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General discussion

What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving?

May 30, 2007 4:37AM PDT

- Bad drivers (Tell us why.)
- Car stereos (Tell us why.)
- Cell phones (Tell us why.)
- DVD players (Tell us why.)
- Eating or personal grooming (Tell us why.)
- GPS/navigation systems (Tell us why.)
- Kids (Tell us why.)
- People with road rage (Tell us why.)
- Pets (Tell us why.)
- Other (What is it?)

Discussion is locked

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All of the Above are Road Hazards
May 30, 2007 7:40PM PDT

All of the choices given are actually a hazard to driving. As many people have already stated, "You are in charge and control of your car" except that all of the choices are distractions..Anything that takes your mind and eyes off the road and what you are doing can be the cause of a possible accident.

I have seen people trying to eat and smoke and drive at the same time with no hands on the wheel. I have used GPS systems that told me to make a right turn off a limited access highway where I would have turned into a concrete guard rail. I have had and driven with a dog that was able to put his head out one window with tail out the other. I have seen people talking on their cell phones, trying to read maps by holding them with one hand on the steering wheel. Trying to change stations on your radio, put a cd into the changer, adjust your blue tooth device... all can be hazardous to your health. And please, let's not forget spilling that hot cup of coffee during morning rush hour traffic on the way to work.

I'm not saying we should go back to the Model T - with no amenities but we are responsible for our actions and our actions when in the car should be concentrating on controlling that 2000 lb. +/- piece of dangerous equipment under our hands and feet.

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ROAD RAGE
May 30, 2007 7:53PM PDT

I have read some of these responses and I'm very surprised at what I'm reading, No one here wants to take ownerships for there own stupidity. We have all done something stupid on the road at one time or another. Instead we want to blame and talk about everyone else. I will be the first to say, you know I have been there I have done a couple of stupid things while driving on the road. I will not do it agian because it could have caused an accedent or something. You LIVE AND LEARN!! You take responsibility and move on. BE SAFE

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Senior citizins and mothers with small children
May 30, 2007 8:24PM PDT

Beware as soon as the white heads appear. They are a danger on the road. And what do you think of the kamikaze mothers bringing their kids to school and in the meantime talk to the children, feed them (frontseat and backrow(s), do their own make-up and make a phone call.

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THREAT TO SAFE DRIVING
May 30, 2007 8:32PM PDT

I THINK ITS GOT TO BE CELL PHONES.IVE SEEN NO END OF DRIVERS USING ONE. GETTING INTO WRONG LANES ETC.I THINK IT DOES DISTRACT YOU FROM BEING A SAFE DRIVER ON THE ROAD. NOT JUST THE DRIVER BUT PERDESTRIANS TOO.

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other threats
May 30, 2007 8:39PM PDT

Dangerous driving? Blame the internal combustion engine. Switch to walking or electric motors.

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Bad Drivers
May 30, 2007 8:53PM PDT

Anybody can be distracted at any point in time. The only real problem is when the distraction takes on a life of its own. When people decide to pay attention to their hair, make-up, cell phones, kids, GPS etc. rather than pay attention to the road. Anyone can have an accident once due to an unforseen distraction, its when it turns into a string of accidents or even "close-calls" that people should rethink their driving habits. Technology can be a killer, in more ways then one. The key is to be responsible and vigilant in our driving privilege.

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Bad Drivers
May 31, 2007 12:11AM PDT

I think everyone has hit the nail on the head, also what I think makes a Bad driver is alll the above. Any time a driver does something distracting or detremental to any one else or himself is a bad driver no matter what his training may be.
If you can't be courtious, then you are not being a good driver. One must be aware of everything around while driving.
Thats my story and I am sticking to it.

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People who speed at the wrong time
May 30, 2007 9:57PM PDT

The most dangerous drivers I've seen are those who speed in heavy traffic and constantly change lanes. Most of these are people of both sexes in their 20's or below. Often, they cut others off in changing lanes, producing a potentially deadly situation.

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It depends where
May 30, 2007 10:00PM PDT

Different driving situations carry their own most dangerous activities. Driving on local roads we have the distracted drivers that will blow through a red light or stop sign, simply because they aren't paying attention. Road rage presents it's most dangerous presence here, because the child playing in the street will be the one to lose a game of cat and mouse between two angry drivers.

Driving on a highway is much different than driving on local roads. I have always beleived that there should be a separate driving test to allow someone to drive on a limited access highway. There are laws and courtesy rules that are understood by most but not all highway drivers. Slower traffic to the right, the left lane is a passing lane not a cruising lane. Someone politely flashing their brights means that the car in front should move right to allow the following car to pass. Inexperienced and timid drivers often create dangerous situations by being moving obstacles to normal traffic. Sudden lane changes, very slow driving and looking for an exit while in the left lane are examples.

We can't help the volume of traffic that causes most road rage. We can't help the delays that cause even more cell phone calls to be placed. People who become late due to traffic, are more prone to groom themselves in the car.

Then again, some people are just plain inconsiderate and also feel omnipotent.These are the ones who will continue to permit children and dogs to roam freely in the car, will talk on their cell phones incessantly while weaving through traffic without signaling, and will change their clothes while driving. But we can't change people can we?

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Speed
May 30, 2007 10:28PM PDT

All above are reasons for dangerous driving but in my opinion there's one that is the worst, and that is a strange sense of invincibility combined with people driving always in a hurry, like they're attending an emergency call and nothing can go wrong.

These two make them drive fast and carelessly, without giving the proper respect to human life, theirs and others'.

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Definitely bad drivers
May 30, 2007 10:31PM PDT

Bad drivers already have a problem and are most likely to be effected by all of the other distractions on the list.

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Other...
May 30, 2007 10:46PM PDT

as in anything that distracts the driver from safely navigating the roadways. This includes: holding a cell phone to your ear, reading the paper, shaving, putting on makeup, messing with the radio or GPS unit and saying goo-goo-gaa-gaas in the mirror for 10 minutes to the baby in the back seat. Not saying that children don't need attention, but you need to keep your eyes on the road and surrounding traffic. And yes, I have seen all of these on the road and almost all of them causing accidents (as reported in the news or first-hand).

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Bad Drivers covers it all
May 30, 2007 10:52PM PDT

"Driving" says it all (to me)! People should be driving. All your attention should be focused on that one activity. No Pets, kids, cell, GPS, grooming, reading, etc!

If your not driving 100%, you're just randomly pointing a giant, heavy weapon around.

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distractions in general
May 30, 2007 11:07PM PDT

Maybe the Germans have it right. If there wre no distractions then 100% of your concentration would be on driving and not searching for the fries or answering the phone etc...

Multitasking is a misnomer. Humans can only concentrate on one thing at a time. They may have several things going on but their attention is moving from one to the other, not on everything at once. If you aren't concentrating on driving, you are a danger on the road.

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Car Tech Forum
May 30, 2007 11:19PM PDT

While it is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time, it is, normally, impossible to do two diametrically opposite tasks at the same time. Until cars learn to drive themselves, drivers have to concentrate on driving, and nothing else.

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Having HUMILITY to LEARN & USE all the SKILLS you can muster
May 30, 2007 11:23PM PDT

Many of the things mentioned that people do while driving are because they THINK they can handle car & do stuff too.
But if they were profecient & drove to the conditions (road & environment) there wouldn't be all the accidents there are. That means drivers aren't as good as they think. That comes down to HUMILITY.
The ability learn & use all the skills a driver can find, & to put them into daily practise with integrity & commonsense, without pandering to one's ego is what HUMILITY is all about.
It doesn't mean you can't do other things while driving. But it does mean you do them with due consideration to what's going on around you.
So that if your stationary in peak hour traffic you can apply the lippy for example, 'cos your watching what is going on & you reasonably know you've got a 2min wait before you have to drive on.
You also have the HUMILITY know it's easier to pull over & look at the street directory rather than boost the ego by trying to read while driving.
Checking the ego at the garage door is a sign of maturity, commonly lacking in the younger driver.
You plan your trip. IE: secure the dog & kids, know in advance where your going, etc.
Being totally switched on & paying full attention to the road & all around you means you see danger around you when other drivers aren't upholding their end of the deal. You can then take appropriate action to avoid the hazards.
It all boils down to skills. The skill to know the difference between a reasonable & unreasonable act while in charge of a lethal weapon.

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Let's start with car stereos
May 30, 2007 11:30PM PDT

I have an older model car with a conventional radio/cassette player. To change station I have a rotary knob. To influence the cassette, I have forward and reverse. To change volume I have a second rotary knob. Simple!

My sister's car is newer, and has a one-button-does-all interface. Try reading a VFD with the sun shining on it when trying to make sure you've pressed the button the right number of times to get to the desired menu function, then hope that while you're simply looking for the volume control menu that you haven't run down three or four pedestrians. Not impressed.

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(NT) Here, Here!!! far too complicated
May 31, 2007 12:18AM PDT
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All of the above!
May 30, 2007 11:34PM PDT

People that don't drive with intelligence and common courtesy get people killed - as well as snarling traffic and ramping up the road rage of others.

I know - like every OTHER driver on the road - i THINK that i am a good driver. But backing up MY claim:

? I do not drive under the influence. Ever. Once a new prescription medicine had me feeling a little loopy - i took the bus. No tolerance. And that extra crouton will NOT soak up the 12 drinks with which you chased the previous 8. And it takes a very very small amount to impair!

? I use turn signals. Those stick things on your steering column? With the cobwebs on them? Those can be used to let a driver know he could have turned 30 minutes ago before the people waiting behind him began plotting his grisly murder.

? I only use the far-left-lane when i am driving faster than the cars around me. It is called both the "FAST lane" and the "PASSING lane". If you are doing neither - let someone else give it a try. You really need to EARN that lane - it isn't one of your guarantees in the Bill of Rights

? I relinquish the leftmost lane when someone behind me (if you point them correctly those shiny things let you see drivers behind you!) wants to travel faster than i do.

? I pull over when emergency vehicles are blaring their sirens! I watched a guy poking along in front of an ambulance for at least 3 blocks until it got a chance to go around him. Who does that guy think will pick up the accident victims he causes?

? I have a speakerphone function on my mobile, and i use it on the 4, maybe 5 while-driving calls i get \ make a year. I also have a bluetooth headset, but i rarely bother to bring it on short trips and standard commutes.

? I let people merge. Especially if they are driving in a sane manner - maybe using a turn signal properly - or NOT clipping their toenails, or basting a turkey, or performing vascular surgery or whatever it is that is distracting so many drivers nowadays!

Honest apologies for my sarcastic tone - i've JUST finished a morning commute in Dallas Texas!

-- LASTLY - i DO have to confess (as you can doubtlessly tell by what i've just written) - i do rage. Oh, do i rage. One commute was so bad i arrived at work (an hour later than ever before) with a voice so hoarse i could hardly speak intelligibly. I am aware that road raging is ugly - i look like a fool, screaming silently away with my windows up. I know it helps no one (well, it does vent some pressure i guess). It is likely to be the last thing that i encounter before a heart-related health "event". And i'm well aware that when i am placed beneath a marble slab that reads "He noticed the worst driving around him" the terrible, insidious, road-rage-inspiring insanity will go on and on.

I have found that with bad driving around me - i have a two strikes rule.
? (S)He's on the phone (but driving sane) - ok, maybe it is a short call and this driver is still paying attention to driving.
? They cut me off - well, i've done it, sometimes you don't realise until you've done it - and sometimes to the driver that got there first go the "spoils".
? other minor driver errors

singly any of these are "ok". They happen. But Perdition help you if you combine two or more of these things! I lose the calm, rational thought that i value so much and get bitter and old and curmudgeonly. When i rage - i never chase anyone, i don't flip the bird (learned that one the hard way with a man with WAY worse rage than i'll ever know!) or do anything beyond making myself hoarse and silly-looking.

But this is Texas. And a lot of drivers here go armed. Many of them legally.

Maybe that call isn't as important as the bus of K-12 students on the overpass. Maybe that french fry WON'T cause a toxic waste cleanup if left where it fell until you park. Perhaps the 1 fifty-seventh of a calorie you burn indicating to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists which way you are about to turn will just make you that little bit hotter in your swimming gear. Maybe that blackdingleberry text\email can wait until you can pull over somewhere.

Aw, who am i kidding? Go nuts folks! We only live once - and why should anyone else get a better deal than that?

Captain Sarcasm (well, okay, PRIVATE Sarcasm, but one day - watch out buddy!)
-keith-

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Re: Driving Distraction
May 30, 2007 11:34PM PDT

Dear CNET:

Though you selected probably the most common activities that can distract drivers, physically and cognitively, in varying ways, my experience over almost 50 years of driving, teaching driving, and observing other drivers leads me to conclude that any activity[including all on your list]or event that disrupts the ability of the operator to be cognitvely aware of their surroundings and current place in the scheme of things is a path to possible unwanted interactions between vehicles. To drive safely today requires the fullest conscious attention of the operator, whether they be on a high-speed interstate, crowded city artery, or a pastoral country lane. Count the number of pedestrians, bicycles, or vehicles that cross in front of you in any time frame, whose attention is on the conversation they are having on their cell phone--never checking either way for oncoming vehicles! The mobile society we live in needs to slow down, smell the roses, and not place anything before safe driving when behind the wheel. If all these gadgets are meant to make things easier and convenient, why must we race from point to point using them as if life itself was in the balance--which it is in another sense! Forty-something years ago, the commonly accepted suggestion for defensive driving techniques was that the operator's eyes should move from the road ahead, to the rearview mirror, to the right, to the left, to the instruement panel, back to the forward road--staying no longer than TWO SECONDS on any one spot. Try it, you will find it is difficult to do by itself, never mind trying to locate where you are on GPS or answering a cell phone. Maybe insurance companies will raise rates for drivers who own cell phones some day!!

fw3235@yahoo.com
Amherst, MA

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Inattention
May 30, 2007 11:54PM PDT

Drivers who do not pay attention because they are doing something other than driving are the ones who create most of the hazardous conditions on the road.

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Cell Phones
May 31, 2007 12:16AM PDT

...and I'll tell you why.
1. Cell in one hand, other hand on wheel. Can't use turn signals, ergo, sudden moves left or right.

2. Loss of driving focus.

3. Talking on cell usually result in car slowing down, especially in outer lanes.

4. Cell in one hand, wheel in other... until the cell conversation gets animated. Then no hands on wheel.

5. Imagine all this in a parking lot where cars are backing out, people walking between cars to destination. I've seen people pull out of a row onto main lane leading to exit with out looking left or right.

Needless to say my horn button gets a good workout.

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GPS
May 31, 2007 12:22AM PDT

I can't understand how they allow GPS screens in front of the driver when they don't allow TVs or DVD screens, what is the difference? Both require that you take your eyes off the road and traffic and look at the screen. I know for myself it would be too much of a distraction. Audio GPS should only be allowed.

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Other -- ALL distractioins on the list are causes
May 31, 2007 12:55AM PDT

of driving irresponsibly.

That said, I think that cell use is becoming the worse violation of those listed.

There are NO REASONS for cellphone use while the car is moving in traffic. All right -- it is OK to call 911 to alert about emergencies.

Cellphones are very useful, but their use should be considered a right -- the same way is that driving a car in first place. But both put restraints on the user to act responsible.

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Driver Concentration
May 31, 2007 4:34AM PDT

Does 'gerimal' who is against sat nav systems also think speedometers and rev counters should be banned since they take your eyes off the road?
My Garmin sits just below my normal line of sight, replaces the speedometer (being more accurate) and gives me advance warnings and directions. This allows me to be much more relaxed and therefore probably that bit safer.
Of course, it would be a distraction if I chose to fiddle with it whilst moving - so I don't.
Mobile phones are a different story. I feel actual road rage sometimes at the performance of people using these whilst on the move. Here in the UK the practice has been clearly proved to cause unnecessary deaths. Slight increases in fines has had no effect because risk of detection is also slight.
Motivate the police to trap a few offenders then, rather than a fine, suspend their driving licences for a week or so. That would save lives and reduce the number of insurance claims significantly I think.

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Bad Drivers...
May 31, 2007 12:59AM PDT

I would definately say it would be BAD DRIVERS...some people drive me crazy waiting to get right to a TURN OFF and then putting their blinkers on!!..

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Cell Phones and Young Drivers
May 31, 2007 1:18AM PDT

Cell phones should be outlawed while driving. Some people just can't drive unless they have the damn thing at their ear. I've traveled cross country numerous times and notice that people on phones while driving tend to drive slower or erratically. Unless it is an absolute emergency, I see no need for cell phone use while driving. And if an emergency, be more cautious. You're not the only one on the road.

Young drivers are also a problem. They drive too fast, they're irresponsible, rude, and think they're immuned from being killed. Mix this with being on the cell phone and it's a crash waiting to happen.

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GPS and cell phones
May 31, 2007 1:18AM PDT

I know that other than a radio, cell phones are the worst distraction for most drivers! I have taken a purely personal poll of cars that inhabit the left lane or are mearly ahead of you. I find that these drivers are irradic in their speed or unaware that others are driving near them when speaking on the device, whether it's hand held or not. How many of us can really multitask when safety is paramount? I think that the GPS is fine if programed while the auto is stopped.

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Cell phones
May 31, 2007 1:24AM PDT

Specially when a woman is driving

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too personal?
May 31, 2007 7:06AM PDT

Looks like youv've thought this one out and the answer you came up with is 'tilt.' You either are over 70 or still listen to your father about how wonderful men can drive!