Eliminating driver texting

[Peter Polack]

Driverless cars is where this whole thing goes. ... 'multi-task'.
-g

The big hurdle facing the concept of driver-less cars is, who's now responsible when there's an accident? The car company? Google?

Re: multi-tasking- In the book I recommend above, the myth that people can multi-task is debunked. Also, another interesting thing happens when you text/use your cellphone while driving. During the call, you lose what's called, situational awareness. That's why drivers will miss their exit when on the phone, for example. The interesting thing is, the driver doesn't recover their situational awareness until 10-15 seconds AFTER terminating the call/text. Hence that "drunk driving equivalent" lingers after the text is sent.

It's not just the ACT of texting/cellphone use that's bad, it's what the brain is doing at the same time that's just as dangerous.

[ron l edmiston]

--- where did or has good ole "common sense" go or been hiding..
no law/s required or enforcement of..

please reveal/unveil yourself & come forth with a smile..,

ronnie

[Too Tall]

Cars are too d@mn easy to operate. Degradation began when they invented the key start. Been downhill ever since than.

[boxerboxer]

--- where did or has good ole "common sense" go or been hiding..
no law/s required or enforcement of..

please reveal/unveil yourself & come forth with a smile..,

ronnie

Regarding this and also what Sachs was saying - you're exactly right about the problem and exactly wrong about the solution. This is only one of about a million problems that result from poor self control, ignorance, apathy, etc, and bout 999990 of them already existed a couple decades ago. You're never going to have a society in which everyone takes the proper amount of care for themselves and others. It's a nice thought, sure, but it won't happen. That's why we have things like laws, which strike a balance between personal liberty and collective safety and well being.

That doesn't mean don't attempt self control, or don't try to teach others to exercise it. It just means that getting up on a high horse about self control and just expecting people to somehow line up behind you isn't a viable solution to any problem.

[jclay]

We had this fight in Tallahassee too. The phone lobby is really strong. I have a pal who does lobby work for the space industry look into what was happening behind the scenes and it was the cellular firms. They gutted the texting bill. His only recommendation for how to top those guys would be to enlist the help of MADD and the Tourism industry.

On a national level, now that the economy is better the automakers probably would like to sell and up charge new required technology.

Thanks Jonathan. Now I know where my next letter goes.

[marley]

Cars are too d@mn easy to operate. Degradation began when they invented the key start. Been downhill ever since than.

Started with power steering and automatics - don't even get me started on the the back up cameras....to lazy to turn your head and use a mirror- we can solve that...

My mistake I thought you were talking about the push button starters, not the old crank

[GrantM]

The big hurdle facing the concept of driver-less cars is, who's now responsible when there's an accident? The car company? Google?

It won't be that big a hurdle.

The cost savings will be billions to the insurance companies, they'll be lobbying for it, as will all the car companies
who will be smelling trillions of dollars in car sales. The shift will be tectonic, no less than the one created by the auto.


-g

[suhacycles]

Since money and dopamine seem to take center stage over common sense, I bet some insurance company has an opportunity to create a win-win situation out of this with a little techy fire-against-fire. How about this:

1) Develop an app for the phone that communicates with a device in the car telling it that you're in motion.
2) The app records whether or not texting occurs while in motion.
3) Installing the app is voluntary. Insurance company says you install this app and go accident free for a year we drop your premium by 30% or whatever amount is appealing enough. Go another year without incident, another drop.
4) Don't install it and no penalty...unless you get into an accident and the app records texting while driving, then guess how much your premium goes up by?
5) Which ever company thinks of this first ends up getting more customers who give a crap (and may have safer driving histories anyway) and business is good.

Whadaya think? Anybody here work for State Farm? GEICO? =)

-HS

[Mike Mcdermid]

wether its in a car or not is a moot point as two of the biggest automotive consulatancies in the world pointed out using independant tests people are habitually now connected to the device and its a comfort blanket It matters not wether its even working or not

[Peter Polack]

Since money and dopamine seem to take center stage over common sense, I bet some insurance company has an opportunity to create a win-win situation out of this with a little techy fire-against-fire. How about this:

1) Develop an app for the phone that communicates with a device in the car telling it that you're in motion.
2) The app records whether or not texting occurs while in motion.
3) Installing the app is voluntary. Insurance company says you install this app and go accident free for a year we drop your premium by 30% or whatever amount is appealing enough. Go another year without incident, another drop.
4) Don't install it and no penalty...unless you get into an accident and the app records texting while driving, then guess how much your premium goes up by?
5) Which ever company thinks of this first ends up getting more customers who give a crap (and may have safer driving histories anyway) and business is good.

Whadaya think? Anybody here work for State Farm? GEICO? =)

-HS

Will this work? The question is, is the allure of saving money on the insurance premium more powerful than the addiction to the phone? I think only those that already have their temptation under control will take advantage of the offer. Few that are already addicted will participate.

[nahtnoj]

Sounds pretty stupid to me atmo. One can't wait until the trip is over to resume communicating, no matter the technology?

Have you ever had a commute?

Grant nails it - people who are wasting hours a day driving to and from work are looking for ways to claw back some of that time.

Driving is something most people do way too much of.

[bgav]

Since money and dopamine seem to take center stage over common sense, I bet some insurance company has an opportunity to create a win-win situation out of this with a little techy fire-against-fire. How about this:

1) Develop an app for the phone that communicates with a device in the car telling it that you're in motion.
2) The app records whether or not texting occurs while in motion.
3) Installing the app is voluntary. Insurance company says you install this app and go accident free for a year we drop your premium by 30% or whatever amount is appealing enough. Go another year without incident, another drop.
4) Don't install it and no penalty...unless you get into an accident and the app records texting while driving, then guess how much your premium goes up by?
5) Which ever company thinks of this first ends up getting more customers who give a crap (and may have safer driving histories anyway) and business is good.

Whadaya think? Anybody here work for State Farm? GEICO? =)

-HS

I think you're onto something there. Just need some gamification too. Any iOS developers out there lol?

[e-RICHIE]

Have you ever had a commute?

Grant nails it - people who are wasting hours a day driving to and from work are looking for ways to claw back some of that time.

Driving is something most people do way too much of.

No. I've never had a commute in my life. But I do have self control atmo.

[GrantM]

No. I've never had a commute in my life.

Hey, it's a long way from the kitchen to the workshop in winter!

But seriously though, for much of human history, your kind of commute was the normal one.
With lower gas prices, expect more driving and more texting.

-g

[e-RICHIE]

Hey, it's a long way from the kitchen to the workshop in winter!

But seriously though, for much of human history, your kind of commute was the normal one.
With lower gas prices, expect more driving and more texting.

It's not my problem.
Lotsa' reasonable solutions.
But if you're in a car, get off the phone.
No middle ground atmo.

[GrantM]

But if you're in a car, get off the phone.

Agreed. But i don't see it happening.
At least until the Wall-E approved hover-chair arrives.

-g

[devlin]

They have a law in Australia which prohibits even touching a handset while in control of a motorvehicle, it even applies to cyclist. If you follow the strict letter you have to be stopped with the hand brake on and engine off. You still see at least 1 in 5 while driving using and at least 1in 2 as soon as they pull up to the lights. Until the punishment is severe there will be no change.

[Mark Walberg]

.....The "problem" with driving is that it's a total waste of the driver's time,......

Well, there is some driving that is a lot of fun.

A Honda S2000 driver.

[Sbti]

In Vancouver they passed a "distracted driver" law which has pretty serious fines associated with getting caught talking or texting on your phone here. It seems to have worked, now the only people I see talking or texting on their phones while driving are cops....

But LEOs NEVER drive distracted.

[boydcycling]

They passed a law here in Greenville that you weren't even allowed to talk on your phone in the car and no texting as well. For the first week, everybody went crazy about it. They even gave a ticket to a cyclist who was sending a text message while riding.

Then it just sort of faded away. I haven't heard anything about it in a long time, but see people at every intersection or driving down every road texting.

Supposedly BMW is working on a system of keys on the back of the steering wheel and a heads up display on the windshield that will at least make for safer texting. The keys are easy to learn. The thinking is that we can't change people's behavior so lets make what they are doing a little less dangerous.

So at least the people who can afford the nicest newest BMWs will have access to the technology to text and drive and only have it be 3/4 as dangerous as drunk driving.