Car Tech: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving?
- 5/30/07 11:37 AM
Bad driving as the norm
by verschoor2 - 5/30/07 7:06 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I live in Miami and have become aware that bad driving habits are accepted as normal in this town. Most people tailgate, speed, constantly change lanes to gain one car length and violate numerous safe driving practices on a regular basis. Thus it does not bother us when at 70 mph a car wedges himself between the chap we are tailgating aand our vehicle with only five feet or so between our front bumper and his rear one. When I travel I constantly have to readjust my driving habits to reflect the locals. Last summer while leaving Seattle heading to Corvallis, Oregon I could not believe that people were driving the speed limit, leaving lots of room between cars and rarely changing lanes. Once I got back home within a day I reverted back to my Miami driving mode.
Bad Drivers
by Stephen92085 - 5/30/07 7:07 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
By far, it is the bad (aka STUPID) driver. There are a variety of BAD/STUPID drivers (and I'm not going to go into ethnic/gender stereotypes).
There are the morons who get into the "fast lane" (or the #1 lane, if you prefer) and INSIST on going the speed limit (or worse, BELOW the speed limit) with NO CONCERN that there is a mile of cars stacked up behind them (obviously wanting to drive faster then they).
Then, you've got the morons who think that you need to SLOW DOWN whenever changing lanes (even to a "faster" lane), or who think that they should wait until they are fully in the freeway lanes BEFORE getting up to speed (these also tend to be the ones who slow down to change lanes, or to exit the freeway).
These idiots affect car after car, after car, after car (for however long they are on the road). At least a distracted driver fumbling with his/her electronic device (be it phone, or GPS, or iPod) does so for a SHORT period of time.
Clearly there should be STRICT enforcement of DWD (Driving While Distracted) laws, but I'm opposed to singling out specific devices (because it's politically correct, or easy, to do so).
The devices are only a sign of a bad driver.
by Snorri - 5/30/07 7:09 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Bad, or distracted, drivers are always the problem. Of course one exception is other drivers with road rage. A good driver would not attempt to use a cell phone while driving except in an emergency. Cell phones by themselves are not the problem. If one has to make a call you should pull off the road and make the call then resume driving. GPS would be fine if it gives verbal directions. That is certainly less distracting then a person in the car unfolding maps and trying to find where to go.
The only way a DVD player should be in a vehicle is if it is in the back seat and the viewers are using head phones to listen. The sound alone is a distraction. Stereo and CD players playing music are less of a problem because music does not require close attention.
Others that are bad drivers
by craigy78 - 5/30/07 7:13 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Mothers who are too lazy to get up a bit earlier to take their kids to school and then are running late so they think they have the god given right of way on the road and are trying to stop Johnny and Samantha fighting,and lighting a cigarette and answer a cell phone all at the same time
Cell Phones are a great hazzard
by hub_cap - 5/30/07 7:13 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Myth Busters TV program demonstrated that cell phone talking while driving was the equivalent to several drinks. Exhibited the same driving errors. They should be banned in moving vehicles.
Bad Drivers (Tell us Why)
by vdowizard - 5/30/07 7:16 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Bad drivers are the single biggest problem I see while driving. It's not just bad driving or distracted driving or cell phone use etc. although all of these are certainly bad news on the road.
The Biggest Problem though is that it sure appears that more than half the drivers on the road don't think about where they are going and how they will get there before they get behind the wheel. Hence, the Kooks you see make lane changes from the Left lane to the off-ramp at at 65 mph within 100 feet of the off ramp. And how many times do you see the driver who has to change lanes one direction or another after having stopped at the stoplight and thereby holding up everyone in two lanes behind his/her HUMMER or SUBURBAN. There also seems to be the problem that most people don't seem to know how to drive within their own traffic lane. I Can't believe how many people drive around with one set of wheels in my lane or worse.
Wish I didn't have to drive at all.It isn't going to get any better either.
What makes a bad driver
by craigy78 - 5/30/07 7:18 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Driving Instructors, Now days they teach learners HOW TO PASS A TEST NOT TO DRIVE, More em phis should be made to teach a learner how to drive safely not just to pass a test.
Biggest threat to safe driving ...
by Ken Jr. - 5/30/07 7:19 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The answer is, of course, #1 - bad drivers. That said, #1 encompasses, among other things, #3, #5, and #8.
Now that we have the ridiculous part of this question out of the way, we can ask the question again, omitting #1, the alternative that takes all credibility away from this question.
The answer is, of the alternatives 2 through 10, #3, the cell phone. Cell phone talking, of itself, is not much of a hazzard. The problem is, meaningful conversation requires good listening. Good listening means concentrating on what is being said. The problem is, the degree of concentration on listening runs inversely proportional to the degree of concentration on driving. The mind doesn't do two or more things simultaneously, it multiplexes, it switches from one topic to the next, to the next, etc. When the topic of conversation is light, multiplexing is easy with each task, for the most part, getting its proper share of concentration. But when conversation gets deeper, the conversation starts receiving more than its fair share of the driver's concentration. This is what is usually occuring when you see a cell phone talkers weaving or slowing down on the highway. When the topic gets heavier yet, this is when, for instance, the driver might very well run the red traffic light. Crash!!! Terrible, terrible crash (happened to a good friend - She was so deep in conversation, the red light was totally, utterly, and completely missed).
Other
by toast66612 - 5/30/07 7:20 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The reason I voted for the OTHER choice involves the fact that none of the choices reflect the true problems that cause unsafe driving. The most unsafe option is not bad drivers, kids, or road rage. It is also not the GPS navi systems that cause unsafe driving, but the lack of a standardized GPS navi system interface, poor input interfaces, and the lack of any windshield heads up display tech.
Today every manufacturer has a different user interface, some are better than others. However, when users operate different car models they have a hard time relearning to program and operate nav systems. The creation of a standard interface would help greatly.
The input methods used to enter address info is also very poor and time consuming. Touch screen, or joystick typing that is used today are worthless compared to using a keyboard system like Treo's or Blackberries. The lack of steering wheel controls is a problem also. If these nav systems allowed the users to plan trips on their computers and save these routes on USB drives so users could plug the flash drive into the car nav system and upload the users routes then the problem of user input would be a great deal less of a hassle.
The lack of a display device in the driver’s field of vision without looking down is a problem that must be dealt with.
The nav systems are not the problem it's the implementation that needs work!
It is in the catagory of other.
by fdshows - 5/30/07 7:20 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Smoking is the biggest risk. I think that is because people who smoke also use a cell phone and are so into getting their next fix they forget they are driving.
Smoking?
by Mannyd99 - 5/30/07 7:35 PM In reply to: It is in the catagory of other. by fdshowsWhere did you come up with that? When was the last time you saw some one smoke and use a cellphone while driving? I have never seen that combination.
There's only one Correct Answer
by artbuchanon - 5/30/07 7:23 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Young Drivers: Because even before there was cell phones, insurance for young drivers was/is always high due to them causing the majority of the serious accidents.
Young drivers
by Chiandria - 5/30/07 10:34 PM In reply to: There's only one Correct Answer by artbuchanonI agree. People who have little or no decent training on how to drive with efficiency. They need to be taught more than they are. The schools are not teaching the things that children do think about. They need reality and to see the damage and to hear the word from other children who have been in accidents. Some get in to their cars and take off that is it. Or they drink and drive. Parents who teach their children how to drive pass on bad habits. I am not saying all parents are bad drivers. But if they have to go through an official school for 3 weeks of book training and learning the ins and outs of being on the road it might make a difference.
Being new plus...
by BenskeyA - 5/31/07 1:01 PM In reply to: There's only one Correct Answer by artbuchanonI agree that new(not just young) drivers can be a threat. However, many times this shows only when other distractions are present.
Bad drivers
by Mannyd99 - 5/30/07 7:30 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
A good driver would realize potential threats and posible distractions and figure out a way to deal with them safely. A good driver understands that once you get behind the wheel, the most important thing is to drive safely and never let any distractions take your concentration from the task of driving.
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