Car Tech: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving?
- 5/30/07 11:37 AM
I think cell phones are part of, but not THE, problem
by Cadillac84 - 5/30/07 10:13 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Cell phone users don't seem to be paying attention to other drivers. They pay attention to the road and to their correspondent, but not to other cars or drivers except those immediately in front of them.
It is a phenomenon I call "tunnel driving" where one drives as fast as he can without actually striking the car in front of him. If that car seems to be moving too slowly, a quick lane change is made and a pass. No concern seems evident for any other vehicle in the new lane other than that at the precise moment of the lane change, the space to be occupied was, if only for that instant, vacant.
I am a self-described "sicko." I watch the road at least a half mile ahead and behind me and plan my lane changes to avoid being caught behind slow cars and to be out of the way of cars moving faster than I. I use the curve of the road to execute lane changes when that will work and I never change lanes just before or in the midst of an intersection.
One night while driving to Atlanta with a couple young people in my car, I described the difference between people who "drive" cars and people who "aim" cars. My young passenger confessed that she was one who "aimed." 
That covers most of it for me. I frequently see people talking on cell phones who seem oblivious to anything else on the road. I am tempted to say the use of the cell phone makes the situation unsafe. But then I realize that the person under observation wouldn't be paying attention to driving even if cell phones had yet to be invented.
I think cell phone laws are misguided and that if law enforcement were aimed at people who failed to yield or people who weren't paying attention, that would be a better strategy.
If I'm a cop and I follow a guy talking on a cell phone for a half mile and he doesn't get out of my way, I give him a ticket for failure to yield right of way. I'll be glad to meet him in court.
We don't need to outlaw cell phones or lipstick or powder or soft drinks or even corn dogs! Its the driver!!!
Cells Phones are my Peeve but not always the biggest threat
by LT11 - 5/30/07 10:22 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The other day I came up to a light. The car next to me was a "Student Driver". I was so compelled to motion for the instructor to roll down the window. I wanted to say, "If you're going to teach the guy how to drive properly, you need to put a cell phone in his hand!" Fortunately, the light turned green.
Although it doesn't eliminate the distraction, there is no valid reason for a driver NOT to be using a headset, bluetooth or handsfree.
The ones that really get to me are the drivers on the cell or texting not watching the road with their kids in the car.
Overall, the worst are the impolite, impatient and those needing to be in anger management. Afterall, if your vehicle is considered a "deadly weapon", would you waive a loaded gun around the same way you drive your car on the road?
Bad drivers who need their licenses revoked...
by JCitizen - 5/30/07 10:25 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
We Americans think driving is a constitutional right of something. It is a privelege; and if we would get these bozos off the road you wouldn't see 40,000* deaths every year! In fact I have seen people get away with downright criminal behavior behind the wheel that in any other context would have got them 40 to life behind bars. Maybe that and revoking more licenses would clean this mess up!
Cell phone pressed to the ear + SUV = BIG PROBLEM
by GoGuy - 5/30/07 10:52 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
When you see it, the driver is either agressive (blowing through stop lights and cutting off pedestrians) or driving out of sync with traffic (drifting in and out of the other lane or driving 20 mph slower than traffic). These driver appears to be both too focused on her conversation and unaware of the size of her vehicle.
Sorry to be sexist on this one folks, but you rarely see men driving an SUV with a cell phone pressed to his ear. So It may not have anything to do with gender, but I have only seen women doing this.
Bad Drivers
by gadgetgirl951 - 5/30/07 11:24 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Of course, good drivers wouldn't allow distractions from the other items in this poll...
Dangerous Drivers
by iwmpop - 5/30/07 11:37 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Ever seen one of those "thoroughly modern" women at the driving wheel of their enormous 4x4, who can barely see over the top of the steering wheel, the 4x4 doted with an assisted steering mechanism so that frail woman can steer the thing, and tends in fact to oversteer? Ever seen them trying to weave their way through the hundreds of other similar types outside the school, at the same time trying to get their favourite radio station on the car radion, or turning the cassette over, or changing the CD whilst also trying to hold the handy mobile phone with her shoulder against her ear, and invariably trying to tap the ash from her cigarette into the ashtray!! She at least doesn't need a GPS System, she knows where the school is, but she does need space to control the little ones who are high spirited at leaving school!
Good lord! A car is transport, and he/she who is driving it should do just that - drive, and nothing else!!
(iwmpop)
Science proves it
by jlampert - 5/30/07 11:43 PM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The parts of the brain that are working while speaking/listening on a cell phone are DIFFERENT from those parts that are involved in listening to a radio or even conversing with a passenger....thus, it is improper to compare cell phone usage to those others...cell phone usage--the process of listening and responding to phone calls takes away from driving concentration in a way that is different from the distraction of radio-listening or passenger discussion
Bad Drivers
by ajharry1 - 5/31/07 12:03 AM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
All the things you list are things that distract a bad driver. A good driver does not allow him or herself to be distracted and knows when to take steps when something is going really wrong.
bad drivers
by arunmib - 5/31/07 12:24 AM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Bad drivers - the simple answer. All the options mentioned in the poll are just because of these kind of people.
Cell Phones
by MSgt Mackel - 5/31/07 12:25 AM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been driving for 46 years. During that time before cell phones I would have answered 'bad drivers'. But without a doubt, bar none, people on cell phones are the worst drivers I have ever seen (or course excluding drunks/druggies). I have been in more near misses involved with people being on cell phones in the last 2-3 years than any other hazard combined. Not to mention the morons I have been behind driving 10-20 mph below the speed limit and weaving all over the road. I have had to evade 2 morons driving down the middle of the road while dialing their phone and, thank God, they realized what they were doing at the last second. Sure I have had some close ones in all my driving experiences but not nearly as many in the cell phone age.
Driver distraction
by Savile Burdett - 5/31/07 1:10 AM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
They are all dangerous except when I use them (whoever I may be)
ALL ABOVE IS BAD
by lildolphin77 - 5/31/07 1:30 AM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
WELL WHEN YOUR DRIVING YOU SUPOSSE TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR DRIVING AND NOT DOING YOU HAIR OR MAKE UP AND MOST OF ALL I HATE THE ONES THAT JABBER ON THE CELL PHONES AND DONT PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR DRIVING WE ALMOST GOT INTO A WREAK CAUSE OF SOMEONE WITH A CELL PHONE GLUED TO THEIR EAR . THEY SHOULD GET THE WIRELESS HANDFREE ONES SO THEY PAY ATTENTION TO OTHERS. IT IS A LAW HERE IN CALIF. IF YOUR CAUGHT DRIVING WITH THE CELL PHONE TO YOUR EAR YOU GET FINED 20.00 DOLLAR BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE MORE HERE LIKE 100.00 OR MORE FOR THE FIRST OFFENCE.
LILDOLPH
The impact of in-car stereo on road safe driving
by Daibad - 5/31/07 2:16 AM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I agree with the gentleman who has been rear-ended 4 times - To say that in-car stereos are not a major contributory factor is delusion on a grand scale. Firstly, just listen to the 'stereo' cars - all that volume (usually VERY high) dulls the reactions, repetetive bass rhythms are hypnotic (just look at the eyes next time you visit a gig)and recall that ALL war-like/violent movements have 'martial' music - loud, repetitive bass rhythms. Most war-like peoples have some type of 'war-drum' for precisely this reason: incitement and excitement.
As for women being multi-tasked- just look at ANY GROUP of women; most of them seem to lose control of their limbs whenever 'pop' music is being played. And the louder it is playing the more vigorously they tend to respond/react. These responses within the confines of motor cars are extremely dangerous. Ban in-car stereo if you want to see a real improvement in driving behaviour and road manners - both male and female!
Speed and competition
by markmercer - 5/31/07 2:35 AM In reply to: The impact of in-car stereo on road safe driving by DaibadI have just witnessed a bump outside my house. A stationary car (not mine) meant the road was too narrow for two to pass. Two cars approached, travelling probably under the speed limit of forty, both went for the gap neither being nearer than the other and therefore able to 'win'. With a closing speed approaching eighty, both probably a bit aggressive in style there was just not enough 'decision time' available. By the time they hit the brakes it was too late.
For my money driver character is the main problem. Many people just have to get in front of others, enjoy their skill to such an extent they think they can do anything whilst behind the wheel, and above all cannot anticipate.
The biggest threat are... drivers themselves!
by Kostagh - 5/31/07 2:24 AM In reply to: What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I think that we tend to become a nation of autovehicle drivers. We teach driving in schools. Nevertheless, we seem to forget that driving, just like all manual and coordination skills is not for everyone. Not anyone can become a painter, or an automechanic, or for instance an airplane pilot. Take the pilot for instance. He has a copilot, a board engineer and a control tower that help him all the time and he flies the airplane in the open air. He has no traffic lights, crazy people crossing the street, drunk drivers to avoid, traffic lights, traffic signs and so on to worry about. His airplane has an automatic pilot that can safely land or take off. However, before flying from Boston to New York he is subjected to a full medical exam and his plane checked top to bottom. If John Doe wants to drive from NY to LA, all he has to do is jump in his car and away he goes. He maybe tired, sick, bored, sleepy or simply, incompetent. No matter! He's free to roam the country and maybe kill inocent people just because his car brakes were too worn out to hold and though he knew it he was too cheap, reckless or mechanically incompetent to get them fix. Or because his reactions were FAR too slow.. Or he was eating a sandwich while cruising at 100 mph and his tooth filling broke out... Think about it!
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