no trouble remaining EVERY bit as focussed on the road when the driving conditions are optimal.

It's true that another passenger can also keep their eyes on the road and help you out, and shut up when the driver needs to concentrate, but the driver can also be smart enough to put the phone down/away when he knows he need to concentrate more. I try to do this.

I'll agree with others here and say that I've been on calls that have taken some of my attention away from driving that should have been on driving, and I'm lucky that nothing happened because of that. Certainly Im not saying we should just let people continue with their talking on the phone whenever they want while driving. I think some kind of conditional ban (if written properly) could be very effective at cuttign down distractions, when full attention to the road is required.

[return to the red]

I'm all for the new law but where does it stop? I look at a road sign I'm distracted, another car passes me with a hot girl in it I'm pretty damn distracted but the real thing that will cause people problems is the police themselves.

Why is it ok for a cop to radar me down or punch stuff into their onboard computers or talk on the radio while driving but I can't make a phone call?

[GoinAllTheWay]

The study, published in the June 29 issue of Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, found that drivers talking on cell phones, either handheld or hands-free, are more likely to crash because they are distracted by conversation.

Using a driving simulator under four different conditions: with no distractions, using a handheld cell phone, talking on a hands-free cell phone, and while intoxicated to the 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level, 40 participants followed a simulated pace car that braked intermittently.

Researchers found that the drivers on cell phones drove more slowly, braked more slowly and were more likely to crash. In fact, the three participants who collided into the pace car were chatting away. None of the drunken drivers crashed.

"This study does not mean people should start driving drunk," said co-author Frank Drews. "It means that driving while talking on a cell phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk, which is completely unacceptable and cannot be tolerated by society."

Why did this study not include a person riding shot gun chatting away? I would be interested to know why a phone call is more dangerous then chatting with the guy next to you. I know I touched over this breifly in a previous post and would be interested to know if it's because the passenger is aware of your situation if it does in fact change things.

[kevman]

Can someone show me stats of the causes behind all crashes in Alberta? I'd be really curious to see what % of crashes were caused by cell phones, drinking, bic mac's, crying kids, smoking, etc.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

So you are in favour of this law then, yes?

Absolutely I'm in favor of it. If there is data out there, data that comes from independent sources that says texting while driving kills people, or gets you into accidents, then YES, I say ban it while driving.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Correct me if i'm wrong...but doesn't driving have a great deal of potential to harm people other than yourself?

Yeah, and how do you define 'stupid?'

Better yet, do you actually think the government could properly define stupid without offending half the frickin' province?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Dion

Yes we do.

This law is going to prevent drivers from hurting others.

Ah, but you were talking about 'stupid drivers.'

We're not going to ban stupid drivers. We're banning the stupid things they do. Stupid things that have been verified to cause accidents.

The funny thing, this GDL program is supposed to keep drivers from developing bad habits. And how do they test it? By making you take a million left turns in residential areas of a major city.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by kevman

crying kids,

Thats another interesting one.

Anyone who has driven anywhere with young kids knows that they can annoy AND distract you.

Ban crying kids next?