[ZTWsquared]

NOS2Go4Me,Apr 21 2009, 08:17 AM Wrote:My point is thus: long before bluetooth and other hands-free setups existed, we all LEARNED to drive correctly and PRIORITIZE our s***.

I've seen plenty of morons with BT headsets who have damn near caused multi-car accidents because they're NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

It doesn't matter how you're incapable of being a multi-tasking driver - you're still incapable. All the bluetooth in the world won't save you.

I can't wait for the ream of accidents where buddy was on his BT-enabled phone and wrecks horribly... and then it's repeated again and again, ad nauseam. My only regret is for the innocents killed because of DRIVER INCOMPETENCE.

Jeez, when will some of you get that? Driver incompetence causes more "accidents", regardless of how they're classed, than anything else. Running a red? INCOMPETENCE. Jumping a median cause you're not paying attention / don't care? INCOMPETENCE. Distracted by talking on the phone with or without BT? INCOMPETENCE.

The reason I'm sticking to my guns? We were assessed by a driving school here at work for company insurance reasons. I was at the top of the "class", for rules of the road, ability in panic stops in dry, wet and snow/ice-covered conditions as well as... you guessed it, multi-tasking. Holding a convo while driving, counting numbers while holding a convo and driving, etc... it's all about prioritizing what's going on around you and adapting to what new factor requires your attention. The best comparison is "Situation Awareness", as military talking heads refer to it.

When I'm on the cell as I'm driving, and you better believe I am, I treat the phone as another passenger. I talk as tho the person on the other end is in the car. If things happen, they get told to "hang on a sec" or just flat out ignored as I deal with s***. Know what? Sometimes the phone gets put down or hung up! Imagine that! It's called being responsible! That's something that I'll wager the vast majority of sheeple know nothing about! They treat driving as a right and not a privilege!

I'm not trying to brag, but in this case I definitely feel I know what I'm talking about. This cellphone bill is a bandaid till more people start dying because of more incompetent behaviour. Then phones will be banned altogether.

I'm sick and tired of good drivers suffering because of the bad. Yet, that's Canadian society for you all over again - adapting the good to suffer the bad, instead of dealing with the bad. :angry:

Bluetooth is great, but it's not the panacea that everyone seems to think it is. Time will tell.
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I'm going to essentially agree with you here - however I feel more strongly about the benefits of hands-free than I think you do.

9 times out of 10 when somebody changes lanes without signalling it's because they have a phone in one hand - and how many times have you seen a driver with their head tilted 90 degrees to the side because they're cradling a cell phone between ear and shoulder ... and so forget about checking the blind spot or even using the rear view mirrors properly. And so in addition to the distraction caused by the conversation, there is also the distraction and the mechanical disadvantages of an improper driving position.

Although I agree that the hands-free won't necessarily mitigate the distraction aspect of the conversation, it most certainly improves the actual mechanics of driving by putting both hands back on the wheel and allowing for free movement of the neck and head for better vision.

I'm like you Adam - the driving is the priority and the talking takes a back seat (no pun intended) and that comes naturally ... but I feel really uncomfortable driving with a phone in my hand - to the point where I won't talk and drive at the same time if I don't have a hands-free option. Of course driving a manual tranny adds to the necessity of hands free for me.