Truck drivers! Don't go texting now
Shock risk findings are shocking
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Fresh from the department of the bleeding obvious comes the news that truck drivers sending text messages are more likely to have accidents than those paying attention to the road ahead.
To be fair to the boffins at Virginia Tech, they did do proper research - fitting video cameras into more than 100 trucks and collecting statistics. But the conclusions - that sending text messages while driving is really very dangerous - should surely be obvious to everyone by now.
Nevertheless, some do remain unconvinced - 36 US states still don't have a ban on texting while driving. One could argue that existing legislation covering other forms of careless driving should be applicable, but the fact that text messaging is so much more dangerous than other activities does lend weight to the counter argument for specific legislation.
Sending a text message from a truck increased the chances of having an accident by 23.2 times, compared to 6.7 times for using an electronic device and 5.9 times for dialling a phone number: talking on the phone didn't alter the chances of an accident at all, at least not when sitting in an 18-wheeler.
That conflicts with recent studies that used simulators to demonstrate the danger of chatting from behind the wheel, but Virginia Tech can explain that:
"It is important to keep in mind that a driving simulator is not actual driving... when conflicting findings occur between naturalistic studies and simulator studies, findings from the real‐world, and not the simulator‐world, must be considered the gold standard."
Which puts the University of Utah in its place. But real-world research is expensive; the New York Times reports that this study cost around $6m to complete, which would pay for a lot of simulator time. One has to wonder how many more times we need to prove that sending text messages while driving is a really stupid thing to do. ®
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COMMENTS
Ban map checking...
...because the map is on my "cell phone."
I can use VoIP legally!
The problem with specific laws is that they cost far too much to keep up to date and that they don't pass any common sense test.
Making cell phone calls illegal, but allowing VoIP or TETRA radio calls or whatever is plain nonsense.
Banning text messaging, but allowing people to use email or the www to make comments is equally stupid. Then where do you draw the line? Is reading cnn.com really any different to fiddling with your TomTom?
Laws seem to do nothing
The laws did nothing here in the UK, Plod is simply fining people for eating a choocy bar at the wheel, while Mr BMW ( BMW and lorry drivers get special licences that allow them to do whatever they like on the road, I know, I checked! ) drives past at 95pmh, coffee in one hand mobile in the other, driving with his knees on the wheel!
No excuses, you drive the car, nothing else matters,OK? Do you think you're so utterly important to the survival to the human race that you cannot wait to tell you mate about some sh*te TV show you watched last night, that you would risk other people's lives? If you have to arrange something, then stop or, and here's a novel idea, PLAN AND DISCUSS IT BEFORE YOU GET IN THE CAR!
I have bluettooth handsfree in my car, passenger use only. My mobile goes off when I get in the car and I am driving. I am simply not that conceited to think I matter that much to all and sundry that my calls can't wait 20-30 mins.
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