Cell phones forum: Poll: Do you use your smartphone while driving?

I use smartphone only when in toilet. That's the only place no one can reach me!

I too use my Bluetooth in my car. I hang it on my ear and turn it on only if the phone rings.
Google's silly Android OS only uses Bluetooth for calls. All other apps that use audio listen to the phone's microphone, even while my Bluetooth is on! All other manufacturers know better. When is Google going to fix this?
Gareth

I have never found it any more of an issue than listening to a radio or looking at some thing off into the distance. I use in the BMW hands free through the steering wheel, but when real important will even do google searches if I have too, if traffic to much will pull off of roadway.

Using my phone while in my car doesnt mean Im using it while driving or in an unsafe manner. I dont consider talking on a hands free device to be unsafe. If talking on a hands free device is anymore unsafe than about a thousand other things people do while driving is just nuts. How long do you take youor eyes off the road to look at your GPS, radio station, tight shorts, etc? There were a lot of wrecks and fatalaties before cell phones. We have to draw a line in thinking everybody else is unsafe and resposible for our own stupid actions. Believe it or not, all humans do make mistakes that no amount of laws will prevent. We all need to be careful and prudent when driving, period

When you consider all the features you can use hands free. You need to clarify with use of hands. The're far more distracting activities using hands. Whatever the solution it needs to be at eye level not down on a console.

I use mine as a GPS.

Not as a phone but I have to answer "yes" I use it all the time.

Not sure where you want to go with this poll. I am totally against using a phone while driving. I will not do it, it is not acceptable. It can go to voice mail or I can pull over and make a call or return one. Sitting in traffic ok? If your really sitting then I guess so but you might be sitting in traffic because of some dumb ass was on the phone and wrecked!

I say ban all phone usage when the car is moving. Hell the phones can tell when you are moving.

hands free though. I see no difference between singin' along with my favorite oldies or driving around talking to another passenger or talking hands free on a phone...Digger

I use my phone to navigate all the time! So I answered "yes" all the time to the question.

I agree with edbrady 100%. I do not have a smart phone and I do not want one. Ever.

This poll is not valid because the answers are too limited. I use my cell phone to answer calls when driving because it is linked to my navigation system and I can answer the call with a button on my steering wheel. If the call is important, I ask the caller to hold while I pull off the road. This approach is not the same as using my cell phone while driving. I would never initiate a call unless I was parked. Furthermore, the safety features of my Prius (a terrific vehicle!!!) prevent anyone from making a call or playing with the GPS while the car is moving. Every car should (and probably eventually will) have such safety protections.

I don't have a smart phone.
I have a cell phone and use a head set to talk while driving. Also my main attention while talking is not on the conversation but the road. If ever the call is/was that important I pull over or if unsafe I will hang up and call back when safe.
As a bottom line I witnessed a man in a very expensive car talking on a bluetooth going slow, fast, waving his arms, pounding the steering wheel and dash, obviously yelling and swerving in and out of his lane. So! hands free is not the answer but intelligence and sensibility behind the wheel.

Side note; The highway safety people are pushing for laws against Smart phones and Ipads being active in cars but what is Cadillac touting built into its dash? HMMMMM? By the way, Is a button not a button if it an image on a touch screen?

I see nothing wrong in talking on a cell or smart phone, as long as its done on hands free. It is only like talking to the passenger sat in the seat next to you.

I use my iPhone everyday for business whine driving. I never touch my phone though. I use my hands free earpiece and I use Siri for all of my communication. I can listen to my text messages and email from my Bluetooth and I can reply back by just using my voice. I am able to have all of my emails read to me and I can also reply back to an email or send a new email. All of this is done without me touching the phone. I can even make and receive calls as well so all of this is good and there is no distraction at all while driving.

That is not entirely true. For some people it may be true but for people like myself who is NEVER EVER! In a rush while driving and always looking around at the mirrors for lunatic drivers will do just fine while conducting business or whatever they may be talking about on the phone while driving. If a person is easily distracted then they should never engage in a phone conversation at all.

Yes, I admit that sometimes I look at or use my smartphone while driving, and I don't like doing it. If the phone rings, I will answer it. If a text comes through, I'll read it but wait until I'm at a stop or my destination to respond. I've just begin using GPS on my phone thanks to the new Google and Mapquest apps. They do feature voice navigation, but I need to get some kind of mount like my dedicated GPS so I'm not glancing down at the console.

Ultimately, I don't like to do it (but I do) because I HATE people who jabber on their cell phones and don't watch what they are doing. They exhibit very noticeable behaviors. They drive below the speed limit because they think that is safer. They usually miss the light changing to green. They tend to swerve back and forth just a bit. I can see how dangerous this behavior is, so I try to behave accordingly. I don't normally take long drives, and I really don't HAVE to be in contact with anyone while I drive, so it's easy for me to avoid using my smartphone,

But I do... rarely... and I don't like it.