General Discussion

Silent3

(15,909 posts)

34. Distractions are not all equal

Wed Sep 19, 2012, 10:59 AM

Sep 2012

Texting takes way more attention away from the road than looking for a radio station, which can mostly be done by ear and requires very little concentration.

Putting on making up or writing a note... those are probably up there with texting, and yes, I'd call those things pretty stupid to be doing while driving too.

Frequency of distractions matters too. If you just can't put the phone down and you're texting fairly often, you're not just a stupid and dangerous driver, you have an over-inflated sense of the importance of other people immediately getting your messages.

It's a false dichotomy to act like that there's only 10-and-2, eyes steadily forward driving on one hand, and all distracted driving on the other.

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How dumb do you have to be to text while driving? [View all] Philosoraptor Sep 2012 OP

Or smoke a cig, or put on makeup, etc. Logical Sep 2012 #1

Want to explain the smoking one to me? harmonicon Sep 2012 #39

I have seen people nearly oldbanjo Sep 2012 #43

I haven't. harmonicon Sep 2012 #114

If you have to fumble around to get a cig out of a pack, then somehow light it while driving, Arugula Latte Sep 2012 #70

Yup. I've been in the car when the entire cigarette fell and caused absolute chaos... Drunken Irishman Sep 2012 #103

I've never found it to be a distraction. harmonicon Sep 2012 #115

Texting on a motorcycle in traffic - Look ma, no hands Submariner Sep 2012 #41

That's not a motorcycle, that's a donorcycle. progressoid Sep 2012 #110

And yet we see it all the time. Here's what could happen (hopefully not) CurtEastPoint Sep 2012 #2

My adult daughter does occasionally left is right Sep 2012 #23

Yo, that is wicked awesome! WinkyDink Sep 2012 #99

About one in three American teenagers dumb. n/t porphyrian Sep 2012 #3

How dumb do you have to be to drink while driving? Blue_Tires Sep 2012 #4

Alcoholism is a serious addiction. Texting is not. Major Nikon Sep 2012 #30

Alcoholics aren't the only ones who drink and drive. lapislzi Sep 2012 #81

Dumb, but at least they are looking at the road we can do it Sep 2012 #95

Except texting must perforce remove hands from wheel and eyes from road. WinkyDink Sep 2012 #101

When I first heard this being discussed as a problem I was floored. drm604 Sep 2012 #5

Hundreds of people are killed each year due to drunk driving. Selatius Sep 2012 #11

Yes, but drinking impairs your reasoning so that you don't realize that you shouldn't be driving. drm604 Sep 2012 #73

Yep. They "misjudge" ... 99Forever Sep 2012 #91

Yep. drm604 Sep 2012 #96

Absolutely agree. n/t susanna Sep 2012 #118

I saw a man driving to work with a newspaper laying across oldbanjo Sep 2012 #46

I was going to say the same thing deutsey Sep 2012 #65

Sure, but it's not a common thing, is it? Only a small number of fools do such a thing. drm604 Sep 2012 #74

I'm posting on DU while driv.....aaaarggghh! (crash) scheming daemons Sep 2012 #6

ROTFLMAO.........aaaAAARRRGGGHHH! Philosoraptor Sep 2012 #7

No kidding jsr Sep 2012 #8

There's a roadside memorial cross near me. trof Sep 2012 #9

I see it all the time, some fool looking down at his/her lap joeybee12 Sep 2012 #10

It's hard. You have to be pretty smart. n/t cherokeeprogressive Sep 2012 #12

No, you have to be pretty stupid. drm604 Sep 2012 #77

Gee, did I forget the sarcasm thingy again? cherokeeprogressive Sep 2012 #88

... petronius Sep 2012 #116

About a month ago, me and a friend were driving our children to the zoo. Butterbean Sep 2012 #13

I have done it, sorta unc70 Sep 2012 #14

I don't have Siri, maybe that could be the solution? treestar Sep 2012 #21

Siri only partial solution unc70 Sep 2012 #72

The solution is not trying to use a phone when you're driving. drm604 Sep 2012 #78

The Bluetooth seems to work all right treestar Sep 2012 #98

Studies have shown that even handsfree is too distracting and interferes with your ability to drive. drm604 Sep 2012 #100

Texting while driving is twice as dangerous as driving drunk KurtNYC Sep 2012 #15

Texting while "drunk af" and driving at 120 mph is ??? as dangerous: Five dead in one crash: Bernardo de La Paz Sep 2012 #27

Large amounts. Iggo Sep 2012 #16

Add those crossing pedestrian crossing and texting at the same time malaise Sep 2012 #17

In the past year or so, 3 ppl have stepped out in front of me kenny blankenship Sep 2012 #61

What troubles me is that one of them will hit my car malaise Sep 2012 #111

The other day I saw this girl walking in the Walmart parking lot, texting laundry_queen Sep 2012 #93

It's freaking crazy malaise Sep 2012 #112

I see it all the time on the way home from work. Javaman Sep 2012 #18

Teens for some reason believe in texting rather than using the phone treestar Sep 2012 #19

The inability to ignore a phone message is not cultural conditioning. enlightenment Sep 2012 #56

Maybe I am old-fashioned, I have always been a slow adopter and I'm not even that old. smirkymonkey Sep 2012 #113

The really sad thing is that... Whiskeytide Sep 2012 #20

It's not hard to tell though. laundry_queen Sep 2012 #94

If innocents didn't die, I'd think of it as evolution in action. n/t GoneOffShore Sep 2012 #22

That's why those who want to text while driving should be limited to bikes and mopeds Major Nikon Sep 2012 #35

About as dumb as you have to be to vote Republican. Nt nichomachus Sep 2012 #24

I bet that most people have done that Stuckinthebush Sep 2012 #25

I agree with that! randome Sep 2012 #31

Distractions are not all equal Silent3 Sep 2012 #34

I contend that any distraction is a distraction Stuckinthebush Sep 2012 #57

I contend that any fine is a fine... Silent3 Sep 2012 #80

They. Are. Dumb. For. Doing. It. Iggo Sep 2012 #36

Cute Stuckinthebush Sep 2012 #58

Texting while driving is dumb to do, yes. Iggo Sep 2012 #64

I pull off the road to dial a number oldbanjo Sep 2012 #50

Indeed Stuckinthebush Sep 2012 #59

0 tolerance for people doing something that stupid while I'm riding. EnviroBat Sep 2012 #26

When I was younger, I'd ride my bicycle straight into a car that cut me off and stopped. Iggo Sep 2012 #37

I saw a guy in a BMW texting while doing 85 on the NJ Turnpike Patiod Sep 2012 #28

I think soon there will a nationwide campaign to encourage drivers to call 911 KurtNYC Sep 2012 #33

Texting while driving while smoking a cigarette liberal N proud Sep 2012 #29

I've been driving for 3 decades LittleGirl Sep 2012 #32

That's why some of the newer smart phones let glowing Sep 2012 #38

It's possible to not respond marions ghost Sep 2012 #44

+1. People know I won't pick up while I'm driving, and adjust their expectations accordingly. n/t gkhouston Sep 2012 #62

Sure and they can always leave a message so you can marions ghost Sep 2012 #119

I think of it about like listening to music and singing along to it. glowing Sep 2012 #108

I think it's a big mistake to cater to expectations of IMMEDIATE responses... Silent3 Sep 2012 #109

Dumb is not the word, it's more like stupidity. demosincebirth Sep 2012 #40

Dumb enough to think you're indestructible. Tierra_y_Libertad Sep 2012 #42

Now when I see slowing or slight swerving I stay back or get away flamingdem Sep 2012 #45

I am so old fashioned Smilo Sep 2012 #47

Somewhere between Sack of Hammers dumb and Box of Rocks dumb slackmaster Sep 2012 #48

We ain't seen nothing yet Hutzpa Sep 2012 #49

Palin stupid. hifiguy Sep 2012 #51

IMHO it's not about being "dumb". It's about not giving a damn about anyone but yourself. These kestrel91316 Sep 2012 #52

+1,000,000^^^^^ catchnrelease Sep 2012 #117

It's not just texting. bigwillq Sep 2012 #53

Somebody told me once, "Everybody thinks they're the exception." And raccoon Sep 2012 #54

I see people doing it CONSTANTLY.... mike_c Sep 2012 #55

Watched a truck/horse trailer constantly veering off the left side of the road on the highway TwilightGardener Sep 2012 #60

I see people doing it all the time guardian Sep 2012 #63

I see people texting, reading while driving Liberal_in_LA Sep 2012 #66

A long time ago, in a different life... randome Sep 2012 #79

I see shaving sometimes, guys running electrical shavers over their faces Liberal_in_LA Sep 2012 #86

to be fair, is it really that much different than garybeck Sep 2012 #67

Or thinking very deeply about something. randome Sep 2012 #68

Then heaven forfend we try to prevent ANY accidents. WinkyDink Sep 2012 #105

Not my point at all. I just don't think calling people 'dumb' is productive. randome Sep 2012 #106

I think it's a whole lot different. Robb Sep 2012 #71

That first time could have been the last time. randome Sep 2012 #75

I'm willing to compromise and call it a dumb mistake. Robb Sep 2012 #90

GPS/stereo are placed to enable the viewing of the road. The last is plain WinkyDink Sep 2012 #104

Dumb enough to have a fair percentage of qualifying for a Darwin. hobbit709 Sep 2012 #69

Bumper Sticker I've seen... maveric56 Sep 2012 #76

What the hell is it with constant texting anyway? drm604 Sep 2012 #82

I think texting is worse than other distractions people have mentioned gollygee Sep 2012 #83

+100 librechik Sep 2012 #85

As a parent of 3 teens Sheepshank Sep 2012 #84

Driving my 18 wheeler I've seen it all! Hell I B Calm Sep 2012 #87

Who u calin dummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm;okg;fgkfge'rgl'g benld74 Sep 2012 #89

About as dumb enough to vote for Mitt Romney LynneSin Sep 2012 #92

True drm604 Sep 2012 #97

As a Boston commuter... Rider3 Sep 2012 #102

My uncle used to haul petroleum out of White Fuel in Revere Mopar151 Sep 2012 #121

I'm tired of this hysteria over texting. Daemonaquila Sep 2012 #107

What age group do you think dies the most while texting? WinkyDink Sep 2012 #120

Dumb enough to think you can handle it, no problem. n./t Mopar151 Sep 2012 #122