Ban on electronics while driving - Is it helping?

[VulcanHorn]

Here in Austin, the total ban on hand-held electronics went into effect this year. However, when I drive to and from work each day, I can easily spot at least 5 drivers on their phones. And I only work 8 miles from home. Is it me or is this ban a joke?

 

[WorsterMan]

Joke.

Users will actively text and talk while driving until they die or as long as they think they can get away with it without a citation, whichever comes first.

 

[Driver 8]

People are so important and every text and email is so important that it must be dealt with NOW. One day they will be old and looking back on their lives and wonder what the hell was the big hurry. It's good to just be still and do nothing sometimes.

 

[Crockett]

Driver 8 I hope I grow old. I love riding bicycles around the neighborhood though and there's a chance some Realtor in a Escalade texting with clients will bump me off and never notice.

 

[georgecostanza]

Someone needs to come up with technology that disables your phone once your car is put into drive. They could find a way to still use hands-free stuff, but the main problem is the hand and eye usage that phones require. Take that out of the equation and I think driving becomes much less of a chore. I enjoy driving, but one of my biggest peeves is seeing a driver that is incredibly inconsistent in their speed and driving style. When I see this, it's usually someone that is too busy talking or texting instead of paying attention to their surroundings.

 

[OldHippie]

I think the main problem is the amount of concentration and attention it takes to take part in a telephone conversation, not the hand and eye usage. The research that I have seen says that hands-on or or hands-free makes no difference, it is where you place your primary attention.

When sitting in a car talking to a person in the other seat, you both know when to pause the conversation for driving purposes. When sitting in a cafe having a conversation with another person at the table, you both understand you are in an environment that requires attention of some kind. But when on a phone, the other party has no awareness of your environment and demands attention at inopportune times. The driver gets distracted from the road and the table phone talker gets too loud or personal and bothers other cafe patrons.

http://www.distraction.gov/download...visual-attention-during-simulated-driving.pdf

 

[Statalyzer]

I enjoy driving, but one of my biggest peeves is seeing a driver that is incredibly inconsistent in their speed and driving style. When I see this, it's usually someone that is too busy talking or texting instead of paying attention to their surroundings.

Agree to point, but "inconsistent in their speed and driving style" describes half the city's drivers at any given moment regardless of what else besides driving they are or aren't focused on.

 

[snek]

Old Hippie is correct. It is not the holding the phone that is dangerous. It's focusing on the conversation on the other end with no face nearby. It's thinking of what you will say, etc. Hands free is just as bad as holding a phone. Phone companies have lobbyists who pay a lot of money. There has been a rise in profits to hands free units and stereos that connect to your phone. They went along with the ban on holding a phone partly because they could control Congress and partly to sell other new tech items.

 

[accuratehorn]

I see it everywhere. When there is a very slow driver in the fast lane, wandering over to the right, sure enough, nine times out of ten they've got their right hand slapped upside their right ear with a phone. And I agree with Snek, it isn't the hand, it's the mind, hands free is no solution to distracted drivers.
Trying to find a hole in the traffic, where no one is along side your car, is the best solution, but of course isn't often possible in heavy urban traffic.

 

[Statalyzer]

OTOH, even before cell phones were a thing, Austin was full of morons driving under the speed limit in the left lane. It was less frustrating b/c there were a lot fewer total drivers on pretty much the same roads, but it was still a key part of the Austin traffic "flow".