Dr. Mercola June 28 2008 19,617 views
Mr.AK says, "...talking on the phone IS different than talking to passengers in my car."
Please explain, Mr.AK, how is it different?
I agree with Mr. AK that talking on a cell phone demands more of ones attention then talking to passengers in ones vehicle. While on the cell phone the other person can not see you and keeps talking while a person in your vehicle would stop talking if someone pulled right out in front of you. They would only start talking again when everyone was driving again in their own lanes. The person on the cell phone would be asking what is wrong, what is wrong, and you would have an interest in telling them.
Most people do not have enough sense to be on the road in the first place, add a cell phone and it is a disaster in the making.
Thank you Rev. for your explanation. In addition, I find that my attention drifts over to the person I'm talking to (who is somewhere else!) and away from what's right in front of me. The other person is not next to me, in the car, in traffic, but in a different world, so to speak.
People who call me when I am driving expect to get the voicemail. On the rare occasion I feel I 'need' to talk and drive, I let the person know straight out that I may stop talking at any moment if the road needs my full attention, and I have on more than one occasion dropped the phone into my lap in mid-sentence if I need to. Nobody so far has been offended by this, even if the phone accidently clicks shut and hangs up on them. Much easier to explain yourself later to the caller than it is to, you know, die.
I have never been run off the road by a person talking on the cell phone, but I have been almost killed by a person talking to the person next to them and not paying attention to the stoplights and running them. I have used my cell since 1995 and never had an accident or run anyone off the road during that time.
Maybe it depends on your intellectual abilities.
In Australia they ARE banned with a heafty fine, especially in a 40km school zone.
I should probably also mention that my salesman friend has been doing business in his car with his cellphone for at least the past 20 years, and has never been in an accident for that or any other reason. It may be because he follows one simple rule, he keeps his eyes on the road.
Anybody who takes their eyes off the road for any reason, including distractions like cellphones or smoking or eating and drinking, but also people with unruly kids, having arguments, what have you, ALL of those people are dangerous and I would bet money their accident rate is just as high.
I think the problem is people driving without making being focused and keeping their eyes on the road their first priority, if you do that, you will almost always see it coming (not that you can always get out of it if you do see it coming, but you have a better chance).
I had a minor accident in a parking lot at 15 mph (my sunglasses broke and I am very sensitive so sunlight so I was pulling into a mall to buy a new pair when it happened because I was blinded by the sun), but other than that I have avoided accidents (I could not avoid when I was rear-ended obviously) but I have avoided other accidents where I could have been hit by bad drivers and was able to maneuver to get out of their path.
I think it is because I am just like my salesman friend, I keep my eyes on the road, and if I am on the cellphone (which is not often) I am still watching the road and will put it down any time I need to. Ditto for taking a sip of a drink, changing a CD or whatever, and I do think those things are just as distracting IF you allow them to take your focus off the road.
Any driver who does not keep their focus on the road and allows their attention to be diverted for any reason is dangerous. If you are behind the wheel, keep your eyes on the road and always watch where you are going.