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

Yes, I use my smartphone while driving - to receive phone calls. I used my previous non-smartphone to do the same thing.
I also use it for navigation and here's the rub: most of the time spoken directions are right, but when I travel around the d.c. area there are ALWAYS wrong (for that matter, so is the GPS I occasionally use). Sometimes I need to look at the screen to see directions. My wife tells me to pull over when I do this - I need to listen to her

I NEVER, EVER manually text while driving; ditto to email, etc.
I occasionally text while at a red light, but I'm configuring the phone to do that by voice.

I use the smartphone as my navigator to track current traffic levels as well as for directions. It is just another instrument I scan like fuel/oil/water gauges or the rear view mirror. I don't see it as a distraction because I do not use it for texts, mail, tweets or netflix when driving.

I do use the handsfree bluetooth features for calls while driving but the distraction level is no more than listening to a conversation with a passenger ( I don't turn to talk to passengers and I don't look at the phone when on a call, eyes stay on the road).

This is much ado about nothing unless you are fool enough to try and read the smartphone while moving. That would be akin to reading the newspaper or operating a laptop (oh wait, the highway patrol operates laptops while moving, never mind).

I'm blind. So I don't drive and I don't own a smart phone. Can't afford one. I know some who can't even talk to their passengers and drive safely. Some people can't walk and chew gum at the sam4e time. I DO think texting isn't smart while driving, nor suefing the web. Both require one to take their eyes off the road. Otherwise I don't see it as any different that listening to a radio.

The poll now is over 45% of people with smartphones use them while driving. Sad! Driving distractions, whether
it be cell phone or ipod or whatever is the number one cause of accidents in North America. Even hands free devices are a significant problem as the driver's mind is not focused on his main priority: driving and watching for other vehicles and pedestrians.

I don't text while driving because I can"t text without looking, but I answer calls with my hands free speaker phone. If I answer a text, I pull off into a parking lot If available or my passenger (I never drive the highways alone, to dangerous,) usually my hubby, reads my texts to me, if I think it's important enough to be read or answered immediately. I should say that I never get a text unless it's from our kids, so I always know where they originate from.

nice

Depends. While texting and driving is idiotic, dangerous, and illegal now in most states, talking while driving is dependent on the skillset of the driver. I believe that most drivers are very capable of talking on the phone and driving safely. However, there are others who are driving 5-10 miles per hour under the speed limit, making illegal turns, not paying attention at stop lights, etc, because they have a phone stuck to their head and are incapable of doing two things at once, like walking and chewing gum.