Car Tech: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars?
- 5/22/07 5:29 PM
So if your ill
by antonaa - 6/1/07 10:53 AM In reply to: what country could do without GPS? are you kidding by roblockSo if your ill, who is going to find you or anyone else, great, well done!
I WAS
by roblock - 9/6/07 4:03 AM In reply to: So if your ill by antonaaI've been there and it worked the same way as it always has in the past. I tell people where I'm going and what time I will be there and if I don't arrive they check up. All these points about how we cannot do without the GPS are valid but things worked before we had it and they would work without it. It just requires a little more thought and planning. Most people have mobile phones now and usually know where they are so it is quite easy to tell someone else. Saying that, the mobile tracks where you are and I don't like that idea either.
Big brother is watching you was a joke - now it's fact.
The most dangerous driver distraction
by tmccool - 5/31/07 5:46 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
If someone wants to talk on their cell phone while driving, they need to invest in a headset, either wired or wireless. An inexpensive wired headset is certainly worth the money. I don't use my cell phone a lot when driving, but it irritates me when someone calls me while I'm driving. So I invested in one of the cheaper Bluetooth devices and it works just fine.
I'm less familiar with GPS devices, but they certainly have the potential to be a distraction. Unfortunately, they are also an optional accessory on some models. I guess car manufacturers are less concerned with distracted drivers than they are about selling GPS units.
But there is another driver distraction that needs to be addressed - nose picking! There should be a law against THAT!
GPS vs Driver
by SphereLink - 5/31/07 5:49 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I really don't think any tech gadget is bad per see, it's all in HOW you use it. No gadget will make a bad driver better...........aside from parallel parking for you 
Where I live geo-caching has caught on. Those little GPS units have led several people to drive straight THROUGH my fence. Now had they used an old fashioned map or even their heads, they would never had even been on my driveway.
As for cell phones, it all comes down to the driver again. Those folks who don't use their blinkers, don't stop for stop signs, or lights for that matter aren't going to change for the better with a cell phone in hand.
A consciencious driver isn't going to be any more distracted than by any other distraction you're already faced with on the road. Frankly my kids are a bigger distraction than my phone.
my 2 cents
Car or Fighter Plane?
by tonyartist - 5/31/07 5:50 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I am an ardent cyclist who has lost track of the number of times that I have had my safety compromised by morons fiddling with in-car gadgets.
I actually dented a car a few weeks ago because the driver was using a mobile phone, looked right at me and then pulled out when I was about 2 yards away. She said " I didn't see you". I am 6'5" tall, I dress in bright yellow, I use a flashing headlight on my bike in day- time----get off the f**king gadgets!
A car is a thing to get from A to B. If you can't read a map - take lessons. All this gadgetry is making life more dangerous. A Citroen CV2 is not a Tornado Fighter. It just don't need all these hi- tech mods- who are you going in to bomb from high altitude (apart from the nearest cyclist or unsuspecting pedestrian?) If I put all this on my cycle I wouldn't be able to pedal it!
car distractions
by wstrad - 5/31/07 5:50 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
No. Anything that distracts you from paying full attention to your driving. Situational awareness may save your or someone else's life.
Get rid of GPS's, Cd's, Dvd's, ps2's, Cell phones esp. and maybe even kids, (not really).Just remember why you are in the car - "to get from point A to point B safely.
thank goodness for GPS
by lisaapb - 5/31/07 5:57 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I use my cell phone only for emergencies, and usually that means I am lost and need help. I can't recall the number of times I've ended up totally lost and will never forget the time it took me over an hour to get back on route, driving down dark winding roads with no lights or nearby houses, needing the bathroom desperately...I am purchasing a GPS for my next car no if ands or butts! At the same time, I am certainly concerned about driving safely, so will take precautions to do so. I'm so relieved there's a solution out there that doesn't involve my buying any more maps (and I never seem to have one for the area I'm driving in!). Manual maps can be dangerous for a single driver, but with precautions, a voice activated GPS can promote safety and sanity.
You think the technology makes them dangerous?
by Archus - 5/31/07 5:58 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
Ever since I purchased my first car, I have been amazed at how often people will point out the flaw in someone else's driving. Oh, we have plenty of things to blame it on, but let's face it, if you drive like an idiot, it's because you're an idiot. I don't care if you have a cellphone, GPS, child, angry spouse, or a full on computer in your car. The way you drive is YOUR fault.
If you think the distraction of a cell phone in a car is the culprit, I challenge you to check out the idiot driver you pass next time. Most of the ones I see aren't distracted by anything. Why not focus less on whether the technology is distracting them and focus more on teaching people appropriate driving? I'm not talking about the stupid little stuff they teach you in drivers ed or in the drivers handbook. I'm talking about the stuff that really matters like "get your slow self on the RIGHT side fo the road", "DON'T block the on-ramp", and FGS! "DON'T brake in front of a SEMI!"
Personally, I think technology in cars hasn't even begun to crest it's peak. Once it does and people are no long in command of their vehicles then the roads will be safer.
Technology doesn't cause stupidity, people do.
Yes for GPS In Cars
by Daviddude - 5/31/07 6:03 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
The company I work for has GPS locators in our vehicles. It is a great thing to be able to monitor the locations of our vehicles.
Remember the Ringtone Killer
by dbgreen - 5/31/07 6:04 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I'm a huge fan of GPS navigation aids in vehicles but only when they include voice directions. I'm OK with hands-free, voice activated cell phone use as well. I lost an online biking buddy to an idiot teenager texting on his cell phone from behind the wheel (veered off the road and killed the biker). And remember the Urbana, IL "ringtone killer" who killed a biker while downloading ringtones from behind the wheel. The sad thing is both got off with minor traffic violations (improper lane usage). We need tougher laws to cover brainless morons like these. If you're not willing to immerse yourself in driving safely, then I seriously hope you hit a tree someday and get a clue --before you kill some innocent child. You know who you are.
Vehicle Distractions
by ISPPerformance - 5/31/07 6:05 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
GPS and Cell Phones? Well as being a consumer that has both of these items and use them while driving I have to say that neither are safe. However I do find myself fiddling with my GPS unit more often than the cell phone, and considering that it's an in dash unit it definitly makes you vere your eyes off the road. I think that people using GPS in their vehicles tend to pay more attention to there little triangle on the map than the road. I have used many different GPS units and when you are entering a destination it can be a task you might not want to do while driving.
Cell phones on the other hand, I think that they are better with a handsfree bluetooth device. I use a motorola razr with bluetooth, and the voice commands are simple and accurate. Cell phone manufacture's should include handsfree devices with the phone when you buy it, not as an add on money maker. No matter what we use, the phone or the bluetooth device, there are going to be people that get way too involved in their conversation to drive.
In-car distractions
by Thomas F. Armistead - 5/31/07 6:10 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
This is a subject for research, not opinions. The research I have read says that anything that divides a driver's attention reduces his/her ability to respond to the constantly changing conditions in traffic. Those distractions include talking to passengers in the car as well as eating, twiddling with dashboard controls or radio settings and certainly talking on the cell phone. Personally, when I got a cell phone and took my first calls in the car, I very clearly felt distracted. Now, whenever I get a call, I pull to the side of the road immediately, or just let it ring. And watch people on the telephone. They are staring into a void, not focusing, because they are concentrating on the conversation. Whether walking in the street or driving, a person on the phone is seriously distracted from his/her surroundings.
Yes I am for GPS and cell phones in cars?
by captmom - 5/31/07 6:11 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I am FOR both. The ugly truth is that the people that have a problem driving while using either of these items will have a problem driving without them. They are just people that are not coordinated and if it's not a phone it will be a nail file, makeup, book, food, etc. They will choose to handle those items too when the car is moving and are just as dangerous. So you can't blame the item itself. There are lot of people that just don't use good judgement and too are not coordinated even when they are not in a car. I feel it is wrong to punish the many in order to control a few. The phones and GPS's are valuable tools for many applications. So if the manufactures continue to improve on ways to utilize these things and make them idiot proof,with speech controls, ear pieces, etc., then I say we keep them in the cars. Taking them out of the cars is not going to get rid of that guy or girl that drives in the left hand passing lane 5 miles below the speed limit, phone or no phone. The phones are not the problem. It's the idiots that think they are the only people on the road that can't walk and chew gum at the same time. The rest of us have to just stay alert and watch out for them.
Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars?
by gofft1355 - 5/31/07 6:15 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
Cell phones are a great tool, but, they shouldn't be used while driving. Hands free devices are good to have, but, if you are in a conversation on the phone how much of your attention is on your driving. I believe there should be a law in place where if you need to talk on the phone you should have to pull over and park somewhere. Same with playing with GPS devices. It's dangerous enough with people playing with the radio. So, I am against GPS and cell phones in cars.
Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars?
by smithot - 5/31/07 6:18 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
The newer GPS systems are sophisticated, voice assisted devices that can minimise the amount of time the driver spends with his attention focused on the dashboard, as opposed to the driving environment around him (which is where the focus ought to be). If one is driving to an address where instructions (thus GPS) are required, the alternative is a map, or something like Mapquest printouts, which must be periodically reviewed while driving. That is infinitely more dangerous that having a computer generated voice advise a turn is imminent in a 1/4 mile. So I'm for technology applications in cars, as long as the interface is complimentary to enhance driving safety, especially if it improves driver focus on the road. And that is an iffy thing.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
|
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
