Texting while driving

[DanaC]

I think we should probably be careful not to be too judgemental on this. People often know their 'limits' and a one-size-fits-all approach is only really useful in a legislative sense. We all employ mental tricks to get us through various things: the fact that Moar tells herself she can close her eyes, doesn't actually make her a dangerous driver. Many, many people drive when tired. I wuold imagine half the people commuting in a morning do so with a stifled yawn.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by DanaC

People often know their 'limits' and a one-size-fits-all approach is only really useful in a legislative sense.

Focusing on the texting/phoning aspect as I don't know how tired Moar is, I'd say it is clear that people don't know their limits. I had a driver passing me at a reasonable speed on a crowded interstate a couple days back. He was matching the passing lane speed and I was matching the other lane. He received a phone call just as he got ahead of me. He then scrubbed off his speed and proceeded to wander around the passing lane going well under the average speed for either lane but staying in the passing lane until he disappeared in my rear view.

Admittedly, the texting "addiction" is bringing out the grumpy old man in me. On vacation last week, I saw restaurant workers texting on the job instead of attending to customers and a group of teenage customers, ignoring one of their mates who wasn't on a cell, rotating in and out of the building texting and calling leaving her mostly alone to stew for some 45 minutes. To her credit she blew up on them eventually. A technology that could be about "us" is turning out to be about "me" making people less connected instead of more.

[jinx]

Originally Posted by DanaC

I think we should probably be careful not to be too judgemental on this. People often know their 'limits' and a one-size-fits-all approach is only really useful in a legislative sense. We all employ mental tricks to get us through various things: the fact that Moar tells herself she can close her eyes, doesn't actually make her a dangerous driver. Many, many people drive when tired. I wuold imagine half the people commuting in a morning do so with a stifled yawn.

I'm at the point where I am not comfortable with Jim driving for this reason. I've watched him fall asleep at the wheel when he obviously feels like he has things under control. The "methods" that he uses to keep himself awake (opening the window, slapping his leg, pulling out chest hair) clearly don't work, so I have little trust that other people's methods work for them.

Driving while tired and driving while falling asleep aren't the same thing. Don't drive while falling alseep - it's fucking rude.

[monster]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Many, many people drive when tired. I wuold imagine half the people commuting in a morning do so with a stifled yawn.

just because lots of people do it doesn't make it not dangerous. That said, I feel that stifling a yawn requires little cognitive effort, but playing tricks on yourself to keep your eyes open requires concentration that should be being used on the driving and also suggests that the eyes are open but maybe not communicating with the brain as much as required for driving.

People often overlook tiredness as a danger when driving. Yup, I'd rather you were tired than drunk or texting. Right until that point when you finally lose your concentration game and t-bone me. And there's no legislation that can be made to prevent people from driving when they are too tired. And if it isn't illegal, some people will continue to think it's not unsafe. And I only hope that it's a tree they hit and not another vehicle when they finally do mess up.