Car Tech forum: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars?

I think cell phones should be made not to be able to work while in a moving automobile. I almost got killed in a possible accident on the freeway here in California. If your driving pay attention to driving not talking on the phone

This guy here sounds like the ones that can multi task almost a hundred things at a time. One day when you least expect it you'll find out that driving is a full time job, especially with you almost multi taskers.

If you find almost accidents a safe operation than I truely think your license should be revoked ! where do you draw the line, the almost fatal accident that only parlized the driver, the almost dangerous that only cost thousands to fix, the almost collission that only resulted in a heartattack ... drivers with that attitude are a danger to all ... normal driving is risky at best, why live at the 98% almost where the odds are that one day you will be "almost survived"

PS: no problem with answering a quick call (short) but no chitchat, messaging, contact search and for that matter whatching a GPS screen

peter

All cell phone use while driving should be banned. I depend on my GPS to get me to my destinations but I progam it before leaving my drive way. It is the best navigator I have ever had.

See I could buy that. I could buy that cell phones should not be used in cars. But all of you need to think where this path goes. Follow the idea to it's logical conclusion.

If we are going to ban cell phones from cars because they are a distraction and could cause an accident... what else should also be banned? Drinks? Food? Drive-throughs? Lights of any kind? Pagers? In car-TVs? Animals of any kind? Portable games like Gameboy or PSP? GPSs? Even car steros?

Every single one of those is a possible distraction that could cause an accident. I have been hit twice in recent times. First time it was a guy in a truck with his dog. Right before the stop light, the dog acted crazy and the man didn't brake in time. The second, the guy was messing with his stero and rammed me without even touching his breaks.

So if we're going to ban phones for this, steros and animals should also be banned from cars, as well as everything else.

Then you have to ask how would we enforce this? Will police officers be pulling everyone with anything distracting in their cars? Will everyone get a ticket for doing anything slightly distracting whether they cause a problem or not? Do you realize the man power that would be needed to enforce this law?

I submit to you, the better way is simply to make people accountable for their own actions. If they crash, they pay for it. You do the deed, you are responsible for it.

There is risk in freedom, but the risk is far better than a locked down risk free, freedomless society.

In my opinion, as long as you are wearing a headset, don't get into long personal conversations and don't do much hand-dialing, cell phones can be a very positive addition to your car. If there is an emergency, you can be contacted. If there is one you are witnessing or involved in, you can contact the appropriate authorities. I was in back of a car that was driving extremely erratically...on a two lane road, swerving into the oncoming lane and then across into the breakdown lane, etc. I called 911 and was in contact with my local Police department within seconds. I gave them the license number and vehicle make. I continued to follow the car while giving the police a blow-by-blow description of what the driver in front of me was doing and letting them know precisely where we were. When the cruiser intercepted us, I turned off my phone and watched as the police observed the driver's erratic behavior and pulled her over. In the next day's paper, I read that a woman had been stopped at that location and time and was arrested for DUI. Maybe somebody was saved from serious injury or worse. Bottom line, just use common sense. It's a lot easier to dial 911, or even another programmed number, and speak on your headset, than it is to go through your CD collection while driving and make CD changes on the fly. I think talking while holding a phone when driving is very dangerous. That's why it's illegal in Connecticut.

Thanks,

RK

I absolutely agree with your answer to superchef on all respects, except for one small detail, if you were bitten by a shark or stung by a jellyfish on Japan, that would also be YOUR fault, because they leave in the sea, and we don't, so the solution would be getting the heck out of the water and let the animals in peace where they belong! I'm sorry, no offence but that was a very ridiculous comparison.
As I said before, however, I DO agree with your answer.

I agree that the water belongs to the sealife. The point was intended to be rediculous. The subject I was commenting on was equally rediculous.Therefore; I think the analogy was proper.

Here's why. We all have the privelage of driving, as well as swimming. If we do something improper, we should stop doing it. A person will usually not stop doing something stupid until they suffer a consequence. All of us with a driver's liscence belong on the road. It is our privelage. Those of us who break the law or establish bad habits are endangering themselves and others. Responsible use of a cell-phone is perfectly fine. I personally get off the phone when traffic gets heavy. I never hold the phone with my hand while driving. I believe that to be a proper mannerism.

The analogy between a swimmer and the sea is the same as a bad driver on the road. It's simply the consequence that changes. Instead of endangering your own life by swimming in the wrong waters, a bad driver endangers others as well as themselves.

Alright. Phones and miscellaneous electronic devices CAN be dangerous if people don't use them responsibly. But the cell phone in particular is a very useful feature for the car, as long as you use a headset or a speakerphone while driving. That is why some states make it illegal to drive and talk with the phone to your ear. But the phone is a safety net for when you're in the middle of nowhere and your car breaks down, when you need directions, or when you want a spoken traffic report for a specific area. For instance, all new Boost Mobile and Nextel phones have available Telenav navigation systems for download. This is a cheap and helpful tool when you don't want to pay $250 or more for a standalone GPS system. Also, cell phones are great for getting help when you have a problem and are not nearby a town or city ( except for Sprint phones; the damn things lose a signal in a remotely out of the way area and won't work unless in analog roaming, which eats up the battery ). I don't get the Sprint Nextel merger because the Nextel network has such a stronger signal and larger coverage area. Anyway, phones are good in cars as long as you use them only with a headset, navigation, or great time of need- not for those typical conversations about people's boring lives.

I agree that the driver is the only one responsible for what happens in their car. Whether it is reading a map, looking at a gps or talking, whether on a cell phone or to a passenger. I drove for many years with my five children in the back of my station wagon. Was I a good driver? As good as I could be with five distractions in the back seat. For me, I think my cell phone attached to a speaker or a headphone is a lot less of a distraction than my children were. BUT, I avoid using my cell phone as I want to be a safe driver.

If the driver does not care enough to remove or avoid distractions, then he/she is liable to have an accident or cause an accident.

We all need to be more aware of what we are doing on the road as well as what every other driver is doing.

Treet007 is absolutely correct. The problem is not the distractions, but knowing our limits and abiding by them. As human beings, we are offered a lot of choices about how to do things. Not everyone is capable of concentrating on their driving no matter what the circumstances.

A driver simply cannot do a competent, safe job of driving doing anything else but drive. Its not so much a matter of not having enough hands or eyes, it is a matter of concentration of the mind.
I suddenly realized back in the CB radio days that when I was talking to a person in another car that my attention concentration was thus diverted and I was not fully aware of what my car or any other car was doing. Also, on a long trip we took, my wife and I elected to listen to some audio book tapes on the car's tape player. Now I enjoy seeing the scenery and seeing details as I go by, but with the story playing on our player I realized that while I enjoyed the tape I didn't take in much of the scenery. Diverted attention is easy to experience but the results can be drastic.

How is it possible to list all the dangerous driving habits; eating, smoking, CDs and radios, something you need in the back seat, READING (on the highway or otherwise) and.....talking to a passenger you feel compelled to look at when you are speaking (whether next to you or in the BACK SEAT? I agree that long, exciting or distressful (or meaningless) conversations probably increase your driving risk. I also believe that holding a cell phone while driving is much more dangerous, which has nothing to do with the conversation, but with the physical acts of maneuvering the car while trying to hold a phone to your ear, switch hands, dropping it and picking it up. Think about it, though. How many people keep driving even though they are falling asleep? What if a phone conversation helps keep them awake (of course they should pull over)? How many people tail-gate no matter how fast they are going and whether the other driver can even get out of the way? How many people turn around to yell at their kids? I've seen people driving with their left foot hanging out the window, reading newspapers while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike, smooching with their honey and almost anything else conceivable. Please take some responsibility for your actions. Driving is dangerous and should be treated with respect. Cell phones can be a problem, but I don't think police statistics will reveal they are the greatest contributor to accidents.

Thanks,

RK

You might think you can 'easily' talk on the phone while driving, but what about when an 'emergency' situation occurs?

I'm a psychologist, and I know for a fact you are part of the problem. When a violent critical situation occurs such as a sudden car crash, it only takes a split second to happen. You may only have a 10th of a second between life and death. Think about it, and stay off the damn phone while driving. My son was killed by a woman who still had her phone in her hand when they found her, also dead. He was riding his bicycle. I HOPE THEY OUTLAW CELLPHONES WHILE DRIVING IN 'ALL' STATES!!!

What was so crashing urgent for you to talk about when driving home from college that you risked my life and yours?????
What would you say to St. Peter?? Whoops!!!! I guess I was wrong.
Do us all a favor and stay off the cel phone - I don't know about you but I would like to stay alive.