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"Supertaskers" Can Safely Use Mobile Phones While Driving

nk497 writes "While most of us are dangerous when texting, chatting on a phone or being otherwise distracted while driving, one in 40 are actually just fine with such distractions. In a small study, such 'supertaskers' were just as good at driving when carrying on a conversation over a hands-free phone as they were when fully focused. That said, the researchers warned that most people are much worse at driving while chatting and shouldn't do it, adding: 'Given the number of individuals who routinely talk on the phone while driving, one would have hoped that there would be a greater percentage of supertaskers.'" That 1 in 40 aside, reader crimeandpunishment writes "The US Transportation Department is calling for a permanent ban on texting while driving, for interstate truck and bus drivers. An interim ban has been in place since January. The government says it is doing everything it can to make roads safer by reducing the threat of distracted drivers."

6 of 388 comments (clear)

  1. Only steers and queers come to Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Holy dog shit. Slashdot? Only steers and queers come to Slashdot. And you don't look much like a steer to me so that kinda narrows it down.

    PS: Niggers.

  2. Re:Self-correcting problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Yes but on the negative side I wouldn't have read your whiny post on Slashdot.

  3. Re:Self-correcting problem by BitZtream · · Score: -1, Troll

    Hahahaha ... and this is typical of ignorant drivers such as yourself.

    While she broke the law for running the red light, you are still screwed up by not noticing she was coming.

    'one hand on the wheel' is more than enough to drive. You know how I know? Been driving a stick for 20 years, I spend 95% of my time when driving in the city without my hand on the wheel. The reason you're taught to keep both hands on the wheel is to keep you focused on whats outside the car and not fucking around with stuff inside the law.

    Just a suggestion though, you might want to wait 20 or 30 years before you start spreading your insight on driving, you don't actually have any yet. All you have now is misunderstandings of misinformation fed to you by a drivers ed instructor that could give a shit what happens to you.

    You are actually FAR more dangers than most people texting. You're more likely to be fucking around with other people in the car and carrying on conversations with them, not paying attention while you're driving. You're more likely to not drive defensively. You're more likely to overrun your abilities as a driver due to misjudging the situation.

    In short, you don't get to comment on other peoples driving as you are most certainly among the group of 'the worst drivers on the road'. The second place group is old people, and the third place group is drunks.

    The danger from texting while driving is about 1 to 2 million times less for me to do it than it is for you to just be behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.

    --
    Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
  4. Re:Please assume you can't supertask. by BitZtream · · Score: 0, Troll

    If you had half a clue you won't ride your bike on the road. You go ahead and get all vigilante on the women in a car... you and your bike, go fight her ... I'll wait to see how you look as a red splotch on the road.

    Its funny how cyclists are always smug assholes ... well funny in that, not funny but amazingly annoying kind of way. People like you make me want to make it legal to play roadkill bingo with any asshole over 18 riding his bike on a road, bike lane or not.

    --
    Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
  5. Re:Natural selection at work? by psithurism · · Score: 0, Troll

    No, what happens is the non-supertaskers take out other people in their way who may or may not be supertaskers. The net effect will be no change in the supertaskers:non-supertaskers ratio.

    Precisely, it may even go the other direction. My alcoholic uncle, though telling everyone he could handle driving drunk and besides he never drove drunk anyway, had enough suspicion of himself to cruise around in a tank of a car. I've heard from others he's no exception.

    I happen to be a supertasker, but just in case a texting non-supertasker hits me while I'm texting, I'll only be texting from my SUV.

  6. Re:Not "anyone" just most people. by KahabutDieDrake · · Score: 0, Troll

    I'm just curious what makes you, and biker boy up there, think that you know more than any of the rest of us. You don't know how I drive, for all you know, I could be the best, or worst driver on earth.

    Please, stop trying to perpetuate the idea that only motorcyclists and truck drivers are good drivers. In point of fact, those are two the of the MOST ACCIDENT prone sets of drivers on the road. Observe some reality.

    Lastly, lets not pretend like you have even the slightest idea how observant any given other driver is. You guys can take your elitist bullshit and walk with it. I'll be driving. You can spot me, I'll be singing along to the radio, futzzing with the climate control, text my secretary about the meeting later and I'll STILL notice your bike out of lane position and riding like you are terrified of everyone else on the road.