I'm with you, brother. I wonder if having the phone call broadcast aloud inside the cabin (as opposed to through an earpiece) would help (apparently hands-free doesn't reduce the cognitive load of trying to have a conversation while having to focus on driving).

Personally I find having something beamed directly into my head much more mentally taxing than listening to it through speakers.

So? I drive great when I'm drunk.

None of the drunk drivers hit the simulated car. I'm sympathetic to drunk drivers. You have to get car home from the bar somehow. But really, the phone call can wait until you've pulled over.

But surely drinking, dialing, and driving (a.k.a. "booze + booty call + Buick") is the ultimate menace.

I definately agree that driving while talking on the cell can be just as dangerous as driving drunk. I think it is very irresponsible to do either one. As for "You have to get the car home from the bar somehow", uh, ever heard of a designated driver? Come on, be responsible people!

Call Cruncher, 'round here we like to tell these things called "jokes."

Joking while driving can be pretty hazardous too, apostropher. And don't get me started on those people you see blogging behind the wheel.

I don't buy that having the phone call broadcast aloud would make it easier. A conversation is still a conversation. I find it mildly distracting to talk while driving, no matter the geography of my co-conversationalist.

True: yesterday a wasp flew into my car on the way to work and nearly caused me to get in an accident. I ended up pulling over and letting it buzz around inside until it found its way out one of the windows.

What gets me is the typical reaction - "oh sure, OTHER people can't talk on the phone and drive, but I'm fine."

I want a cell phone jammer installed in my car that works in a 100 meter radius.

I also hate talking to people who are on a cell phone while driving. I keep yelling "watch out!" at random spots in the conversation to keep them alert. I was actually on the phone once with a friend, and he said "oh, I've gotta go, I just rear ended somebody." He was at a fucking stoplight, and just kinda let his foot of the brake while we were talking.

I don't buy that having the phone call broadcast aloud would make it easier. A conversation is still a conversation. I find it mildly distracting to talk while driving, no matter the geography of my co-conversationalist.

For myself, I know that listening to music through earphones is much more distracting than listening to it over the car stereo. But yes, having a conversation is distracting, in and of itself. I just think there's a possibility it might be a little less distracting if played aloud. Just a guess though.

That very well may be true, M/tch. I'm largely talking out my ass. (No wonder it's so distracting.) I could count on one hand the number of times I've talked on the phone while driving, and I've never used the speakerphone capability to give it a whirl. I do think that phone calls in general are more distracting than normal conversation, though, at least for me. I tend to spend the whole call trying to picture the person with whom I'm speaking, since they're otherwise absent.

I should note that I meant 'talking in general' not 'talking on the phone,' just to clarify my point. That's not in response to you, M/tch, it's just 'cuz.

I'm largely talking out my ass.

You need a breath mint.

Is this the place to admit that I regularly talk on the phone when I'm driving? I do think hands-free makes a big difference, but apparently the studies don't show that to be a general truth. But since I, like plenty of other people, am convinced that I drive just fine when I'm talking, can't we have an on-the-phone driving test and license?

Drunk driving accidents don't occur when people hit the magic 0.08. The study probably should've gone a little further with the booze intake.
I'm with ogged, I also drive just fine when talking on the phone, not that this proves anything. Still, reaching for things, and (especially) road maintenance cause tons more accidents than cell phones, according to a studies with much larger sample sizes.
My theory? Bad drivers go and buy cell phones and blame them for the accidents that they get in.

Is this the place to admit that I regularly talk on the phone when I'm driving?

Since I got my crackberry, I've been known to check my e-mail while driving. At stop lights, I even try to return it every now and then.

On the other hand, I have never been in an accident or gotten a moving violation ticket.

I don't worry much about people talking on the phone any more than talking to someone in the front seat.

What worries me is all the fiddling around you have to do to operate the phone. If they could figure out how to integrate the phone controls onto the steering wheel, or maybe introduce a totally voice activated system, then car phoning could be made safe.

people want to convey "I'm important" when they have the phone up to the ear while driving

Sometimes I watch people (usually when I'm a passenger) driving and chatting on the cell phone. I'm amazed at the number of things they do wrong: no signals, turning right on red when there's 'no right on red' signs posted all over the place, drifting between lanes, etc. Of course, lots of people do that when they aren't talking on a cell phone. Sometimes I think people should get tested every 5-10 years to retain their driver's license.

What really drives me nuts is people who talk on the cell phone in public places so that you can't help but hear their conversations. For some reason, I find it so annoying to hear their half of a conversation that: (a) I'm guessing they initiated just bc they're in the grocery store and they're bored and/or (b) is incredibly banal and boring bc they're just filling time. I've had better conversations with myself.

But then I feel like an old fogey having these opinions, but there it is.

And don't get me started on those people you see blogging behind the wheel.

I saw a traffic ticket a friend got recently and under the section "suspected of using" were Alcohol, Drugs, and Computer. (And Other.) I didn't realise that Computer was RIGHT UP THERE with other intoxicating substances until Davidson County TN showed me the light! So I guess their highway patrol and other forms of black and whites don't have them in their cars... or at least they don't use them whilst driving... uh, sure.

I like "on the freeway* or in a coffee shop".

Apostropher, where are you? The comment-spammers are on the attack! And they don't even know how to use HTML!

Just got back. And if you think there was a lot of spam on the site, you should see how much was quarantined for moderation. Thousands upon thousands of comments and pings.

Welcome back, hope you had a great vacation.

In case you were worrying/losing sleep/etc., there aren't any Tribute Bands (none discovered by me, anyway) in the comments moderation compound.