Texting and Using the Phone While Driving...

[kimaginethis]

 When I was reading the statistics on this, it scared the crap out of me.  It also made me think.  I need to not let myself get distracted when I drive, or at least try to keep the distractions to a minimum.  With three kids in the car, that can be tricky.   In this report, the big distractions included not just cell phones, but music, movies (I

Comments

[ms_arithmancer]

My favorites (I've seen three of these this week) talk on the phone while getting out of a parking space. ??! Seriously, right hand glued to the ear, left hand single-handedly trying to turn the wheel more than 360 degrees in each direction. So OK, at that speed they are only a rea; hazard to pedestrians, but still...

I think a movie is a lot like listening to an audiobook. (I drive the kiddos 400 miles 2 times a month to visit their father and they watch a movie. Listening feels the same as listening to a book or talk radio show. Interesting enough to keep me from zoning out/nodding off, but without the images on the screen, not all that distracting. This might be different in city traffic, than in long-haul driving, though.)

[miri_me]

Is it illegal in the US? (Talking on the phone is over here (unless you have a hands free kit), and I'm pretty certain you can get done for driving without due care if you're texting while driving...)

[taperoo2k]

It's probably a state by state issue. I think that's the first charge the police go for when a mobile phone has been used whilst somebody has been driving (seen it on Road Wars and Traffic cops a few times). If they cause an accident then the charges go up the scales of justice.

I do not drive simply because my attention span is not good enough for what is required.