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CNN.com - Study: Drivers on cells more likely to crash - Jul 12, 2005
by janelane at 9:04 am EDT, Jul 12, 2005 |
(CNN) -- A study released Tuesday said drivers who use cell phones -- even hands-free models -- are four times as likely to be involved in wrecks involving a serious injury than are drivers who do not use cell phones. "There was no safety benefit whatsoever from using a hands-free phone," said Anne McCartt, one of the authors of the study, which was published in the British Medical Journal and paid for by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
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The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, a Washington-based trade group, downplayed the findings, saying the distractions associated with mobile phones are no different from those encountered by drivers who eat or talk with passengers as they drive.
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The CTIA contends that following these guidelines can minimize risk: # Assess whether a given call can wait. # Do not take notes while driving. # Do not talk while in heavy traffic. # If possible, pull off the road and park in a safe location to use a mobile phone.
So what the CTIA is basically saying is don't talk on your cellphone while driving. Brilliant! -janelane, amused |
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RE: CNN.com - Study: Drivers on cells more likely to crash - Jul 12, 2005
by k at 10:56 am EDT, Jul 12, 2005 |
janelane wrote: (CNN) -- A study released Tuesday said drivers who use cell phones -- even hands-free models -- are four times as likely to be involved in wrecks involving a serious injury than are drivers who do not use cell phones. "There was no safety benefit whatsoever from using a hands-free phone," said Anne McCartt, one of the authors of the study, which was published in the British Medical Journal and paid for by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
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The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, a Washington-based trade group, downplayed the findings, saying the distractions associated with mobile phones are no different from those encountered by drivers who eat or talk with passengers as they drive.
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The CTIA contends that following these guidelines can minimize risk: # Assess whether a given call can wait. # Do not take notes while driving. # Do not talk while in heavy traffic. # If possible, pull off the road and park in a safe location to use a mobile phone.
So what the CTIA is basically saying is don't talk on your cellphone while driving. Brilliant! -janelane, amused
[ Yeah, they should've pretty much just said that, instead of hedging it. I completely agree. I don't need to do a scientific study to determine that people on cell phones act stupidly more frequently. Myself included, on the infrequent occasions i do so. Then again, I use my cell phone for coordination about 80% and business/personal chatting about 20%, so I have a different metric. I think 99% of the things people believe are important can easily wait tens of minutes or even couple of hours. For me, if an event is taking place more than 300 miles away, I can't do anything about it in the short term anyway, so how can it possibly be an emergency for me? -k] |
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RE: CNN.com - Study: Drivers on cells more likely to crash - Jul 12, 2005
by janelane at 12:06 pm EDT, Jul 12, 2005 |
k wrote: janelane wrote: So what the CTIA is basically saying is don't talk on your cellphone while driving. Brilliant! -janelane, amused
[ Yeah, they should've pretty much just said that, instead of hedging it. I completely agree. I don't need to do a scientific study to determine that people on cell phones act stupidly more frequently. Myself included, on the infrequent occasions i do so. Then again, I use my cell phone for coordination about 80% and business/personal chatting about 20%, so I have a different metric. I think 99% of the things people believe are important can easily wait tens of minutes or even couple of hours. For me, if an event is taking place more than 300 miles away, I can't do anything about it in the short term anyway, so how can it possibly be an emergency for me? -k]
I saw a Mythbusters the other day that found that talking on a cellphone puts you at the same level of hand-eye coordination and reaction time as driving drunk (0.08, in their case). I was glad not to be the test-track guy riding with the Mythbuster cast members in either case. I, too, usually am on the phone a few minutes to coordinate meeting times (as opposed to those assholes that talk non-stop the whole time they're in the car), but, then again, it only takes a few minutes of distraction to wreck. If watching World's Wildest Police Videos has taught me anything, its that you've got to be super vigilant while you're driving. I think knowing your limitations while on a cellphone is 85% of the battle with the chronic cell drivers out there. -janelane, distractedly |
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RE: CNN.com - Study: Drivers on cells more likely to crash - Jul 12, 2005
by k at 2:16 pm EDT, Jul 12, 2005 |
janelane wrote:
I think knowing your limitations while on a cellphone is 85% of the battle with the chronic cell drivers out there. -janelane, distractedly
For that matter, knowing your limitations is critical for doing anything, ever, but it requires more thought than most people are willing to give it. -k, disappointed in humanity (if i may plagarize your style for a moment) |
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