Ontario Police issue 211 Tickets for Driving Idiots on their Cells

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Yasa

I guess if it's the conversation that's the problem, then I can't have any passengers. Or at least I have to drive in total silence.

And that would be the standard flippant rebuttal. But feel free to read the studies.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

OMG I'm about to hit a light pole LO . . .

Is that what happened to AlbertGQ? haven't seen him for a while now.

[Rubicant]

Even if conversations with passengers in the car are equally as distracting as ones on the phone, as others have pointed out they at least are in the same situation as you so can shut up when need be.

Also, having both hands available on the steering wheel in the event you need to act is reason enough for hands free devices.

[Travis Munroe]

I would be 100% in favor of a no texting while driving law but it wouldnt make the gov enough money so phones in general get the ban!

[drewboy12]

Anyone who honestly apposes this, all you have to do is open your eyes.... Almost every ###### driving on the highway 40 under the speed limit, cuts you off merging, changes lanes with no signal..... drive past them 90% of the time the are talking on their cell phone. Hands free calling at least makes both hands free to maneuver your vehicle. Split second reaction to avoid a collision is quite difficult with one hand most of the time.

Common sense would also be great. How important must your phone call be to have an extended conversation on the phone while driving. I will stand by and say the odd call me be important, if it involves a life or getting someone to the hospital or something of that matter.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

And that would be the standard flippant rebuttal. But feel free to read the studies.

I don't think reading a study is even necessary.

I can prove it in one simple post. Feel free to conduct this road test if anyone wants to.

Get in your car and hold your phone up to your ear while driving. Don't even call someone, just hold it there. It doesn't even have to be a real phone. You can use your kid's candy cell phone or even a banana if you want.

Now drive for 10 minutes. And report how difficult it was. Pretty easy I bet. maybe your arm gets a little sore.


Now get in your car and have someone sit in the back seat. You don't even have to look at them. Just as long as your passenger doesn't stop talking regardless of road conditions or your bad driving. Now try and have a debate with them about the existence of aliens. Keep both hands on the wheel at all times.

Now do this for 10 minutes.

Which one is more distracting do you think? Which was worse for your driving? Holding something? Or losing 50% of your concentration because you're in a convo and not paying attention to your surroundings even with two hands on the wheel?

[jayswin]

Maybe it's just my demographic or the people I hang out with, but I honestly don't know anyone who doesn't answer their phone or make calls while they're driving. I never hear "sorry I didn't pick up earlier, I was driving in my car".

It's just weird, on the internet, it seems that 99% of people in these types of threads are ready to throw any pieces of **** that would dare touch a phone in a car, in jail and throw away the key. Or are looking for very harsh penalties.

Yet in real life, it seems hard to find anyone that thinks that way, unless thay're just quiet about it, but it just seems like most people talk on their phones and drive and small minority don't, and are vehemently against it, then you come on the internet and it's the complete opposite.

[CaptainCrunch]

People do funky things when they have a phone to their ear. They stop shoulder checking, they look anywhere but the road as they roll their eyes and laugh during the conversation, and they forget how to get where they're going so suddenly their spinning across three lanes because they forgot that the next turn was theirs.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Maybe it's just my demographic or the people I hang out with, but I honestly don't know anyone who doesn't answer their phone or make calls while they're driving. I never hear "sorry I didn't pick up earlier, I was driving in my car".

It's just weird, on the internet, it seems that 99% of people in these types of threads are ready to throw any pieces of **** that would dare touch a phone in a car, in jail and throw away the key. Or are looking for very harsh penalties.

Yet in real life, it seems hard to find anyone that thinks that way, unless thay're just quiet about it, but it just seems like most people talk on their phones and drive and small minority don't, and are vehemently against it, then you come on the internet and it's the complete opposite.

There's next to no call that can't go through to voice mail. Nobody is so important that they need to grab that call right away unless they're emergency services or batman.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Maybe it's just my demographic or the people I hang out with, but I honestly don't know anyone who doesn't answer their phone or make calls while they're driving. I never hear "sorry I didn't pick up earlier, I was driving in my car".

It's just weird, on the internet, it seems that 99% of people in these types of threads are ready to throw any pieces of **** that would dare touch a phone in a car, in jail and throw away the key. Or are looking for very harsh penalties.

Yet in real life, it seems hard to find anyone that thinks that way, unless thay're just quiet about it, but it just seems like most people talk on their phones and drive and small minority don't, and are vehemently against it, then you come on the internet and it's the complae opposite.

I have never hesitated to answer my phone. I just try and keep it short because I know that it can be distracting.

That being said I've never been driving in unsafe conditions when my phone rang. If I was on an icy/snowy road with blizzarding conditions I'd probably think twice about answering.

It is not unsimilar to threads about drinking and driving. Stats suggest that something like 1 in 4 people do it but reading CP you'd think it is more rare than a Canuck that doesn't dive.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

There's next to no call that can't go through to voice mail. Nobody is so important that they need to grab that call right away unless they're emergency services or batman.

Batman has Onstar and bluetooth.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

People do funky things when they have a phone to their ear. They stop shoulder checking, they look anywhere but the road as they roll their eyes and laugh during the conversation, and they forget how to get where they're going so suddenly their spinning across three lanes because they forgot that the next turn was theirs.

See the problem is that if someone is stupid enough to not shoulder check and not be looking at the road they're probably a pretty bad driver in the first place.

[puckluck]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Maybe it's just my demographic or the people I hang out with, but I honestly don't know anyone who doesn't answer their phone or make calls while they're driving. I never hear "sorry I didn't pick up earlier, I was driving in my car".

It's just weird, on the internet, it seems that 99% of people in these types of threads are ready to throw any pieces of **** that would dare touch a phone in a car, in jail and throw away the key. Or are looking for very harsh penalties.

Yet in real life, it seems hard to find anyone that thinks that way, unless thay're just quiet about it, but it just seems like most people talk on their phones and drive and small minority don't, and are vehemently against it, then you come on the internet and it's the complete opposite.

It's the internet where nobody has ever done anything wrong in their lives. Have we ever heard anyone tell a story on how THEY were the dumb driver on the road or they were holding up traffic because they had to take a call?

I'll admit I drive and talk on the phone at the same time and that will never change no matter how many tickets I get.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by theonlywhiteout

hands free is just as dangerous. this is the greatest myth going around these days. its not the holding of the phone to your ear, its the conversation. *sigh*

Really?

Doesn't there have to be at least a physical component of losing the usage of one of your hands, the restricted ability to shoulder check whilst changing lanes, the twisted neck that inhibits the ability to turn to see pedestrians when turning, etc? Additionally, there has to be a delay in response times while looking at a phone for text messages, numbers to dial, etc. when your vision is on the phone and not the road or your surroundings.

[Huntingwhale]

I have a bluetooth hands free set in my car and it works wonders. When l used to answer with the cell in my hand, everything became 10x more complicated. Especially since I drive standard. With the bluetooth set I still shoulder check and do all those things I would normally.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

There's next to no call that can't go through to voice mail. Nobody is so important that they need to grab that call right away unless they're emergency services or batman.

On our hockey team we've had plenty of "who's bringing the beer, oh **** he's not coming we need to get someone else to get beer" emergencies while everyone's already on the road....and yes, that does qualify as an emergency.

What about when you're going out with friends and plans change? "Hey, I'm in place X, where is everyone?" "Oh we're all meeting at place Y now" "WTF, no one told me" "Yeah, we called you, but you didn't answer" "I don't answer my phone in my car, nobody is so important that they need to grab that call right away" "..and that's why you're alone at place X, while we're having fun at place Y".

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Really?

Doesn't there have to be at least a physical component of losing the usage of one of your hands, the restricted ability to shoulder check whilst changing lanes, the twisted neck that inhibits the ability to turn to see pedestrians when turning, etc? Additionally, there has to be a delay in response times while looking at a phone for text messages, numbers to dial, etc. when your vision is on the phone and not the road or your surroundings.

Really?

Because nobody ever drives with one hand on the wheel unless they're making a phone call.

And the second half of your post has nothing to do with hands free. Texting has no hands free alternative. Numbers can still need to be dialed when using hands free. Shoulder checking can be a tad awkward but I've never had any problems.

When I'm on the phone when I'm driving it is the talking, not the phone held to my face that is distracting. It is because you can't do two things at once. You are either paying attention to your convo or to the road. Not both. Handsfree or handheld makes little difference. Unless you drive stick. That's just crazy because you need both hands to drive safely.

[puckluck]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Texting has no hands free alternative.

Get with the times There sure is.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by puckluck

Get with the times There sure is.

Sigh.

99% of people don't have that alternative yet.

[jayswin]

..or how about picking up drugs? "Hey meet me at such and such in 10 minutes" "okay"

ring ring ring *I don't answer my phone in my car, nobody is so important that they need to grab that call right away*

"Hey, where are you?"

"Where am I? Where am I? I phoned you to say that there were cops at that location and to meet me two blocks up, now I'm behind on all my orders and I'm going to rip out your damn throat the next time I see you!"

"Geez, if only I could answer my phone in my car, I wouldn't be in critical condition in Foothills."