Slashdot Mirror


Cell Users As Bad As Drunk Drivers

An anonymous reader writes "News.com reports on a cell-phone use study which confirms that talking on your cell is as bad as being drunk, when it comes to driving skill. The researchers studied 40 volunteers in a driving simulator." From the article: "[The subjects were observed] while undistracted, using a handheld cell phone, using a hands-free cell phone and while intoxicated to a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level--the average legal level of impairment in the United States--after drinking vodka and orange juice. Three study participants rear-ended the simulated car in front of them. All were talking on cell phones and none was drunk, the researchers said."

19 of 738 comments (clear)

  1. forget cells... by torrents · · Score: 5, Funny

    how about the idiots trying to use wireless email behind the wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

    --
    Get your torrents...
  2. I'm Not Drunk by neonprimetime · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just like many people who have been drinking, the cell phone users did not believe themselves to be affected, the researchers found.

    Honestly officer ... I wasn't really talking on the phone ... I just hold it by my head to keep warm.

  3. Yeah, you're awesome, I love you man... by DaSenator · · Score: 2, Funny

    What about drunk dialing someone from your cell phone?

    --
    Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.
  4. Things that make you go "Hmm.." by MImeKillEr · · Score: 3, Funny

    What about drunk drivers who are also on their cellphones?

    Hmm..

    --
    Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
  5. Hot Damn! by fobbman · · Score: 4, Funny

    You mean I might have a chance with the hot babe at the party whose sober but chatting on her cell phone?

  6. War Driving Unsafe? by neonprimetime · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are you implying that wardriving from the driver's seat is unsafe?

  7. Re:The usual response by Carnildo · · Score: 5, Funny
    "But I can put my phone down, I can't stop being drunk." Except that people don't put the phone down, they crash.


    Exactly. I got rear-ended at two consecutive red lights once, by the same cell-phone-impaired driver. Fortunately, the only damage was a matched set of trailer-hitch prints in his front license plate.
    --
    "They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
  8. And when you combine all three... by MyOtherUIDis3digits · · Score: 3, Funny

    you are really asking for trouble!

    "Yeah, babe, I've been thinking about you"
    "Noooo, I haven't been drinking! I'm close to your place, can I come over? I miss you..."


    Never ends well.

    --
    Ignore anything I said above, I actually agree with everything you believe - mod accordingly.
  9. Re:Incomplete study... by forkazoo · · Score: 4, Funny
    I would like to see a few more test groups added to this. How about the average pot smoking teenager, the girl putting makeup on, and my personal favorite that I saw recently... a woman brushing her teeth!


    Also, I want to see a study of how much reading while driving impairs your ability. I want to know how much more dangerous I make my drive home, so I can calculate if the probable time savings are likely worth it... :)
  10. Re:Incomplete study... by fobbman · · Score: 4, Funny

    They can't find enough pot-smoking teens with the motivation to get off of the couch, let alone actually DRIVE somewhere.

  11. Business plan by quokkapox · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. Find rich person driving expensive car talking on cellphone.

    2. Pull in front, slow down, encourage tailgating, then brake suddenly.

    3. ????

    4. Profit!

    --
    it's a blue bright blue Saturday hey hey
  12. Re:where to draw the line? by ArmyOfFun · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not nearly often enough.

  13. Re:The usual response by rxrx · · Score: 2, Funny

    I use a cell phone while driving very easily. Never had a accident in my life. My superior multithreaded brain allows me to do this. Watch out!

  14. You will never, ever, beat my personal favorite. by modecx · · Score: 2, Funny

    One day a few years ago I was crusing down I-70 outside of Denver going eastbound in the left most lane, I was doing around 70MPH early in the morning. A guy in a Geo Metro, or some other ultra-small, car *passes me* in the middle lane, playing no less than a goddamned recorder! You know, the flute like thing with holes that you cover with your finger--the plastic thing they let 2nd graders blow on and make a cacophony? Bingo. He was playing the recorder and driving with his knees. He even had a piece of sheet music propped up on the steering column. No shit.

    We could take all of the stories about women doing their makeup, guys shaving, and all that sort of stuff, and combine them... But it'll still never be as good as my story. Seriously, the only thing that can beat it is if someone spots a musical driver playing an oboe, a sax, a chello, a trumpet, a tuba or a trombone, snare drum or some other instrument that is larger than a stupid recorder...

    I'd be most impressed if someone spotted a tympani player, like on a bus or something.

    --
    Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
  15. ahh, an invalid control group! by swschrad · · Score: 2, Funny

    "vodka and orange juice," indeed! that's the control group for using a ham radio in contact with borneo while driving.

    cell phone drivers' control group should be beer drinkers.

    I sorta got to prefer mai tais a year ago, I hate to think what study that would put me into ;)

    --
    if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
  16. Re:Incomplete study... by lgw · · Score: 2, Funny

    I just hope to die quietly in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car.

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  17. Re:The usual response by lgw · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know what they say ... people in cars produce accidents, accidents in cars produce people.

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  18. Re:I'm curious... by fishybell · · Score: 2, Funny

    I know I do! I've got two dents in my front license plates from one!

    --
    ><));>
  19. Real Theory of Everything. by WilliamSChips · · Score: 2, Funny
    But 99% of everyone is an idiot.
    Now this is the real Theory of Everything.
    --
    Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.