Cell phone experiment

[2linby]

Another in a string of reasons why cell phone use in cars should be totally banned. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/what-clown-on-a-unicycle-studying-cell-phone-distraction/ AKA "2linby" That's 2-lin-by folks! Northwest Area Director COG #5539 AMA #927779 IBA #15034 TEAM OREGON MC Instructor 133K and counting! http://community.webshots.com/user/2linby http://tinyurl.com/njas8 (IBA BunBurner Gold Trip) http://tinyurl.com/lwelx (Alaska trip)

 

[millerized]

I always see the clown on the cell phone, tho. Of course, they're much easier to spot. http://millerized.com/pegs I'll be in the garage

COG 6425, CDA 111 a through g

 

[slybonesjesse]

So I realize talking on the phone appears to be distracting, and causes a lot of problem. But why is that. Opposed to lets say talking to your passenger or listening to the radio. Obviously something like eating while driving, putting on your makeup, etc diverts your attention away from the road to look at something else and you not using both hands, food spills, etc. But if people can talk to a passenger and drive, why cant we ( people as a whole ) talk on the phone and drive. What is it that makes our brain shutdown when a phone goes next to our ear. I say it like that because I am not thinking it has to do with driving with something in your hand for example. People drive with cigirettes in the hand all the time. Hell people drive one handed all the time. I guess I dont see it as being a one handed thing, or a conversation thing, or a noise thing, etc. as there are all sorts of other conversations and noices and things we do that are generally not a problem. We have not banned radio's or passengers yet. Not thinking of food and makeup, etc. -- So what is it about the phone that makes our brain shutdown when its placed next to our ear. 2003 Concours, 56K COG #6953 IBA 28004 http://home.comcast.net/~slybones/Concours/connieMain.htm

 

[2linby]

In basic terms the level of concentration required to conduct a conversation without the benefit of sight ie: seeing the other persona expressions, body language etc, is significantly greater than one may think. Whereas this condition is not as present with other distractions such as the radio, etc. Although they all do represent a level of distraction that does increase your risk of having or being in a collision. Which then also means that even with a hands free device a drivers ability to "divide" their attention is also greatly reduced. I recently read a study suggesting the use of hands free devices only marginally improves the situation. Therefore in reality using any cellphone in a moving car regards of hands or hands free greatly increases the risks. AKA "2linby" That's 2-lin-by folks! Northwest Area Director COG #5539 AMA #927779 IBA #15034 TEAM OREGON MC Instructor 133K and counting! http://community.webshots.com/user/2linby http://tinyurl.com/njas8 (IBA BunBurner Gold Trip) http://tinyurl.com/lwelx (Alaska trip)

 

[slybonesjesse]

hmmm....Using that study, people who walked with other person and people who were listening to music did better then people who walked alone and with no music. It would appear that no distraction allows for people to do a lot of day dreaming. They are not concentrating on anything. I think the same is true driving / riding. Its called highway hypnosis. It would appear some level of distraction makes you focus on the present and not day dream. But for some reason years and years of phones having phones in our house, before the cell phone days, as lead to a natual condition when the phone goes to our ears, we have to tune out the TV and other things to focus on the conversation. And we have not broken ourselves yet. As soon as the phone goes to our ears we tune everthing else out. -- Thats my theory anyways. 2003 Concours, 56K COG #6953 IBA 28004 http://home.comcast.net/~slybones/Concours/connieMain.htm

 

[Paulie]

Ban em! EZ to spot pokin along in the L lane, totally oblivious. FWIW I've ordered a bumper sticker for the cage at http://www.legislatorcooper.com/bumpersticker.html Haven't got it yet tho. edit: jest came today, as advertised. $0.00, my kinda price! 01 Conc, Mijami Floriduh OTP 06: http://tinyurl.com/2vk9o2 route map: http://tinyurl.com/4p7pmd

 

[Brett0769]

I was at lunch the other day and saw an SUV that looked like the one my boss drives. It wasn't his, but the girl driving it was headed down the road at 35mph with her eyes glued to her Crackberry the entire time she was in my view. She was obviously reading and replying to e-mail. She was completely oblivious to the road ahead of her and a mastodon could have stepped into the road in front of her without her being aware until the vehicle was upside down. This is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed, though I think a ban would be about as effective as the ban on prostitution or marijuana in this country.

 

[2linby]

though I think a ban would be about as effective as the ban on prostitution or marijuana in this country.

Yeah Stoned hookers! Now that's what I'm talking about...... Any ban is only as good as its enforcement. Any enforcement is only as good as the support of said enforcement, so if you see the action, report it. I don't care how many times it takes, the police will eventually figure out you are a pain in the ass and either: 1) Arrest you and beat the crap out of you, or: 2) Take care of the issue with a more agressive enforcement. I think a little beating is worth the effort! HA! AKA "2linby" That's 2-lin-by folks! Northwest Area Director COG #5539 AMA #927779 IBA #15034 TEAM OREGON MC Instructor 133K and counting! http://community.webshots.com/user/2linby http://tinyurl.com/njas8 (IBA BunBurner Gold Trip) http://tinyurl.com/lwelx (Alaska trip)

 

[nosmo]

It's not so much that the cell phone is more distracting than anything else. Talking to passengers is also distracting. Any talking is. That's why flight crews are supposed to keep a "sterile cockpit" meaning no jabbering about non-flight-related crap. The main issue IMHO is that people who are stupid enough to crash while using cell phones (actually they should be called "portable radios", that's what they are) are also too stupid in general to drive safely. People who are smart enough to realize that the phone distraction is dangerous, are also smart enough to be better drivers overall. A few months ago in our factory, a woman was injured while WALKING and texting on her Blackberry, she didn't pay attention to her walking and ran right into a big 6-foot-tall steel cart full of metal parts, knocked it over, cuts and bruises. How stoooopid can you be? Now we have posters all over the shop warning not to walk and text. Jeeeezzz.....

 

[ghabel]

I read an article recently (can't remember what magazine) that the BIG difference between talking to a passenger and talking to someone on a cell is that the passenger will react to a dangerous situation ahead. The passenger will alert the driver (WATCH OUT!!!) etc. The person on the cell is completely unaware of the situation. The people in the car are another set of eyes. I love technology but it requires restraint and common sense on when it should be used. Greg H from Mass, Connie Droppers Anonymous Awards Dude COG# 7010,a Tracey CDA 120 (2.0) 99 Connie "Herrin Christabelle", 05 Ninja 250

 

[chief b]

I love technology but it requires restraint and common sense on when it should be used.

Too bad that Common Sense isn't always that common.

 

[S Smith]

This is called Inattentional Blindness. Here is a good definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inattentional_blindness Here is the study report from 1999 http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/~behrmann/dlpapers/Simons_Chabris.pdf Here are some of the study videos: http://viscog.beckman.illinois.edu/djs_lab/demos.html These studies had nothing to do with cell phones and demonstrated that when our mind is preoccupied with another task that nearly 50% of tested subjects missed the unexpected event. If cell phones are a problem, then so are so many other things that can preoccupy the mind and be a distraction. Listening to talk radio, listening to e-books and music, conversation with passengers, using CB and amateur radios, eating food, putting on makeup, reading maps. Let's not leave out GPS devices. There are folks out there that can't chew gum and walk at the same time, but there are no laws or bans that prevent them from getting behind the wheel of a car, truck, or motorcycle... -- Steve Smith, COG #3184 COG Northeast Area Director (somewhere in south central CT)

If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.

 

[Brett0769]

Maybe I should rethink that DVD player that I mounted on my Connie's dashboard...

 

[S Smith]

Maybe I should rethink that DVD player that I mounted on my Connie's dashboard...

You should be OK with that, but the Wii will have to go.

-- Steve Smith, COG #3184 COG Northeast Area Director (somewhere in south central CT)

If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.