Community Chat

[sidsmom]

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@Plaid Pants2 wrote:

One of my favorite tv shows is "Myth Busters", and recently they tested to see if talking on a hand free phone was safer than talking on a cell phone that you hold while driving. They had thirty people in a simulator, fifteen drove while talking on a hand held phone, and fifteen drove while talking on a hands free phone. They found that talking on a hands free phone is just as distracting as talking on a hand held phone.

But one can be alone in a car, radio off, and the driver can have their mind on other things. I think if we're honest with ourselves, almost all of us have conversed with our passengers as we drove, and thought about stuff as we were driving. It's almost impossible to not be distracted in some way shape or form while driving. 

I mean, if there is road work going on, you have to read the signs to know what lane to be in, etc. Those signs are a distraction. You are taking your eyes off of the road in order to read them. 

My point is, there will always be distractions while driving, and to avoid all of them is impossible. People are going to drink their coffee or water when they drive. People are going to converse with their passengers. It is unrealistic to expect there to be NO distractions while we drive. Even glancing at your spedometer to make sure that you're not accidentally speeding is a distraction. 

So while we can try to limit the number of distractions, we can't eliminate all of them completely. That's just not realistic.

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Just this week, a beer truck tipped over because the driver had a loose dog in his cab.  Any distraction, any time, has the possibility for tragic results.

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/traffic/2015/08/11/dog-causes-budweiser-beer-truck-crash-sb--75/31455...

[Plaid Pants2]

I think it should be illegal to have children, or any passengers in your car while you drive.

They can be a distraction, and might cause an accident.

I think that we should remove ALL road signs, because it's a distraction to read them, and that might cause an accident.

All vehicles should have their spedometers removed as well, because glancing at it, is a distraction and might cause an accident.

While we are at it, we need to get rid of the mirrors too, because they too are distractions, and glancing at them can cause an accident.

In fact, we'll get rif of everything that has a button or knob. Those things can be so distracting, and could lead to an accident.

So what if you're hot in summer, cold and/or wet in winter?

At least you don't have those pesky things to distract you from your driving, that can cause an accident, right?

Who needs to be warm/cold/dry?

We'll implant thought chips in to people's minds, so we can tell if they are paying 100% attention to the road, or are thinking about what's for dinner, and if their mind isn't 100% on the road, if it thinks about anything else, even for a second, we'll fine them $1 million dollars.

That should eliminate a lot of the distractions that can lead to accidents! :-)

[newziesuzie]

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kdgn wrote:

I've seen this ad several times, cable provider is TWC. It's a stunner-and well done.

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I've seen it a lot on our Comcast stations @kdgn. 

Stunner's a good description for it.

[newziesuzie]

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Tinkrbl44 wrote:

I'm sorry, but, for the life of me, I cannot believe anyone would be stupid enough to text while driving ..... it's like trying to watch TV while driving!!!   

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I know @Tinkrbl44!  It's pure stupidity

or maybe arrogance.

[newziesuzie]

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dmod wrote:

Another one I saw this morning.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLk_dCtwJsY&feature=youtu.be&list=PL1dP2IhCZzs3dadteZ9ZeiA1ZYyTxB5cz

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Powerful.

Thanks for sharing it @dmod nj.

[newziesuzie]

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Allegheny wrote:
newziesuzie, The video you linked has shown in my area. It really is riveting and needs to be broadcast more frequently. I don't use my cell phone when driving, but the realism of this video is exceptional. I don't know how anyone seeing it wouldn't stop and rethink about texting while driving.

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@Allegheny ITA!

[newziesuzie]

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sidsmom wrote:

These commercials need to be seen.  I totally understand that.

What I don't understand is why these Corporate Service Announcements (ATT) only focus solely on "Texting".

I wish they would say, "DISTRACTED and Driving Cautionary Video".

Much akin to the 'guns don't kill, people do" adage, it's silly to focus on just one of the zillion of distractions we have when driving.  It's not texting that's causing the accident....it's the distraction. 

Even if the phone was in the back seat, distractions..or even a glance could be one of anything, 

-) looking at the radio,

-) checking on the baby,

-) picking up a dropped tube of mascara,

-) dropping a cigarette,

-) eating in the car,

-) looking at a map,

-) or even as illustrated in many comedies, men looking at a pretty girl walking down the street causing an accident!

Of course, the King of distractions is and will always be Alcohol & Drunk driving, but alcohol will always be separated w/ the statistics because it can be legally governed.   I can't be arrested for looking at a map.

There has to be a reason why texting is separated....follow the money trail. 

DISTRACTED and Driving....that's the key.

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GREAT post @sidsmom.

I don't want them to stop teaching about texting 

and driving but yes it would help if they would

also stress all of distracted driving.

[newziesuzie]

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Plaid Pants2 wrote:

One of my favorite tv shows is "Myth Busters", and recently they tested to see if talking on a hand free phone was safer than talking on a cell phone that you hold while driving. They had thirty people in a simulator, fifteen drove while talking on a hand held phone, and fifteen drove while talking on a hands free phone. They found that talking on a hands free phone is just as distracting as talking on a hand held phone.

But one can be alone in a car, radio off, and the driver can have their mind on other things. I think if we're honest with ourselves, almost all of us have conversed with our passengers as we drove, and thought about stuff as we were driving. It's almost impossible to not be distracted in some way shape or form while driving. 

I mean, if there is road work going on, you have to read the signs to know what lane to be in, etc. Those signs are a distraction. You are taking your eyes off of the road in order to read them. 

My point is, there will always be distractions while driving, and to avoid all of them is impossible. People are going to drink their coffee or water when they drive. People are going to converse with their passengers. It is unrealistic to expect there to be NO distractions while we drive. Even glancing at your spedometer to make sure that you're not accidentally speeding is a distraction. 

So while we can try to limit the number of distractions, we can't eliminate all of them completely. That's just not realistic.

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Plaid Pants2 wrote:

One of my favorite tv shows is "Myth Busters", and recently they tested to see if talking on a hand free phone was safer than talking on a cell phone that you hold while driving. They had thirty people in a simulator, fifteen drove while talking on a hand held phone, and fifteen drove while talking on a hands free phone. They found that talking on a hands free phone is just as distracting as talking on a hand held phone.

But one can be alone in a car, radio off, and the driver can have their mind on other things. I think if we're honest with ourselves, almost all of us have conversed with our passengers as we drove, and thought about stuff as we were driving. It's almost impossible to not be distracted in some way shape or form while driving. 

I mean, if there is road work going on, you have to read the signs to know what lane to be in, etc. Those signs are a distraction. You are taking your eyes off of the road in order to read them. 

My point is, there will always be distractions while driving, and to avoid all of them is impossible. People are going to drink their coffee or water when they drive. People are going to converse with their passengers. It is unrealistic to expect there to be NO distractions while we drive. Even glancing at your spedometer to make sure that you're not accidentally speeding is a distraction. 

So while we can try to limit the number of distractions, we can't eliminate all of them completely. That's just not realistic.

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That's interesting @Plaid Pants2.

Myth Busters is great.

The more we know about distracted driving

the better imho.

[newziesuzie]

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hckynutjohn wrote:

If a person ain't got enough smarts(common sense) to understand these dangers? They should not be given the "PRIVILEGE" to operate any motor vehicle, and if they do? Read my next paragraph.

Kick the penalty up to 5 figures of $$$$ and 1 year in the State Prison on 1st offense. Do it again? Everything doubles and no "plead out deals", period.

Unfortunately many human beings need a "wake up call", and I would prefer waking them before they maim someone(s) life/lives, or kill them. But like many laws, wait till after the fact, because "it's such a harmless crime" to drive and text.  SURE IT IS!

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ITA @hckynutjohn!

[newziesuzie]

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sidsmom wrote:

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Plaid Pants2 wrote:

One of my favorite tv shows is "Myth Busters", and recently they tested to see if talking on a hand free phone was safer than talking on a cell phone that you hold while driving. They had thirty people in a simulator, fifteen drove while talking on a hand held phone, and fifteen drove while talking on a hands free phone. They found that talking on a hands free phone is just as distracting as talking on a hand held phone.

But one can be alone in a car, radio off, and the driver can have their mind on other things. I think if we're honest with ourselves, almost all of us have conversed with our passengers as we drove, and thought about stuff as we were driving. It's almost impossible to not be distracted in some way shape or form while driving. 

I mean, if there is road work going on, you have to read the signs to know what lane to be in, etc. Those signs are a distraction. You are taking your eyes off of the road in order to read them. 

My point is, there will always be distractions while driving, and to avoid all of them is impossible. People are going to drink their coffee or water when they drive. People are going to converse with their passengers. It is unrealistic to expect there to be NO distractions while we drive. Even glancing at your spedometer to make sure that you're not accidentally speeding is a distraction. 

So while we can try to limit the number of distractions, we can't eliminate all of them completely. That's just not realistic.

---

Just this week, a beer truck tipped over because the driver had a loose dog in his cab.  Any distraction, any time, has the possibility for tragic results.

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/traffic/2015/08/11/dog-causes-budweiser-beer-truck-crash-sb--75/31455...

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How sad @sidsmom goes to show people need to

take driving more seriously.