Mobiles whilst driving, what's worse, Talking or Reading..?

[John K]

Accepting that I am not important enough or popular enough to be wedded to my phone, which means it goes in my pocket and stays there whilst I'm driving, I was wondering what the forum thought of the following...

On the way to the dentist this morning I spent 15 minutes in a slow moving traffic jam watching a 'yoof' in a small car behind me who spent the entire journey looking down at his phone. And I spent the entire journey with my shoulder blades almost meeting, expecting a rear end bump at any time. Ironically I was having to keep a massive gap to the car in front so I didn't run into him whilst looking behind me.

So accepting using a mobile phone in anyway when driving is not good, what is worse, talking on one or reading / typing on one (as in anti-social media)..?

I actually think talking is the lesser of two evils as you can look out the window whilst talking, sure you are distracted, but compared to distracted AND not looking..?

Actually thinking of getting a cheap lo-res dash cam and pointing it out the back to prepare for the inevitable...

[AdamR]

Reading, absolutely. As you said, you lose two of your important driving-related senses rather than just one.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

It always fascinates me and intrigues me how badly holding a conversation on the 'phone does in "tests".

The very format/protocol of the test themselves, when you see one either filmed or documented, seems set up to give a high number of fails and to portray phone use in the worst light possible.

Just to be clear here, I'm talking about strictly hands free use, and solely the conversation part of a phone call, not dialling etc.

The way the test is conducted just does not match the way I use the phone, or the way anyone I've been a passenger with, uses the phone. But I admit thats way to small a group to draw much conclusion from!!

Essentially, if I'm on the phone while driving, I let the other person know right at the start, so that they know I'm not concentrating on the phone conversation, and I will immediately stop speaking and focus solely on the road, if necessary, to maneuver, deal with more traffic, navigate etc. I'll then just apologise to the caller and tell them I missed that bit, can they repeat it. If they have any key information for me, that it's vital I have, I'll ask them to just fire me over a text or email I can read once I've stopped driving. But at no time do I let the phone conversation hog more concentration than the road.

Whereas, practically every test that I've seen seems to use some combination of cognitive tests such as repeating back information in a specific way, or mental arithmetic etc and the test subjects seem to be completely prevented from switching focus back to driving at any time. Surely it can't just be me that thinks this is very unrealistic?

[DonPeffers]

Police catch 8,000 drivers using mobile phones in a week long campaign.  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-mobile-phones-driving-crackdown-47-an-hour-a7540901.html

With the ever increasing 'in car infotainment' likely to cause ever more driver distraction perhaps most of the public do need a driverless car so they can get on with the important things like social media.

[Captain Colonial]

Most phones have accelerometers or GPS trackers built in.  An app or software setting should be installed on all phones that stops owners from making or receiving calls, or from using any function that requires touch pad input, if the phone is moving faster than 5 mph.  Yes, I'm aware that would stop passengers using their phones as well as drivers, but it would also stop people using their phones on the trains and driving everyone crazy.

/nice to dream, isn't it?

[chris parkin]

2 minutes ago, Scott Young - WSCC Chairman said:

Most phones have accelerometers or GPS trackers built in.  An app or software setting should be installed on all phones that stops owners from making or receiving calls, or from using any function that requires touch pad input, if the phone is moving faster than 5 mph.  Yes, I'm aware that would stop passengers using their phones as well as drivers, but it would also stop people using their phones on the trains and driving everyone crazy.

/nice to dream, isn't it?

Only slightly related, but the Waze navigation app (which I would fully recommend to everyone as a free, community based phone sat nav) does exactly that. It detects you are travelling so when you try to type into the search bar it won't let you......until you press the button that says you're a passenger and then anything goes! Nice little feature to try and avoid using it whilst driving and the voice recognition side of it is pretty decent.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Legislation has to be framed to suit the lowest common denominator. Some may be able to carry on conversations (hands free or not) simultaneously with driving, but most cannot. IMO it is the talking that steals the attention, not holding the handset. As for texting and emailing, that is an order of magnitude worse even than talking. I may be a unicellular driver but when conditions get trying I even switch off the radio so that I can use every bit of concentration on driving. My tin-top, like so many others, has a touch screen information centre and in order to change radio channel, alter temperature, or whatever, I have to look at it because unlike real buttons, it cannot done by touch alone. Fortunately there is also what is euphemistically known as 'Jaguar Voice' which will do most of these things on voice command. Provided, that is, you're not doing seventy and the background noise isn't too high! An amusing party trick is to press the Voice button and shout "HELP!". After a discreet delay a very refined gentleman's voice will quietly say "Help" back to me. If I don't cancel it, the voice then goes on to list the various options of the help function. Oh, and constantly looking for speed cameras on unfamiliar roads where limit repeater signs are thin on the ground takes up yet more brain cells.

[XTR2Turbo]

5 hours ago, Scott Young - WSCC Chairman said:

Most phones have accelerometers or GPS trackers built in.  An app or software setting should be installed on all phones that stops owners from making or receiving calls, or from using any function that requires touch pad input, if the phone is moving faster than 5 mph.  Yes, I'm aware that would stop passengers using their phones as well as drivers, but it would also stop people using their phones on the trains and driving everyone crazy.

/nice to dream, isn't it?

There is I understand a system like this in Australia.  Most under 25s won't get insurance unless the phone has it installed.

[pistonbroke]

should also be a ban on "back seat mother in law's"   

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Bernie! Glad to see you're still around! I saw a thread title that suggested you weren't...

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

Well having been a naughty boy in the past and txt and talked on a phone whilst holding them and also these days NOT doing that but do use a handsfree built into the car, I feel I might be able to make a relevant comment.

Worse by far is TXTing, totally lose concentration for far too long.

2nd is Holding the phone whilst having a conversation.

3rd is talking using the built in car stuff, which personally I find fine and very little distraction.

[Thrustyjust]

People on phones is cars are just plain selfish. Most phone conversations , which happen in cars , are just not urgent. I went to a party in October and a lady was there with her young children. My wife said that her husband was killed a few months back in Basingstoke , as the van driver mowed him down, while riding his road bike. The driver was allegedly talking about walking his dog or something.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-37283994

My neighbour is a womble and had to face the scene last summer with the A34 massacre. It still haunts him now. He still wants to talk to me about it. Hardest thing he said was seeing a childs hand limp in the back of the car. A scene that most people have seen what was left of the families car. 10 years isnt enough for what the lorry driver did. 

Albeit , I have seen a Sainsburys articulated lorry , with the driver pouring a hot kettle , while doing 50 mph round a corner, so all of these things ought to be banned. Sadly I didnt get his reg number , as I looked to see if I could complaint to Sainsburys as they must track their vehicles , but couldnt find where on their website.

On Xmas eve, I took the kids to see Star Wars . We were early for the screen showing, so we waited in the lounge area, which is on the first floor looking out over the main road in Newbury. In 10 mins, I saw at least a dozen people fiddling with phones, texting and not really dealing with driving. 

M4 one morning, outside lane, woman in front doing her eye make up at 70 mph. M4 same area, breakfast bowl in a womans steering wheel , with cereal in it.......

To cure all this selfish and dangerous acts is going to need more than 6 points and a bigger fine, which is being introduced soon. 

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

12 hours ago, Thrustyjust said:

People on phones is cars are just plain selfish. Most phone conversations , which happen in cars , are just not urgent. I went to a party in October and a lady was there with her young children. My wife said that her husband was killed a few months back in Basingstoke , as the van driver mowed him down, while riding his road bike. The driver was allegedly talking about walking his dog or something.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-37283994

My neighbour is a womble and had to face the scene last summer with the A34 massacre. It still haunts him now. He still wants to talk to me about it. Hardest thing he said was seeing a childs hand limp in the back of the car. A scene that most people have seen what was left of the families car. 10 years isnt enough for what the lorry driver did. 

Albeit , I have seen a Sainsburys articulated lorry , with the driver pouring a hot kettle , while doing 50 mph round a corner, so all of these things ought to be banned. Sadly I didnt get his reg number , as I looked to see if I could complaint to Sainsburys as they must track their vehicles , but couldnt find where on their website.

On Xmas eve, I took the kids to see Star Wars . We were early for the screen showing, so we waited in the lounge area, which is on the first floor looking out over the main road in Newbury. In 10 mins, I saw at least a dozen people fiddling with phones, texting and not really dealing with driving. 

M4 one morning, outside lane, woman in front doing her eye make up at 70 mph. M4 same area, breakfast bowl in a womans steering wheel , with cereal in it.......

To cure all this selfish and dangerous acts is going to need more than 6 points and a bigger fine, which is being introduced soon. 

I have seen the woman with eye makeup being applied too. She was in a 3 Series in lane four on the clockwise M25 near J17 in the morning peak at much more than seventy. I followed a woman only yesterday who was dilly dallying along an single carriageway (NSL) at forty and she was looking in her mirror fluffing her damned hair with her fingers. This road is an ambulance Red Route and ambulances come along at speed and need assistance from drivers to make progress. She wasn't even looking where she was going let alone being aware of the traffic around her. Driving always needs your full attention, not just sometimes!

[Northwarks]

Texting/reading by far the most dangerous hands free or not as you take concentration away from the road, tech exists now to stop the use but it just wouldn't be popular, would kill new phone sales. Then how far do we go, stop just calls or shut off data and voice when above 5mph? Would scupper Apple Car Play for sat nav etc - Especially as companies finally getting onboard with CarPlay.

It needs a change in mentality/behaviour not just the driver BUT the person on the other end, they should hang up if they know they are driving so not keeping the conversation going. 

As pointed out above driving needs 100% focus for defensive driving, that said receiving a phone call, answering it hands free and then talking hands free isn't much different to talking with a passenger, I know those demo's prove different but playing devils advocate we can't ban talking with passengers or shouty kids in the car ... then theres barks dogs.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

1 hour ago, Northwarks said:

Texting/reading by far the most dangerous hands free or not as you take concentration away from the road, tech exists now to stop the use but it just wouldn't be popular, would kill new phone sales. Then how far do we go, stop just calls or shut off data and voice when above 5mph? Would scupper Apple Car Play for sat nav etc - Especially as companies finally getting onboard with CarPlay.

It needs a change in mentality/behaviour not just the driver BUT the person on the other end, they should hang up if they know they are driving so not keeping the conversation going. 

As pointed out above driving needs 100% focus for defensive driving, that said receiving a phone call, answering it hands free and then talking hands free isn't much different to talking with a passenger, I know those demo's prove different but playing devils advocate we can't ban talking with passengers or shouty kids in the car ... then theres barks dogs.

The major difference between talking to a passenger (which I try to keep to a minimum anyway - no deep philosophical stuff thanks!) and holding a hands-free (or hands-on) 'phone conversation is the ability of the other party to see what is diverting your attention and to make allowances. Holding a handset is arguably less dangerous than holding a piece of smouldering paper and vegetable matter in your hand. Drop that in your lap and your attention WILL be diverted! In the bad old days when I used to smoke, a cigarette stuck to my lip and my fingers slid along the length of it and pulled the smouldering lighted end off straight into that dark space under my crotch on the seat! Luckily I was in an alleyway approaching my garage and was able to stop very quickly and jump out. The neighbours (any who survive) may still be wondering who that lunatic might be who was leaping about bashing himself in the goolies.